Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-19

Powers Mclean, eleven year old
son of Mayor and Mrs. Ernest L, Nc
Lean, and a pupil in the seventh
grade at the William r. Smith gram
mar school is the winner of the
commander Marion Epley medal, for
the best essay by grammar school
student submitted in the competition
in the Augusta district in the "Old
Ironsides Fund" campaign.
The announcement of the prize
winning essay was made by Exalted
Ruler Charles A. Cyr Of the Augusta
lodge, No. 964, B. p. o. Elks, We'd
nesday. The campaign for raising
the quota in this city for the preser-
walton Of the historic old United
States frigate Constitution" was
conducted by the Elks lodge with
Hon. Charles S. Hichborn as chair
man of the committee which con-
Quoted a flying squadron" series of
brief meetings in the public and
parochial schools of this city, Halo
we'll aud Winthrop.
The five dollars in gold prize for
the best essay by a high school stu
dent was awarded by the judges of
the contest to Norwood w. Mansur,
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Herman r. Man
sur of Hillcrest street, and a men,
Der of the senior class at Cony high
school. The subject of the essays by
high school pupils was: "Why did
the victories of the United States
frigate Constitution contribute so
largely to our success in the war of
1922" The gold prize was presented
by Augusta lodge of Elks, and before
the judges could reach a decision on
the great number of particularly
well written essays submitted. they
were forced to devise schedule for
grading the papers.
The points considered in making
the award were, adherence to the
subject; style, including forcible pre-
sentation of the argument; and
grammatical construction, spelling,
punctuation, etc. The same constd-
erations entered. into the selection OF
the best essay in the grammar schooi
contest and the committee in its re-
port to the exalted ruler of the Elks
lodge commended the work of all pu-
pills entered in the competition. The
personnel of the committee Of Judges
was z. Louise Springfield. secretary
to Frank J. Ham, collector of inter-
nal revenue for Maine; Postmaster
John C. Arnold and Hon. Lewis A.
Burleigh.
The subject of the essays in the
grammar school division was why
the preserving of the Constitution
will promote patriotism" The full
text of both winning essays Is given
publication with this story and that
the essays are of very high merit Is
obvious. The paper by Norwood
Mansur will be entered in the state
wide competition for the silver medal
the winner of which will receive
consideration in the national contest
for the grand gold medal.
Subject: Why did the victories OF the
United States frisate, "Constitu-
ton" contribute so largely to our
success in the War of 1912?
s'The United States frigate Con
stitution" was launched in Boston on
October 81, 1897. She was the tall
square rugged warship Of those days,
but she was different in vital re-
spects.
Because Of the shortness Of time
and the inferior number of our ships,
her builders figured that In order to
compete with the enemy. our new
ships must be superior in every re-
spect except in size and numbers.
So, with that object In mind the
"COnStltutlOn was DullC VI uiluSudliy
well seasoned timbers which were Ito
help in the winning of the famous
name "Old Ironsides." Her draft
was much less, and her bows higher,
in fact, everything about her was
built to attain greater speed than
any other frigate of her time. She
carried more and heavier guns than
was usual for ships Of her classified
ton and her cruising radius was
much greater than that of any Of the
foreign ships. Her cost was about
100000 with tonnage Of 1876. But
however small she seems to us. 1t
has been shown that she was far
above her competitors in guns. speed
and cruising radius; she was the
famous bulldog of the United States
Navy.
1.-THE freedom of the American
merchantmen on the high seas being
oppressed. young America" de-
clared war upon. England in 1872.