In eighties, while these schools were at their best,
And pupils from all these refined homes were
Bent on hard study, with good teachers blest,
Some splendid spelling schools did then occur
In each district one winter. It was then
The last was held in Pleasant Ridge, a gem.
The score was even; they must hold yet one;
This was to tell for all the final fate.
They all longed for this great event to come;
The tenth of February was the date.
We all had vowed, no matter what it took,
We must not fail to know the spelling book.
Three weeks of time we had yet to prepare;
And the home school should furnish the program.
Our teacher, Emma Kister, said, “With care,
Pupils, we must arrange our work and plan,
Or else the victory will not be ours;
We have to entertain and fight four powers.”
She named a council with her to advise;
They placed the poorer spellers in the plays;
The small ones gave “a piece” to memorize;
And got the non-combatants of those days
To play guitars and violins, and sing.
This truly proved to be the very thing.
We spelled down every Friday afternoon;
And the last week we did that ev’ry day;
Rehearsed the declamations ev’ry noon;
And in the evening practiced ev’ry play.
So when came on the tenth of February,
We’d all in trim and all a-feeling merry.
The other districts also plotted, planned;
And studied early, late and overtime.
If kerosene had not then been on hand
They’d burned up all the pitchy knots of pine.
And safe to say, they knew the word book well,
And as they plainly showed, knew how to spell.
It was the prettiest night I e’er did know:
The full moon did its very, very best;
The wains and sleighs came jingling o’er the snow;
For no one wished to miss the great contest.
Our frame school house was large, but ne’er before
So many glad folks were upon its floor.
Each school its spellers chose, and wrote each name
On paper, of not more than twelve and ten,
Nor less than twelve; and then enclosed the same
Within a drawing box from which two men
Then drew the names, and read one at a time,
While persons took alternate sides in line.
In final contest now each teacher stood
And spelled with pupils of his or her school.
Therefore, an outside person, as he should,
Was asked to “give out” words; a time-old rule;
For this was chosen Mr. William Knight,
Elm Creek’s savant, who proved a prince that night.
The quaint school house was decked for holiday;
The old and young from far and near were there:
All from Deer Creek; Blue Valley, far away;
And sunny Prairie Gem, and Herkimer, fair.
Here Golden Valley’s best ’d gathered at its heart,
Intent for spelling tournament to start.
When all was set, this was an august sight:
Each school its trusted spellers there had brought,
By study armed and trained in many a fight;
And with them came their friends who warmly sought
To cheer them to the utmost in the game;
And win for their home schools still brighter fame.
Blue Valley’s spellers came with Mr. Gallaher;
John Cottrell with his pupils resolute
From Prairie Gem. The lexicographers
Of Deer Creek came with Charley Travelute.
Likewise McConnaughey with his gay band
Of spellers from Herkimer was on hand.
Three generations mingled at these sports:
Grandparents with their scions and grand babes
Coined facial sunshine for congenial hearts
That these farm districts always owned and gave.
Among the many grand folks ’mid this youth
Appeared Grandpa and Grandma Travelute.
When lines were formed the spelling match began;
By guess of page, the starting side was learned;
To fifty then as per adopted plan,
Of McGuffey’s text the mediator turned:—
“Dilemma!” Charley Travelute spelled right;
And Mabel Rogers next won “stalactite.”
Then Emma Kister spelled “discern,” and Ben
Bull captured “chemistry,” and next “subvert”
To Philip Emmert fell; while “stratagem”
To Allie Jeffry went. The word “alert”
Brought down a lad from Pleasant Ridge, but Fred
Cockerill left out the useless “l” instead.
Next Warren Keller overcame “precedence”;
And Eva Blackmar right spelled “boulevard”;
John Armstrong then scored perfect on “allegiance”;
A lass from Deer Creek found “croquet” too hard;
But Francis Benson then reduced the fracture;
And Louis Tarvin cleared on “architecture.”
The word “spaceous” was spelled by Alfred Talbot;
And next “sophisticate” by Daisy Bull.
“Stereotype” was won by Ella Benson;
And Edward Winkler scored with “merciful.”
Then Sally Tarvin right spelled “separate”;
And Stella Guise o’ercame “emancipate.”
Now Henry Stauffacher cleared on “redoubt”;
And Ira Strickler nearly missed “renown,”
“Adroit” some one from Herkimer let out;
Likewise a lad from Prairie Gem put down.
Correctly then George Emmert spelled this term;
And Jake Schmidler scored high on “endosperm.”
“Missile” was sent to Maggie Butterfield;
While “modesty” was won by Frank McKee;
James Gallaher nearly lost out on “congealed”;
And Minnie Cottrell mastered “chickadee”;
Now Peter Kerschen captured “epiglottis”;
And “gratis” was spelled by Louisa Koppes.
George Watson next cleared on “antagonize”;
“Incarcerate” fell to Edward McKee;
A Pleasant Ridger lost on “analyze”—
He stopped too soon; he left off final “e”.
But Andrew Koppes then made the addition;
Wesley Sedlacek lettered right “commission.”
Correctly Polly Key spelled “gondolier”;
John Cottrell subjugated “porcelain”;
Then Monnie Strickler right spelled “brigadier”;
And Florence Benson perfect got “domain.”
Then Ida Kister took “fragility”;
And Lena Fulton won “tranquility.”
Now Walter Cockerill won on “guitar”;
Some lass from Herkimer sad took her seat
Because from “arrogance” she dropped an “r”;
Teresa Schmidler made that word complete.
Next Gertrude Talbot spelled the word “musician,”
And Oscar Severns, ditto, “statistician.”
Pierce Hickey now scored perfect on “sebaceous”;
“Sapphire” was won by Agnes Butterfield.
Sam Guise went down before the term “cetaceous”—
Some thought a-purpose to vacate the field.
Then Katie Armstrong spelled the word correctly;
And Edward Keller barely got “exactly.”
Now Maggie Ellenbecker got “parquet;”
And Peter Schumacher o’ercame “coupon;”
Next Bertha Heister didn’t miss “roundelay;”
Nor Robert Cottrell lose the word “chiffon.”
But thus it was not with ye humble bard:
He found the word “campaign” a type too hard.
That word was mastered then by Dora Watson;
And Rosa Bull came through with “masquerade.”
“Frontier” was vanquished next by Charlie Fulton;
While Jennie Rogers won on “cavalcade.”
Next Matthew Schumacher o’ercame “convene;”
And Charlie Benson likewise “tambourine.”
Next came “adobe.” O how this word mowed them!
It first o’erpowered Frederick Stauffacher;
Then Nicholas Koppes; and Johnie Brennan;
Ernie Rockwell; and Caspar Stauffacher.
Then Mamie Hartwell spelled the fiend aright;
And Webster’s Frank scored on “theodolite.”
Clear Arthur Cottrell steered with “bagatelle”;
Sam Parish too with the word “government”;
Then Edith Talbot won “perennial”;
And Blanche McFarland got “inhabitant.”
Now Anna Ellenbecker caught “conceal”;
Likewise Mark Spealman triumphed o’er “appeal.”
Next Tina Raemer captured “immigrate”;
“Identify” was spelled by Anna Key.
Nicholas Kerschen won with “arbitrate”;
And William Raemer scored on “legatee.”
“Ensign” was won by Willard Travelute;
And Emma Hunt came home with “parachute.”
Next Philip Raemer failed on “troubadour,”
But Maggie Thompson mended his mistake.
Then Sophie Feil spelled the word “amateur,”
Altho it made her just a trifle shake.
But she was not alone in this distress;
For many others trembled more or less.
Now Sophie Stauffacher spelled “agriculture”;
And William Cottrell scored on “volunteer.”
Then “parliament” was won by Bertha Raemer;
Frank Bachoritch survived on “commandeer.”
By Mary Brennan was spelled “minimum”;
And Henry Kister got “geranium.”
Then Charlie Feil went down on “cataclysm”:
He put into the word too many “y’s”;
Sophie Sedlacek spelled it. “Feudalism,”
By Katie Stauffacher. But “systematize”
Quick, Niemann’s Fred and Raemer’s George set free,
While Lottie Hunt scored high as referee.
William McNulty now missed “privilege”;
Ditto some speller sweet from Prairie Gem;
Likewise a lass who lived in Pleasant Ridge;
But Nellie Armstrong wrought correctly then.
Now Abbie Koppes spelled aright “profound”;
The spelling contest then had made one round.
The order perfect was; no sound was heard
Except the mediator’s staccato calls;
And spelling of that fitful little word
By the contestants lined along the walls.
Each district had still standing in the line
Enough to hold out in this bout some time.
The contest now began the second round.
Yet more and more int’resting waxed the game.
The spelling grew distinct as clarion sound;
And breathless the spectators viewed the same.
A plucky lad or lass some times would fall,
Hit by some fatal word as “minnie” ball.
Each district reinvoiced its spellers there;
And weighed again their chance of winning out.
Folks drank in every sound to see if fair;
And as theirs scored, just ached to give a shout
For joy; not so when one of their clan fell:
A sad regret upon their mien would tell.
When forty minutes more had raged combat,
Sadly depleted had become those lines:
Many an able speller wounded sat
By the word-missiles from McGuffey’s mines.
Blue Valley, Prairie Gem and Herkimer
Had not a hero left as skirmisher.
From Pleasant Ridge but three survived the storm
Thus far: lone Peter Kerschen on the west;
While Emma Kister, meek and slender form,
And pretty Sally Tarvin, still our best,
With Charley Travelute stood on the east—
Opponents’ sole survivor, scared the least.
For twenty minutes more, the battle raged;
The words were spelled hot from pronouncer’s lips;
Each standing speller stern defiance waged;
For keen tense nerves did obviate all slips.
Over one hundred words were given out
Free from a single mishap or a rout.
The mediator then sought harder words;
And while he searched the audience relaxed;
Respired more easily, a trifle stirred:
That intense hour had them severely taxed.
Yet, those two districts whose race was not done
Maintained a sphinx composure, every one.
Since but four stood, they now spelled in rotation.
First Charley Travelute got “surreptitious”;
And Emma Kister spelled “transfiguration.”
To Sally Tarvin went the word “officious”;
Next Peter Kerschen overcame “horehound”;
And in this fashion then the words went round.
“Topaz”; “priory”; “orgy”; “orphanage”;
“Inflammable”;—every one was won.
“Surtout”; “gyration”; “muscatel”; “assuage”;
And “legendary”; “lout”;—were spelled each one.
“Escutcheon”; “frenzy”; “intercede”; “lasso”;
And likewise “sentimental”, “domino.”
Some fifty words were rapidly pronounced;
No ripple in the spelling could be made;
The spellers with determination pounced
Upon the words that at their door were laid.
A sore fatigue showed in the speaker’s tongue,
As doggedly still forth the words he flung.
At length he paused, as if he plainly saw,
There’d be no end; they would hold out till dawn.
He asked: “Shall we now call this bout a draw?”
A hundred voices roared, “go on!” “go on!”
So, turning many pages farther then,
The spelling contest forward moved again.
How these words stung! “Medallion”; “juvenile”;
“Apparent”; “bivouac”; and “laboratory”;
“Indelible”; “rescission”; “whip-poor-will”;
And “negligible.” Such terms carried glory
Alike to those who spelled as well as to those
Who misspelled; for, to both an honor rose.
O, how oblivious were those old time boys!
One could have heard a pin drop anywhere.
No doubt some hearts anticipated joys;
While some the pangs of sad regret did share.
And some were musing rather fervently
’Twixt hopes and fears of drear uncertainty.
Mysterious mind! Oh why this painful hush?
The long hoped battle’s on—in high white heat;
Each has won one; now they hope yet to crush;
A minute small may tell the tale—who beat?
And with that honor lustering some school,
Some one stands idolized and beautiful.
“Icicle” then was spelled by Peter Kerschen;
With “judgment” Charley Travelute got thru;
Next Emma Kister won the word “emersion”;
And Sally Tarvin likewise “kangaroo.”
Ah! Kerschen dropped “s” from “isosceles.”
Yet Travelute repaired the flaw with ease.
This finished the west side. But on they went—
“Domestic”; “criticism”; “cavalier”;
“Harang”; “vicinity”; “ingredient”;
Alas! Miss Kister lost on “Belvedere.”
Miss Tarvin quickly spelled the word aright;
So only two were standing in the fight.
So anxious was the crowd to see who won,
They thought it half revealed when she sat down;
And from the concourse rose a subdued moan
In expectation of that lucky one.
Yet ’twas in vain; none knew; and none could tell;
These two were trained and tried; they both could spell.
Breathless the crowd looked for the coming dawn—
The coming dawn of victory and defeat.
Their faces some concealed; and some looked wan;
Some even rose unconscious to their feet.
And in the rear the packed-in throng did strain;
Stood on tip-toe to better view the game.
Outside ’twas winter, and the snow lay deep;
The frost with icy style was tracing scenes
Upon the window panes in spite of heat
That rolled beyond the huge stove’s screens.
But still no cold was felt; forgot the clime;
Perhaps some mused that it was summertime.
But these two spellers stood unmoved and calm;
They knew their mission, and that kept above
All else. Their friends, who wistfully looked on,
Looked them their ardent hopes and prayers and love.
This confidence was not reposed amiss:
For no mentality as worth as this.
O rude ordeal, betwixt two such minds!
Two bright young folks in rosy morn of life:
Sweet girlhood that mild womanhood entwines;
And manhood young trained for the world’s hard strife;
It seemed a prank of fate, deep, strained, and hard,
But yet it must go on to its reward.
There was no moment lost; the hard words flew
From the pronouncer’s tongue like league base balls;
And as if veteran scholars, so spelled two,
Still at their post of duty ’long the walls.
They were the brilliant stars, and high did rise
In the fond gaze of all admiring eyes.
Full thirty words went forth in steady run;
And each the audience thought would be the last.
But each was caught by speller as if in fun;
Or charmed by magic for this august task.
The oldest there had ne’er such contest heard
Wherein so little boot a stubborn word.