NORTHLANDERS WORK HARD

Northern Advocate, 7 November 1934, Page 2

NORTHLANDERS WORK HARD

LONG LISTS EOR LAST’ WEEK’S CONTEST WORD BUILDING PROVES POPULAR Dear Northlamlers, —“Did you get good entries for tlic Word Building Competition?” * What a question! I know very well that the Office Boy can appear a real fathead at times, but I did not think he would be so utterly foolish as to ask a question like that. Of course we received good entries for the Word Building Competition. On the very next morning after the contest had been announced; envelopes began to arrive, and as the week slipped by the mails became heavier and heavier. One strange thing I noticed was that as the closing date drew nearer the envelopes became fatter and fatter. Really you should have seen some of the long lists received. Nine pages, each divided into four columns, made up the entry of Maile Morris, who found 978 words that could be built from “Young Northlander.” Ann Marshall was another who sent in an extra-bulky envelope, for her entry contained 922 words. I thought that the boys were going to be badly beaten in this contest, but Nell Roberts came to the fore and won one of the half-crown prizes with a list of 801 words, whilst Stanley Hill, not far behind, found 798. Although not a prize winner, Phyllis Blake submitted a very good piece of work, having listed 765 words. Many competitors discovered six hundred words and several found five hundred, whilst three and four hundred-word entries were quite numerous. To earn a place in the Honours List, warriors had to contribute 'entries of more than two hundred words. “Our pens, arms, nibs and dictionary are nearly worn out with finding words to fit ‘Young Northlander,’ ” wrote one maiden who, when her competition had been completed, had enough energy left to write me a short note. This is more than can be said for the majority of followers, for, after copying out their lists of words, they felt that they had written just about enough for one week, and consequently my letters were fewer this week than they have been for a very long time. Did you have plenty of crackers last Monday night? I saw a couple of splendid rockets go up, though the majority of my young friends seemed perfectly satisfied with Roman candles, pin-wheels, torpedoes, and the smaller type of fireworks. Coloured matches that fizzle and splutter as they give out a red or green light seemed the favourite of the tiny tots, who naturally enough did not fancy holding something that was likely to go off with a sudden “bang!” Poor old Guy Fawkes, I really feel just a wee bit sorry for him. After all I suppose he thought he was doing his duty, and we don’t hear nearly so much about the other conspirators who were concerned far more deeply in the plot than he But bonfires and fireworks are good fun and the “gunpowder plot” will be remembered as long as boys and girls have pennies to spend and crackers are obtainable as cheaply as they are today. The Rangatira of the Printing De- sit partmpnt said there would be “fire- Jj / - works” in the office if my copy wasn’t in early this week—and you know 9 what that means, don’t you? I think - I had better hurry, so cheerio for Rangatira, the meantime. ' Northland Tribe,