Ohio History Journal


96 Ohio Arch

96         Ohio Arch. and      Hist. Society Publications.

 

 

A YOUTHFUL HISTORIAN.

Sometime before the holidays (1907) The Daily News of Spring-

field, Ohio, offered three prizes for the best three essays on some local

historical subject; essays to be written by the pupils of the public schools

and to be confined to one thousand words each.

The judges selected as the awarding commit-

tee were Prof. B. F. Prince, professor in his-

tory in Wittenberg College, ex-President Clark

County Historical Society and for many years

Trustee of the Ohio State Archaeological and

Historical Society; Prof. Allen M. Kline, head

of the history department in the Springfield

public schools and Mr. J. H. Rabbitts, Post-

master of Springfield, attorney-at-law, an ex-

journalist and an enthusiastic and accomplished

student of history. The contest awakened a

great interest among the school pupils and

scorces of competitors entered the field. The

essays were submitted to the awarding com-

mittee in such manner that the decision of the judges would be without

their knowing the names of the respective writers previous to the award.

The successful winners and prizes were as follows: first prize, ($15 in

gold) Douglas Hypes, aged 16, Wittenberg Academy; second prize ($10

in gold) Paul F. Trout, aged 18, Springfield High School; third prize

($5 in gold) Clotell Dalie, aged 15, Springfield High School.

Master Douglas Hypes, the winner of the first prize is the son of

the Hon. Oran F. Hypes, member of the Ohio Senate. The youthful

writer adopted the methods of a real historian, for he went straight to

the original sources, and obtained his material at first hand, as his addi-

tional notes testify. This fact gives especial value and interest to the

article and shows the young writer did his work with the true historic

interest and painstaking labor. It is, moreover, admirably written, and

is as follows:

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN CLARK COUNTY.

 

BY DOUGLAS HYPES.

It was on a cold dreary night in the early "fifties." A high gale was

blowing, which seemed to drive everything before it with unabating fury.

Soon after midnight, a wagon came noiselessly down old Mechanic street

in Springfield, Ohio. The driver stopped the horses before a house, half

way between Jefferson and Pleasant streets, and, quickly alighting, made

his way up the hill to the dwelling. In response to his low knock, the

back door was opened.

"I have come a night earlier than expected," said the stranger, "for

they were in pursuit."