Quieter Than Usual

The 52d annual commencement week of the University of Michigan with its baocalaureate sermón, its brilliant social functions, its class day eseroises and class rennions, and its corninencement day exercises and address have again come aud gone and with it have gone from our midst to take their places in the bnsy hum aud wbirl of the world's daily grind 550 yonng meu aud women who have eai'ned their diplomas in the various departments of the nniversity. Quite different to the first commencement in 1845, sis years after the organization of the university,vhen a class of an even dozen men graduated, have been those of the years from 1893 (when the largest nnmber ever graduated was turned out), up to the present year. In 1893 the numberwas 747; in 1894, 708; in 1895, 745; iu 1896, 745, and in 1897, 550. The falliug off in numbers this year is not due to u laok of scholarship, but to tbe inoreased demands and lengthened terms in some of the departments, notably in tbat of the law, where the nnmber of graduates has fallen from 348 to 51, enongh in itself to make up the total deficiency. BACCALAUREATE ADDBESS. The exercises opened in University hall Sunday evening, and the spaoious auditorium was oompletely filled by the large audienoe of students and townspeople who had gathered to hear Dr. Angells' last address before leaving Ann Arbor on bis important mission to Turkey. The graduating classes ocoupied seats in the center of the hall and the members of each olasswere grouped together. The hall was draped with the university colors and the platform was fringed with a row of palms. Musiofor the occasion was furnisbed by 53 members of the Choral Union and Prof L. L. Renwiok offlciated at the organ. Fred J. Dansingburg also sang a baritone solo during the services. Prof. M. L. D'Ooge read tbe scriptnre lesson from Acts xxvi, and ufiered prayer, in which be feelingly alluded to Dr. Angell's intended departure for bis eastern mission. Dr. Angell's address was one of the best he has ever delivered duiing bis long term as president of the U. of M., and it was listeaed to with the greatest interest and atteution by bis large audience. He said : 'Tbe weekof graduation brings much the same kind and degree of interest to every graduatiug olass. Bnt witb each snccessive year tbis week brings a deepei and more absorbing interest to us, who remain and follow with solicitude and affection the bundreds of young graduales, as fnll of hope and enthusiasm they go forth to their various experiences, disappointments, and triurnphs in life. "When, on the baccalaureate Sunday or on commencement day, your teachers, look from this stage into your eager and radiant faces, glowing with tbe vigor and bopefnlness of young manhood and young womanhood; whal thoughts and emotious crowd our mind. Sometimos the dominant thought wbioh I comes to me is of the tremendnns power conceutrated in these hundredsof active and well furnished minds. If you wil pardon the siniile I often think of hun dreds of locomotives, with all steam on, impatiently waiting for the word to start with a rush inte the world, and ] wonder whether under wise self-contro they will reach sorue wortby destination bearing a precious freightage of noble influenoe with tbem and making men happier and better. Alas! one canoo but have a certain solicitude lest here and tbere one with more propulsive power than wisdom, will dash reckless ly on, bringing disaster and ruin to himself and to others. xnen agam i reaa in your laces tn satisfaction whieh you may jnstly fee at haviug oompleted the long cnrrioulnm, which is sopposed to prepare yon in a ïneasure for the responsible duties of life, and I mark the exceptional satisfaction of those of you, who in straitened circurnsfcanoes have been able to secure the privilege of being here only by great self-deuial, manifold anxieties and srrenuous toil in season and out of season for many a long year. "Yet, in the case of some, this satisfaotion is slightly distuibed by a certain solicitado about the years that are still reqnired for acqniring a professionl education, or about the problem of living for some time with the help of only a few clients or patients, or about the possibility of finding that ideal school board wbich is willing to employ a teacher without experience. "Over the faces of all there flits now and then a ehade of sorrow at severing the old intimacies and dear friendshipa of college life. And well there may. For the chances are that you will nevei qnite wake them good by new friendsbips in life., New friends and good ones yon will flud. But they will rarely fill the places made vfoint by the separations of this week. To those of ns who look baok over the chasm of years to our college days the realization of this fact lends a tender pathos to every eommenceruent week. "But the fact which to the thougbtful observer lends the deepest interest to the closing days of studeuts' connection with the university is that as a rnle they leave us with lofty ideáis of their calling and of life. Dnring the whole course of their study they have been taught to cherish the higbest views of their professions and of their duty to their fellow men, aud have been pointed to the great exemplars of lofty professional spirit and noble living. History, biography, philosophy, have all impressed their lessons on them. Portunately at their age in life the graduating students are susceptible of fine enthusiasms for what is highest and noblest iu character and achievement. Hard experienees and bitter disappointments have not qnenched their enthnsiasm. Fired with burning zeal for truth and purity, they are ready with the most chivalric courage to plunge into the thicikest battles of life with devotion to the right. "So generally is this the case that cynics fiad these high ideáis of the young gradúate a favorite theme of ridicule, and newspaper humorista see in tbein a subject for caricature. They delight in pointing ont how speedily contact with actual life will sober his enthusiasms, aud lead him to abandon his ideáis and to cherish the grosser nd more selfish arubitions of what they all the practical man. "Now I wish to warn you that uuless ou are on your guard, uniese you set ut in life with a flrm resolve to cherish our noblest ideáis of action, there is a eal danger that these ideáis may be upplanted by merely selflsh ambitions. Let me at the ontset make olear the ense in wbich I use these terms ambi;ions and ideáis. No doubt we often ttach to them such meanings that here would be nothing incompatible D one's cherishing both. One may ïave the ambition fcp be true to the righest ideal. But in tbis discussion I hall use the word ideal to describe ne's highest and noblest conception of nrpose and life, and the word ambition ;o denote one's selfish aim to win pernnal success, whefcher in the acqaistion of wealth, or power, or fame, or in flndng a way to lead a life of ease and elf-indulgence. Today most of yon, I am confident, are cherisbing tbe high deals rather tban the narrow ambitions ol life. If ambitions you have they are rowned and exalted and gloried by the deals above them. But it is wise to consider the perils which threateu to blind you to the inspiring visions of your ideáis, and bind you in the fetters of sordid and unworthy ambitions." President Angel] then spoke of the roper ideáis of professional life and a;ave instances of how the earlier years af snocessful men's lives had been used as a preparation time for events that caine later on. He also spoke of the ïabits of indolence of some stndents who having stadied diligently, to enter college, fall by the wayside by reason of thoir iudolence and are left behind. So it is with some gradnates who uever seem to advance one inch beyood their position at gradnation and some, ent off from the stimulation of college associations, aotually seem to retrograde. "There is no faoulty more to be ooveted than the faoulty of continuous growth. It should be the ideal of every one to build his manhood on so large a scale that it should overlap and stretch away beyond his profeesion. The man should be more and greater than the lawyer, the physician, the eDgineer, the teacher, the preacher, the merchant, the farmer. "In these days of narrow specialization in professional and soholarly life, there is a real danger that one's ambitiou and development should be bounded by the limits of one's vocation. Beginning then from tbis day, let all your professional ambitions be tempered and exalted and inspired by this high ideal of the best and fullest development of your complete mauhood. "Closely akin to what we have called the social duties of educated men are the more distinctly civio duties. Here, too, is a marked contrast between the ideáis and the ambitions of gradnates. They should reoognize the cali which their training lays upon them to play a oonspicuons part in securing good government. They should be willing to subject tbemselves tosome inconvenience in bearing their share of the civil burdens, whether by the somewhat disagreeable ta.sk of serving on a jury or by aooepting at times an official position of higher responsibilty. It is a matter of oongratulation that of late years more of our young men of edaoation and vveulth and leisure have been willing to accept laborious offices iu onr large cities in tbe hope of remedying our most orying evil, rnisrule in niunioipalities. Men of such special training as you have leoeived ought after some axperience among men to be able to be of real service in the conduot of pnblio education, charities, penal and reformatory institutions, sanitary and hygienic boards, and in general legislation. When called by yonr fellow citizens to sucb work, whicb is commonly nnreqnited in money, be ready to do your full part in the spirit (Contiuued on Fourth Page. quiete usual Continued from First Page. not, of persoaal aggrandizement, but o devotion to the public good. "Unhappily position is often songht in a very difterent spirit and for a very different, pnrpose togratify an ambition which oannot be called lofty. Itwould not be difficult to name brilliant yonng meu, wbo for a cnusideration have placed their talents and attainments at the service of the uneorupulous mauagers of the worst types of munioipal politics in onr large cities. It is no secret that a powerful and notorious organization in Nw York city has for years songht gifted young men from all parts of the country and enlisted them in its service in that city, and crowned them with pecnniary and political rewards. It wonld be easy to narrje naauy men, wbo with no evil intent bave by their irrational itcbing for office wrecked fair prospects of professional nsefnlness, and are stranded nnw in middle life without offioe and without professional support. I know of few more ruelanoholy spectaoles than the long procesión of these chronio offioe seekers now crowding the corridors of the capítol and the White House, as they do at every change of the administration. . . . The adoption nf politics as a profession is generally fatal to success in any other profession. While these occasional excursions into the field of publio service ruay not only be expedient, but may even be regarded in some cases as a duty, it should be remem bered that they cost one heavily in interruptions of professional work and study, and that one should not suffer himself or be drawn into them by unworthy motives. . . . "Yon have made long and carefnl pieparationsfor your oareers. You have stndied througb long years. You have songht to anticípate the demands whioh life is to make on you. Have you reraembered to surrender your soul to the Divine will? Do your plans contémplate above all harmony with His purposes and plans? As you are eagerly peering into the fature, are you asking in the sincerity of your heart, 'Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?' Be assured that any plans wbich run athwart his plans cannot in the lung run suoceed. His moral and spiritual laws can no more than His physical laws be negleoted or broken with impauity. I adjure you then to put first and highest among the ideáis that are to shape yonr life and character the spirit of Him, whose meat and whose drink it was to do the Father's will. "And finally, do not be ashamed or afraid to oliog to your ideáis in the hot uontests and the discouragements of life. You will sooii, in your contact with the world, find yourselves under stong temptations to fall below those high standards which you are now setting before you. Doubtless you will meet men who will cali your lofty purposes and aims visionary and unpractical. Yon will be called to compete with men who have few scrnples about the means to accomplish their ends. You will be advised, and perbaps tempted to filght fire with fire. Ysu will be told that ideáis are for dreamers, but ambitions are for men of sense. When you are surronnded and pressed on all sides by men with these low ambitions, you may find it harder than you now imaigne to remain true to your better self, to scorn victories won with unwortby weapons, to follow the example of Him, who, when offered by tbe evil one all the kingdoms of the earth, said : 'Qet thee henoe, Satan.' . . . "Your alma mater will follow you with loving regard in all yonr endeavors to fulfill the worthy aims with wbich you leave her halls. She will sympathize with you in the disappointments whioh may come to you, as they come to us all. She will rejoice in all your sncoesses, whicb are honorably won. For your honorable successes are her glory and her strength. She bas no endowment, she oan have no endowment of silver or gold, so preoious and so dear to her as the snocess and the affection of her sons and hr daughters, who like you go forth to the world with her benediction upon their heads. God bless yon and blees her evermore, Amen." LAW CLASS DAY EXERCISES. DarinB Monday morning the broad walk leading to the University hall was strnng with yellow and bine bunting, and the finishing touches were given to the interior of the building, the hall ways and the big apserubly room being well oovered with the Michigan colora interspersed here and there with the brighi red, white and blue of the national flag, which formed a pleasing contrast. The law class day exercises weie held in University hall JMonday afternoon and consisted of the president's address by William L. Hart. of Allianoe, O. ; claas poem by Albert Kooourck, of Columbus, O. ; class history by Henry Nephi Hayes, of Riohfield, Mich., class oration by James Sumner Handy, of Ann Arbor, on "The Profession of Law" ; class prophecy by Max Wellington Babb, of Mt. PJeasant, Ia. The musio lor the occasion wasfurnished by the Ann Arbor orchestra. SENIOR PROMENADE. The annnal senior promenade on Monday evening was a great success. The weather was beautif ui and a finer evening could not have been wishsd for auch a gathering. As soon as it grew dark the long lines of Chinese lanterns whioh bad been strung along eacb side of the walks on the west side of the oampus were lighted and with tbe bright mnsic and light dresses of tbe ladies made a striking scène. The frat houses wbich face the campus nad also been deoorated with lanterns and electrioal emblems adding to the gay effect. House parties were also given at many of these houses. Studeuts and townspeople alike enjoyed the oooasion until chortly after 9, when the crowd began to thin ont, aud by 10:30 the campus was jast abont deserted. LITERARY CLASS DAY EXERCISES. The literary class day exercises were, aooording to the time honoied onstom, held nnder the boogbs of the old Tappan oak, at 10 o'olock Tnesday morning. The weather had been showeiy and threatening and it was at one time feared thac an adjoumment wonld have fco be made to University hal], bot by tae time the class had gathered for the exercises and the 700 or 800 people who witnessed them had put in their appearance the clonds bad broken and the snn was shining brightly. A temporatry platform had been ereoted for the speakers, and to the left of tbis stand was stationed the U.,of JVI. band, which played between several numbers on the program. The class had been especially fortúnate in its choiceof some of the most talented young men and women in the university for its class day officers, and it is safe to say that no flner program has been presentad in years. Shirley Wheeler Smitb, of Hastings, president of the eombined literary and engineering classes, opened the program with bis address, wbich was an exoelleat and practical one from start to finish. He was followed by Miss Oceana Ferry, of Lansing, who in an exoeedingly wel! written artiole depicted tbe history of the class of '97. The oration by Bayard Hoyt Ames, of Highlands, Colo., was a masterly effort. His election for the position of class orator was a most logioal one as luring bis fonr years in the university Mr. Ames has won the highest college oratorical honors obtainable. The snbect of his oration was "The Political Duty of College Men," and his treatment of it was scholarly and practical. Arthur Maurice Smitb, of Ionia, was the class poet and his subject was "Temptation. " Miss Inez Christabel Perrin, of Detroit, was class prophetess, and foretold the futures of the graduates in well written verse. Irving Charles Woodward, of Iron Mountain, Miota., the cbairman of the memorial oommittee, made the speech of presentation of the class memorial at the close of the exercises. The memorial tbis year takes the form of a soholasbip fnnd of $150 wbich was turned over to Treasurer Soule and will be loaned to deserving applicants, who otherwise would not be able to enjoy the advantages of a university, education. SENIOR RECEPTION. Tneeday evening the swell social event of the week took place in the gymnasium. The building was ablaze with light and the deoorations though not as lavish as those of former years were very beaotiful. Yellow and bine bunting, streamers of yellow and blue and the national colors were artistioally intertwined, while hnge Japanese umbrellas and lanterns were suspended from the rafters. Although the evening was intensely hot 200 couples were present and took part in the program of 20 regular and 10 extra dances, mnsio being furnished by the Cbequamegon orcbestra, of Ann Arbor and the 19th Infantry band, of Detroit. The grand maroh started shortly after 9 o'clock and was led by Edwin H. Humphrey, Psi U, of Detroit, and Miss Mary E. Young, of Danville, 111. The patronesses were : Mesdames James B. Angelí, Martin L. D'Ooge, Harry B. Hutchins, Charles E. Greene, Eliza M. Mosher, Harrison Soule, Edward D. Campbell, Henry C. Adama, George W. Patterson, Andrew C. McLaughlin, Paul R. de Pont and Warren P. Lombard. In oontrast with the arrangements at the junior hop, there were no booths for the fraternities but the great floor was open to all alike. The refresnïnents were served in the Woman's gymnasium. „ ALUMNI DAY. Wednesday was alumni day, but of the 14,000 graduates of the university it is not estimated that there were over 300 here for commencement. Among them were 20 members of the lit class of 1867, which numbered 45 at the time of its graduation. They had a banquet at Hangsterfer's Tuesday evening at which Prof. A. E. Dolbear, of Tnfts college, Massachusetts, presided, and eaoh membei read a biograpby of himself that he had prepared. The president gave the careers of the absent ones. The only other class reunión was that of 1872. DENTAL CLASS EXERCISES. On Wednesday afternoon for the flrst time in the history of the nniversity the senior dental class held exercises, and it was quite a sucoess, the dental amphitheatre being well filled mostly by Jadies. The program consisted of addresses by Profs. Taft, Watling, Hoff, Dorrance, Hall and Haidle; olass history by Miss Bessie B. Robertson ; prophecy by Miss June A. Burr; valedictory by S. K. Scharlott; vocal solos by Master Fred J. Daley ; zither solo by F. J. Klein, and selections by the Senior Dent Mandolín Club. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. An important meeting of the Alumni Assooiation was held in Tappan hall Wednesday afternoon. It was resolved to turn the Williams fund over to the regents to help establish a professorship of ethnology, J. B. Steere to ocoupy the ohair. The society also resolved to appoint a , committee of five to reoeive , tions for a monument to the memory of Dr. Henry S. Frieze, professor of Latin, and a member of the class of , 1867. The suggestion carne from a member of this class, who said that , while walking throngh Forest Hill cemetery he looked in vain for the grave of his beloved comrade, but oould not flnd it until a native pointed to the mound which stands apparently I lected. The committee was 1 ed, and no doubt a suitable tablet wiil ' shortly mark the doctor's last resting place, SENATE KECEFTION. The senate reception Wednesday eve ning was largely attended by the alnm dj, their wives, daughtrs and friends visitors and townspeople. It laste fioin 8 o'clock nntil 1 a. m. Amon those who received were : Mesdame Palmer, Carrow, Mechem, Carhart Pattengill, Davis, Kelly, Prescott, Hins dale, P. R. de Pont, D'Ooge, Demmon Wait, Pettee, Beman, Spalding, Adams Hudson, Thompson, Stanley, Kelsey Knowlton, Nanorede, Freer, Dook, Rus sell, Trneblood, Hntchins, Wenley, an Patterson and Dr. Eliza Mosher. Pr.si dent and Mis. Angelí were tbe center o attention receiving the good wishes o their friends on their approacbing de partnre for Tnrkey. COSMENCEMENT EXERCISES. Commencement day broke fair anc olear with no snggescion of the soggines that has raarked the Ann Arbor atmos phere for several days. As early as 8 o'clock yesterday morning little bevy of stndents began to congrégate before the department building and wben the library olock struck 9, 4J51 candidato for degrees were ready and impatient to take np the line of ruaren. Shortly the signal was given the U. of M. band by Major Sonle, who aotec as marshal, and the lines began to move The oapped and gowned and generally dressed-up men and women walkec down the diagonal, past the law building to the strains of the El Capitán maroh and on reaching the State st. cement drew np in lines at either side of the walk to allow the facnlty, led by Dr. Angelí and Dr. Draper to pass througb. This finished, the graduates passed immediately into the hall. When all were seated a prayer was offered by Dr. Angelí, at the conclusión of which the president introduced Dr. Andrew S. Draper, the speaker of the day. Dr. Draper's address was entitled "The Recuvery of the Law" and at its conclusión it was generally conceded to have been one of the best and most forceful addrsses delivered in University hall. When he had finished speakiug tho diplomas were distribnted to half a thousand young men and women. The benediction was offered by President Fisk, of Albion College. Considered on the whole the commencement of '97 was unusually qniet. It takes the presenoe of many "old men" to arld interest to the' events which mark the last week of ihe col lega.year, and thete were very few "old men" here this week. A very probable reason is that all classes with whch reunions are possible held them last year and those who were not here then were too poor to be here this week. "Hard times" have as much effect upon university commencements as upon anything else. C0MJIENCE3IENT DINNEK. The commenoement dinner was held at 1 o'olock in the afternoon in the woman's annex of the gymnasium. There were abont 350 people present. President Angelí opened the speecb making and then called on Attorney General Maynard to represent tbe state in the absence of Governor Pin gree. He. spoke of the hostile influ enoes at work in the state agaiust the U. of M. and which are not snared bj the governor. President Draper, ol Illinois, followed him in a felioitotií speech. A. J. Sawyer was the next speakar. He warned those present that tberf was a strong and growing nndercurrent in the state against granting the nniversity any fnrther inorease in appropriations. He said that one man boasted on the floor of the hrase lasi winter that he had never gone above the eighth grade in school. "How can we expeot men of this calïber te favor appropiiating money for an object which they cannot understand?" said Mr. Sawyer. He stated tbat there are three influenoes at work. The flrst is the farmer, who is showing a growing loyalty to the Agrionltural college. This institution Mr. Sawyer deolared, had swerved froro the path originally intended for it, and was now an active competitor oi the nniversity in several branches. The denominational colleges, he said, while not jealons of the nniversity, still bad tbeir own personal welfare to look after. The professional schools of the state are demanding recognition, he said, and wish to shine in the refleoted glory of the state nnivesrity. All these had representativas on the floors of both honses, and ntnrally resolve themselves into the opposition. He nrged the graduates of the U. of M. to stand by it and was warmly applauded for nis remarks. L Brief speeches followed by Dr. Wm. Prall, of Detroit, Prof. G. L. Maris, of Westohester, Pa. At the close of the speechmaking Dr. Angelí thanked those who had spoken so kindly of hira and Mrs. Angelí. Dr. D'Ooge led in singing the doxology and Rev. Dr. Prall prononnced the benediction.