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Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
June
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Sixty-five girls in the conventional graduiition white, and thirty-five young men in regulation black filed into high school hall this morning for the last time together. There were an even hundred graduates. As soon after ten o'clock as they could get arranged in their appropriate places, the graduates on the north front side of the hall, the speakers, faculty, school board and city clergy on the platform, the Chequamegons began the opening overture and the exercises tof the thirty-sixth annual commencement ware opened. Never before was there a more auspicious high school commencement. For the first time in the thirty-six years, the class numhered one-hundred. It is doubtful if a larger class ever graduated from a high school iu the state of Michigan. And Drobablv no class has ever gone out of the schools better prepared for tbe beginning of a higher collegiate education or for the duties of business lite. The class was in the presence of perhaps a thousand of its friends, the hall being crowded. The ;decorations were simple but appropriate. Over the platform were festoons of buff and pink, the class colora, and in the back ground was the class motto in evergreen, "Treu im Kleinen." Potted plants were ia profusión on the platform. After the opening music, Rev. T. W. Young offered prayer and following a second musical selection the program of speaking üegan. upt. ren-}' anuouneed that Ellen B. Bach, who was to speak ou the subject of "Newspaper Keading" had been excused, on account of illness. C. Frederick Gauss, the class president, spoke on "The Injustice of Land Ownership." He found scriptural argument against land monopolizatiou. He also quoted Henry George to substantiate his line of reasoning and appealed to his auditors not to imítate the land barbarism of ancient times. Mr. GausB spoke briefly, but to the point. His elocution wasgood, he spoke with excellent self-coinposure and made a favorable imnression ou the audience. "Two Apple Blossoms," was the subject of Miss Mable B. Van Kleek's speech. Her opening words were in pretty meter. She traced the development of two apple blossoms, one developing into a perfect fruit, the other into a stuuted, imperfect apple. Side by side with the development of the blossoms, she traced the development of two boys, 011e of whom euded his career in preaching the Gospel of Christ, the other in a prison cell. The two were egaal at the start. Small imperfections had made the one a wreek, while the conquering character of the other had made him a Messing to his fellow men. Miss Van Kleek spoke with extraordinary freedom for a young lady. The Chequamegons gave the audieuce tune to rustle about a little in their seats and thenLuellaJ. Read, of Shenandoah, Ia., spoke on the subject, "A Second Methuselah and his Wife." Thia Mr. and Mrs. Methnselah were Romans. Along in the seventh century the longlived pair went to Briton. The speaker enumerated the many cbanges in personal apparel and in fashions tliat took place throughont the centuries of tbeir life. In the course of time the antique couple came to America, where lie died, being joined by bis wife soinetime later. Fasbion bad passed away. The speaker's effort was unique, and well delivered and received a great deal of applause. Lisia A.VanValkenburp followed with the subject, "Turn Over the Leaf." She turned over a few leaves of the book of civilization. One of the dark pages she turned was that of the liquor curse. She wished for another etnancipation proclamation that would relieve the country of this e vil. The speaker told of the leaves the class of '95 had turned over duriug the past four years, always anxious to see what was on the next page. She hoped that in future tbere would be no blank pages for tbe class.The speecb was loudly applauded. "Cobwebs in the Sky" was the subject of the address of Florence K. Wetniore. The old nursery story of the old woinan sweeping the cobwebs from the sky aroused the curiosity of the audience to get the meaning of the rhymes as interpreted by tbe speaker. There were alarge nmnber of people among us today, who were trying to sweep some conventionality from the social or political sky. ïhey were always falling down. ïhelesson drawn was to confine one's self to the sphere given one to fill leaving the cobwebs of the sky to take care of themselves. Following tbe third selection by the orchestra, Frederick E. Wright spoke on the topic "Good Iloads." Roads are the symbols that measure the cominerchii standing of an}' nation. They are the chief factors of advancement. The'extension of railroads does not elimínate the importance of good wagon roads. The present road system caused two great pests of American life, mud and dust. How to make good roads should 1)0 a part of every man's education ii he would be a blessing to his country. Judging from the applause Mr. Wright received, he struck a lar cliord in the selection and in handling of his subject. The last speaker was Rose M. WoodAllen, of Toledo. Her subject was "A Psycho-Chemical Discovery." The grêat discoveries of the century paled into insignincance besides the great covery of microbes. They nestle in our sugar; we swap them in our oscnlations. The air we breathe is their Florida or their Switzerland. The psycho-chemist dreams of the time when he shall read liis possibilities and his accomplishments by the germs he has produced. The speaker made many curious and other sensible applications of her psychochemical discovery . Miss Wood-Allen's speech was followed by a good deal of applause. Her delivery was perfect and her thouglit was original auu umque. The presentation of the diplomas was the next part of the program. There were one hundred and eight diplomas givenout by Sopt. Perry assisted InTrof. Pattengill, there being eight students graduating in move than one course. It was exactly twelve o'clock when the last sheepskin was given out. Miss Emma Taylor was given a certiflif proficiency in the commercial course, besidesjier diploma. ïlie concluding part of the program was the unveiling of two buste, prepntpil tn the hierh school : one of Chas Barwin, the other oí Ralph Waldo Emerson, by the Arena and Clio debating societies. The unveiling and presentation speech were in the hands of Mr. Franklin A. Emerick oí the graduating chiss. President J. E. Beal, of the school board, accepted the handsonie gift on behalt' of the school. Supt. Perry spoke ia acceptance on behalt" of the teachers. He wannly commended the work of the literary societies and thanked thein heartily for the gift. The exercies closed with the benediction by Rev. J. M. Gelstan.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier