The hydraulic press., 1858-10-23
PUBLIC SCHOOL CELEBRATION.
Mr.. Editor:
Wednesday. Oct 10th in Nevada wse

Mr.. Editor:
Wednesday, Oct. Goth in Nevada was
a pleasant day for the Juveniles of our coun-
ty. The Superintendent of Public Schools
having extended general invitation to the
different township districts to meet the chill
dren Of the County Seat on that day to COM
pare notes as to their respective progress in
the pursuit Of knowledge, quite goodly
number answered to the call-Grass Valley,
Rough & Ready, Cherokee and North San
Juan being well represented.
The weather was delightful, but the dust,
asusual, was abominable; and in the Ian
guage of such occasions, mot an incident
occurred to mar the festivities of the day"
At II o'clock A. NJ. the various schools
formed in procession, and led by the "Rifles''
and the Nevada and North San Juan Brass
Bands, marched through the principal streets
of the town to Temperance Hall, at the foot
Of Broad street, the place appointed for the
examination. Pride and joyousness beamed
from the faces of the little ones as they
trudged along through the dust, emulating
the martial tread of the men of war in front
of them. Pleasantly suggestive to US old
Californians was it, of the "long ago" Who
of US does not cherish amongst his happiest
"reminiscences, the days of badges, banners
and rosettes! May such scenes in our land
in the future be more frequent than the pro-
cessions in the past that have followed Judge
Lynch's victims to the fatal tree
At the Hall the children were examined
in the various branches in which they had
been instructed; the exercises ending with a
general spelling match. A large circle was
formed around the room in which the youths
full combatants in this chronological warfare
ranged themselves, each spelling in his turn
the words given to him or her until . miss
would place the unlucky speller hors du
combat. The victor, or last scholar up, wa
a boy from Rough & Ready. He won his
triumph however after hard contest with
Misses Burns and Phelps, of Cherokee school
Our own San Juaners fought we'll, and were
among the last up. Indeed, but for the I'M
fortunate mispronunciation of 4 word by the
teacher who was leading, the Rough & Ready
champion would have had to have looked to
his laurels. 1t was almost painful to observe
the LUXURIOUS aspect Of the leader of our vii
lage de legation, watching the sad havoc this
ruthless word was making in his ranks as it
approached him; and when his comrades we're
all down, to see the air of desperation with
which he dashed at it himself, yielding with
intense reluctance to the inevitable decree of
fate.
The children were then escorted by the
Band to the hospitable mansion of Dr. Over
ton, where collation. was spread for them
having done ample Justice to which, they ad-
journed to the play ground, where they
vhiled away the afternoon in the pleasant
frolics'of childhood
The festival closed with an exhibition in
the evening at the Metropolitan Theater,
which was crowded to its utmost capacity;
many having to 60 away unable to gain ad-
mittance. All acquitted themselves we'll
several admirably. The declarations of
Misses Poolar of Nevada, and Burns of Che
rokee, evinced considerable dramatic ability.
The former gave us the meeting of Marmion
and Douglass, from Scott, and Three Days
in the Life of Columbus" with much taste
and spirit; her reading being excellent, and
her attitudes and gestures singularly graceful
in one so young.
Miss Burns, In the Chambers Wife," did
We'll. The piece however requiring the ex-
preston of deep passion, is rather unsuited to
youth. The most amusing part was that
with which the performance closed-"The
Burlesque Court SceEe." Two young gen.
tlemen from Nevada conducted the prosecu.
ton and defense in coup ,e of able and ire
'nendous arguments. The case went to the
jury, pending whose consideration of which
the sheriff proclaimed the court adj burned
sine die.
S.HTha Norad, To,,nno1 - -.