Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1868-07-03

Il DELnr, Iowa, June 9th, 1868.
EDIrog BrLLErIN:-There is little
this quiet place to interest your readers; an
even in frcquen, tr,ps TO different parts
the county nothing Of special interest seem
to presen, itself. Butlas, Wednesday evenin
vas An exception, rs your correspondent
had the pleasure Of attending the closing es
ercises Of the spring term Of Lenox Col
legiase Institute, at Hopkinton, and fel
amply repaid for his trouble. These ex
ercises consisted Of oraiions, essays, An,
music; to commence With the latter, ID,
music was all vocal, with accompaniment
Of course which was much more entertain
ing to the audiance than the instrumental
performances frequently given at schoolex.
hibitions; the pieces were we'll selected, and
performed With taste and spirit; both the
articulation, and the purity and melody o!
the music, made the piecea real treat to
the audience. and . credit to Prof. Flude,
and his pupils.
1t will not interest your readers to men
ton the different exercises in detail of the
6ne essays, BY young ladies, j: is enough to
say that they were we'll written, and well
Rad.
The Eve orations, BY young gentlemen,
we're also very well prepared and delivered:
the entire exercises were very interesting,
and received the closest attention of the
audience, although the room was uncomfo-;-
ably crowted. and the time very late. This
attention was well deserved, the teachers.
and friends Of the Institute had no reason 10
blush for any part Of the exercises, and had
great reason for qualification and pride, on
account Of both their character, and iLea re-
cepiion BY the audience
The delivery ofihe speakers was forcible
and self possessed; In two or three there was
. slight s;raiaing after an oratorical lone Of
voice, which did no; leave the utterance eaii
~ distinct and natural as could be desired,
but this fault win soon disappear with
practice. In The orations there was, na'ur>
aly, some excess Of language; greater
fondness Of long words. nicely balanced |
sentences and finely rounded periods, than is |
Consistent with the greatest power and effect |
young speakers, which viii soon disappear
when they come 20 make use Of their powers |
under the pressure Of some important /
subject, to be earnestly impressed upon an
audience. especially when . few years Of
practical life have shown them the value of
short words aud direct. pithr sentences.
And in these speeches there vas viSor Of
thought and q careful. comprehensive trest-
neai of the different subjects which slowed
through independent stadv. Your county
vas well represented in the exercises BY an
Grafton by Mr.. Fred. II. Clarke of Hazle.on,
upon The Western Progress Of Civilization
and Empire" TWAS fully equal to any
part Of the exercises; mainly historical, Of
course: q very interesting summary Of the
rise and fAll OF the nations most powerful in
war. and letters arising, .; successive
periods, farther and farther to the westward.
Mr.. Clarke closed with An eloquent re-
ference to our own country as the last Of
these nations, and apparently destined TO
eclipse them all. His address WAS not en-
,irely without the faults | have mentioned |
as belonging to the diEerant speakers, bat |
both preparation and delivery we're able. |
and credit to hin a. q student and |
speaker.
was not present at the examinations al |
the close Of the spring term OF this school, |
bu. judging from previous visits. from the |
rhetoric al exercises, and from What learned |
Of the classes, ] had no doubt that the |
school fully sastains i,s reputation for correct
thorough teaching. The teachers are Of |
good ability AID high qualifications, and |
are faithful, earnest and pAins.skiny: there |
is probably no school In our section Offering |
better advantages than this. The number |
students has been small during the tast term |
osing to the large number OF high schools |
and Scminaries being constantly established |
10 our different towns. A change is to be
made in the financial management Of the
school, with some reduction of the tuition
fees. and an effort TO bring in . large
number of students.
For the sake Of the teachers and friends
cf the school it is to be hoped that tai
movement viii be successful; bu, il it is
not it will not so much injsre the interest Of
those who do attend, these are many adj
van,ages connected with . small school and
preferred 10 large one. Whether The school
is much increased in members or not, all
who desire can obtain good, thorough teach
ing il both the common branches and in
the languages and higher Scientific branches.
Yesterday was a day Of much interest TO
the people 81 Delhi, the commencement, We
hope, of ney era here. A "bee' was
held for quarrying and hauling stone for
the foundation Of church ediice, 70 be
commenced by the Baptist Gbuich.
4 picnic dinner and supper was furnished
the laborers by tie ladies', aud the day
heartily enjoyed by al; but better than this
q fine days work was done by the en-.
thusiasiic stone diggers, and great 10.
terest manifested BY the whole community
in the enterprise. Mr.. Fulton may secord>
Ing 10 his promise when he preached to Us
few weeks since, be soon called upon 10
to lay the cornerstone Of the new edifice.
With new Sc ho0lbouse and new church
the present season, and the numerous im>
provments made upon private property Ia
and around this place, j, may be found that
Delhi, is not quite dead yet. In the whole
county around improvement is the order Of
the day; ia some townships it seems Is If
nearly rs much land was being fenced and
broken this season aswas under cultivation
before; and many tract, hitherto rejected
on account Of high prices. or sand ridge
or slough or some part Of its surface, is now
being made into another noble Iowa farm.
On the older farms improved buildings
and fences are going up as il by magic;
groves and orchards are on longer the ex>
ception, but can be seen no almost every
farm; and in few wears Delaware will be
one oflhe most populous and wealthy counties
of the state.
When the. water power Of her streams is i'm
proved and the series Of Misunderstanding wills
ages commenced which are sure to sooner or
later spring up along the Makoquc;a, their
a. L.