The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-07-02
THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL
Third Annual Commencement.
NINE MORE TEACHERS GRADUATED.


err duties which could not be put of,
that t was impossible to prepare a re-
port OF the proceedings. Besides por-
ton of the exercises came on our pub
LEGATION day, thus rendering a report in
that issue impossible.
Our report this week. must be rather
meager, from the fact that gentleman
whom we engaged to give us an ac-
count of the examinations of classes
failed to do SO. We heard but few of
the classes examined. Those we heard
were very satisfactory. Compared with
the rigid examinations in this school on
former occasions of this kind, we should
say these were not behind their pred
ecessors. On the contrary, the school
gets better year by year, as the annual
examinations and commencement exer-
cises abundantly prove.
Tuesday was devoted to the examina-
ton of the Model School classes. For
year this department has been under
the instruction of Miss Ellen Plumb.
We hear the examinations highly spok-
EN- of. Both the teacher and scholars
have done hard work for the year.
Wednesday was devoted to the ex-
animation of the classes in the Normal
department. The exercises were con-
Quoted by the teachers of the institu-
ton, PrOfs. Kellogg and Norton and
Mrs. Gorham and Miss Watson. In all
the studies of the year the classes ex-
hibited degree of thorOughncss sell
dom excelled. The examinations were
scholar drew his or her topic few mo-
ments before they were called upon to
recite, SO that there could be no cram
ming or special preparation. AT the
request of the teachers questions were
asked by visitors, and every oppOrtuni-
examination. The scholars exhibited
high degree of proficiency in their
studies, and a Willingness to answer the
questions of all.
In the evening of "Wednesday pub
lie meeting of the Normal Literary
Union took place i'll the assembly room.
The audience was large and appreciat-
i've. The exercises were good. One of
the features was the debate on the ques-
ton "Would the United States be just
ifiable in declaring war with England 2,
The. affirmative was taken by Miss Me-
dill, of Leavenworth, and Mr.. Ball, of
this vicinity. The negative by Miss
| Thayer, of Burlington, and Mn Hull
burt, of this place. The speeches were
all very creditablc. That Of Miss Thayer,
particularly, was considered calm, dig
nified and argumentative. The ladies
showed themselves to be as well posted
OH this great question as the gentlemen.
The affirmative had the advantage of
appealing to passions which we all har-
Dor more or less against insOlent, over
bearing Englishmen. The better argu-
! ment rested with the negative parties.
Miss Hulburt read some extracts from
Widow BeGott very excellently. Her
reading called down frequent applause.
The singing of the little girls was also
one of the excellent features of the oc-
casion.
AT 10 o'clock on Thursday the adj
dresses of the graduating class took
place. This class was composed of the
following named persons: Charles L.
| Cavaness, Martha p. Spencer, Thomas
TIGER, Matilda Upton, Houston l.. Pop
lin, Mary l.. Williams, Thomas Stewart,
j. N. ID. Brown, and Matte j. Nichols.
Miss Upton and Mr.. Stewart are from
Allencounty MIR. POplin is from An
derson; Miss Williams, from Douglas
The other members of the class are from
various parts of this county. Their add
| dresses were all on themes connected
with education and their chosen profess
| sion, and the subjects were well handled.
1t was a matter of relief to our mod
eratcly anti-iemale suffrage ears TO have
one occasion in the Normal without a
surfeit of ''cant phrases" on this much
abused question.
We cannot do better than to close our
account of the commencement exercis-
es by copying from Mr.. TEACHERS re-
port in the Lawrence RepuLtican
Journal:
1.-THE exercises commenced with the
singing Of the anthem, 1.-The Lord our
God is full of Might" by choir COM
posed of members of the school, and
led by Professor Norton. Prayer fol-
lowed by Rev. q. c. Morse, Secretary
of the Board of Directors, and one vi
the earliest and most efficient friends OF
the institution. Then came the chorus
"Oh, how beautiful beautiful piece
of music. and finely rendered.
The first Grafton was delivered by
Mr.. Charles 4. Cavaness, of Emporia.
Theme, Compulsory Education. Mr.. e.
took the negative of this question, sup
porting it rather as an Infringement of
the liberty of the citizen than upon
strictly educational grounds.
Miss Martha Il. Spencer, of Emporia,
followed, with an essay upon 'The Ed
ucational Labors of Horace Man" Miss
Spencer's essay was well written and
well read, and was just and apprecia-
tive memorial of the services to the
cause of education of that truly great
and good man.
Mr.. Thomas TIGER delivered the next
Grafton on the theme, The Wealth of a
Nation The leading idea of his pro-
duction was that the true wealth of IA
nation is to be found in its men, taking
for his text the well known passage from
Sir VIM. Jones, "What Constitutes
State z" Mr.. TIGER WAS so unfortunate
as to lose the thread Of his Grafton, and
SO was obliged to forcgO the delivery OF
the concluding portion oft. He had
sufficiently developed his theme, how
ever, TO show very commcudable com
prehensiun of the subject; and the audi
ence testified their sympathy with his
misfortune by hearty cheers as he re-
linquished the floor. He has the repu-
tation of being a good scholar and
good speaker.
The quartette, "a Home on the Roll
ing Seas" was next sung. by the MEM
beers of the choir.