The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-06-17
CORRESPONDENCE.
Commencement nj Bethany
College.
Special 20 kc'Rcgi>tcr:
p,rr,,>,. ~ Va

Many were the bright ewes made dim
with disappointment a> they looked nm
on the clouds this morning. \ rainy
Commencement Day l. 'Iolrrablc and
not to Ice endured II least with that
patience which j. highly vauntcd a. a
Christian virtue The gorgeous glories
of female linerv all wet and rmncl the
muddy boots. limp crtvar>, ani other
insignia of demnition moist, un-
pleasant bol,; all passed in dismal
review this morning before the minds
OF the students of Bethany College and
their friends. Sophomore~, clasSically
inclined hesought Jupiter Pluvus to
reverse his inverted urn, while protanc
Juniors and dignified Seniors (the for
mcr energetically, the latter mildly).
actually "cusSed
About ten o'clock, however. the RAIN
ceased, the wayward clouds dispersed
and the sun shed light upon the smiling
earth and JOY on many youthful hut
anxious hearts The COLLEGE he'll rang,
and a vast crowd slowly entered and
filled the large hall until scarce standing
room remained The whole ncighbor-
hood seemed rn take gall day and
turned uur 81, mJSSc, and nowhere on
the face Of the globe can there he found
q more honest. sensible. sturdy and
well-brcd >ct OF men and women than
are the mass Of die people in Brooke
and on the border "r OhIo counties.
Matron and maid. the wcII-to do farmer
OF middle aye and the vom@ man who
has his fortune 10 make. all were IN
attendance and interested spectators OF
the scene Some of the most suhSran-
tial and prominent citizens of Wheeling
were ais" present, and the fair faces of
several of our city hcautir, have gracrd
the as-cmhlagr. NaaS brass band
furnished inspiring and appropriate
music in their usual artistic and -kilIful
manner.
President Pcndlcton presided at the
exercises. announcing and introducing
the gentlemen OF the graduating class.
The orations were full Y up To the aver
age Of such performances and cvinced
no mean ability upon the part of the
Young gentlemen both as writer's and
speakers. The College hall on com
mencement day is usually noisy place.
There is always the confusion of
crowded room and thcr, is lacking that
unity of interest which renders almost
any other large assembly quiet listen
ers. Forgetting this fact, the orators
OF the day spoke generally in too low
tone to hc heard throughout the ball.
The eXccptions-those who where heard
bv alI-rcceived well earned tributes Of
applause from the entire audience and
still more delicate tokens Of regard and
approval in the shape Of bouquets
culIcd and arrangeI hy fair hand. aud
lovin. hearts
Mr.. Harry W. List, of Wheeling, ar-
quilted himself splendidlv. Ills speech
was well written and well pronounced
and gave no slight evidence Of an in
tellec,nal culture which is crcditabIe
alike to himself and the College. cur
other townsman in the graduating class,
Mr.. B. W Peterson. also won mcrited
honor hv his Grafton entitled Lord,
Keep our Memory Green a theme 50
beautifully wrought ur by Dickens in
one of his Christmas stories. IN truth,
our city may well be proud of the re
cord made hy her two sons in the class
OF 1870. aud may safely predict for
them an honorable and useful career.
The graduating class i composed "f
twelve yuung gentlemen ni great pro-
miSe-II y. Merit, of Ohio, W. :.
Atkinson. of Ohio, First Honor man):
II. W. List, of West Virginia; 6. J.
Anderson, OF Virginia ". {. Gaus, OF
Ohio: G. y Tillman, Of Tennessee; W.
e. Lyme, of Virginia F. II. Mercer, Of
Tennessee: K. ". Thomas. of Texas:
B. II. HAYDEN, Of Michigan +. W.
Peterson, OF West Virginia W. II.
Spinner, Of Kentucky \. Well, of
Kentucky. and J &. IIawlcy, of Mirhi
gan The last named gentleman de
livercd the customary valelirtory ora.
ton in good style
About half.pa~t twelve clock an IN
termiSsion until two was announced
and almost the entire audience repaired
to the lunch room in the College build
ing. where q magnificent collation. hal
been prepared 10y the friends OF the
College. The viands were excellent,
and disappeared rapidly before the on
slaughtS of such hungry crowd As is
sometimes seen AT Il picnic. The re-
past WAS thoroughly ENJOYED hy all.
seasoned a. it was by that old-time
Virginia hospitality that still lives and
is cherished by the farmers of these fer
tile hills. The lunch is an established
institution AZ Bethany College Com
memcements, aud may it long continue,
Dinner over, the exercises in the Col
lcge hall were resumed Two ora;ion-
and the benedict"ry We're delivered, after
which prize which had been offered
for excellence in chemical ANALYSIS was
presented hy President Pendleron 20 Mr.
H. y Mertz. OF Ohio
The Baccalaurcate addres, of the
President was magnificent. a. l. every
thing from the pen Of it, author. The
earnest and practical advice urgel upon
the Young gentlemen Of the graduating
class was timely anil worthy of general
attention by all Young men.
There have been in College during
the past year about one hundred stu
dents hailing from varion> States. The