Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-07-04
WISCONSIN STATE UNIVERS-
ITY
Its Present FlOurlshins ConditiOn-ExercIses
of Commencement week.

The growing prospe rity Of the State
University for the past few years has
ELECTED favorable comment from the
press in all parts of the state and is q
S ource ofpride and satisfaction among
its friends. 1t now combines large
and able corps of instructors with an
able body of managers and it may
reasonably be expected that its fu-
ture growth will be rapid and certain.
During the past year the manage
ment Of its affairs has been entrusted
with Vice President Sterling, who has
long been a faithful an efficient Off
Ger in tbs University and who COM
bines with his scholarly attainmonts
a ong and varied experience in the
profession Of teaching. Though the
institution has not been under the
guidance OF regularly constituted
president since the resignation of
President Chadbourne, a year ago,
the attendance has equalled that of
any former year, while new chairs OF
instruction have been created and
filled and the facilities for the pur :
suit ofspecial studies greatly increas-
ed A president will be selected to
fill the vacancy ore the opening Of
another term.
The Commencement exercises, held
on Tuesday and Wednesday, June
goth and 21st, were eminently salts
factory the number of students grad
uated from all departments exceed
ing that of any former year.
The exercises Of the week began
with the Baccalaureate sermon, de-
livered by Vice President Sterling at
the Bap list Church Sunday, June
18th. The text was chosen from
Timothy i. Is, 10. This charge l
commit unto thee, son Timothy, ac-
cording to theprophecies which went
before on thee, that thou Jy them
mighteSt ,Car a good UdrJare !; holding
faith and a good conscience, which
some having put away concerning
faith have made shipwreck." The
sermon with the closing remarks to
the graduating classes were Of unus-
ual interest, and listened to with rapt
attention by all and rendered still
moro impressive to the graduating
members from the peculiar circum>
stances in which they were placed
Monday evening following was APP
pointed for the Anniversary of Lit
erary societies-AtAen@an and Hes
perian-at which time a lecture was
to be delivered by Rev. w. A. Bart
lett, of Chicago; but owing to his alb
sence it was postponed until the fol-
lowing evening when the address was
delivered at the Assembly Chamber
and poem of merited taste and abil-
ity read by Mr.. D. b. Frankcnbur-
ger, one Of the Alumni. The lecture
on The Events and Tendency Of the
Times" was treat worthy Of the
lecturer and the occasion. Mr.. B. ev-
identity had in view to please and in
struct. His jocular and pithy man
ner of writing was pleasing in the ex-
treme and the address was diversi
fed and rendered attractive through.
out by passages Of fine sentiment and
enlightened wit. The poem was one
Of several others delivered upon pub
lie occasions which may deservedly
lay claim to the attention of all the
admirers of poetry as compositions
of rare excellence.
The graduating exercises of the Fe-
male College were held on Tuesday,
commencing at 81 o'clock p. m. The
candidates for degrees were four in
number. All were arrayed in SINH
lar and becoming dress with slight
variations in the trimming and make
up, but each presenting tasteful APP
pearance. After short discourse of
music by the Lake City Band which
at intervals enlivened the exercises,
and prayer by Rev. E Graham of Mil
waukee, came the opening address
by Miss Carrie E. Adams. Her re-
marks-gracefully delivered and
couched in choicest wordsworth
lose their force if only partially pre-
sentented, as their chief merit lay in
the composition, lending a double
charm to the sentiment and fine
thought with which the production
was. filled Following the Salutatory
was an admirably written essay by
Miss Ada NJ. Robson-subject, "Tbe
Suggestive Imperfcction Of Nature"
A few of tbs leading points in each
may indicate the general course of
thought pursued: Nature did not
present tho highest type OF perfec-
ton but presented suggestions Of the
ideal which man, in striving after,
often improved upon the real, There
was no landscape so beautiful but
one more so could be imagined, no
music but we could fancy sweetcr,
no face so lovely but we could dream
of one more so. If man could not
hope to improve on nature he would
be walking merely in treadmill,
but BE was progressive and labors
joyfully toward perfection, led by an
angelic guide.
"Woman's Aim"-Miss Adele M.
Overton. Woman's freedom of choice
had been greatly interfered with by
the dictates of society, and her ef-
forts impeded by the shackes of pub
lie opinion. Woman should be af-
forded equal opportunity for thor
ough preparation for life's work, and
then, if resoIute and capable, allow
ed to work out her destiny in the
widest sphere of usefulness. Let her
aim be to ennoble and elevate herself
and society, and she will not fail of
success.
Beauty an End in Itself"-Miss
Carrie E. Adams. This was render
cd in the same clear and forcible