The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-06-17
Meeting of le Board Of Regents
The w. VaHistOrical Society
Interesting Exercises.
Governor Jacob Reviews the
Site Cadets.

Correspondence the Resister.l
The week jst closed has been one OF
unusual inter,t in Morgantown. The
annual examination Of classes IN the
University, tie Commencement exer-
cises and alltheir attendant lectures,
exhibitions, rIze contests, &c, have
occu pied a I'll week and furnished
continued plesure to the citizens Of the
place and thethrong of visitors drawn
hither from broad. The completion
and occupanc. of the University Build
ing, the presece Of his Excellency, the
Governor of Vest Virginia, and the
assembling q the Board Of Regents
which is composed of prominent c'ti'
zens of each Senatorial District, have
also contributed to make this occasion
one of even more than usual interest,"
and attract t, the University larger
than usual share OF public attention.
THE EXAMINATION OF CLASSES
in all the departments OF the school
was comme1ced on Thursday of last
week and continued during the fore
noon and afternoon OF Thursday, Fri.
day, Mond@, Tuesday and the fore
noon of Wednesday. The examination
is said to have been exceedingly rigid
and searching and to have revealed a
thoroughnes, on the part of the students
| that was peculiarly gratifying to the
friends OF the Institution. In these
days of smatterers and surface educa-
ton, it is peasant to find school in
| which due attention is paid to thorough
familiarity with the various branches of
study. Let us have less veneering and
more solid mahogany; we want men OF
real attainments as well as brilliant
| polish. The students Of the University
show that their instructors have faith
fully performed their work and have
| constantly insisted upon their pupils
| knoging all that they seem and profess
to understand.
LITERARY EXERCISES.
On Friday evening of last week the Mo
noncahela Literary Society celebrated its
anniversary by a public performance
The exercises consisted Of declamations,
ESSAYS and original oraLions, all ofwhich
were very credtable indeed. The au'
dience was largely composed OF ladies,
who manifested their preference for the
performances and the performers by
showers of bouquets, which were proud,
" gathered up and carefully treasured
by the lucky and blushing young men.
On Monday evening contest took
place for the Regents prize, which con
sists Of twenty-five dollars, for the best
essay, and twenty-five dollars for the
best defamation, the judges being a
committee OF three of the Board OF Re
gents. On this occasion Messrs. D. II
Leonard, of Writ, G. II. Beltzhoover, O.
Jefferson, and A. F. Matthews, o
Greepbrier. the three new members o.
the Board, who had just arrived in
the town and could have had no preju
dice in the case, were selected to serve
| as Judges. The contest was quite splr'
tied : a number Of essayists and declaim
ers entered heartily into competition an
much interest was manifested in the
result. The prize for the essay was
awarded to Benjamin W. Smith, o
Ripley, Tyler county, member of the
Junior clsss. His subject was "The
claims of our Country upon its Educat
I'd Men" The essay was really supe
rior in many respects TO the usual style o
college productions and gave assurance
that its author will probably be heard
from hereafter as positive and nseiu
member of sofiety The respective
merits Of the declaimers were NOR
nearly equal and the contest more diff
| cult to determine. The judges expert
enced considerable difficulty in arriving
at q decision. The declamations were
all of unusual excellence and the prizt
for superioty was awarded 70 VIM o
Ison, of Parkersburg, q student in the
preparatory department OF the Univer
sity. 1t is proper to say that many ir
the audience dissented from the aware
Of the committee. Among the contest
ants were John Willets and Harr,
Mcclure, of Wheeling, each oil whom
was thought by many to be entitled t.
the prize. They acquitted ,hemselve
exbellently and reflected credit upor
their instructors and friends, and tn,
city may have reason to be proud o
their merit and promise.
MUSICAL, LITERARY AND HISTORICAL.
On Saturday evening the cantata c
Spring Holiday. was finely rendere
by the Young ladies of the Home Mi
siousry Society Of Morgantown. in th
chapel of the University. A large au
dience was present and all were higbl
delighted with the music and scenery.
On Sunday afternoon, the Baccalau
reate sermon was preached by DR.. MAJ
tin. in the University chapel, before
very large and attentive congregation
s The sermon fully sustained the Doctor
high reputation for vigorous and logica
thought and abounded in earnest an
7 ELOQUENT appeals to the young men {
q the University in benalf of an educs
. ton ennobled and sanctifed by the in
: fluence Of religion. .,H
On Tuesday evening the annual ac
dress beore the literary societies wa
! delivered by Rev. DR.. Newman, OF tn