The Portland daily press., 1873-06-26


reading desk was festooned with evergreens
and everlasting and bore in variegated flowers
.o73." The exhibition passed off finely, all
the participants doing themselves credit, and
many going through with their parts admira.
bly, well. The following is the order of exer.
cses:
CLASS SONG.
SasutaI0ry IN Latin. .Chas. D. Smith
Lie Is Real, Life is Earnest. .Eoise NJ Reynolds
6er Aspera, ad Astra,. ............ Julia w. White
D1scours de Mirabeau. ,.........H Harry L. Maxcy
Music. Fra Diavolo,. ........... Annie E. Greeley.
R mo una Obngatons Mary e. kilby
Dc not SIMPLY good, but good for something,
Gertrude F. Curtis.
Whether one sweeps the streets with broom, the
Tuileries with velvet robe. it comes to much the
same thing in the end
Music Distant Chimes A Trio. Emily A. Small
Merrill.
And your Sons Shall ProP5s S.,: ,,ss,,,
The pleasure of acquiring knowledge; 80.
Drifting and Steering Glass Poem). ..
Isora s. Hatch.
What Shall She Be?..............Fan Fannie R. Porter
Ashes Oh hoses... Alice e. Whitman.
Music. Sunrise. A Qartette. Fritz H. Twitchell,
James W. Harper, Annie E. Greeley, and Emily
A. Small
King Arthur. .............. Gertrude A. Curtis.
The Progress of Republicanism . :. VIM. H. Looney.
Natures Mysteries .......-..... Robert f. reary'
'N'''e' -'i-'''''' "'n'-' '-I Sarah j. Taylor.
Valedictory.. Frank w. Robinson.
Address by the Chairman of School Committee and
Comforting Of Diplomas.
Latin Ode by the Class. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Written by Emily A. Small.
Awarding Of Medals.
Closing Song-The School Days of Aud Lang Syne.
At the conclusion of the literary exercises,
the chairman of the school committee, Lewis b.
Smith, Esq, delivered an able and eloquent adj
dress to the class, which was listened to with
the closest attention by the audience. We re-
gret that lack of space will not allow its repro
duction in our columns. The address was fol-
lowed by an interesting history of the high
school, during the first decade of its existence,
which we append.
My fellow citizens-I trust you will pardon
me, if for moment longer detain you with a
word which this year and this occasion demands.
This year marks period in the Portland High
School which ought not to be allowed to pass
unnoticed. From the origin of the two high
schools (boys and girls') Of this city, up to the
year 1868, they had been entirely separated
from each other, occupying buildings in differ
ent section of the city, with each a head mas
ter For reasons, which to the committee hav-
ing the schools in charge that year, presented
advantages not otherwise to be secured, they
deemed it advisable, at the close of the sum-
mer term, to dissolve the two high schools as
they had formerly existed, and at the COM
mencement of the next term to unite them I'M
der one supervisor-having for their govern
ment one principal master. one male assistant
and seven female assistants assembling in the
building they now occupy, and which had then
but just been completed, the school numbered
800 scholars From the boys high school &C.;
from the girls high school "a; grammar and
Willis schools 176.
The bringing together of the two sexes under
one school organization was regarded by all the
committee as an experiment, and by some of
them as one of doubtful expediency, and by
many of our citizens as a movement sure to
fail of success. Sufficient time has now elapsed
to justify me in saying that no movement or
action of the committee looking to the improve
ment and advancement of the school interests
of the city, have produced so successful and
satisfactory results which brought about this
union. The following statistics attest the
truthfulness of this declaration:
During the ten years just completed there
have been graduated-boys, 204; girls, 295. To-
tai 499.
Average number of graduates per year so
near 80 that we are entitled to the lacking frac-
ton.
Whole number of pupils enrolled in the school
Total 1884.
OF those classes which have completed their
course in the school more than AZ per cent of
those entering have graduated.
No other High school in New England or the
country has graduated SO large per cent. as
this. On this challenge contradiction.
OF the admissions to the school from 81 to
80 per cent. come from the grammar schools of
the city. The others are divided about equally
between private schools of the city and new
residents.
Number prepared for College, SO; as follows
For Harvard, 10, Amherst 4, Bowdoin 30, Yale
2, Brown 8, Colby 4, Bates g. College Of Holy
Cross 2, Scientific department of various Col
sar College. In addition to the above, some
twelve or fifteen, after graduating from the
school in the general course, have decided to
go to College, and have entered subsequently.
Number of teachers now employed male 6,
female @; special male teacher; total 49,
How we'll you have sustained and cherished
this school, these figures are the evidence; and
as the prosperity of our community, the success
of our commercial enterprise, the sanctity OF
our homes, the stability and perpetuity OF ou1
government and it's institutions depend largely,
may not say wholly, on the intelligence of the
people, on the education received in our school
under the present system,-I come to charge
you that you withhold no aid in their support
to their teachers you give earnest sympathy
and indulgence; that to the committee who
may from time to time be selected to superin.
tend and direct them; you give active co-opera
ton; to the end that the purpose for which
they have been established may be secured, and
that the labor and money bestowed on them
may be returned in the graduating of those
whose lives shall prove a blessing to us as 9
city, to any community wherever their lot may
be cast.
The Brown medals were then conferred upon
Isora S. Hatch, Mary E. Kilby, Eloise M. Rey-
nolds, F. B. Waldron, Charles B. Elder anG
Frank w. Robinson, by the principal, Mr.. A
P. Stone. 1t is customary for the Mayor to be-
stow these tokens of appreciation, but he was
absent. and it was though fitting compliment
to long, arduous and successful service, to pu
the matter in the hands of Mr. Stone. 1t was
his last official act. The class then sang the
parting song, and the exhibition closed.
RrNErJr- Tho II