Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-06-27
commencement St. Johns Academy.

would be no hyperboIe, for the house was filled
within few minutes after the doors were open
cd and all who came, subsequently, had to
stand inside, if they could get in, outside If
they could not.
just before tour the drums were heard, and
in a few moments, the cadets entered and filing
upon the stage, faced to the front, and went
through the manual by tap of drum with great
rxactness They then marched bv companies
to the space on the sides OF the stage and
stacked their arms, returning to seats 90 the
platform.
The students had failed to secure the services
of the brass band they had expected to engage,
and the Alexandria Glee Club, which had kind
ly volunteered for the OCCASION had one OF Its
priucipIe members so affected by severe cold
that vocal music was impractcable; sDall
string band, however, furnished excellent
music.
The Latin Sautatory, by Charles F.Markell,
though very bSiut, was well written and well
delivered. 1t was followed by ''The School
boy Trials, >" humorous composition, deliver
ed with much ease and grace, by Albert A.
Bragcr. "rhe Vanity of Greatness" by }.
William burlington, was very excellent essay,
doing credit to Doth the head aud the heart oil
lis author this was FIJI owed by Dreams, by
Lawrence Corbet, boy of fourteen, the young
cs, graduate, we are Informed, ever turned out
by the Academy. The judgment displ ayed in
the arrangement Of the address, and the easy
and self possessed manner of its delivery, won
golden opinions for the youthful orator.
Last came "Alemory," most beautiful
piece of composition, by Charles +. Markell.
This young gentleman is true orator, and the
II. IL lol,,,co1 bic boo,,tifpl
production left, no doubt, on the minds of his
audience, that he would soon be called to a
wider sphere of action. Taken altogether, We
have never heard finer speech at a secondary
school and rarely at college.
His Honor, Mayor Kemper then, after a
few highly appropriate remarks, delivered their
diplomas 10 the following 'Graduates in Eug-
fish Studies" viz:
Charles Frederick Markell, of Frederick
county, Md, and Lawrence Corbet, Ernest
Llmwood Allen, and Joseph William Purng-
ton, of this city, and a 'Certifcate OF Prof.
cheney" in English Composition, Geography,
and History, to Albert Aaron Bragcr, also Of
this city.
At the conclusion of this ceremony, Edgar
Snowden, jr, esq, rose and stated that he APP
peared at the request of S. Chapman Neale,
esq, President OF the Society OF Old Students,
TO present, 90 his part, gold medal to that
student who had shown himself most unselhSh
The decision had been made, he understood,
by the students themselves, on the first ballot
and without previous consultation or nomiDa
ton, aud a number of votes largely exceeding
those for all others combined had been given
for Ernest L. Allen, to whom the presentation
was accordingly made 10 brief, but excellent
address. The recipient, in delivering his Val
edicory, Immediately afterwards returned his
thanks 10 touching terms to his school-teows
G. L. Markell, as President of the Patrick
Henry Society, then Introduced Prot. Richard
h. McNlahon, of Georgetown College, former
me mber OF that Society, aud its chosen orator
for the occasion, who delivered az able address
90 "Christian Education, 10 which he combat
ted the views of Huxley and others, upon the
seculariza,ion of the traioing of youth.
The Principal then made brief address to
the audience, stating his vie VS. with respect to
the distribution OF prizes in schools, and the
plan on which the distribution OF the evening
was to be made. He condemned an indlscrim-
mate bestowal of rewards as great abuse,
likely to do mischief only but contended that
whilst honors and rewards bad place among
men, children must not be expected to work
for duty's sake alone without encouragement
lrOu luGlr eluclS. Iuc udy COluC "ACo
dgnitics as we'll as penltentiarles and prisons,
rewards and punishment mementoes OF an i'll
arranged discipline but for the few centuries
before the world became fit for that good
time coming" he thought it would be better
to stick 10 plans which had been found to work
well. To prove the rigidity Of his final exam
nations, he stated that never more than two
thirds of his class, often not more than halt,
passed them while he could point with pride
and pleasure TO the essays OF the afternoon as
specimen of what his boys had been taught,
for every line of them was their own.
He then read the list of awards while Mayor
Kemper gracefully distributed the prizes as
follows:
For Diligence in General Studes-Senior
C,ass, ID year-.Guld Medal to Charles +. Mar
kel, Frederick county, Nd, 100 per CT, Law
renee Corbett, &C.; Ernest L. Allen, 96. Silver
Medals to j. VIM. PuriDgton SO; Albert A.
Brager, Sc. Premium to B. FrankIin Wad-
dey, 81.
4. Chauncey, Fairfax county, Va, SO per CT;
Frank u. Woodson, Harrisonburg 50; James
b. Fitzgerald, Alexandria county, sc; Frank
NJ. Hill, Sc. Premiums to Edwin B. Kemp,
81; Robert w. Arnold, 81; Thomas Il. f.
Okeeffe, Richmond, II.
Intermediate Glass, I'd year--Silver Medals
to Owen j. Nugent, 81 per CT; John L. John
son, 80; L. Bernard Miles, Charles county,
Md, 80; Jas. Holden, Alexandria county, 81.
Premiums to P. Reed Wills, Charles county,
Md, so; 2. Mcknight Baldwin, rs; John D.
Purcell, IS; Johu G. Graham, II; Edwin NJ
Adams II.
Intermediate Glass, lst year-Premium to
Lewis NJ Adams, 81.
Junior Glass, % year-Slver Medals to W.
l.. Atkinson, 80; j. Albert Arnold, Fairfax
county, 49, VIM. NJ. Edeleu, Prince Georges
county, Md, Sc. Premiums to Willie Brod
beck, 10; Robert Hipkns, 10; Thomas Eau
nop, -; Willie p French II; Willie Della
hay, Baltimore, IS.
Junior Glass; lst year-Premium to e. K.
Lee Cole, 50.
observance Of Rules and Orders-Gold
Medals to Charles J. Scott, Washington d.
g., and Thomas Ii. Il. 0 keeffe, who have not
wil!fully violated any rule, either in school OF at
tho boarding house during their conneYi0n vii