The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-06-16

=
The openlns ceremonies of the general
comm-n cement services was the
DEDICATION OF THE SENIOR TREE,
which took place on the campus at half
past three, ON Wednesday afternoon, be-
ing in the shadow of the college, the
temperature was delightful and the
whole performance great success. The
music by Kramer was charming.
The Grafton by B. q. Hagerman, OF the
Neothrophisn Society, was universally
regarded As au unusually fine effort.
The poem by William Richardson, OF
the American Society was ofalmost Ten.
nysonian excellence, and the prophesy
Of G. w. Burns, of the Neothrophian So.
ciety. was extremely witty, being re-
ceivcd with great applause.
On Wednesday evening came the 25th
annual
EXHIBITION OF THE NEoTHRoPHIAN
SOCIETY,
and which was announced on
the programme to begin At 1880
| CLOCK, but which did not begin until five
minutes of nine, most objectionable
delay which the audience endured
with exemplary patience, particularly
with such long and tbrestenlngly heavy
programme before them. Nine solid
"orations" was a pretty heavy dose of
college talk to contemplate, and had not
one been cheered by the elaborate efforts
of the fine orchestra there would have
been strong inclination to commit
literary hars kari, by leaving the hall.
The prayer by Mr. Miller, of Wheel.
ing, was short and impressive, as was
likewise the salutatory by Mr.. Charles
Shields, of Allegheny, Pa.
Mr.. Trimble, Of Maryland, satisfac-
torily demonstrated the "Power of Flo.
quence," and Mr.. G. w. McCord, OF
Brooke county, shouldered the "Indi.
vidual Responsibility" OF his Grafton
quite creditably.
We expected to see Mr.. j. S. Rodgers
Love OF Fame blightei in its youth
from the extreme high pressure at which
| he started out, but he maintained it tC
the end and was the recipient of an un.
usually large number OF floral gifts. His
| frequent allusion to the famous incendl
ary of Ephesus was not atall novel as ar
| illustration, and We were rather surprised
at such persistent use of so trite story
From the prominence of Mr.. B. G
Hagermsn in the afternoon performance
and from the general talk at the school
one could easily see that he was regard
ed as "the man" Of the society, and evi.
dently a iavorite at long odds. The ap
plause that followed his effort showed
that his admirers were not reckoning
without their host. To US, however
there were several features not altogether
the correct thing as tar as taste is con-
cerned. He endeaVored to make a speech
of things polite Of to-day
and gave US quite a smack
of bloody shirt talk about the late un-
pleasantness, and revived recollections
which would have been more pleasant to
the audience to have been omitted. II
| requires q man of even more ability than
Mr.. Hagerman to say anything strik'
ingly new on the public corruption
which infests every branch OF our gov
ernmcnt;" and his berating the Pope and
his church showed an amount OF morbid
spleen hardly to be expected in minister
of the Gospel
Mr.. Criswell did himself credit by his
effort, and Mr.. Gano used all the ses'
ouipedalia in Webster's Unabridged on
iUniversal Education Necessary to Pros.
perity."
Mr.. Gsbler illustrated how "Life is q
Speech" by referring to the lives and
characters of George Washington and
LAFAYETTE, who are not altogether novel
in the shape OF models for our American
youth. The President here lnterlarded
a performance not on the programme,
but which added something to its length,
by presenting the society's diplomas to
the orators, who were all of the senior
class. Mr.. Burns did much letter than
the usual run of valedictorians.
Tho only thing that saved the per-
formance from extreme tediousness was
the music, which was really excellent,
the universal verdict being that II was
the most agreeable part of the entertain
meut, and the best ever listened to IN
Bethany.
The Nsotrophisn Society made de-
cided mistake by the monotony, tardi-
ness and length Of the performance.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES.
The ringing of the college bell Thurs
day morning, warned US OF the begin
ming of the commencement exercises
proper, but upon looking at the pro-
arammes presented at the door, one hesi-
tsted to face such formidable and tre-
mepduous task rs listening TO seventeen
solid oraiions without q single let up OF
intermission. Peralto, the great Mexl-
can rider is said to have turned pale
when he started on his 375 mile ride on
on 80 mustangs without resting,
but courageous as be is, II he mao
been compelled to undertake this test, he
would undoubtedly have dropped dead
on the spot. The faculty gave every one
of the graduates chance to speak their
piece, and in SO large a class j, was neces.
sary TO cut down the length Of each 70
the minimum, hence each one was 50
skimp as to make 1t almost impossioie
for any one to do himself justice. Since
there are three courses in the college,
each having two honors, and sometimes
three being given, it would have been
better to have let the @honor men speak
This would have cut down the extreme
length of the performance, the
men who spoke would have a
better chsrce to acquit themselves cred,
itsbly, the public would have heard
their best men, and the ''honors" would
be of some practical worth and distinc-
t on, whereas they are now but an empty
bauble. For want of space We give the
programme without comment with the
exception of the mention of the fact that
Mr.. Hagerman redeemed himself by his
brilliant salutatory, and Mr.. Erb distin'
guished himself BY hn valsdictory, the