Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-06-01
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
CONDUCTED BY J. F. LANGENBAUGH.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES.

Superintendent Prof. r. A. Chase.
The High School-room was crowded
to its utmost capacity, all the availa-
BILE standing and sitting room being
occupied. The room was tastefully
and elaborately festooned and decor
ated. flags and banners of tie vari-
Gus civilized nations being displayed
in and about the room, chromos, oil
paintings, portraits and landscape
sceneries were tastefully and gener-
ously arranged on the walls of the
room. The exercises were opened
with prayer by Rev. FL. V. Reed, then
came the regular exercises consisting
Of music by Zern's orchestra, and
singing by the High School class, ora
tions, essays, &c. The following is
the list OF graduates: Miss Ida G.
Klinger, Miss Haddie G. Borton, Mr..
Ira D.Buck and Mr.. Henry A. Pershing.
The address by Mrs. ID. B. Wells,
principal of the High school, subject
Work Of the High school," was, we
must say, a production OF no ordinary
mind talent. in fact shows that she
understands her profession. The ora
ton Of Ira ID. Buck, subject ~The
public mind is educated slowly by ar
gument, quickly by events" was a
mastery production, and was deliv-
cred in a clear and audible voice and
agreeable manner. The essay of Had
die G.. Borton, subject. Il conquer
provinces, but Josephine wins hearts,
Napoleon; was well written and
read in a clear and distinct tone,
which could be heard distinctly at
the i.oermost parts of the room.
The Grafton of Henry A. Pershing,
subject, He walks best who walk S
alone" was indeed a mastery pro-
duction, and was not only a credit to
the orator, but also a credit and hon.
or to his teacher. 1t was delivered in
a strong and impressive voice. and
agreeable manner, The essay of Ida
G. Klinger, subject, "Black the heels
Of your boots, was very good pro-
duction, and certainly merited praise.
The reading was soft and low, but
rendered in a melodious tone, dis
tinctly heard by nearly all present.
The music by the orchestra was very
good, and the singing by the class
was very good. The whole affair re-
fleets great credit and honor to all
concerned.
Plymouth has reason to be proud
Of this, "the first graduating class OF
its High school" May success attend
the future efforts of the superinten-
dent and his corps Of assistants. We
would here remark, that the gradu-
ates received a number of bouquets
each, from the audience.
LAZY MAN.
A lazy man is never tormented by
harrassing suspicion of worrying care.
All the worlds annoyances are to him
but water, and he is ducks back.
Fate has no significance to him. The
future is too indolent to think about,
and so that don't worry him.. Poets
in all ages have sung of the beauty of
contentment; but what man ever had
a contented mind but a lazy man?
1t is your active. troubled, rat-terrier
sort of people that are discontented.
They hustle about, turn the worlC up
side down, and worry everybody and
everything. A genuine lazy mar, on
the contrary, is always good-natured,
and of forgiving disposition. He
wouldn't harbor revenge, because it
would take too much trouble. So he
forgives and forgets because it is an
exertion to do anything else. Energy
is good athing totalk about-it is like
prescribing medicine for another to
take-but for solid comfort there is
nothing like lying IN the grass and
taking it easy.
EATABLE BIRDS NESTS.
These dainty morsels, so dear to
the aristocratic Monaghan, are fur
nished by the little brown and white
salangau swallow of the Southern Ar
and their hiding places are
the roofs Of the sea-caves along the
coasts of Java, Borneo, Celebes and
the Sooloo Islands. The gathering
of the nests is very perilous, the hunt
srs being Obliged to let themselves
down the face of the rocks, and
swing into the caverns as best they
can. What sort Of a thing is the ed
ible birds nest, that ministers to the
taste OF the luxurious Chinese? 1t is
that portion of the fabric which
serves as a sort of bracket on which
the nest itself (made of grass, sea-
weed, fibers, small leaves, etc. is
built. There are two forms of this
support, one fiat like an oyster shell,
the other deep and spoon-shaped
1t is a transparent mass, somewhat
like isinglass, mother OF pearl or
white horn, and is of an animal OIL
gin. 1t was formerly supposed that
this gelatin-like mass might be pre-
pared in the birds crop, from sea-
weed and other marine plants. This
however is mistake. Ii one opens
the animals stamach about the time
Of building, it is found to contain in
sects, but no vegetable matters more
over, in all species of the family of
swifts, the crop is wanting. On
opening the bill. at that season, the
Salivary gland under the tongue are
developed, they are seen
as two large swellings, on either side,
and these chiefly supply the material
in question. They secrete a viscid
substance, like a concentrat-
ed solution of gum arabic, which can
be drawn out of the mouth in long
threads; and in the air it soon dries,
and is found to be the same, even
microscopically, as the bracket ma
terial.
When one of the little birds wishes
to begin building, it flies repeatedly
against the selected spot. pressing