The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-06-08
HIGH SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT
EXERCISES.
Names of Graduates--supt. Everett's
Address.


was held in the Central Presbyterian
church last evening. Every seat in the
church was Occupied. seats were placed in
the aisles, and many were obliged to stand
up, The audience was principally com
posed of ladies-sisters, mothers, teachers,
schoolmates and friends of the class.
The exercises commenced by music by
Strasser's excellent band, from Davenport,
followed by prayer by Rev. T. H. Hench,
of the Broadway Presbyterian church.
Then followed the programme. as follows:
Part First-Essay. "A plea for John
SIS mule" Francis A Cutter; essay,
eve are only cleaners" Ina E. Lucas,
grafton. THE unseen" NJ. Edward
Sweeney: music blythe band; essay, I'VE
carve our own future, Julia Anderson; es-
say. Reading source of mental culture"
Hattie E. Henderson; Grafton, ''There
are no returning footsteps" ". E. Palmer;
music by the band, and song, THE Old
Familiar Bell" by the G. ?. Quintette
Club, composed Of Messrs, Savage, Rey-
nolds, Atwood, Cooke and Keller; essay,
Absence of occupation, not rest, Bridget
E. Cavanaugh; essay, Versus Woman
rights, Daisy L. Hardy; grafton, License
they mean when they cry liberty" Nellie
r. Hayes. Part Second--music by the
the band; essay, Strong Reasons make
strong actions" Mary f. Lloyd; essay,
The golden mean" Ellen W. Russell:
grafton, blend carefully your lights and
shadows, Eta NJ. Mcdonald; music by
the band, and song, Moonlight on the
Lake, by the Quintette Club; essay,
Golden fruits of labor" Minnie L.
Briggs; Grafton, "A gem beneath a
clip" Fannie Hamilton; valedictory, Al.
vim H. Connolly. The essays and oration'
were good, we'll delivered, and highly com
mendable, and all showed that each pupi
had given considerable thought and study
to the various subjects. To give detailed
synopsis of each Of the Is parts would nj
doubt be very interesting, but would
occupy too much space, it to say
that each scholar performed his or hei
part ID highly satisfactory manner, and
to the entire satisfaction Of parents
teachers, board of education. and thu
? audience generally.
Upon awarding the diplomas to thu
graduating class, Prof. J. F. Everett
superintendent of the schools, addressed
them in the following manner:
The last milestone in your course il
the Rock Island public schools has nov
been reached. And by the order of tn
: Board of Education. / am authorized Il
3 give to you, Alvin II. Connolly, NJ, Ed
ward Sweeney, William Z. Palmer. Fannie
Hamilton, Bridget Cavanaugh, Julia An
derson, Ina T. Lucas, Hattie h. Hender
e son, Mary E. Lloyd. Ellen W. Russell
Nellie r. Hayes. Minnie S. Briggs. Etti
NJ. Mcdonald and Frances S. Cutter
these certificates of graduation, showing
that you have now finished three years il
our High school, and completed, in
; creditable manner, the English and scien
tifc course of study. 1t gives me grea
pleasure to grant to you, Daisy L. Hardy
this diploma of graduation, showing tina
e you have spent four years with US ana TN
ished, in highly satisfactory manner, tn
classical and preparatory course.
Before extending to you our final HAND
9 shake, as pupils, and bidding you God
speed" in your chosen occupation, il
/ right and fitting that We should glance a
: the past and also give you few words c
: advice in regard to the future.
= When you entered the balls OF on
High school few years ago some of 20
e expressed the idea that you would be tw
: old 10 attend school before you could CON
: plete the prescribed courses of study.
i Tonight your work with US is finished
Il And you have scarcely entered tie POI
D., tails of youth from the boundaries {
, childhood. You have Just reached tn
age for mental improvement. The int
lectual growth which you are capable {
:. acquiring almost all lies before you. An
) upon yourselves must it now depend
You will soon either enter other halls c
learning or the great school of life. ppo
your own individual efforts must rest you
fiual success. i GU can go on to yictorie
compared to which those IN the past ar
but pigmies. or yen can doom yourselve
Il to disappointment at every step,
calmly sit down, Macawber like, ''Waitin
for something to turn up your futur
will not be great. Or if you suppose thu
you are now prepared to enter rrotessio
/; or an occupation of honor or trust, | al
E. afraid that you will be disappointed 10 th
Or future. The object Of our schools is DC
r to make professional men and women c
to fit persons for any special occupation
but to lay foundation so strong and 6
broad that any superstrGcture may
= reared thereon by continued perseverance
and close application.
If you leave this room tonight with a
1t intense love for study, and if the foundi
is tons of your education have been of sue
Il quality and SO firmly cemented that tim
! wilt only strengthen, not erumbe and d.
: stroy, it will matter littl5 what oecupatio
J. you select, prosperity must eventual
{. crown your efforts.
% The citizens of Rock Island 10 giving I
you the opportunities of an education, ire
of charge, SO extended and so thorough
IS have placed you under great obligation
and will expect of you in the future n
turn. They will expect honest and up
right men, true and Virtuons womer
Then, with an intellect, sharpened b
: research, and Judgment and understand
y ing strengthened by study, cultivate fdel
4 ity, honesty, virtue, truth. patience, fol-
! givness, charity, morality, that you ma
grow daily less Rnimallike--more mar
like-more Christ-like. Then will GU
fellow citizens see that while edueatin
you they were rot only serving humanit
s. but God. AS you leave the school ROOF
: to seek employment, rely not upon static
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