Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-07-11
Franklin College Commence
mont

! During the past two weeks New Athens
has been going through the annual excitement
of Commencement, the town being alive with
the friends of the tudents, trustees, ano
thUse who came out of interest in the College
and educational matters generally. The ex-
aminations of the Senior class were held the
| first week in June, the first honor of the class
being awarded to j. e. Parkinson. The ex-
aminIng committee were unable to agree upon
whom the second honor should be conferred,
hence none was assigned. The examinations
of the under graduates were held on June
29th and July 1st and I'd. On Saturday June
Goth a most excellent Baccalaureate sermon
was delivered in the Presbyterian church, by
President Vincent; his theme being "The
power of an experimental knowledge of
God" The house was crowed to overflowiug
by appreciative listeners to the eloquent ad-
dress.
On Monday evening very intelligent and
respectable audience assembled in the U. z.
church to hear the address of Rev. s. j..
Wilson, d. D., of the Western Theological
Seminary. The address was especially to the
Society of Religious Inquiry connected with
the College; his theme was EMISSION Work
Home and Foreign" The address was very
able, but owing to some misunderstanding,
the audience was not as large as ought to have
greeted the speaker.
Tuesday evening was occupied by the Sc
nior class exercises. A Poem, by j. L. Park
insen; History, by r. NJ. Coulter; Prophecy,
by q. w. Lyons; Presentation to Junior
class, by C. w. Tarr; Response, by w. Fl.
Day; Valedictory to 2. L. Society, by A. w.
Werner; Response, by J. NJ. Boggs; Valedic-
tory to j. L. Society, by S. NJ. Bentley; Re-
sponse by Miss Alice Day. Although the ex-
ercises lasted until late hour, the large audi
ence listened with attention throughout.
Wednesday 10 A. NJ, meeting of Board of
Trustees. In addition to the usual routine
of business transacted, the following honor
ary degrees were conferred Upon Hon.
r. T.. Chambers and Hon. John Bruce, the
title of l.. l.. D. The former ex-Common
Pleas Judge of Belmont county, Ohio, and
the latter at present of the United States Dis
trict Court for Alabama. The degree of Ii.
D. was conferred upon Rev. w. Ii. Andrews
of Gault, Canada West, and Rev. Lafayette
Marks, of Wilmington, Del. At u P. NJ. a
large audience assembled at College Hall to
listen to the address of Rev. r. b. Ewing,
d. D., of Pittsburgh, to the Literary Socie-
ties of the College, subject
This address was rich, rare and racy, elabor-
ate, Instructive and eloquent, receiving the
highest Communications. Afterward, refresh
ments, flowers and promenade concert were
uuSely euJOycu ~ ALL
Thursday the 4th dawned auspiciously,
and it seemed that the wise heads, Old Probs,
&C., would be mistaken in their predictions
of ''rsin certain on the 4th of July" But as
the sequel shows their dreams became reali
ties
A substantial stage had been erected in the
grove adjoining town, by the members of the
Junior class, which by the assistance of more
tender hands, was tastefully decorated. The
exercises were opened at 10t A. NJ. with pray
er by Rev. DR.. Ewing, after which Rev DR..
Stevenson introduced the orator of the occa-
sion, Hon. r. E. Chambers, l.. L. d., of St.
Clairsville, O., who delivered the Alumni
Grafton, a most mastery composition, mani
Testing great depth of thought and erudition,
and delivered in the usual earnest and i'm
pressive style Of the Judge, and although OF
great length, it was listened to throughout
with attention by the large and appreciative
audience AT u P. M. an immense crowd
assembled to witness the performances of the
graduating class. But before the first per
formance was completed, the rumbling of
distant thunder made the hearts of the throng
to throb, and each one turned to his neighbor
with "l told you solp Bit although the
clouds gathered thick and fast around, scarce
ly any rain fell until the performances were
through, vet the threalenings were SO omin-
Gus that the people were in such u state of
excitement that it was impossible TO hold
their attention closely. Programme of exer-
lciseg Greek Salutatory, by A. W. Werner;