The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-14

and Deep Interest In the Institution
The Contest DetWeen the Literary No
cIetIes-Addresses by Supt. PendIeiOn
DR.. Logan and Others.
FAIRMoST, W. Va, June 13, 1870.
Editors IntelllEeneer
Noting that your regular correspondent
from this place is not reporting the pro
ceedlngs Of the week regularly, will tr!
to give you my viewso mattersand thing
as viewed by a stranger. ! came to Fair
mont on Wednesday, arriving at about
noon, and stopping at the EIough House,
where all who stop are sure to be vel
taken care Of, In tho afternoon Of thai
day looked in upon the meeting Of the
Alumni, but as 1t was q business meeting
it could not interest me. So went to the
public school building, where | was very
well entertained for some time listening
TO various performances given by the pu.
pills OF Room No. OF that school,
The public schoolsot Fairmont are sure.
ly in tlourishing condition under the
supervision OF Prof 7. G. Miller, and
we venture tho assertion that they are not
exCelled by any schools OF like grade in
the State. The people take IN interest in
this, as well us the Normal School, as is
shown by the manner in which the vari.
Gus rooms are finished and furnished, and
also by the money appropriated by them
for apparatus. But the great excitement
this week is tho closing exercises OF the
State Normal Schools, part OF which has
already been reported in your paper.
Last evening an address was delivered be.
fore the Normal Literary Society, by Hon.
D. B. Lucas, OF Jefferson county. His
subject, "rhe Lives and Studies OF the
Poets, was handled in q mastery man.
ner, though the reading OF his address
from manuscript detraCted much from the
effect 1t would otherwise have produced.
But on the whole it was more than or.
dinary lecture.
Yesterday afternoon the Commence.
ment exercises proper began, and some
fifteen Of the twenty-five graduates deliv-
cred essays and orations that were an
honor to the performers and the school.
| will not partlCularize, but speak what
felt when say that all were good. Last
night was tho contest between the Mozart
and Normal LyCeum Literary Societies,
the contestants being one lady from each
on defamation and essay respectively,
and one gentleman each on oration,
and one each on debate. The Mozart car.
ried oil the honors on essay and Grafton,
the Normal LyCeum on defamation,
while the debate was decided a tic. The
question was, "Should Chinese emigration
6e restricted in the United States?" 1t
was so ably discussed that Prof. McB eth,
OF Morgantown, stated publicly that it ex.
celled anything in the line OF debate that
he had ever heard at the University. This,
as a matter OF course, was received with
applause by the large and appreciative au-
dience present.
On last evening Hon. W. X. Pendleton
and DR.. 7. IL. Logan arrived, and will re.
main until the close Of the performances.
Alto o'clock this IN orning the Normal
Hall was again crowded, to hear, the re-
mainder Of the graduates perform. At
the close the diplomas were presented by
DR.. Pendleton, in an appropriate speech,
giving much good advice, and announcing
at the close that Miss Dickey had been Sc.
lected as Principal ol the school for the
coming year, and Miss Fleming and Mr..
Fleming as assistants. This announce
ment was received with clapping Of hands
by the students.
DR.. 7. H. Logan made few appropriate
and feeling remarks, rs did also Mr.. Butch
er and DR.. Hall, OF Richie county.
Ats o'clock p. NJ. Charles Davies, Esq. OF
Harpers Ferry, delivered an address
which was one Of the grandest efforts OF
the occasion. We remained purposeIy TO
hear it, and feel amply repaid. His sub
jeCt, columbus and the Discovery OF
America" was handled in most master
ly manner.
1t was though by many that as Morgan
town was SO near and the closing exercises
Of the University held at the same, the
crowd here would be very small, but the
town is full OF people. 1t seems as II every
one had come and brought somebody
along. It was estimated that Mt least
1900 people were on the streets last even.
ing. The two military companies were on
parade and showed by their various evolu-
tions, that they are becoming proficient in
drill When these two companies join
each other on parade we have the blue
and gray Commingling in the greatest
harmony. The cornet band in lull uni
form was on the street at the same time.
And now what is to be the fate OF the
Fairmont Normal School? Is it TO live or
die. The people all say it shall live. It
can be sustained, they argue, and it shall
be sustained. Tho present acting Princi-
pal (now the Principal will continue to
i'll the position she has SO ably filled since
the death OF DR.. Blair and the school will
move right OH and continue to be a sue.
cess in the future as it has been in tho
past. l would, II possible, that all those
wise Solons who last winter at Wheeling.
defeated the appropriation bill could be
here and witness what have witnessed.
Iapprehend that they would blush for
shame at what they did.
But we close with wishing success not
only to this school, but to all our eduCa.
tional institutions. y.