Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1881-06-30
SCHOUL EXHIBITIONS.

1t was our pleasure last Friday, to
be eprcsent, by invitation, at the clos
ing exercises Of two Of the most popu-
liar schools in our County-the one,
the St Matthews Academy, taught
by MI II. Pcmberton, and the
other, the Shady Grove School, in
charge Of Mr.. A. e. Wightman.
Both the teachers are recent gradu-
ates of W ottord College, and are emil
nently fitted by education and. ms the
results also show last week, by prac
tice, for the profession in which they
are engaged.
We arrived in the ncighborhood on
Thursday evening, and became the
happy gncst of DR.. y. W. Summers,
under whose hospitable roof we spent
the night, The next morning, about
. O'Clock, we started for st. Mat
thews Academy This Academy is
located not much over hundred
yards from the State Road and a
'ery short distance from where the
road from Orangcburg connects Will
it. 1t is distant about twelve or
thirteen miles from our town, and
stands in shady grove ofpincs. At
this spot we found number Of per
sons assembled ut the early hour
mentioned, and every moment the
crowd swellcd IN numbers from new
arrivals until the bell rang for the
commencement Of the exercises
about 8 o'clock. Then commenced
a real treat from the children in a
varied and we'll appointed programme
consisting Of speeches and reading,
in which about thirty-fve boys and
girls acquitted themselves in most
crcditablc manner both to themselves
and their teacher. During the speak
ing, a prize book was presented in a
neat speech by DR.. j. w Summers to
Master b. f. Keller for general pro
iclcncV, after which another was also
presented by the School commissions
er to Miss Mamie r. Summers for
the same merit. AT this point Of the
proceedings we were obliged to leave
by appointment for Shady Grove
school abort three miles distant. We
are told: however, that after the cxci-
cises by the scholars entertaining
speeches were madeto the crowd by
Rcvs. Auld and Probst, and DR.. j.
w. Summers, and it is unnecessary
for us to add that the whole affair
wound up with one Of those superb
dinners for which st. Matthews is
famous.
Now for n description OF the Shady
Grove affair. Here Mr.. "A. C.Wight-
man is the accomplished teacher.
Shady Grove School house is new
Guiding put up hardly over a year
ago and is situated in beautiful
rSro,c Shy the church Of the samc
name. Here we arrived about -
o'clock and found large crowd as
semblcd. The speaking by the cl:iId-
ren had been completed the after
noon before, and the day was dcyot-
ed to genuine pleasure in the way Of
ap'c.nic. We were received by the
hospitable people Of this section
with every imaginable attention, and
nothing was wanting to our comfort
,,,, ~ aiANiio WI ny LIE tllllIC gay.
lhe children amused themselves
with running, rope d'nc:ng and other
games, the young ladies and gentle
men with croquct promenading DC,
and the older men and ladies' with
chatting over things in general and
seeing the young folks enjoy them
selves. In the mean time everybody
was kept refreshed with ice lemon
ade, icc-creamc and cake which seem
ed to be as free as the mir.
About two O'clock dinner was
announced, and the crowd assembled
around the festive board and after
being flliy satisfied left enough he.
hind to feed regiment. After din,
ncr all assembled in the school house
where speeches we're delivered on
various topics by Mr.. w. L. Glaze.
the School Commissions, and Rev.
Probst, to All attentive and apprc
ciative audience. Play was then re-
sumed and rs the rays Of !he sun be-
gan to slant one by one the people
turned homeward carrying with them
the pleasantest rerollcctions Of the
day.