Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-06-10
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
CLOSING Exercises.

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Second to none of our educational
institutions in Importance and val
ne, the Public Schools made their
closing demonstrations in a much
less ambitious style than is display
ed by most other schools at the
present season. No learned divine
or gifted orators were summoned
from a distance to do honor to the
occasion; the attractions were only
such as were interesting to those
who cared for the children; their
parents were invited to test the
/ proficiency of their children in
singing, reading and elocution, the
only departments of instruction
which can be made the subject of a
public exhibition.
So little having been done to
raise expectation, we were agreea-
bly, surprised by witnessing one of
the most interesting shool demon
STATIONS we have ever seen. All
the exercises were by the scholars
now under instruction; the list was
long and we were only able to be
present on the second day and, even
so, the pieces were too numerous
to be separately noticed within the
space to which we are confined
some of the more prominent efforts
however must be briefly mentioned.
The choral was upon the whole,
more satisfactory than the solo
singing, as might be expected, more
attention having been properly
paid to the former; Miss Wilson
has happily discovered the art of
getting boys and girls to sing togeth-
er without raising that unearthly
yell which generally attends such
exercises. We must, however, no.
tice with favorable distinction the
Duet, "Look me in the eye, john
nie." This was sung not only with
humor but ia good time and tune
by Miss Kate Wilson and Master
Olive Oppenheimer.
We should also mention that |
Charlie KincannOn, who is the fun
ny man, the brudder bones of the |
concern gave very amusing reci-
tation on the first morning made
up partly of talk and partly of song.
In recitation Miss Birdie Shackle-
ford, Master Joe ROsenfield and
Miss Dora Current deserve special
mention for excellent training while
Sublet Shelby and Morton Turnkey
in humorous pieces, brought down
the house.
But by far the gem of the whole
was the performance of
three scenes from Shakespeare's
"King john" the cast being as fol-
lows: King John, Master jeff.
Hubert, Olive Open
heimer, and Prince Arthur by little
Joe Wettstein. We have never
seen anything in school exhibitions
equal to this. The cruel, cowardly
tyrant practising on the nobler ma
ture of Hubert was acted to the life,
and little Arthur pleading for his
eyes before Hubert and his execu-
TONERS was affecting enough to
draw tears from a stone, indeed,
we observed some eyes among the
audience not altogether dry during
the recital; the boys were evidently
in their work, and we
think it no mean advantage to en-
list youthful minds thus early in
the study of the great masters of
literature.
Arthur Kleeman, who took sub
ordinate part in these scenes, gave
us a spirited reading from Mark
TWain's "InnOcents Abroad" and,
in the way of spectacle, nothing
could be prettier than bevy of lit
tie girls singing the "Rainbow
5ong:" they were arranged in a
dressed in white, with
each girl wearing a sash represent I
ing one of the hues of the prismat-
ic arch.
We must pause here, though many
piecies were as well done as some
we have mentioned, but space and
time forbid. OF course all this only
marks the progress in one direction,
that of elocution; the merits in
other departments can only be gath
cred from the records of the exam
nation, and as the report of this is
not ready yet we must defer fur
Their comments till ueXt week. /