The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-06-08
The Public Schools.

lie School Commencement on Tuesday nigh
last. 1t is extremely gratifying to see the in
terest manifested by the people of all classe
and degrees of social standing and intellectual
culture, in the progress of our common schools
Every inch of standing, sitting or climbing
room WAS seized upon, and perfect sea o
heads rose like pillows one above another from
the floor of the parquet to the topmost win
dow-seat of the gallery, every one good
naturally packing himself into the smalles
compass in order to give his neighbor chance
to see and hear.
Not Wade Hampton and Vance combined
not John Paul. at Rockingham court; not So
Smith Russell or the New Orleans minstrels
even, ever witnessed anything like the spon
taneous homage rendered by the people Ell
naasse to their sovereigns of the Future.
The programme, though necessarily long
was arranged with such good taste and dis.
elimination, and the exercises were 80 pleas
antly varied, that the attention of the audience
meyer Tagged from beginning to end.
The exhibition of Calisthenics was remarka-
bly, fine, showing how untiring the labor, skill
and patience must have been to drill such a
great number of pupils so thoroughly in this
beautiful art. Miss Annie Fallon is the &C
complished teacher in this department of the
schools, and she may we'll feel proud of her
success. The exercise of the boys with dumb
bells, the class of little ones with wands, and
the final rendering of the pastures by the class
OF young ladies, has never been excelled in
any of the private schools, notwithstanding
the far greater difficulty when so large num-
| Der are to be drilled The calisthenlc exercises
| were varied by specimens of defamation, rec-
tation OF poems, etc.
The Salutatory was given by two tiny dots,
Laura Summerson and Carrie Thornburg.
'The Character of Napoleon" by Jas. Shot;
"Sink or SWIM" by Hampton Wayt; "The
Federal Union," by John Waddy, and "The
South Faithful to her Duties" by E. c. Hardy,
were all very finely acclaimed. 1.-The Stars
and Stripes" by W. Berkeley; Tribute to Vir-
ginia," by Rhodes Nelson; Flag of our Coun-
| try" by Lorenzo Evans; "Rienza to the Ro-
mans" by Clarke Strasburg; "Solid South"
by Willie Morton; "Wasnington," by Frank
Sublett; Progress" by Haver Smith ''The
Faithful South" by Charlie Hunter; "a Hun
dred Years to Come" by Johnnie Rutherford,
were handsomely done. "Patrick Henry before
the Virginia Convention" by Earnest Shuey
| was splendid effort, and elected rounds of
| merited applause.
my first effort" by Master Eddie Byers
literally brought down the house. The dimpled
! vsage of the baby orator could hardly be seen
above the stack of bouquets that lay piled
| knee-deep around him as he finished. He re-
sponded to the stormy encore by the most
graceful courtier-like bow. advice to Man,
ma by Miss May Kiblinger, was beautifully
recited, the fairy-lke beauty of the little Hello
cutionist adding charm to her recitation.
1.-The boy who could never say please" by
Master Claude Turner was splendidly done,
and he too came near being lost in the shower
| OF bouquets that tell thick and fast around him
| Longfellow's Wreck of the Hesperus," was
recited by Miss Ina Asst, with grace of ges-
ture and beauty of information quite wonderful
in such little girl her lovely face interpreting
for the audience the Poets thought even when
her childlike voice failed TO reach their ears.
The prizes for scholarship, diligence, regu-
| larity of attendance, &C., were then bestowed,
Mr.. Preston Baylor delivering the prizes with
short address of congratulation and a few
words Of salutary counsel to the fortunate re-
cipients.
The two highest honors of the school are the
scholarships, awarded to Miss Emma Atkin-
son and Leila Edison. This entities these
young ladies to two years tuition, free, at eth
| er our best Female Seminares. The first to
Miss Edison, at Miss Baldwins, the second
to Miss Atkinson, at Mrs. Stuart's Seminary
The last was very closely competed for by
Miss Sallie Grattan, her average falling only
one-fifth of mark below that of her success
full competitor. Prizes for the highest i'm.
provement in writing were given to Misses
May Morton and Fannie Lipscomb.
"The Nobility of Labor" by Frank Waddy
'Oration of Cicero" by Willie Nelson and
"Fitz Lee for Governor" by James Temple
ton, were all first rate efforts, that by ]. Tenn
pleton especially.
The dialogue between John Young, George
Todd, Tom Thornburg and Ashby Graves, was
one of the best things on the programme, and
splendidly done. "The South once more in
the Union" was finely given by Baldwin Wayt
1.-THE death of Garfield" by Samuel Christian,
was spoken with much feeling and gave evil
dence of genuine appreciation of this mas
terly eulOgy.
The gold medals for defamation in the va
rious grades were then bestowed. The Su-
perintendent announced that each one was
closely contested and it was difficult task for
the committee to make the award. 1t could
only be done by the incest calculation. The
first honor was given to Rhodes Nelson, the
second to James Templeton, and the others to
the following gentlemen Haver Smith, E.
Shuey, Lorenza Evans, Chas. Hunter, Willie
Nelson and Baldwin Wayt. In addition to
his medal, Hayer Smith, a very bright boy, re-
.ceiyed handsome book, the gift of Col. W.
G. Tuck. These honors were bestowed by
Arch Stuart, Esq, who followed their presen-
tation by graceful and impressive address to
the proud and happy young medallists. The
declarations throughout were of the highest
character and we may be proud of the prom
Use they give us that more than one shining
light of oratoyy and forensic proves shall be
added to these that emblazon Virginia's fair
escutcheon:of the past.
PRIZES WERE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
Infant grade, Miss Joe Brown, teacher:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Turner.
Scholarship and Experimentation Ruther-
ford, Minnie McGuinity, Eddie Byers, Helen
Hanger Annie Todd.
Close Competitors-O Kerr, Theodore
Kennedy, Blanche Hosey, Kate Eichelberger,
Willburt Hartman, Lucy Bryant, Bell Ander-
son, Eddie Reese, Robert Dettor, Chas. Speck,
Chas. Powell. ..
LIST Primary Grade, Miss Julia Atkinson.
teacher.
Scholarship and Deportment-Car White
and Willie Kidd.
End Primary Grade, Miss Annie Fallon,
teacher:
observation-disclosures Evans.
Close Competitor-Frank Waddy.
Scholarship and Experimentation Spit
Ter.
3rd Primary Grade, Miss Kate Nelson,
teacher
Scholarship and Deportment-EloiseE Elder,
Eddie Edmundson, Antress Gully, Mary Spcck,
Mary Smith.
4th Primary Grade, Miss Sue Martin,