The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-05-29
LEAVING THE SHORE.
Commencement Exercises Of the En- YO-
ria RIEh school.
a Review Of the Essays and orattOns OF
the Graduating Class Of 1854
From Friday. Daily.

porla feel In the cause of popular edu-
cation and the pride which they enter
tain in connection with our excellent
public schools were never more forcibly
exemp1ifed than on last evening, the
occasion of the graduation Of the High
school class of 1854. The Whitley op-
era house, where the exercises took
place. was literally packed from orches-
trs to gallery, and scores and hundreds
of people wefe unable to gain sdmit
lance, and missed the great tfezt which
those enjoyed who secured seats.
The appearance of the house was in
harmony with the auspieiUrs occasion.
The stage and proscenIum boxes were
very profusely embeilished with flowers
and potted plants. while the motto of
the class2"We Are Leaving the Shore"
was suspended over the foOtlights and
added to the agreeable effect of the dec
propriately mounted and handsomely
appointed, sat the graduates, Superin
tendent Carmichael, the teachers of the
high school, D. w. Morris, president of
school board and Rev. DR. Cordley. The
curtain arose at about half past O'Clock,
to the music of the K. p orchestra,
which contributed much to the sum
of the evenings enjoyment.
The Invocation was pronounced in a
fervent and impressive manner by Rev.
Dr. Cord1ey, after which came the salu-
tatory Grafton by Lee NJ. Swope, who
spoke upon the theme Our Die is CAST"
The speaker indica'rd thst the class of
81 were now about to enter upon the
life work for which they bad been lay.
ing the foundation. He emphasized the
great imr0rlAnce 10 future success of a
right b2glnhins. and sb Ike of the help,
which the educational institutions f
the Republic furnish TO her cons and
daughters in solving the problem Of life
Thtse advantages in the early ages of
the world had only been enjoyed by
kings, but now IN these better and latter
days they were within the r, ach of rich
and poor alike, and in our own America
ihe lamp of knowledge shed its light upon
all classG aud conditions OF men. The
spread OF learning was referred to and
It's influence in promoting social cquali-
ty and lifting the loWly to the planes Of
influence and power. Our foTefatbers,
the speaker said, had ascended rough
and toilsome steep in opening the road
to civilization, while we travel upward
on broad and smooth path. AS the
sons of freemen and the heirs OF great
aud priceless legacy we will endeaVor to
SO least our die" as to carry on the great
work which has been handed down TO
US. Out OF a class of 90, we are the
remnants. Will we be content to re-
main with the happy fraction who are
content with life as they find IT, or will
we struggle up to better achievements
Time will solve this question, but we
shall look for the name of our class in
the bright future of progress and hope
to find it. The Grafton WAS delivered IN
highly pleasing style, aud IN
all respects justified the expsctlons of
the many friends of the salutatorian.
The class esssyis', Miss Addie Whittle-
sey, took for her subject the class motto,
I'VE are Leaving the Shore" and Its
treatment was beautiful and suggestive.
How, said she, will we leave the shore
Win it be as the fisherman who
expects TO return with his well
filled nets at eVen-tide, or shall
We go forth as the sailor who steers his
bark to distant shores in search of un-
known treasuresF We think 1t will be
as the latter. We have long fingered in
the quiet barbor, but now the time has
come for US to explore an unknown sea.
The waters are blue and the skies are
fair, and yet storms are slumbering
away IN the distant horizon. But we
shall be strong 10 meet them when they
come. We have taken the rudder now
IN our own hands aud We shall learn 10
be true mariners if we but keep on our
course to the golden shore. II we start
on the voyage IN the ship of duty, not
trusting to the tickle bark OF pleasure,
we shall be able to wealth
er the gale and reach
in safety the great harbor on the other
shore. The essay was delivered in a
clear voice and with perfect ennuncIa-
ton, and was most tavorablY received
Miss Whittlesey's essay was followed
bv vocal Duet by Miss Ida Hubbard
and Mr.. Chas. Holmes, which was beau.
| sff,,1Iry ra,HarnH nd cd ha Gu
applause which it receIyed.
Individuality" was the subject of a
fine Grafton delivered by Livingston j.
Buck. Man, said the speaker, was pos
sessed of many varied sympathies and
affections. He is at once fiend and
angel, and his elevation depends upon
the cultivation of his better faculties.
If we desire to be successful We
must leave behind US those things
which hinder and retard our progress
1t is within the power of every man 70
build his own memorial, not in marble
but in the attributes which form his
character. Monuments perish, but the
graces of the mind and soul defy decay
Worth and the influence which pro-
ceeds from a we'll ordered life are i'm.
perishable. 1t is possible with the lev
erage of free education tor men to rise
from the most obscure posi-
tions in life to the loftiesl
heights of influence and power but in
dividual greatness can only be attained
by great labor. There Is no excellence
without it Resolution, steadfastnesl
of purpose, firmness of character are the
elements of success. MIR. Buck dem
onstrated the influence of individuality
in men of renown to which he referred
and upon the nations which have riser
aud fallen In the history of the world
His manner of delivery was exceedingly
fine, and his bearing on the rostrun
ELECTED general admiration.
The selection of q distlnctively Kan
san theme by Mss frankie Stotler wa
fitting in a daughter of the stat
whose poets and poetry she made tn,
subject Of her charming essay. Kansas
she said, in the products of her soil anC
the development OF her material re
sources, has more than outstrIpped he
neighbors; in the gift of brave and gal
liant soldiers to the nation none OF tn
sisterhood of states could point to
prouder record; IN politics she has mad
her name great, and her pulpit, bar ant
press rank with the best IN the Republic
But what is somewhat phenomenal
when We consider the grand resources o
our state, is the fact tina
out of our 100000 population
only three or four Kansans hsv
written poetry that will give them NOR
than a local celebrity. 1t Is true that VI
are too young as a state to devote mucI