The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-07
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
The High School Graduates and Their
Friends Meet in the Opera
House Last Night,

AND LISTEN TO AN ADDRESS BY Hon.
NEWTON BATEMAN VINO RECEIVED
DIPLOMAS.
Oh, were you ever a school boy Cor
girD and did you day after day, week
after week and month after month wend
your way to the seat of learning just after
the school bell had rung. OF course you
were, or if you were not you missed the
half of life. For the past two months
thescholars of our high school have been
making grand preparations for the COM
mencement exercises, which took place at
the Opera House last night. Long before
the doors were thrown open
people began to arrive from all parts
of the city. In front of the Opera House
were gathered large crowd, anxiously
waiting for the doors to open. Carriage
after carriage rolled up and dis
charged their loads of human
freight, some of them being young
ladies who were going to graduate, dressed
in pure white, with their hands full of
beautiful flowers. At last the doors
were thrown open, and the surging
masses of people made all haste to get
seats
THE STAGE
presented lovely sight, being decked
with ferns and sweet flowers The tenth
eleventh and twelfth grades, costumed
in white, occupied seats in
front of the audience, next to the stage,
and formed pretty and very noticeable
contrast to the other sober looking hues
around them. On the stage, in a semi
circle, sat the graduates, twenty in
number, with radiant faces, beamng in
loneliness on the audience below. On
the right were the members of the school
board, and the speaker of the evening,
Hon. Newton Bateman; on the left sat
Rev. Cryer and Superintendent S. s.
Kemble.
THE EXERCISES.
The curtain arose at 7:45, and Biehls
orchestra rendered a beautiful piece of
music ubap ON snthap, s1n Hon, ovol,-
was rendered by the high school chorus
class. Rev. Cryer then offered very
earnest supplication, which was followed
by another song Farewell to the For
est, by the high school chorus. Mr..
D. Donaldson then introduced Mr. Bate
| man. the speaker of the evening who
| took for his theme AS man thinketl
in his heart, so is he The gentleman
said:
There are two kinds of thinking: that
of the head and that of the heart
Thoughts and opinions mould our char
acters. Results are likened to causes
Sublime lives and achievements come
| fom sublime thoughts and aspirations
Why practically do we seek an educationi
Not alone for its worth, not only as 8
means of support not merely to become
| lawyers, but as a means for an end ant
that end is man. An education is to place
| him in harmony with the true, the gOoG
and the beautiful, to prepare for eternity
A lower view than this narrow The sou
was made to live forever and life is only
| the training school for the unseen. Does
| this view unfit men for life? No more
than does faith and hope unfi
the soldier on the battle field
Education means steadfastness OF
purpose decision of character persistent
endurance. Sure disaster follows an aim
less and oDjectless life 'Tis enough Il
turn ones head gray with sorrow to see
splendid manhood and womanhood thu!
frittered away. When a soul has chosen
a life purpose, whether it be wise o.
unwise, the choice and its perseverance
thereof will mould the future of that sou
either for honor or success or for shame
and disaster. The antecedent of success!
has always been aim and purpose. Selec
the banner which you will follow, ant
follow it till the call is heard, Come W
higher" At the close of his address The
speaker thanked the audience for thei
attendance, saying that it was his irn
belief that universal education must g
with universal suffrage"
The orchestra rendered another beauti
full piece of music after Mr. Bateman ha(
finished his address, after which Superin-
dent Kemble delivered short address Il
the graduates, and then delivered thu
diplomas to the graduates, as follows:
Classical course.-Etta A Carlton
Mary E. Chinn. Hattie C. Darling, Carrie
A. Jackson, Julia NJ. Sinnet, Anna B
Carnaghan, Flora NJ. Coyne. Will G Dart
Lizzie G Kemble, Ennis G. Spaulding
German and Scientific course. -Clar;
Cook, Matte E, Gray. Amy Coyne. Mar!
E. McElroy, Frank W. Thompson.
English and Scientific course. -Salli,
B. Hitler. Lncie E. Peetz, Lettie Kendall
Clara M. Rosenfeld, Jessie K Sinnett
The chorus then sang Freedom, Got
and Right" after which Rev Cryer pro
nounced the benediction, and the audienc
dispersed
The class this year, is one of th
strongest that has ever graduated in Roc
Island. The graduates acquitted them
selves well, and the ARGUS joins in wit
q host of other friends in wishing tn
young ladies and gentlemen who hav
started in life SO auspiciously last nigh
great and combined success in the future
| The Circus
| ILL., nsuo,,n L On n.-..,oo s...I n.a.A-a @. &.