Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-07-04
OF the Mineral Point Free High
School,
At the Opera House on Wednesday
July 2, 1884.


fully decorated with flowers and ever.
greens, which together with the beau
tiful scenery presented most pleasing
appearance. The cornet band furnish
ed good music, which contributed
greatly to The evenings entertainment
The following is the programme OF
exercises:
Essay, .........." Light and Shadow
NELLIE LENAHAN.
Essay, ......" Progress of Invention,
LAURA JACkO.
Music.
Essay. Neglected Opportunities,
NELGIL EASTMAN.
Essay, :" Failure a Means to Success u
FRED. I. KELLEY.
Music.
Essay, "The Commercial Future of
the United States"
AGNES NC ILIIoN.
Essay, The American Jury System,
ALFRED VIVIAN.
Presentation of Diplomas.
Music-Class Song.
Address,. 1.-The True Education,' y
REV. A. o. WRIGHT.
Music.
Principal J. H. Terry presented the
diplomas III an appropriate and for
chile speech, which made a good i'm
preston upon the graduates, and also
upon the audience.
The class song was very creditably
rendered, Miss Laura Jacko perform
ing on the organ.
The address by Rev. A. o. Wright
was indeed excellent - replete with
sound sense and practical suggestions
as to true education. We would like
to lay it in full before our readers, but
could not do it justice by a mere
synopsis or review.
1t was encouraging To see such a
large number present to witness the
exercises, as it is an evidence that our
citizens take deep interest in the
public schools-an interest which is
to any advancement in
educational matters.
THE ESSAYS.
The exercises were begun by the
readiag of an essay by Miss Nellie
Lenahan. From this essay, entitled
Light and Shade, we make few eX-
tracts:
Mature in all her grandeur gives to
us nothing so beautiful as a landscape,
where she unites with peaceful har-
mony to many of her works. A noun
tain, hill or dale, dotted with trees and
flowers. and here and there cottage, or
a simple house of worship, has formed
a theme for many an artists skill. His
soul awakened to the beauty of the
scene, drinks in with thirsty eagernesS,
its vast magnilicence, and he declares
a thing SO beautiful must live forever,
and placing 1T on canvass, gives to the
world a lasting treasure in the way OF
art. But roo that priceless gem. that
painting rich and rare, of the dark
and gloomy shadows stealing in
among, and tremendously blending
with its bright and picturesque sur
face. What then is left to greet the
eye? A thing of beauty no longer;
and so it is in life, that our joys and
SORROWS are mingled together, like the
light and shade of that masterpiece.
Our sorrows are the
shadows of life. Without those little
pangs of anguish we must relinquish1
our joys. x 1t IS we'll
for all that no artist can picture before
us the light and shade OF our lives;
and that our griefS come unexpectedly,
for who could enjoy present pleasure
if burdened with the thought of
future woe? How the
bright and shining light of sweet
hope invites us on, ever to renewed
activity and exertion. The sculptor
with his chisel, the painter at his
easel, the author at his manuscript,
the philosopher, inventor and dis
coverer alike are cheered onward in
their work by the hope of success.
There are things in all our
lives we would willingly forget; but
they are indelibly written i'll the book
of memory, ready at any moment, to
excite vain regrets or ill our souls with
remOrSe. s. Let us not add
to them bitter pangS of sorrow, for
the Shade we have cast over the lives
that we may treasure up remembran-
ces of gentle words, and acts of kind
ness, that have cheered friends and
comrades, and helped them bear bur-
dens on their way through life. Such
loving acts not only cast light across
the path of others, but light up the
shadows Strewn along our own; and
when launched on life's stormy pillows,
tossed here and there by her merciless
waves. if mingled with the light are
many deep shadows, let us not give
way to utter sadness. but like the
shipwrecked mariner floating upon
his little raft, in the midst of the
ocean, look up to the bright rainbow
of hope that spans the gloomy sky of
despair, and as a harbinger of brighter
days, and promise of greater Joys
that await us when the struggle is
over"
Miss Laura Jacko's essay was on the
Progress of Invention 2nd Discovery.
The aim of the writer was not merely
to show the progress made by these.
but also some of the benefits that have
accured to mankind through them.
Miss Jacko traced their progress from
antiquity, referred to the little en-
COuEaSenleuI luey IeCtINeu uuutl Illc
surveillance of despots who sought
chiefly to suppress free thought and
action. But the thought and wills of
the people could not be kept down for
ever. and at last truth and light began
to dawn and knowledge became more
diffused." Calico was prosecuted, but
the effort to suppress his teachings
only tended to their greater diffusion.
The mariners compass insignificant in
itself, but with lit as an unerring
guide, countries and continents were
discovered which before were buried
in darkness"
Other inventions and discoveries
were mentioned and discussed, the in
vention of gunpowder and of printing,
the discovery of America and of the
identity of electricity and lightning"
The browning invention of the 18th
century was that of the steam engine
by James Watt, Previous to this the
application of steam to machinery,
navigation, and and a thousand other
uses was unthought of. BY means of
steam as applied to ships and railroads,
nations are brought in contract, civili-
zation increased, time. of travel short
eneo. and the transportation of mer-
chandise is greatly cheapened." :