Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-09
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES.
HAS NOT MISSED A DAY OR BEEN
LATE IN HER SCHOOL LIFE.
Exercises mt the
Opera Exouse Last Evening weeIS--A
Crowded HHouse-A Programme OF
Much Huferesa. .-I


The active interest manifested in the
success of the city's public schools was
clearly demonstrated last evening week in
the large audience assembled at the Opera
House in attendance upon the annual
commencement of the boys and girls high
schools. In all quarters the Opera House
was literally packed and a view of the large
audience from the stage was interesting
aud animated.
On the stage were seated the graduating
class of 25 pupils, IA from the boys school
and IL from the girls. The former sat
on the right side of the platform with
the girls on the left, forming semi
circle, with Senator Gray, Charles Baird,
president of the Board of Education, and
the Rev. Rufus H. Adams in the centre
Of the class. Further back on the
stage sat John H. Adams, who has
awarded handsome gold medals for 12
years to the best student of grammar,
Superintendent DIV. Harlan, State Super
intendent L. N. Williams, representatives
of the press and members of the Board of
Public Education.
The young misses of the class were be-
comingly costumed in white, which in
some instances was relieved by small
bunch of delicately tinted flowers worn
at the throat or waist. The IA young
men wore black suits, standing collars,
white ties and cast occasional admiring
glnnces upon the buutonnieres in their
lapels. At the front of the stage was an
embankment of flowers and table con-
tanning innumerable boxes, all of which
were offerings to the pupils from friends.
The exercises opened with an overture
rendered by the orchestra which con-
tributed several bright numbers during
the evening. The Rev. Rufus I'll. Adams
pastor of st. Pauls M. E. Church followed
in devotional exercises.
Elwood Layfeld in his essay on 'The
Ruins of Time" said: SIN days gone by
one cannot but reflect upon the ruins of
Election he cited governments, nations
and cities which have long since fallen
and crumbled to dust and are now
classified as things of the past. The
speaker showed some imaginative and
descriptive power as in word painting he
pictured the Roman and Egyptian ruins.
1.-The great city of London we are told"
he said sis built over the ruins of city"
and he wondered how many of its millions
of busy people gaye this fact a thought
as they daily tromped and rode over the
buried ruins of q proud but now forgotten
citadel. The lives of great men over
which time had triumphed, but the names
of whom would live forever, found their
place in his interesting discourse and
were dwelt upon. lie wondered if our
great cities would ever be counted in the
A a 4
of the past corroborated Shnkespeare's
words GAN the worlds n stape.n He con-
cluded with the remark Old Father Time
may be heard still singing,
m9h Rnt my come ON eauar a,,u nei' may go
81 =" 'oio'''
"The Cavalier and the Puritan" was
the subject of Miss Anna T. Burns. The
aim of her paper was to clearly define the
differences between the two. England
WINS the home of the cavalier and the
Puritan, and there MS well as in America
The cavalier lnid stress upon his station
in life, his family and his wealth. The
Puritan believed that his salvation de-
pended upon the accomplishment of q
noble work and the leading of joyless
existence. While the southern cavalier
boasted of riches and lived midst scenes of
gaiety, the New England Puritan planted
his crops and sought to establish home.
Some OF Americas best writers were de-
scendents OF the Puritans. She ended her
discourse with the statement TINT the es-
tabllshment OF our great government was
OF Purltanic origin.
The Wilmington Institute prizes were
presented by q. r. Jeiferis, d. ID. S., for
best standing for three years. The prizes,
six in number, confer upon their re.
cipients the use and privileges of the
Institute library, and are bestowed, as
DIR. Jefferis stated, with the idea of as-
sisting those who help themselves. The
six pupils, three boys and three girls, who
received the prizes are: Charles Palmer,
William Bowers, Thomas Cox, Mary
Pickels, Lizzie Webb and Ella Richie.
Harry II. Garretson handled his theme,
"Drudgery the Price of Success" with
eommendable thoroughness. He said
there were many definitions that applied
to the term drudgery. All occupations
that were ut all dist,isteful were called
drudgery. Drudpery. however. WAS nm
tloubtedly the price of success. The
drudpery of the coal mine resulted in the
success of all our great manufacturers.
lie called 10 the attention of his hearers
the Greedy expedition, its drudgory and
priyations. through which the public be-
came possessed Of important information.
The school boy through drudpery won
nromotion. Too many young men were
inclined n only stick to those branches
of their occnnntion that nlcosed them :.
thou ,,avar o,,i.n,anI;.baJ ,i,,oh T., thase
modern times he concluded. drudeery