Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-06-13
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES W. MA.

COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES W. MA.
The commencement exercises OF
Wentworth Male Academy took place
at Hagen's Opera House, last Friday
night, before good audience, which
would have been a crowded one had
it not been for the fact that the pres
byterian and Baptist girls and their
friends had left for their homes.
The Academy is popular, not only
with the other schools, but with the
people generally, because Of the good
behavior and high morale OF the stu
dents, and because Of the fact that the
people here, under whose eyes it is
conducted, see that it is doing thorough
educational work.
The programme was wisely made
short and confined to the pupils OF the
school, as a commencement programme
should be.
The exercises of the evening were
opened by a well-conceived and earn
est prayer by Elder r. E. Swartz. The
music of the occasion, which was in
terspersed between the addresses and
declamations, was furnished by the
Lexington string band.
Mr.. A. e. Young broke the ice with
a defamation, "The Death of Robes
pierre" The incident related is
thrilling one, where the blood-thirsty
revolutionist, with his own merciless
tactics turned against himself is about
to die upon the guillotine. He asks of q
woman an act of mercy only to be
tainted and Knocked as having been
himself without mercy. And go, with
hell already begun for him here Oh
earth, in pain and amid contumely and
contempt his head rolled in the dust
Considering that he was the frs
speaker of the evening, and had an in
tense subject to deal with, Mr.. Young
acquitted himself very well.
Mr.. j. G.. Crenshaw followed will
an oration upon "The Dignity of La
bor." Mr.. Crenshaw is something o
an orator, and withal one of the bes
pupils at the academy. The concep
ton of his speech was good; once o
twice he betrayed nervousness, an
seemed about to forget the right wor
in the right place, but upon the Who'll
he did exceedingly we'll.
Mr.. S. H. Harrelson in Artemu
Wards Mormon Lecture captured tn
audience, as good comic selectio
, generally does. His makeup We
t excellent, his local hits were good, an
his nasal twang just about decide
enough. After all, the man who maxi
the world laugh is not the least usefi
of human beings.
b.. Mr.. X. c. Weedin depicted "Tl
: True Hero" in a man who havir
everything to live for-wife, childre
. health, the respect of friends-w
o ready, at fire, to enter burnil
building to remove powder, which e
g dangered the lives of hundre
n of people in the adjacent crow
which from its density could not
driven back. Mr.. Weedin has an e:
: ceedingly heavy, powerful voice for
e mere youth, and he has an earne
q manner of delivery which promis
we'll for him as speaker. In parts
u his defamation he did not sustain
voice as we'll as he should have dor
IF but he has plenty of time yet in |
IS school days to become a very 90
e speaker.
al The defamation, "Parrhasius a
Is the Captive" as were those of Mess
- Young and Weedin, was one to thl
D the emotions, and Mr.. Taubman su
,e ceeded once or twice in evincing t
is fire of eloquence. The young gent
It man has very greatly improved sin
e we heard him last, and equal advan'
q ,. ment in the future will soon make
o. him an effective orator. His gesticu
or ton is already very good, more del
n crate and natural than that of his co
panions. If there was anything
rs criticise it was that once or twice
w. raised his voice to pitch which he col
an not sustain, and that it became, in G.
u, sequence, a little rough and hoar
Mt 1t is mistake to think that it is nee
Is sary to do this in order to denote stro
Ut feeling. The most consumm
:, masters of elocution express the m
Id powerful emotion by an intens
80. rather than by vigor of tone. \
73 Taubman needs, too, to study enunC
~ ton, articulation, that is, the separ
y sounding of the syllables, 80 as to m,
" his words clearly understood, 6
bs more forcible. He has the fire q
of manner of the orator, and should
it be lacking in the minor tricks of vo
~ and speech which 60 to make up
finished elocutionist.
m, Mr.. j. A. Quarles looks the ora
,k- He approaches the audience with
J intellectual frown upon his cla
nst brow that denotes thought, and he
ler livers himself with earnestness
% force. His selection, "Emmet's
Of fense," was an excellept one.
ity spoke deliberately, enunciated clea
lld emphasized correctly, and altoget
DOL made Emmet's noble speech in a NJ
ing manner for schoolboy. We c.
y. mend to him a continuance in "
ast doing.
ind The unique feature of the program
IAN was Master w. T. Pusey's represel
we ton of "The Cow Boy" The yol
pie gentleman is about three feet high
~, ,n not overly heavy to his height. N
- ertheless he was clad in blood
and shirt, with pantaloons stuffed in
tile boots, a reckless sort Of sombrero
e a his head; pair of navy revolvers
unit namented his hips, and two horr
Jug ferocious knives were crossed be
cas-
. his attenuated abdominal req
. With all this onppa rapca nf falI