The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-20
READY FOR LIES BATTLE.
A Class of Fifty Graduates of the High
School Receive Their Diplomas.
The Commencement Exercises at Tomlns0n
Hall Last Evening Attended by Large
Audience-The 0rati0ns and Essays.

The eighteenth annual commencement OF the
Indianapolis High-school took place last night
at the City Hail. The immense room was
crowded on the lower floor and in the galleries,
while many were unable to obtain seats. The
audience consisted chiefly of friends and ac-
quaintances of the graduates, and was an unpre-
tentious one A few minutes after o'clock Pres-
dent Merritt, Superintendent Jones and Princi-
pal W. W. Grant, together with Rev. j. S.
Jenckes and the graduates, to the number of
fifty, came upon the stage and took seats. The
young women were, as usual, dressed in white,
and were profusely adorned with flowers
Among the graduates were three colored. one
young woman, and two young men.
After prayer by DR.. Jenckes the first speaker
of the evening, James L. Mitchell, jr., was in
PRODUCED. He prefaced his remarks by grace
full ausion to the High school of the city and its
work, and hoped that the spirit which would
cripple it would not receive recognition He
thanked the city officials for the use of the Hail.
His subject, proper, was ''Dollarism" He
found that the greatest evils OF the
present time were due to an
inordinats desire for money The
oppression of the laboring man which leo to
strikes, the watering of stocks and the combna-
ton of monopolists were all due to greed. Mr..
Mitchelrs delivery was forcible, and he received
earnest attention and was applauded at the close.
Miss Lillian Butler read a thoughtful and we'll
written essay on Opportunities Oblige," which,
interpreted meant that opportunities carried
with them obligations Tho opportunities of ed
ucation particularly made it obligatory uron
those who received them to be benefits to them
selves and their fellow man.
William d. Lalley had taken for his topic.
"Justice Nav Sleep, but Never Dies" He said
good laws and the full administration of them
were the principal objects of government lie
opposed mob violence, and favored the enact
ment of more stringent laws to govern bank
presidents, township trustees, and others. he
touched on the labor question, and held that
labor and capital were equally necessary to civ
ilization. The Irish question also came in for
consideration, and Mr. Lally was, of course. in
favor of home rule
After n piano quartet by Misses Clara Shower,
Emily Mcdowell Nettie Dietrichs and Florence
Bamberger Miss Bessie Beck read an essay on
1.-THE Fountain of Youth" Ponce De Leon had
sought in vain for the fountain Of eternal youth.
The cultivation of tastes for painting, reading or
music would tend so preserve the youthful dis
position. Sympathy with the young
other means OF remaining young in spirit. Miss
Becks manner of reading was graceful and pleas
ing. and her voice was under excellent control.
Miss Sarah d. Mayo came next with an essay
fuence of Dante and Milton on political thought
and action, and said the poetical faculty was
compatible with the keenest interest in the af
fairs of the state.
ject of an excellent grafton by Bertrand A.
Walker He spoke of the idea among certain
people that a college graduate can do nothing.
The counting house said, 1.-THE college man
can't earn his salt" The fact was that all but
small per cent. of the college graduates were
earning livelihood in lucrative positions The
double barreled argument of the counting house
was that the college man who studied was
physical wreck, while the one who did not study
graduated into base-ba team. There was no
real antagonism between brain and money. One
couldn't fill the contribution the other could
not fill the place Of Henry Ward Beecher. They
must work together. Mr.. Walker had some
real eloouence, and his Grafton was received
with decided favor by the audience.
The piano quartet played another selection
and Miss Zerelda Leathers spoke on American
Humor," which she said was characterized by
freedom and by disregard of what might be the
subject. The Yankee, the Southerner and the
Western rowdy presented good subjects for
humor. The descent from the refined humor of
earlier times to the coarse license of the present
time was doubtless due to the almost universal
demand for the absurd Artemus Ward, Bret
Harte and others had put the Americans under
debt of gratitude to them Much truth was
taught under the guise of jests. Miss Leathers's
essay was read with ease grace and distinctness,
and produced a very favorable impression.
Something out of the usual order was "The
Golden Mean" poem by Arthur B. Grover,
who, besides being High-school graduate, has
done some acceptable newspaper work The
poem was a SATIRE in fgurative language, on the
recent proposition to make manual training
part of the High-school course and upon the de-
mands of the press and the public that the
High-school expenses should be curtaied to
reduce the Indebtedness Of the board. His pro-
duction was ingenious, and was received with
much favor.
Miss Luella Corbaley read in good style an ex-
cellent essay '"rhe Conouests of Luxury" 1t
was full of valuable suggestions to those who
are troubled with too many of the Injuries of
life. Too much luxury destroyed the health
of individuals and overthrow nations
After vocal solo by Miss Dora Messing. an
essay on Literary Poison" read by Miss
Jessie S. Lester. She considered in systematic
and thoughtful way the evils OF the blood and
thunder stories 80 much read by young persons.
Clarence 0. Gregory considered 'The Ora
tory of American Patriotism" He thought pa
triotic oratory had done the biggest things that
had been accomplished in American history and
he eulogized it accordingly.
Miss Jennie Cobb made brief and beautiful
vale6ictory address Another selection was
rendered by the piano quartet, after which
President Merritt of the School Board, presented
diplomas to the following: George A. Alexan
der, Garnett Ashbrook, Nellie Page Ashbrook,
Violet Bartholomew, Bessie Beck, Amanda
Mabel Beckley, Helen Bennett, Henrietta M.
Bnager, Laura Bowser, Bertha D. Brink, Clara
S. Brown, Lillian Butler, Jennie W. Cobb,
Luella Corbaley, Cora Daggett, James B. Ebert,
L. Edwin Francis, Henry w. Furniss, Clarence
O. Gregory, Arthur Bradford Grover, George @.
Hail. Jessie L. Hancock Cora NJ Hornaday,
Sara r. Hyman, Carrie Kahn, Flora Alice Keal-
ing, William D. Lallev. Zerelda Leathers, Jessie
s. Lester, Anna Lieber, Sarah Drury Mayo,
Alice May Mendenhall James L. Mitchell. jr.,
Madaline S. Madison. William p. Mccullough,
Dora Messing, Ella j. Morse, Fannie L. Newton,
Jessie Pringle, Halsted l.. Ritter, Minnie Rose
brock, Augustine Reuter-, Lille M. Roney. Ida
M. Schfhing, Flora It. Stratford, Ella Bates
Taylor, Eva L. Tetaz. Oma Waddell, Scott G.
Wadley. Bertrand A. Walker-in all fifty.
Miss Cobb received the honor scholarship of
the State University. given to the best scholar
in the class James L. Mitchell was the second
best scholar in the class. Misses Georgia A.
Alexander, Carrie Kuhn Alice M. Mendenhall,