Wichita eagle., 1888-05-26
CLASS OF 'S8.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES OF
THE HIGH SCHOOL.
The Graduates Acquit Themselves
Nobly---The Opera House
Crowded.

The annual commencement exercises OF
the city high school was held last evening
at the Crawford opera house. Long be
fore the hour of o'clock it became evident
that there would not be vacant standing
room. The attendance was the largest
that ever witnessed the closing exercises
of that branch of the clty's schools. The
stage was beautifully decorated with
flowers and presented lovely appear
ance.
Shortly after o'clock Prof. L. ?.
| Shull, principal of the high school APP
peared On the stage followed by his assist
ants, Misses King Pearson and Smoke,
the graduating class consisting of eight
members, d. W. Stafford, Emma Reiz
Carrie Wilson, Jay Sweet, Helen Carpen
ter, Carrie Fox, Maggie Guthrie, and
! Angie Herring; superintendent of schools
| Prof. Chidester, DR.. a, l. Hobbs, the mem
bers of the junior class consisting Of fifteen
members, and the board of education.
Invocation was pronounced by DR..
Hobbs after which was music by q
double quartette.
SALUTATORY.
Mr.. D. W. Stafford delivered the saluta
tory address, a brief synopsis of which il
as follows:
1t has fallen to my lot to deliver the sa-
| lutatory address Some institutions con
fer the honor of delivering the valedictory
and salutatory addresses on those who
! have done the best work; some lnstlUu
tions have the salutatory delivered III
| Latin, and when this is the custom it i
| trar llIr To that individual Wf(
would make the poorest address in Eng
| lish Neither of these customs has, how
ever, been followed in the assignment OF
| these exercises, but the question was de
cided by the vote or the graduating class
| | have made this explanation in justice &c
my fellow graduates and that you may
| know that my address is in English. We
are living in an age which far SURPRISES al
others in intellectual and industrial pro
gresS. But so busy are we that we
are not apt to realize this fact With q
desire of bringing before you few in
| stances of this progress.
Progress has been great in all fields but
one OF the most striking instances is that
! shown in our press. AT the outbreak 81
the revolution there were but thirty-foul
newspapers within the entire length and
! bredth of North America, and not one OF
! them was a daily. In 1880 there were
| II ,3l4 newspapers of all kinds, 911 OF which
were dailies. Nor has progress been con
| fined to numbers, simply, but has been
equally marvellous as regards subject mat
! ter. At the beginning of the present CEN
fury it was almost impossible 10 get news
from across the big pond" in less than
! six or eight months; now any event of I'M
! portance is known all over the civilized
world in a less number OF hours. While
the brains and bullion engaged in sin
| gle one of our leading dailies-the Wichita
! 4. e.. ii l-.x-
been sufficient to have carried on the
entire thirty-four papers of that day,
| Yet, although there has been much Won
| derful progress made, there is room and
! imperative need of a radical reform in our
secular press. In our age, which is SO
prominently one of newspapers, their in
fiuence is astounding and when it is bad it
is appalling. The great evil of the press
hes in what is styled sensational news.
The effects of this evil are indeed mon
strous and threaten to work incalculable
ruin unless speedily remedied.
Probably the most threatening storm
cloud that is appearing on the horizon of
American politics is Woman'S Rights.
This cloud is beginning to assume vast
proportions and threatens to be such a
windstorm as will ieopardiZe even the hair
on mans head. The prevalence of short
hair at the present day serves as an index
of the approaching calamity. But, it
seems to me- the correct solution of this
| Woman's Rights problem is dependent, in
a measure at least, on that of the sphere OF
woman. II her sphere is the same as that
of man. then she should have all the priv
| leges of men. That such is the case, how
| ever can hardly believe. What is her
| sphere in the home?
Allow me To say in conclusion that as
the progress of the United States within
/ the nineteenth century, has never been
equalled by that of any other nation OF
! any other age, so may the starry coat and
striped trousers ever be foremost in all
ages to come.
Essay by Miss Emma Reiz: ''Uncut Dia
monds." She gave brief and concise his
tory OF the precious stones from the time
they were discovered and how they were
regarded by some Of the ancient nations.
Science had first found value in their hard
ness, being valuable for cutting hard sub
stances and later were used for ornaments.
Using this in figurative way she referred
to the leading minds of Egypt, Greece and
Rome In Russia the most conspicuous
diamond was that of Peter the Great, who
had started the progressive history of that
country. England, for time the lone
star in the galaxy of nations, is eclipsed
by her own daughter. Her performance
was a very creditable one, and she was
heartily cheered.
THE March of Time" an Grafton by
Miss Carrie Wilson, was one of striking
merit She referred to the fact that the
| oppressed Of all ages were usually the
people of new ideas. When change OF
country became necessary they had gone
west This fight in the line of develop
| - Il
United States when there is the least
oppression. She referred TO the fact that a
number of Christian gentlemen were evo-
lutionists and after a brief review of that
theory, in speaking of the efforts of some to
place man in the line of development
coming M from lower animal, the absence
of proof for the theory was very
neatly referred to. The progress in inven-
vention was referred TO, showing the rapid
development in the comforts of life TO pre-
pare for greater achievements in the higher
life.
Mr.. jay Sweet, In an essay, Did Bacon
write Shakespeare works." took the 30.
siti0n that the evidence in the case is favor
able to the Bacouian theory. The ability
of each was referred TO in connection with
their educational and other advantages.
His paper was very instructing, 1t being a
very well arranged synopsis of the evidence
produced by the supporters ofthat theory.
At this point after music by the orches-
ira. Mr. Brown, president of the school
board, stated that he had been informed
that some parties had been charged an adj
mittance fee, which was contrary to the
arrangement and if anyone representing the
contrary and'selhng tickets could be iden-
titled they would be prosecuted. num-