Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-06-27
THE GRADUATES.
HAPPY PUPILS OF THE HIGH
SCHOOL,.
Commencement Exercises at the Opera
House-Grand Essays, Orations and
Recitations Prizes of Honor
Awarded.

The High School opening In the Opera
House last night was witnessed by as
many as could crowd into the building
and find standing room anywhere within
hearing or within sight of the platform
No special attempt had been made to
decorate the platform except the placing
of few stately palms aud ferns at either
end, with a cluster midway. The gradu-
ating class Of "a girls and 10 boys sat on
raised seats at the rear of the recess, W bile
the members OF the Board OF Education,
the SPEAKERS for the occasi and other
invited guests occupied seats to the front.
Charles Baird, president of the Board of
gentlemen noticed upon the platform
were the following; President John Q.
Farra of the City Council, Judge j. Frank
Ball, Mayor Harrington, Secretary L. E.
Jones OF the Board Of Education, Super
intendent of Public Schools d. w. Har-
Ian, Frederic II. Robinson, Professor A.
H. Berlin OF the Boys High School,
Principal Isaac T. johnson of the Friends
School, j. B. Bell, Registrar John 8.
Grohe OF the Water Department, the
Rev. Jacob Todd, ID. D., pastor of Grace
NJ. E. Church; Professor III. 8. Goldey of
the Wilmington Commercial College,
DR.. A. N. Raub, president of Delaware
College, and all the members of the
Board OF Education.
Ritchle's orchestra furnished most de-
lightful music during the rendering OF
the programme, but the vocal music and
the piano recitals Of former openings
were among the pleasant things that
were missed by many. The essays, ora
tions and recitations were of superior
character, and the delivery of them
brought out some of the best speakers
ever heard at High School opening.
President Baird, without any introduc-
tory remarks, proceeded to introduce the
speakers as soon as the strains of the or
| chestra ceased to be heard.
"The Years That Are Told" was the
subject OF Miss Matte Perkins introduc-
tory essay. Her dictation was plain,
loud, without being strained, and could
be heard to every part of the hall. She,
in thought, roamed back TO the time
| when the nation was handful of weak
colonies, and beyond that to the discoy-
cry of the country, and noted the progress
OF events from then TO the present. The
striking off the shacRles of slavery from
the slaves received from her an eloquent
allusion as one OF the noted events of the
nation.
The temperance question and suffrage
still remain 10 be settled as the leading
questions of the day. Electricity was
eloquently alluded to In all its forms and
operations from the time OF Franklin to
the present. Electric light has turned
night iuto day, and the genius of Elias
Howe has revolutionized woman's work
\ an has given her time for culture. A
contrast was made between the old lum-
l haN NiYaar 80 nt, ..-lt fgs.
man freit hit perched upon the top, ex
posed to all weather for days and nights
before the goal is reached, and the Pull
man palace cars OF the present day. And
so the nineteenth century is reached
tolling of the days and bearing the world
on to new discoveries.
| "Our Forests" was a spendidly de-
| livered Grafton by William K. Goodley.
| The young orator was In full round voice
and eloquently pleaded for tho preserva-
| tion of the remaining forests that stil
dot the country. He dwelt upon the i'm
portance of wood that was used in
making articles OF every day use from a
match to house, and shoe peg to a
Pullman palace car. Wood was without
a rival, but the effects of stripping the
mountains and hillsides of their natural
growth of trees has been shown In the
terrible devastation by floods In the west
ern part of Pennsylvania recently.
With their covering of trees the hills
are kept porous and absorb the water as
1t falls, but without these trees, the
ground becomes barren and lard, and
throws the water off into the streams that
cumulate into the mighty flood. To pre-
vent the wholesale destruction of trees,
states must exercise power. Sixteen
states had already established arbor days
for the planting OF trees, and the young
orator hoped the day would soon come
when all the states would do so. We
seemed to have learned only how to ge'
rid OF our forests; to replace them will be
a more difficult task than the first.
Our Country" was the subject of
very fine essay written by Miss Elizabeth
Q. Hansell. and read by Miss Harriet E.
Pawley. The essay was replete with orl-
ginality, and traced the progress of the
country, from the time 1t became a ma
ton, and through all its various stages of
prosperity until the present. Education,
science, art, wealth and prosperity, were
viewed In all their bearings upon the na-
tion, but OF all, the free school was the
pillar Of This great government.
The essayist failed not to notice the
progress in favor OF temperance and
brightly In the west, though at times 1t
becomes dimmed In the east. Political
was also eloquently alluded to,
and the essaylst thought God had aided
our country because the people followed
him.
Isaac I. johnson, principal of the
Friends School, on behalf OF the vii.
mington Institute Library, IN presenting
the Institute prizes, said that Whining
ton may well be proud of the educational |
work done during the year. He Con-
CURED with one of the essay iSts that the |
American people were a reading people |
and therefore appreciate education. |
While Wilmington is not noted specially |
Tor Its libraries and charitable institu- |
tions, there was one that, though not the |
best nor not free library, as he hoped |
II would be In the near future, was doing |
The best 1t could. The institute he repre- |
,ented had set aside six annual tickets |
Tor those who had attained to the highest
iverage below the graduates. He then
presented tres ticket each to John J. |
Roy Preston, Howard d. |
Ross, Maggie Palmer, Bertha Morrow
md Elva Yinsinger.
A wealthy farmer, said Mr.. johnson
told Ills sons that his gold was hidden in
he fields and they must hunt for 1t. Mr..
Johnson advised the recipients OF the
prizes that they must look inside the lids
'f the booke for knowledge.
"Character,' was q finely delivered |
'ration by Herbert F. Mayne. Charac-
er, he said, gives us a name and stand.
ng among the nations. 1t was the heart
'ower. spurgeon says, ''engrave your
on the heart" II one link be
Alr ~