The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-30
THE HELENA HIGH SCHOOL.
Interesting Programme Of Exercises
at st. Paul's M. E. Church Yes
terday Evening.
Songs by the Glee Club and Ora
tion and Essay by the
Graduates
Eloquent Address by A. j. Craven-violin
and Piano MISREPRESENTATION of Dip
Tomas by II. II. Howey.

Thursday was commencement day of the
Helena High school. It was the day upon
which the graduating class were to receive
their diplomas, and which ended the term
of the school year. Unfortunately there
were only two candidates for graduation,
but the interest manifested by the
public was exceedingly gratifying to both
teachers and scholars. The evening was
cold and disagreeable, and drizzling rain
was falling, but this did not prevent the
gathering of large audience in st. Paul's
N. E. church to witness the very interest
ing exercises. The school was well repre-
sented by members of both sexes, the
young ladies being dressed mostly in
white. The chanoel and pulpit were hand
somely decorated with trailing vines, ever
green's and wild flowers.
The first thing on the programme was an
invocation by Rev. r. D. Kelsey, which was
delivered in his usual earnest and impress
i've manner. This was followed by song,
"Moonlight on the Lake." by the High
School Glee club, and was rendered id such
a pleasing manner that the audience insisted
upon an encore. The scholars responded
with another song, which met with hearty
Andrew Fretz, of the graduating class,
followed with an Grafton entitled '"The
Sum-" in which the young man acquitted
himself very creditably, and on leaving the
bouquets Of flowers by friends who were
present. He was followed by Miss Claire
Botkin, with q scholarly essay entitled,
''More Stately Mansions" Miss Botkin was
received with a round of applause on
the platform, and read from man
uscript in clear, well-modulated tones an
essay which would do credit to many an
attention, and on concluding was generous
ly applauded and presented with numerous
bouquets of red and white roses.
Owing to the illness of Mr.. II. e. Jack
son, a musical solo which he was to sing
was necessarily omitted, and Mr.. A. j.
Craven. ex-president of the school board,
the Goddess of WISDOM MI. Craven, who
is fluent and eloquent speaker, found his
theme peculiarly inspiring and held the
audience spell bound with his flights of
orstory for upwards of three-quarters of an
hour. Lack of space alone prevents the
publication of his address in full. As it is,
only brief outline can be given: Il
''!rhe gods and goddeses of mythology
were not Invested of their sway when the
harbors of Greece had decayed and the
cities of Italy had fallen in ruins. The i'm
pious hand of vandalism laid low the
Olympian groves and no deities avenged
the outrage; the embroidered sailors invad-
ed the caves of Eolus, the god of the winds,
and fathomed the depth of the ocean; and
their rude craft returned in safety. Eolus,
with his distended cheeks, sent forth no
hurricane and the rage of Neptune was not
stirred. But the deities still live in the
realms of the ideal. And this audience here
tonight; the interest evidenced by you in
this programme; the scholarly taste and
mental development which characterize the
efforts of these graduates here tonight
prove beyond reasonable doubt that Min
erva. the goddess of wisdom, has throne
in the hearts and lives of the people of Hell
ena. Every library in the city is her
message to the children of men; every
press is her slave; every school, college and
university the world over are her temples.
The history of the intellectual development
Of the race is not continuous series. It is
fragmentary, detached and broken. HUI
mainly has climbed the rugged pathway of
the centuries; its light the star of hope; it's
school experiment; it's historian tradition.
The speaker gave vivid description of the
human race in it's supposed cradle in Cen
man empire. But the world had learned
that the man of books was stronger than
the general with his sword. But it WAS only
after the slumber of ages, when Raphael
picked up the neglected brush and began to
paint; when Dante, encouraged by the
smiles of his maiden love. took up the rusty
harp Of poetry and began to sing, that the
cultivated intellect of even the humblest
subject was not to be despised; that likely
enough in his brain was printing press or
q steam engine. Get sixty. five millions of
free people to reading and think
them-and the frontiers of
their possibilities are somewhere far in the
realms of the miraculous. These we're the
ideas of the founders of this government,
sentiments of Washington, Jefferson and
Adams. No grander scene can engage the
genius of the artist than those brave men
and women who, through successive gen.
turned away from the established
settlements and sought and found new
winding way led down the beautiful valley
Of the Mississippi, here to the crest
Of the Rocky Mountains, ever
came the welcome vision of future
blessings for their children-the home and
the school. I have only time to say in pass
ing that the free common school was the
state is more interested in the cause of ed
ucation than it is in the moulding of can
non or the invention of explosives.
Build the new school houses on the foun-
dations prepared by nature for the noun
tains; thes are the inheritance for the
children of the future. Let us do our part
in infusing into the character of the young
state a strong and increasing educational
to the end that these
may be the home of the
scholar, the inspiration of the poet, the lab
0ratory of the scientist, and from their
peaks may descend a royal line of states
men to the councils of the nation.''
The next order on the programme was a
violin and piano Fantasia elegant, On. 100,
]. b. Singelee, from Faust-Mrs. r. L.
Gaines and J. A. Oldham. This proved
musical treat so highly appreciated that an
encore was demanded, in which the accom-
olished musicians gave a medley, Mr.. Old
lam handling the bow in a masterful man
Ter.
The graduates were then presented with
heir diplomas by Il. H. Howey, president
# the board. Mr.. Howey made q short adj
iress appropriate to the occasion.
The High School Glee club followed with
song. 1.-THE Moonlight Dance" which was
rendered, and elected an en-
ore.
Benediction by Rev. A. D. Raleigh.
French satteens at 15c. per yard At Sands