Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-06-13
sheoherd College Commencement.

Hon. VIM. l.. Wilson.
In announcing the speaker, Mr.
Frank Mcdaniel, President of tn
Ciceronian Society, said ''Ladie
and gentlemen, we have no extended
programme this evening. When Mr.
Wilson kindly consented to address
us. we felt that we needed moth
ing more for an evenings enter
tainment. The speaker needs no in
PRODUCTION to Shepherdstown audi
ence. 1 present to you Hon. VIM. L
Wilson"
A mild but hearty cheer from al
parts of the room greeted the speaker
as he came forward in his modest
graceful manner After referring Il
his visit to the College seventeen
years ago and mentioning frequent
visits made since that time, the speak
er took up his theme, which, although
not formally stated by him, may be
expressed in these words, What Our
Civilization Represents.
He said that he did not envy the
generation which preceded him nor
did he envy his generation but he
did envy the rising generation. In
illustrating the advantages of the
present over thepast, he drew strik'
ing contrast between the methods OF
travel as practiced by Henry Clay
and his successor. In wealth-food
clothing, and shelter-we are three
wears in advance of our wants, yet
great as are our material advantages,
our social and political advantages,
are greater Our liberties, the birth
right of the Anglo-Saxon race, are
the product of the accumulated eff
fort of two thousand years. They
were preserved to us when the liber-
ty-loving Germans under their leader
met and drove back the Roman le-
gions, were jealousy guarded by
brave men and tenderly nursed by
virtuous women, were borne to En-
gland and thence to America, the
home Of freedom.
1t is not what man possesses nor
what man does that determines his
rank in civilization, but what man u.s..
Should the people of the great valley
of the Mississippi be transported to
the valley of the Congo, leaving be-
hind all their possessions. in fifty
years great cities would dot the
banks of that river and its tributaries,
libraries would be established, schools
would flourish, and every evidence of
culture and refinement would be seen.
If, on the other hand, the inhabit-
ants Of the valley the of Congo were
transported to the Mississippi and
were given the cities and all the
wealth of that fertile region, in fifty
years that valley, now one vast gar
den, would be bowling wilderness.
For the students of the College IL
more interesting subject could not
have been chosen. 1t was especially
to those who have just
finished the study of Civil Govern
ment and have listened to lectures
and familiar talks on civilization.
At the close of the address Miss
Rosa Billmyer. acting for the socie-
ties, presented to the speaker beau
tiful bouquet of choice flowers, in ac-
of which Mr.. Wilson
said that he had been in many states
and countries where there were lar
ger cities and greater wealth than IN
West Virginia, but he had never been
where there were prettier flowers or
prettier girls.
There never was u more intelligent
audience in College Hall than on Sat
urday evening, when Mr.. w. L. w.
3arbe, of Park ersburg, w. Va, deliv-
cred his lecture on Our Tributes to
Caesar and never was an audience
better pleased. The Caesar spoken OF
was the Caesar of necessity. MIR.
Barbe's deep, clear thought expressed
In choice terms and enlivened by
glow of humor, was post attractive
to his hearers. Few who heard him
will forget his reference to the mock
ing bird, or his simple yet forcible
method of summing up the worlds
minus quantity of manhood.
At the close of the lecture, Miss
Lena Frazier presented the speaker
with bouquet, after which the audi
ence dispersed and the Faculty and
students repaired to the residence OF
Mr.. II. l.. Snyder where they had
been invited TO reception given Mr..
Barbe.
The contest on Monday evening for
the prizes which the Principal offered
to the members of the Parthenian
Society was an occasion
which excited much interest. The
usbers. dressed in white with black
sashes and bearing in their hands
small wands wrapped with black rib
bon, were the recipients of many
favorable comments on their APP
pearance and business-like deport-
ment. Shortly after s o'clock the
President, Miss Mollie Wintermoyer,
called the house to order and an
nounced the programme which con
sisted OF seven declamations inter
spersed with music. When the last
had been heard the
Judges, Rev. q. q. Everhart and
Messrs. A. S. cambridge and J. II.
little, were escorted to the Music
room TO make their decision. When
they returned Mr.. Everhart said that
hey had had much difficulty in max
ing their decision. He then named
Nl;s-ac Rosa RiIl,nyar Annie Lewis.