Evening journal., 1890-06-27
GRADUATING EXERCISES,
COMMENCEMENT or CLASS OF
40. FRlEkDs' SCHOOL.

ford, Of Havsrford Delivers the Ad-
dress 10 sBe Graduates.
The annual commencement Of the
Friends School took place yesterday
afternoon in the Meeting House at Fourth
ard West streets
A class OF nine scholars, four girls and
Eve boys, was graduated. The class was
composed of the following: Misses
Augustine L. Cranston, Alice A. John
son, Rachael LeMsistre, lola Kay East
barn and Francis e. Thompson, William
G. Spruance. Jr, James L. DeVou, Jr.,
Frederick H. Gawthrop and Leroy
Harvey.
About 400 people had assembled in the
meeting house to witness the graduating
exercises
At o'clock the graduates entered and
took seats on the platform. They were
In an arc across the platform, and with
than were seated Isaac Johnson, prin.
cipal; Professor Seth Fl. Clifford of
Haverford College, and DR.. Megill, ex
president Of SwRrthmore.
At the front of the platform were pot
ted plants and cut flowers, aad the sides
were ferns and potted plants
The first address WAS by William @.
Spruance, Jr, on the subject, 'Eec-
trlcity, Factor In Modern Civiliza-
tion The address was given In clear,
straight forward manner In his address.
the speaker gave the derivation Of the
word electricity. and told what the
nncients supposed 1t to 30 be- II was
thought at first that electricity
was fluid Then afterwards some Of the
philosophers Thought that II was two
Muids. But the enlightened philosophers
CT this age confess that they do not
know what it Is They know that 1t Is
under the control Of man Over hun
dred years ago 0alvani and Volta made
she voltaic battery
1t was discovered ages ago that
amber, when nibbed, had the property
of attracting other bodies to IT, In in
vestigating this, the magnet was dis
covered. Then 1t was discovered that
bodies could bemagnetized at a distance
The euly thing that was needed then to
send messages from one point to another,
was = system Samuel B. f. Morse. an
American. invented this system, which
Is known all over the world
One great benefit Of electricity is the
fact that IL will perform Its work at
dis lance from the source OF supply.
Eleetricity has made war impossible 1t
was net until three days after tha bsttle
of Waterloo that the news was known in
England, But In three minutes after
the FIRST she'll had exploded over Alex an
dria. the British Parliament was discuss
ing the chances Of the war. The capa
bilities Of this great force are vet
unknown Who knows but what Il may
yet enable as to bridge the ocean and
soar through the clouds
The next number on the program was
an essay written and read BY Miss Rachel
LeAaistre.
Miss Augustine L. Gran ston made an
address on the subject OF What women
learn from the women OF the Bible
The Bible differs from all other histories
Ia the fact that It gives to woman the
true place in history for which she was
created
James I. DsVou, Jr., had written an
essay Of thesubjects THE Dream OF the
Nationalist, but as ha was attending the
preparatory examinations at Yale he was
RNcused.
Frederick A. Gawthrop had written an
essay on the subject 'Immigration,
but was excused from reading IL.
Miss Alice A. Johnson gave verv
good essay on the subject: "The Indian
of Fiction She showed the actual dif-
frrence between the Indian of the fif
teenth and one OF the nineteenth century.
and told as the cause Of the difference Of
the cruelty and deceit practiced on him
by the white man She said she hoped
what "Uncle Toms Cabin" had done for
the negro, Ramona, by Helen L. Jack
son. would do for the Indian.
An essay on "Browning's Saul was
read by Miss lola Kay Eastburn She
spoke Of Browning's boldness as a poet :
the music of his verse, and the manner
in which he gives bis poem OF Saul The
essay was very well given and was very
interesting, as in fact, were all the
essays.
Francis H. Thompson gave.the 'Catal-
marian Orations' Of Cicero the greatest
Roman orator The orations were given
in excellent style The speaker was for
chile. and seemed TO have some Of the
enthusiasm which Cicero had when he
first gave them utterance. He recited
one Of Ciceros speeches verbatim in the
original Latin. He alse gave a descrip-
tion Of the oratory Of Cicero.
Lekoy Harvey, one Of the graduates.
is st present in Switzerland, where he
pursued the same studies as the remain
der Of the class under the direction Of
one OF the former instructors Of the
Friends Schools. Mr. Harvey had writ
ten an essay on the subject Of .sTht
Flcrsntine Republic. which was not re-
ceived In time to be placed on th,
program
Isaac T. Johnson, principal OF tn,
school, then presented their diplomas q
the graduates, and then introduced Pro.
fessor Seth X. Clifford, Of Haverfors
College.
Professor Clifford said: There ar,
many commencements going on about us
but to you there is but one commence
ment. In the stock phraseology used OF
such occasions, you have passed anothe,
milestone on life's path In the athletic
contests. the prize is often a cup. II
lfe's contests, the cups we win must b,
guarded by successive victories.
Let MS consider Of what practical bene
fit this four years Of school life has beer
to You. Let us look at the three prea-
things which are wanted. They are
Practical knowledge, sharpened wits
culture. Practical knowledge has
metallic ring and the more practica
knowledge a man has, the more it will
enable him to be rich.
Now, let us consider the sharpene,
wits. The world pays for sharpene,
wits. Men with clear heads commanl
the honors Of the world There are sew
ersl methods Of gaining sharpsned wit
Education, in its highest sense is no
mere learning to make money. Educa