The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-06-25
COMMENCEMENT
Exercises at the Opera House Friday
Evening June goth.


The 18th anniversary of the Wellington
high school, held in the opera house last
Friday evening, was brilliant closing OF
successful school year and an suspicious
beginning of life's work, for which the
class of 80 has been so well fitted.
The class numbered seventeen In all,
who proved TO their hearers the excellent
work they had done in the school room
by the creditable manner in which they
acquitted themselves during the exercises.
The magnificent audience which packed
the touse-there beng not even standing
room after eight oclock--showed how
great hold the public schools have upon
the affections of our citizens and how
eager they are TO do honor to the gradu-
ates.
The stage was handsomely arranged, be-
iecked with flowers A bank oil ferns,
plants of every description and baskets OF
the most exquisite flowers were tasteiully
arranged on each side, with fair little
damsel eusconsed in each, ready to re-
ceive the tokens OF respect from the friends
Of the graduates,
1t would certainly be very unkind
oversight on our part If we were not to
mention the appearance of the class, for
if any one is ever to be told that he is good
looking il is when he graduates from
school. The boys were a good, honest,
substantial looking set of young men.
The girlishness and simplicity of the
young ladies' dresses were so pretty that
one had to watch lest he lose himself in
admiration of their appearance and for
get what they were saying. To say the
least, they were as handsome a class as
ever Wellington had the honor Of gradu.
ating from her schools.
Promptly at 1880 the exercises began
and II was eleven o'clock before they were
completed. The orchestra rendered very
fine overture, after which the Rev. Daw-
son invoked the dlyine blessing upon the
audience, particularly the class Of 90.
The vocal march simply took the house
by storm, as may well be imagined one
hundred voices with the careful training
of Prof. Harding would be capable of do
ing.
Mabelle Benedict came first on the list,
having thoughtiully prepared the saluta-
tory, She held her hearers spell.bound
while she, in her enthusiastic yet graceful
manner, bade them all a hearty welcome
to this, their last effort as class to enter
tain them. Taking for her subject Thrift,
Thrift, Horatio," she pictured most vividly
the good old Anglo-Saxon word, thrift"
not only in a physical sense, but In On in
tellectual sense Nowhere is thrift more
essential than in the eager search for
wealth. We may call il the very corner
stone OF success. The old proverb, take
care Of the pence and the pounds will
take care II Themselves embodies the
true principle Of thrift"
Howard Hollenbach's grafton was upon
the thrilling subject, BATTLE Cries." He
spoke In a very becoming manner Of the
different battle cries in our history. The
English fleet Of Lord Nelson's staff in
1906, which won the victory over the
French through the battle cry being sig
nailed from the flag staff England ex-
poets every man to do his duty" Beautl-
fully touching upon our civil war cry, "The
Union forever" he deducted the moral that
each life had some battle cry that guided
to victory or defeat
Pearl Linder came next on the program,
and told In well chosen language and her
usual unassumIng manner Of THE Woes
Of Wealth" Enlarging upon the misery
OF the miser and the cares Of the capital
ist Having once obtained wealth
there is a continual fear of loosing It."
Roy Witbeck's "Exposilions" was an
oration excellent in every respect, Clear
and vigorous in composition, and deliv-
cred in an earnest manner, 1, more than
sustained the high opinion which the au-
dience had for the speaker. Considering
the exposition Of '70 the most successful
one that had ever been held In our coun.
try, he thought the grandest one would be
held in Chicago In '02, showing how rap
idly the world is progressing, and thus
our liberty does truly enlighten the world.
The vocal solo by Miss Mabelle Bene-
dict was listened to with great pleasure,
and added TO the laurel she had already
won by her salutatory.
Rose Mallory's Grafton on "The Grad.
p!nd System" was well delivered, in
natter-of-fact style, urging parents to
leach their boys and girls facts, as that is
what we want. "Stick TO facts" says Thos.
Gradgrind, one Of Dickens characters.
Education was his hobby-his whole life
summed up 10 o nutshell-regularly gov
erned by facts. I'VE are all confronted
by facts. Many are unmerciful facts.
Leave, ah, leave US to the solace of our
Imagination"
Roy Bennett discussed "The Coming
Voter" in the style and energy Of a full
fledged voter One of the numerous ques-
tions he asked was II we wanted our
schools managed by q Pope, taking away
all our religious services. Hands of
"Young man. he rrenared for tba ouae.ior