The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-06-26

graduating exercises opened with prayer by
DIR. Plummer and closed with the benedic-
tion by DR.. Thompson. That either of the
graduates exceeded the others in delivery
or composition would be doing an injustice.
All were good. The subjects were we'll
selected and each essay exhibited thorough
preparation, combined with instruction in
the several TOPICS Composure charac-
tsrized the delivery of each one. Two of
the class, Fulton and Alexander, received
the degree of Bachelor of Scientific Agri-
culture, the first technical degrees ever con-
ferred by this college, and the other two
Bachelor of Science. AS the essays are to
be prin ted in the GAZETTE no synopsis will
be given here John Fulton took the
! building of ship as model, in his vale
dictory The class were now launching
their vessel on the sea of life, and whether
they had builded well or in vain time alone
would tell. In their journey through life
they hoped for aid from their frieuds, the
well wishes OF the faculty and comfort and
cheer from their schoolmates. He advised
the classes they were leaving behind not to
become discouraged but to be strengthened
| by what others had done and what they had
| endeavored to do. But they had now reached
the point where their paths diverge. They
recognized that they had by no means flu
| ished but should ever climb onward. The
whole was ended with poem, full of pathos,
| OH the class of '9l.
| The degrees were conferred by President
Arno Id, together with a few words of good
advice They were not to rest on what they
had learned in school, for that was small,
but on character, yet if the knowledge they
already had was cultivated, it would be like
the famous sword of King Arthur.
Prof. Thos. Condor, of the University OF
Oregon, delivered the address to the gradu.
ates. The central thought was the impor'
tance of cuItivating the human mind. Co.
ing back in history he compared Athens and
Sparta. In Sparta everything was for the
state, the PEOPLE were trained for the state
and not the state for the people. The sole
object was to produce soldiers, and the re-
suit was great military strength, but
there was no surplusage as in Athens. This
surplusage allowed of the mind being culti
waited and Athens became a center of
learning Rome followed the example of
Sparta, soon fell and was overun by the leu
tons, strong, healthy race whose brain had
not been spoiled by the luxuries the Romans
INDUCED in. After this that great system,
chivalry, arose which is continued even to
the present day. That these forces did not
decay is proved when we go into parlor
and look at the pictures on the wall and ex-
anime who they are. We find they are men
who have performed greater services for the
public than others. There are many things
that make the class of 1891 lineal descend
cuts of the knights of the 18th century.
They have obligations like them and OF the
same nature. They are to 60 out as repre-
sentatives of what is loyal and right; to be
loyal to the truth and of service to the
needy. Happy are they if they have en-
braced Him in their loyalty.
Money must not be used for mere display.
Before the world shall enjoy their culture
in ease, schools and churches must bring in
the idea of service to society, even though
it breaks every creed, destroys every build
ing and scatters boasts to the winds.
Another packed house was present at the
alumni reunion in the evening. The class
of 1891 were presented to the alumni by
Prof J. D. Letcher with some timely re-
marks as to the college, the work of the class
in school, and what he could assure theialum.
nj of them as me mbers, and were received by
the vice-president, Mrs. B. L. Arnold. For
the class John Starr expressed their pleas
ure on becoming members of the assocl-
alton. Alonzo Allen, of the class of 1855,
read an address entitled"Our School"
The male quartette by Messrs Berchtold,
Clarke, Fulton and Lampkin, was well rem.
dered.
Miss Nettie Spencer, of the class of 1882,
discussed the subject of "Dreams" according
to two systems of mental philosophy. 1t
would be hard to infer from her essay
whether or not she believes in their reality.
A solo by Mrs. P FL. Irish, class of 1889,
was executed in a manner evidencing
practice and dlskill.
The annals by E. E. Wilson, class of
1889, was one of the features of the evening.
Each member of the alumni, of which there
are 1OS, was given paragraph citing some
incident of their school days,or of their sue
cess in after life, which was listened to with
much interest by those present.
Mrs. Arnold's vocal solo, Midnight,
pleased by the beautiful voice of the singer,
made the more charming by the melodious
Italian words. As an encor she sang 9
pretty little ballad, entitled Last Night.
j. R. Bryson, of the class of IA, IN his
grafton ON "The Present and its Problems,
considered the great problems which threat
en- the society of the present and future.
While he did not wish to argue against the
irresistible logic of DR.. Stratton, yet he die
not believe that religion was the sole RENE