The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-06-24
pommenoement Exercises !.

commencement Exercises. I1 -s
LastTriday evening, the 18th, was the
occasip of the graduating exercises of
Bennington High School. Long before
the hor for opening, the large hall was
densel crowded with friends of the
gradu;es and the school. Later the
halls ad stairways were filled and many
peoplewere unable to gain admittance.
The Ghded School orchestra entertained
the wsting audience with good music.
The stge, tastefully decorated, was oc-
cupiedby the faculty, the trustees of the
school Clergymen and others.
At eactly 7.45 o'clock the Superinten-
dent cited the house to order and after
prayC by Rev. A. D. Heaxt, and a
brief stutatory address by Lyman H.
Toomb, Miss Drucella Dakin, in a
spiritei and telling way, read her essay
on "Tb Mission of Difficulty" Miss
Dakin leld her audience and her APP
pearane was excellent She received
many flowers. Mr.. Venable followed
with a. Grafton on Leon Gambetta"
which was very well received. Miss
Meliss Morse read an essay on 1.-THE
Keynoe of Success" 1t was well writ
ten AM we'll read Miss Morse's man
ner WIS engaging and spirited. Miss
Ruth Squire had one of the best written
essay of the evening. Her subject was
''Fou Centuries of Progress" and she
handed it with rare ability. She showed
goodtraining, made the most of her
voic and was attractive and graceful in
all he did Miss Ella Daley had a
stroIg, we'll written essay on 1.-THE End
not Yet" 1t abounded in numerous ell
oquert passages which the reader pro-
nounted with good effect. Miss Daley
has afine voice, an easy an graceful
carriage and her appearance and effort
was among the best. Charles Ii. Ben
nett au undergraduate, spoke magnifi-
Gently in defamation, and Miss Audria
Bowln, in recitation, held the large au-
diente il perfect silence. Perhaps the
most practical effort of the evening was
Mr.. Toomb's grafton on the vermont
Problem" 1t was well written and elo-
queutly delivered. The Valedictory adj
dress by Miss Squire was in its way a
model. 1t was simple, candid and brief
an entire departure from the stereo-
typed valedictory that we all know by
heart All the speakers were remem-
bered with floral tributes. The literary
parts were exceptionally meritorious
and we'll rendered and that they were
appreciated was attested by the fact
thai the crowded house gave quiet at
tention to the close; -something Com
mencement audience in Bennington has
not done before in years. The whole
entertainment was smooth, orderly and
graceful and seemed to exhale spirit
of culture and refinement. While scores
praised all they saw and heard, no adj
verse criticism was heard. At the close
of the literary parts, the silver medals
were awarded as follows: School No,
l, Hildred Hart; No. 2, Ida Bleau; No.
8, Fred Nevils; No. 4, Perry Gokay; No
5, Carroll Barney; No. 6, Mac Richie;
No. I, Lena Perham; No. 8, Arthur Viii.
hanson; No 8, Edward Moore; No. 10
LIST, Adele Pratt, End, May Van Kleeck;
No, II, LIST, Nellie Patchin, End, Mabel
Brant; No. II, 1st, Maude Miller. End
Nettie Pierce.
The prizes for excellence in mathema
tics in the High School, awarded as the
result of a comparative examination
went as follows: Graduate prize for ex
cellence in geometry and algebra, Thorn
as Venable; undergraduate prize for ex
cellence in Algebra and Arithmetic
Jesse Barney.