Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-12
WINTER GRADUATES.
High School Seniors Get
Their Diplomas.
The Exercises Last Night at the
Opera House.
0rations and Papers Show a High
Degree of Excellence.
A Largo Audience Present-Feature 8
of the Papers and Poems.
Diplomas Awarded the
Graduates.


the Grand opera house last night, before
an audience that filled the entire thea
ter. The exercises were rendered
doubly interesting from the fact of its
being the first class to graduate from
the High school during the winter.
The decorations were especially art
istic. Pepper branches lined the edge
of the stage, bouquets of richly colored
marigolds being at intervals nestled in
the folds of the peppers. Pepper
branches were heaped at either end
of the stage and clustered about
a jar of magnificent Gala lilies.
A date palm also reared it's deeply-col-
ored outline from the mass of peppers
on the stage. Two large jars of bamboo
were displayed in the corners at the
back of the stage. Numerous stands,
bearing flowers and wreathed with
smilax, were scattered about the
stage. Potted plants were also displayed,
as was also an elegant jar of papyrus.
At the rear OF the stage was draped a
large flag, the high school national COL
ors, and in the central point from where
it was gathered, an elegant floral design
made of poppies in the form of star
and crescent, was embarked against a
background of pepper branches.
The graduates were seated in semi
circle around the stage facing the audi
ence, and were greeted with rounds OF
applause on their advent.
In the boxes to the right of the audi
Mr.. Davis of the city school board, and
Superintendents Friesner and Baker; in
the boxes facing were the various mem
bers OF the High-school faculty.
A selection, The Father of Victory,
performed by the Ahrend orchestra,
opened the programme and it was well
executed.
The salutatory essay entitled The
Worm. The subject admitting, as it
does, of SO many thoughts, was handled
in thoroughly able manner. The field
tages were of the highest and most
necessary kind, and to books is due
largely the advance and civilization of
mankind.
A story, The Origin of the Chrysan-
Clara u. Bennett. The tale ran that
the queen of the fairies decided that
some flower should be sent to earth, and
the chrysanthemum was selected. The
flower rebelled; as punishment she
was torn into shreds and told that she
should never be loved. Finally the
queen pardoned the fair rebel and sent
her to the land of the Japanese, who
would love her. and she should in time
become known and loved by all the
other countries.
A selection by the orchestra followed,
after which the class poem, The Queen
of San Miguel, 1912, was splendidly
given by A. w. P. Kinney. The verses
were founded on the old legend of how
Cabrillo, in 1912, the first white man TO
land in California, touched at San Pedro.
There he found that the queen of the
native tribe had been captured and was
held on an island (now Santa Catalina)
near the coast. The gallant Spaniard
bombarded the stronghold of the abb
ductor and rescued the captive queen
and finally married her. The poem is
worthy of special notice, both for the Sc
lection of the subject and the pleasing
style of the construction.
A sketch of the college settlement"
was next contributed by Miss Mary
Burton, who told the history of the set
tlement and then discussed it in good
style. She showed how it could and
should be followed among the people on
this coast, and the advantages to be
derived tberefrom.
Miss Beatriz de Luna followed with q
vocal selection, Happy Birds. The
young lady has most pleasing voice,
which is we'll cultivated.
An oration, Thoughts Regarding an
Extensive knowledge, was delivered in
excellent style by Carl Pauly. The
speaker treated first the difficulties of
many OF obtaining a thorough educa-
tion then of the advantages to accrue
from extensive learning, and stated that
to the man OF ambition books were of
the supremest delight. The other
points were all ably discussed, and were
detailed in way that displayed an ex-
cellent literary style as well as oratori-
cal talent.
A poem, The First Snowfall, an
original myth, was next given by Miss
Lou Whipple. This was one of the
most meritorious numbers on the pro-
gramme, and showed careful prepara-
ton and study.
j. Darwin Gish delivered the class
oration, taking Our Foreign Policy as
his theme. Non-intervention with other
countries, as set down by George Wash
ington, he claimed, has become an issue
in this country. He then told of the
different ways California, Louisiana and
Texas were obtained by this country.
The Monroe doctrine savored more of
Monroe than it did OF the two Adams.
The result of non-intervention now is
our having gained the respect of both
friends and enemies alike. The speaker
took a highly imaginative view of the
future of this country, and closed with a
glowing tribute to its work for liberty
and progress.
Miss Bertha Oliver gave an essay on
the Philosophy OF Altruism, and the
valedictory also. The derivation
OF the subject was first given,
and with this prelude the young
lady proceeded to the discussion OF the
matter. The remarks were excellently
clothed, and the illustrations were
especially forcible. The valedictory
although brief, was very good both in
the sentiments expressed and the de-
! livery.
Miss Bertha Penning sang To Sivilla
in such pleasing manner as to receive
an encore.
DIR. R. II. Boal, president Of the board
4 r. n -