The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-14
THE COMMENCEMENT.
Interesting Exercises at Roam
oke College.

| nOkc COllcHc were luduS uIatcu cuHutY
morning at the Lutheran Church with
the baccaaureate sermon by Rev.
David III. Greer, ID. d., of st. Barthol-
omcw's, New York city, who took for
his text: where There is no Vision,
the People Perish" Proverbs, 29:lS.
From this text the large audience
listened to one Of the most eloquent dis
courses ever delivered in Salem. mo
life can be successful in the best and
highest sense" said the speaker, "un-
less it has some bright and ennobling
vision before it. Tho highest forms Of
| knowledge have been reached, not by
logic or demonstration, but by those to
| whom something Of the old prophetic
power of seeing visions was given
The greatest benefactors of the hu-
man race in all departments of life, in
poetry, philosophy, science and states
manship, have poss essed more or less of
this power. Among all such bcncfac-
tors stands, 'facile princeps,' Jesus
Christ; He has given us the noblest
vison of man, His inherent greatness
and latent possibilities. He has in con.
sequence inspired the greatest works
for man, and the brightest hopes for his
future in this world
DR.. Greer closed his eloquent sermon
of about forty-tive minutes duration
with an appeal to the members of the
graduating class in all the moral and
intellectual perpleXities of life to keep
that vision of Jesus Christ ever before
them.
At night, in the Lutheran Church,
Rev. William IL. Dunbar, A. NJ, OF
Lebanon, Pa, delivered the annual ad-
dress before the College Y. NJ. C. a.
Remove not the old landmarks"
Proverbs, 3D. 10. was the text chosen,
and upon this the reverend gentleman
spoke for nearly an hour. From his
give fair outline:
Losing sight of the local signi6-
canoe Of this command it suggests the
permanence of old landmarks of funda-
mental truth. In an age of movement,
when the pulse of life beats with a fe-
verish rapidity, when whole society is
remaking itself and the life of a whole
generation is shifting and resetting it's
assumptions, it's habits, it's landmarks.
when the current of educated thought
runs strongly against old beliefs, it is
necessary to look to our hold upon old
established truths and doctrines. Our
theme then might be construed proper
conservatism in practical religion; a
theme peculiarly appropriate before an
association whose sphere is confessedly
and pre-emipently, practical Christian
effort"
In conclusion the speaker said: "The
logic of our whole theme brings us down
to this, that the church of Jesus Christ,
rs the grand conservator CT truth, must
be recognized as moving in the forefront
of the great onward movement of the
world; that within her sacred walls,
where the truth is enshrined, and by
the power Of that truth, must be accom-
pl,shed the great work of the elevation
of mankind and the redemption of the
world. The uplifted banner of the cross
leads the way and the creed of the apos-
ties is the hymn of human progress
Monday afternoon the class exercises
OF the graduating class took place in the
town hall in the presence of very large
audience. They consisted in a great
part of college songs and parodies very
we'll rendered, accomanied by G.. c.
Cronk on the piano, and led by Herbert
smith An address was made by j. Z.
Woods, Of Catawba, the president of the
class, who was afterward presented by
them with my No IL shoe for being
the highest kicker. Some fun was
created by the Oracle, which was acted
by Rawls. of Georgia. who, hidden be-
hind the screen, informed several young
men as TO thcbrilliantt ?) futures in store
for them after they had left college.
But the best hit of the afternoon was
the song Sunlight" q parody On one
of tho Salvation Army choruses, COM
posed by c. b. Cannaiay, of Roanoke.
The chorus was led, Salvation Army
style, by Rendleman, prancing up and
down the stage clapping his hands and
stomping. and at this the audience fairly
yelled. AS clover a piece of college wit
as is often seen, was the double decla-
nation by Shantz and Greer, the former
telling marvellous poem about dog
in doggerel ana dog latin, whilst the
latter standing behind him, made all
the gesticulation necessary it was a
very clever piece OF action.
Montgomery, the lawyer; entertained
the graduating class and the audience
with banjo explanation of how to
carve and cook de possum," and Robt.
Minor Wiley dragged" the faculty in
witty but good humored verses. Tho
whole entertainment was full of fun
and good humor, and wound up by all
adjourning to the grove in front of the
college, where, seated under the big
trees on the green sward, the twenty
young men comprising the senior class
passed the pipe Of peace from one to the
other in silence, and then appropriate
ceremonies planted a sprlg of ivy for the
class of '02 at the foot of one of the tai
trees.
Monday night the annual contest for
the handsome medal in oratory took
place in the town hall, which it is need :
less to say, was packed with people TO
suifocation, whilst in the intervals be-
tween the speeches the Salem Silver
] CArIlnA a..l Il L.. l.. :