The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-10-28
GRADED school Columbian exercises.


in the Graded School hall and on the
lawn last Friday were among the most
successful school exercises ever held in
Bennington. The attendance was large
and every one seem interested. The
Hall was beautifully trimmed with flags
and bunting. 1t was all done with rare
taste and in a way that seemed to in
crease the apparent size of the room.
Long before the hour for opening arrived
nearly every seat, not reserved for the
pupils, was taken. Seats were reserved
for all invited guests, such as school
trustees, ex-trustees, village trustees,
clergymen, veterans, army posts, etc.
Some forty of our leading citizens had
seats on the platform in the School hall.
Among them were Judge Hartman, Major
A. b. Valentine, Col. l.. F. Abbott, Maj.
r. j. Coffey, Representative Arthur
Dewey, Judge G. H. Darling, Hon.
Thomas White, Rev. A. d. Heaxt, Rev.
u. Marten, Rev. w. b. Walker, Mr..
Charles Dewey, Col. E. d. Bennett, Mr..
Charles G. Cole, Mr.. Ii. 7. Cushman,
2nd, Hon. A. P. Childs, Mr.. Francis
Guiltinan, Sheriff Robinson, Mr.. Healy,
DR.. II. c. Day, Mr.. Eli Tiffany, Mr..
Holden, Prof. F. N. Squire, DR.. j. T..
Shurtleff, Mr.. Kimball, Mr.. VIM. E,
Hawks, Mr.. Rawson, Rev. NJ. L. Sever
ance and others.
At 2 p. m. the schools marched into
the Hall to the music of the orchestra.
Each school was preceded by its color
bearer, carrying a fine 6x6t company
flag, trimmed with silk fringe, cord and
tassels and surmounted by fine brass
eagle. After the reading of President
Harrison's proclamation, making Oct.
21st holiday, the exercises were opened
with prayer by Rev. NJ. L. Severance. The
schools then sang "Hail Columbia" after
which Robert Healy gave a short decla-
nation and Louise Rawson recited
'Palos Bay Both did well. Wills
White gave a brief address on "Colum-
bus as Navigator. Mr.. White sustained
his reputation as a speaker. Harry
Hemenway followed with a short
Grafton on Columbus as a Pioneer"
He spoke well and his production was
hardly surpassed by any If the afternoon.
Miss Hattie Wilcox read with excellent
effect a concise and eulogistic essay
which had in it some fine sentences.
The Columbian defamation was spoken
by Mr.. Charles Bennett and he sustained
he has earned in the prize contests.
Miss Audria Bowen recited the "Colum-
bian Ode" and she put into rather
commonplace poem degree OF spirit
and interest that was commendable and
that evoked deserved applause. "a
Boys Version of the Discovery" was
given by Master Valentine Perkins, and
his evident appreciation of the humor
in it brought down the house. Then
followed poetical account of the dis
covery, given by eight little girls, each
wearing on her breast shield with one
of the letters, COLUMBUS, in re-
lief upon it. Each chlld's part began
with the letter she wore. This was Miss
Whitney's contribution 70 the afternoon,
and it was success.
After more songs brief addresses were
made by Mr.. II. T. Cushman, 2nd, Hon:
c. II. Darling, Rev. w. B. Walker, and
Hon. A, P, Childs. These speeches.
without exception, were bright and
scholarly, and did space permit, we
should be glad to give them in full. The
addresses from the platform, completed,
the schools following their flags, march
ed from the Hall to the music of the
orchestra, the spectators remaining In
their seats to witness the performance.
AS school after school went out behind
their Colors they were enthusiastically
for their appearance and
marching, by the gentlemen on the plat
form. The audience then followed the
schools to the lawn where several hun
bred people had assembled to witness the
formal presentation of an immense flag
to the schools by Col. DIN Scott, and its
raising for the first time by detail OF
students from the high school. After
beautiful rendition of ''Keller's Ameri-
can Hymn by the Bennington City
Band, Superintendent Davis with few
remarks introduced Col. DIN Scott who
in an appropriate address presented tc
the students splendid National flag
Col. E, ID. Bennett accepted the flag foI
the schools and Rev. Mr.. Marten took
the platform and spoke eloquently of the
Flag and Its Significance.
Immediately the flag was taken by the
high school colOr-guard, and while the
inspiring strains of The Star Spangled
Banner went up from the Band, the great
flag slowly and majestically hoated Out
and upward to the summit of the flag
staff a hundred feet in the air. As 1t
reached the top detail of the Benni g.
ton Rifles fired salute of three volleys
and cheers from hundreds on the lawn at
tested the success of the occasion. Only
once in lifetime do we see the raising
of flag create such genuine and such
unbounded enthusiasm.
That the occasion had awakened more
than passing interest i'll the community
is found in the fact that so many were
present. As the 700 school children were
but handful in the crowd it would
seem as if two or three thousand were
present at one time. 1t was success
Every thing passed off exactly as
planned. There was no hitch or slip al
any point. The schools showed ability,
discipline and patriotic enthusiasm
Love for the American flag seemed IN
the air. The occasion was splendid
lesson in patriotism to all the children
A school that can make the display in
discipline, literary and musical training,
and in executive capacity to carry out
the details of such programme as that
of Friday is a credit not only to Ben
nington but to Vermont. Let the people
of this village remember that but for the
enterprise of the Graded schools and st
Francis de Sales Church, this place
would have had no vestige of celebra
ton for Columbus Day. 1t must occur
to citizens that in all this our boys and
girls gave an exhibition of what the
school is doing to train them up fol
future manhood and womanhOod. Here
would seem to be education for practica
affairs. Certainly, the essays, speeches
declamations and songs showed ability
and scholarship; the m amer of theil
presentation showed confidence and self
possession: the execution of details