Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-05-25
AT TIE ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT OF fHE
MARTINS FERRY SCHOOLS
The Exercises Held ct the Opera House, Last
Evening, Large Audience Being
Present Oh the Occasion.

exercises OF the evening were
opened by song, "Revel of the Leaves, ="
sung by the High School," 1t was fol-
lowed by music from Mersters full
orchestra, which also rendered pro-
gramme during the evening. The
opening song was followed by an invo-
cation from Rev. j. w. Robins.
Supt. Stewart then introduced Chas.
Wood, who handled the subject OF
bicycles" with great success, narrat-
ing the growth and Improvement OF the
sport from the first wheel made in 1916,
which cost $500 and weighed any where
from one hundred pounds upward. to
the one OF the present date which
weighs between eighteen and twenty
pounds and costs from $50 up to S160.
He also stated the benefits received
from cycling, and the Influence ii will
have in bringing about the construction
of good roads, which we cannot do with
out.
Miss Blanche Talbot came next with
an essay entitled "Whitewash." This
queer subject was handled in manner
that surprised some. She contrasted
the whitewash applied TO anything 10
cover up the dirt with a man who was
whitewashed to hide his true nature.
Miss Pierre Coleman followed with an
essay entitled MRS. Grundy," who was
alluded to as woman OF long ago find
ing fault with the things OF to-day
finding fault with the fashions and the
churches and the way young people OF
to-day behaved themselves. In some
ways this chronic GROWER was right,
but in others she was an obstructing
disaster.
The orchestra again came in with'ex-
celent music, after which Tyranny OF
Fashion" was discussed by Miss Edna
Talbot. She described fashion as the
ruler Of all people and nations from
time immemorlal, and said it was
self torture in some respects. The
fashion of the wide and narrow skirts,
bleaching the hair, wearing the narrow
toed shoe just TO be In style, were re-
ferred to. She ended with the thought
that the day would soon come when
fashion will allow the health and body
to attain its highest developments.
Miss Carrie Crossley sang solo. &C
companied by Misses Cora and Georgia
Watson on the piano and violin. The
number was well rendered and received
by the audience.
The subject chosen by Miss Kate
Devault was the Rose Guarded by the
Thorn" She gave a short legendary
account of the color of the tea rose be-
ing caused by drop OF blood from the
foot of the goddess Venus, after which
she took up the subject of the rose be-
ing the easy task and the thorn being
the difficult one. She described the
thorns met with in going through
school, and showing that where there
was no hard labor there could not be
success.
Miss Ada Ferrang followed with an
essay entitled, school Days" showing
the pleasant and unpleasant times in
scholars life, and comparing the rude
log school bf years ago to the one Of
the present date. She described
scholars hope and ambition as he drew
near the end of his school days, and
said when their deeds came to be
weighed in the balance they would not
be found wanting.
After another selection by the orches-
ira, Miss Belle McSword's topic, The
Practical American" was unraveiled
by that young lady in fine manner.
She stated that the Americans in gen
eral were not ight-seeng and scenery
loving people, but were more OF q
money-loving nation, taken as a whole.
The utilization Of the water OF the
Niagara Falls by our practical Ameri-
cans for running large mills, and the
cutting down Of our forests to turn the
ground into better use were cited.
Halford Watson came next with
"Three Strikes! You're Out" He COM
pared a man at the bat determined TO
hit the ball, to a man in business who
failed, as the batter failed to hit the
ball. Sometimes men became too ambi-
tlous TO knock a home run, and would
get out just as the man who starts up
In business and does fairly well Tor a
while till he becomes too ambitious,
when he loses all. Life is not always q
failure, though just as you learn the
WAYS of the world the batter learns the
curves Of the p itcher.
The orchestra played another selec-
a
silent Influence" By Miss Ora Robins,
in which she illustrated the power OF ST.
lent influence over the world in the peo-
ple. She said silent influence Is every
weere like the silent dew that falls, COW
ering everything. She also showed the
way man was either degraded or ele-
waited by the influence and the charac-
ter OF the people about him.
Miss Robins was followed by julius
Blumenberg with a piece entitled Keep
of the Grass" in which he illustrated
the many ways and manners by which
the grass could be walked upon. He
showed In past ages where nations had
not needed this warning, and blood was
shed like water because one nation had
entered another's territory. Another
Illustration was that OF Coxey,
who was warned to keep of
the grass az Washington. which
warning he did not heed and was ar
rested for bringing his Commonwealers
to that place. Another way in which
person tramps on the grass is by want
ing to get rich TOO fast, and taking 10
EN- bezzling his employer.
The orchestra played an overture,
after which Superintendent Stewart
presented the graduates with their d.
plomas and some parting advice. Every
thing on the programme was well rem
dered and each performer called forth
applause.
After the exercises were over the
graduates and the Alumni proceeded to
tho -, Clair Hotel Where a banOQet
was held in honor OF the graduates.