The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-06-02
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
They Close a Successful Year,
and the Alumni Assist in
the Ceremonies.
GRAND BANQUET AT OPERA HOUSE
Twenty Graduates Receive Diplomas
Addresses-Other Items
Of Interest.

INSTITUTIONS that Duiwark oil liberty, the
public schools, must receive Il large
share of attention and praise.
Schools, like individuals, are Judged
by what they do,-a standard of merit,
50 to speak.
Brick and mortar do not make an
institution of learning any more than a
diploma makes an educated man. 1t
is mo- Our public school buildings, (and
there are non finer in the state,) that
we are So proud of, but the actual
work done therein in training youthful
minds, AMI educating boys and girls
with a view of perpetuating American
institutions and true citizenship. Our
citizens do not labor under the impress
sion that the schools should take
charge of them, but, on the contrary,
are imbned with a sense of duty which
leads them to take charge of the
schools.
Our board Of education is composed
of strong men, who are ever ready 10
sacrifice their time and pleasure for the
good of our public institutions. Prof.
Ii. ID. Demand, who has been connected
with the schools for eight years, is a
t~Ireless worker, An able instructor,
and a congenial, moral, upright gen.
tleman. Few men are as well qualified
to discharge the all-important duties of
superintendent. He has his heart in
the work, and TO him much of the
credit of the present prosperity of the
school is justly due. lie is surrounded
by n corps of able assistants, and the
work proceeds with harmony and
discipline.
After due deliberation the superin-
tendent and board decided that they
would foregO the usual commencement
exercises, this year, and join with the
alumni in celebrating their annual
reunion. Consequently the scholastic
year of 1884 closed with the alumni
banquet on Thursday evening.
For weeks this banquet has been the
subject of discussion in educational and
social circles. At eight O'Clock the
uOoiS Vi ttlC OPCl1 hOuSC WCiC tuIOWh
open, and the reception committee,
stationed near the entrance, began to
welcome the invited guests. This
committee was composed of graduates
of the public schools, and to them
much of the success of the entertain
ment may he attributed.
The opera house had been neatly
and hastily decorated for the occasion.
Pot flowers, large Oleanders, and beau
tiful designs of cut flowers, made the
old place 4 scene attractive to behold.
The banquet was served by the ladies
of the Christian church, and well
served it was. The ladies endeavored
to make it a banquet in reality as well
as in name, and they succeeded. The
menu was mos: excellent, and was
served without friction. At nine
O'Clock, the appointed time, President
William j. Bandon raped for order,
He called upon Rev. A. S. Moffett to
invoke the divine blessing. Then in s
loud, clear voice, and dignified manner,
the president began his address. Every
was interested in the alumni
association, and its chief executive
officer, in his address upon the associa.
ton, held their undivided attention
He reviewed its history, and urged eacf
member to work for it zealously and
earnestly. In appropriate words hi
thanked the association for the honol
they had conferred upon him. II,
appreciated being its first president.
an honor which he thought he would
value even more highly in after year
than now. Referring briefly to hi:
alma mater he closed his speech by
asking all present to rally to the sup
port of the public school system. After
the president had spoken, the Tyrolear
band played q familiar march, and til,
walters, each bearing the choicest o
Epicurus' works, filed in from III,
adjoining room. The guests wer,
handled systematically, and as a result
every n was quickly and properl!
served. The menu was as follows: ,
Meats-Chicken, ham, tongue.
Relishes-Pickles olives, chow-chow
radishes.
;, Salads-Salmon, French eggs, ant
oysters.
Bread-Crackers, beaten biscuit
light bread.
Cakes-Angel food chocolate, cocoa
nut, caramel.
Fruit-Oranges, bananas.
} Ices-VanIlla cream, lemon ice
: strawberries.
|. French coffee.
After the menu had been served til
president introduced Miss Maggi,
/ Spears, who read the class history
3 Though somewhat long the production
, was interesting and held undivided at
tentiOn. 1t contained the history @
8 each graduate since 1877, and shoul'
|, be preserved by the school, as a matte
: : of record, for it is y record 1t is prou,
of now, and will treasure more an
3 more as the alumni advance in tn
: world. The toast, s'The Relation G
the Alumni to their Alma Mater, wa
: responded to by Miss Annie Greer
She referred to the prominent position
held by public school graduates, of tn
progress OF the system and its place i
. a republican government. She sal
, the public school stands for manhood
1t was the medium through which tn
: will was trained, the mind cultivate
! and the true citizen made. 1t urge
upon the alumni the duty they owe
the school to support and defend lit
. raise ii to that pedestal upon which
so well deserved to stand.
Capt. w. +. Bahlman, of Indepent
e ence, was next introduced and spok
g on "Our High School," He signed I'll
e first diploma of the Lexington Hig
school, which was awarded TO Mr.. c,
rus Lamborn. He said he liked lie,
e IngtOn because it first liked him. II
was proud of his friends here who ha
always held him up. The high schOt
has two functions, one to give a goo
education and the other to ~articulat
!. with higher universities. He said tha
> it was fallacy that the poorest student
made the best men that school train
ing was needed to make true citizenship
In his characteristic way he discusse
at length the relation of school an
: state, and denominated the school a
the crucible out of which comes patriot
: citizenship. His speech was interest
ing throughout and We regret that W
are not able to reproduce it in full.
s'What is Diplomat P" was responde,
to by James l.. Peake. Though yeun,
in wears his vounU man il ono of ON