The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-05-17
,. EWART.
THE CLASS OF '95.
The 18th annual commencement of
the lola High School Repeats
Former Successes.
A SPLENDID PROGRAM

GLASS Of 1880.
LIBERTY AND UNION"
Katie Ausherman, Henrietta L. Henderson.
Ella W. Bostwick. Daisy Hobart
Matte C. Eshbaugh. Della Irving,
Maude EsSe, Compton Moore,
Ella T. Ewart w. w Nelson,
/ Louise Freeman. Fannie Norris
Aldo Funston, Maude PenlaRd,
Fred Green, Enos Thomas,
Wessie Wise.
lola never had a Commencement
that we were ashamed of or disap-
pointed in. 1t happens somehow that
the young men and women who have
pluck and perseverance and brains
enough to complete the long and
rather severe course of study are not
of the kind to present a weak or tire
some Commencement program. And
50 the splendid success that was
achieved by the class of '95 was only a
repetition of successes that have been
won by other classes.
1t has always been the custom of
Superintendent Picken to have all the
essays of his graduating classes
grouped around some central theme,
and that theme one of up-to-date,
American interest. 1t is a fact in
which hetakes degree of pardona BILE
pride that not of his graduates ever
had occasion TO use the word Greece
or Rome in a graduating thesis. And
he might take pride also in the fact
that his audiences are never bored
by dry disquisitiOns upon abtruse or
hackneyed subjects that neither they
nor the graduates know or care any
thing about. This year, on account of
Commencement day falling so near the
thirtieth anniversary of the end of the
civil war, The War was taken as the
central theme. All the essays were
upon some feature of the great REBEL
ion, and the music was the old war
songs. 1t made an inspiring and in
tensely entertaining program. The
decorations were peculiarly appropri-
ate, the stage being made to represent
a war camp, with cannon and a stack
of muskets on the right and tent on
the left, the whole EMPOWERED in
green and made gorgeous with flags
and radiant with cut flowers. 1t was
a fitting back ground for such
program.
After The Star Spangled Banner" by the
band. prayer by Rev. W L. SQuier and The
Battle Hymn of the Republic, by male Choir
by Miss Fannie Norris The subject was :'siav-
cry and ii was handled excellently, the speak
er showing how and why the South became a
slave holding section, how the opposition to
the system gradually increased in strength in
the North until il became the absorbing pcliti-
cal issue. how Secession resulted from the de-
termination of the South TO maintain its pc
culiar institution, and how the abolition of
slavery inevitably became the central idea of
the war. Miss Norris has a pleasant manEer
and good voice and she used both 10 the best
advantage in the delivery of an essay which
had great deal of literary merit
Miss Ella 7 Ewart followed with a talk about
kansas" which We should like 10 reproduce
in full if we had room, for il was a summary of
the early history of our State and of the large
share she had in the great struggle for liberty
that is worthy of a permanent record The
early history of Kansas is story that reads like
q romance, and Miss Ewart certainly told il In
delightful way. Her delivery was especially
pleasing giving the best effect 10 her well
rounded sentences.
Mr.. Fred Green. one of the many bright young
men that Carlyle has contributed TO our High
School, told the story Of Old John Brown of his
prosperous youth in Connecticut his unfortu-
nate middle life in New York his fierce old age
in Kansas and his martydOm st Harpers Ferry.
Like the story of Kansas. that of John Brown is
oae which never grows old. and the speaker
who talks about the grim old hero will never