Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-21
COMM ENCEM EMIT.
Class Day Exercises.

of the Glass Day exercises Monday. III
order that a complete report of the on
tire weeks proceedings may be found in
one issue we reprint the Glass Day re-
port, and in addition, at the earnest de-
sire of many who had the pleasure OF at
tending those exercises. we reproduce in
their entirety the class Grafton. class his
tory and class prophecy. These Droduc-
lions deserve q wider audience than
could be gathered around the stage on
the school lawn, and for that reason we
take pleasure in publishing them.
The anniversary exercises in the Ben
nington public schools began Monday
afternoon with the Glass Day exercises
of '95, on the School lawn. The
day was perfect. A platform had been
erected under the elms on the banks of
the Walloomsac. Various schools were
present in double ranks with their flags.
Hundreds of people had gathered on the
lawn before the hour to begin.
Ats o'clock, Goldsmith's City Band
played an overture, aud the Glass of '05
came upon the platform, and immedi'
ately behind them came next year S
class, numbering nineteen members,
with apurple satin banner with '06 upon
it. The Class of '95 wore their colors of
white and gold cOnspicuousLy, and from
the flagstaff on the building hoatcd a
large flag of the same Colors.
President Sumner made n pleasing adj
dress in good voice and manner. He
spoke of the interest the class had in
holding the first Glass Day exercises ever
held in Bennington, and spoke pleasant
ly of the part to be taken by each mem
Der of the class.
George Partridge then read the fol-
lowing class history which was really
one of the most elegant and finished eff
forts Of the day. 1t was full of bright
hits for each of his classmates and it
was read with excellent effect.
One mild, balmy day, about the mid
die of May, a friend and l, out for a
tramp through the woods, climbed far
upward till we reached the clear space
at the very summit of Bald Mountain.
As the air was clear as crystal we had a
splendid view of the bennington valley.
Far across toward Mt. Anthony we saw
the Battle Monument towering majestic
ally above the horizon and not far from
it that ancient but substantial edifice
erected nearly century ago, the Old
Church on the hill. Casting our eyes
farther down into the valley, among the
larger buildings of the village, we dis.
tincuy perceived, nestled on the bank OF
the mighty Walloomsac, that stronghold
of education, the Graded School. The
sight of this awakened SO many pleasant
memories that we laid down on the
mountain grass, to rest after our long
walk and think of our early school days
As l lay with half-closed eyes turned tC
the blue heaven, my thoughts wandered
back to time, twelve years ago neXt
September, when two OF the members OF
this graduating class began their first
day at school. saw as clearly as if il
were yesterday, the little six-year old
girl, fearful, and almost heart broken al
being separated from her mamma, fol-
the first time, to 90 to school. But she
soon forgot her sorrows, and dried hel
tears, and after bravely walking across
the bridge over that roaring torrent, The
Walloomsac river, was soon safe under
the care of the kind teacher of Number
One. School went smoothly enough un.
until few days later, when our little
heroine on being released for recess, I'm.
derstood that school was dismissed and
started off to tell her parents the as
founding news that a, b, spells alb, but a,
b, e, spells abe. Six or seven years later
when she and schoolmates were in that
stage of educational development, known
as between hay and grass" she distin,
guisheG herself by winning two or three
medals awarded for the best scholarship.
AS the years went by she grew into
blooming young womanhood, and now
her glance Pierces the heart of many a
young BenningtOnian. After three years
of excellent work in the High School,
she now holds the positions Vice Presi.
dent and SalutatOrian of the class of '95,
Twenty short years ago, call them
short because most of them were not the
slowly passing Democratic Administra.
ton, there was born in the enterprising
hamlet of South Pownal, that member
of the class OF '95 who Is gifted with
mighty voice and avoirdupois. Before he
was many weeks old he had already
shown himself possessed of unusually
strong vocal powers. During his youth
his voice was cultivated by constant ex.
ercise on the farm. By the time he was
thirteen years of age, he had attained to
such strength of voice that he performed
the extraordinary feat of standing upon
one side of Pownal pond, mile and a
half wide and making himself distinctly
heard on the other bank. A year or two
ago, he was called to sing before a
large audience i'll the city of Rutland,
and there charmed hundreds of hearers
with an enrapturing tenor solo. Fol
sometime our hero has been working in
Gold Of ora tnrv attainipcr al N