The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-06-19
Graduation at Bradford High School.


sent Of the trustees OF Bradford Academy
to grant diplomas to those students Wht
had completed a prescribed course OF study
and by way of celebrating her seventeen
birthday the old Academy presented class
of eight with a certificate of their work, {
diploma. This new departure was looked
upon at first with grave questionings by
many, but the unpretentouS beginning was
SO satisfactory in general results, that the
public was more than pleased. The theme
of that first graduation and the few sue,
ceeding ones was, Give us new school
building"
In 1893. when the munificent Gift of John
l.. Woods made the lOng-Wished-tor build
ing an actual reality, great was the rejoc-
ing in all the community. who, though
loyal to the dear tine-h0nored Academy,
gladly welcomed in its stead an Institution
| which should give to our youth not only
proper shelter, but the larger and broader
opportunities of a modern school OF learn
ing.
Woods School Building was opened in
the fall of 1894, well fitted out with fine
modern equipments, and under the man
agement OF Principal 9. H. French, assist
ed by a corps of excellent teachers The
work of grading and classifying was
most thoroughly undertaken in all de-
partmentS and as result of this period
of organization the school is now ranked
as one OF the finest in the state. The
| public has been watching this work with
great interest and long anticipating the APP.
pearance of the first class for graduation
under the new regime 1896 has brought
! forth that class, and last Friday evening,
June II, the first class, consisting of nine
members, was graduated from the Woods
School Building.
The exercises were held in Woods Hall,
on the third floor of the Woods School
Building. The hall is finished into the raj
tiers and celled with maple. The chairs are
of oak The hail has seating capacity of
about five hundred and it was packed to the
uttermost with most fashionable and APP
preclative audience. At eight, standing
room was at premium, many people hay
| ing to 60 away because they could not gain
entrance. The hall was tastefully decor.
ated by the students. The pillars were
wound with red, white and blue and
stTeamerS ran around the hall in artistic
regularity. The platform was banked
across the front with ferns and daisies. the
class flower, and the rear of the platform
was banked with ferns to the very point of
| the gable. making roof as we'll as back
ground of the ferns. Standing out in bold
relief from this mass of green was the
magic inscription go" The class motto,
81 will" wrought in daisies was suspended
directly over the platform.
| From sylvan bower of evergreen on the
| right the st. JohnSbury Orchestra dispensed
most charming music, and the class, nine
in number, together with Mr.. G. Ii. French,
! principal, and Miss Kinsman, assistant, en-
tered and took seats on the stage.
Prayer was offered by Rev. F. w. Lewis.
! The first speaker, Harry Herman Chase,
| delivered an GRAFTON, "A Nation with Flu
ture." He briefly noted the character of
| the Japanese: gave to America the credit of
| awakening Japan to develope into her pres
| ent state of independence: paid the jap
anese nigh tribute for courage, bravery.
patriotism and ability. AS literary pro-
duction the Grafton possessed thought, unity
and clearness, and was exceedingly inter
eSting.
Cora May Kennedy read an essay on
Eugene Field" bringing to the minds of
the lovers OF modern verse one of their IA
voriteS. The life and characteristics of the
popular journalist were reviewed. and all
inerSpersed with charming quotations from
his dainty poems.
Ardie Brock Fulton gave an Grafton,
The Modern Newspaper and its Influ-
ence,D The newspaper as ala institution is
an old one, handed down to from earliest
times. Ancient newspapers mentioned.
one in China, as early as 1000 b. G. The
power of the newspaper in connection with
great and important political events was
very well carried out and illustrated by
examples In our own history at recent
dates.
At this point, the audience was charmed
with the cornet solo of Mr.. j. W. Batchel-
der, Three Star" This was indeed a
treat as Mr.. Batchelder is cornetist of no
usual ability.
The spice of the evening came in the Glass
ProphesieS which were delightfully."- recited
by Katherine Louise Parker. The youth
full prophecies, after hours Of mental Strug-
gle over the future of her classmates, wan
dered into shady wood, and dropping On a
messy bank by the side of SiVery bab-
bling brook fell asleep with the slanting
sunbeamS playing over her golden hair.
Transported from the woodland bower, the
silver tinkling brook, the hum of bees. the
song of birds, she finds herself in a magnif-
icent apartment, rich in artistic beauty and
furnished with all kinds of musical instru-
ments here the dreamer could Satate her
love for music. Gazing about the apart
ment she saw tiny calendar bearing the
date 1905. Upon the table a wonderful
stone of intense briIiancy attracted her at
tention and upon taking the cylinder in her
hand and looking into the magic depths of
the stone she makes tour of the world on
the latest improved scientific plan of the
goth century. In her travels she meets
many friends, but those of chief interest
are the members of 96.
In New York Mr.. Risley is holding SPELL
bound immense audiences with his repre-
sentation of Shakespeare'S immortal Romeo.
AS an actor Carey claims the attention of
eyed lady" he arouses the amusement of the
class.
In Paris another '96 is high in social ia
vor and has the good fortune to bear title
Countess D. Hauterive, nee Cora Kennedy.
she. while living for a literary career, sec
ondarily lives for the Count with the long
name. Her eminently successful achieve
ment in literature being treatise on Flirt-
alton designed for young ladies.
Our earth-wandere- makes another flight
10 Versailles, here meeting with her ola
chum Marcia, who is travelling with half a
dozen young ladies from New York to fin
ish their education" Miss Winship stands
high in the families of the 400" and even
now brings fame to herself and pleasure to
vast audiences by her evolutionary efforts.
her specially being, "Curfew must not ring
tonight"
Fulton was just missed in Norway, as he
had started for the North Pole in flying
machine of his own invention and which,
as well as steamboat, will be handed down
10 make the name of Fulton glorious.
In Athens HadlOck was a very Greek of
Greeks. studying for a professOrship III
Dartmouth. beng an alumnuS of great
honor to the college.
On the wing across the waters to our own
capital CITY our magic maii'n flies, until
under the dome of the Capitol, in the Hall
of Representatives, she hears young man
earnestly pleading that the House would |
,ocs ,b., hill that the old Green Mountain |