The morning times., 1896-06-19
WAS HIGH SCHOOLS NIGHT
Large Audience Gathered to
Honor Their Graduates.
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
Aliens Grand Opera House Packed
with the Friends of the Institu-
tions-Justice Cole Delivers u Fine
Address, Com missioner Ross Pre-
MISREPRESENTATION Of Diplomas.

The GROWING event OF the year in school
lie is the graduating exercises Of the
washington high schools; and this Gun
be said without umbrage to the very many
happy aud interesting commencement ex-
ercises which have already taken place
Ia the city this season. That the interest
In the public schools and the entertaining
character OF their public exercises is
increasing Is evidenced by the crowded
assemblage which gathered la st night
In Aliens Grand Opera House to greet
the new graduates and to applaud the
story OF their long, patient, ana successful
work.
The scene on the stage was striking.
The platform was occupied by about 11O
| young people about to embark on the
smooth sea OF after-scbool life. The very
large proportion OF the graduates was
OF the fair sex, sweet sixteen or seventeen,
and every one Of them appareled like
the Spring, and tOsteal more from Shakes
peare, the graces their attendants.
The picture was one OF blooming woman
hood, every one OF which womanhood
tsmiled superiority when Justice Cole held
out to them the prospect of the ballot at
| no very distant millennium. Justice Cole,
Commissioner Ross, Supt. Powell and ex-
Commissioner Myron II. Parker said SO
many things to the graduates, which would
| have been r1attery to any other crowd,
that when the young ladies were not en-
gagged in blushing, they were trying to
bear up with the masses OF roses, pinks,
| carnations and boxes of bon-bons which
| had come in by the underground railway
from their friends in the audience, and
| especially from the High School Cadets.
The young men who graduated were bright
and animated looking, and some of them,
| in fact, asgood loe' of them, might be
considered in class A from the aesthetic
| standpoint.
IN A BANK OF PALMS.
The stage was set prettily with palms.
Over its front hung the Stars and Stripes,
| the several illusions to which were marked
by the applause OF satin slippers, and on the
boxes and balconies the flags were fes-
tOoned with excellent effect.
There was excellent music, which was
| furnished by the Washington Symphony
Orchestra, of which Mr.. E. D. SherburDe is
director.
The exercises after the playing of several
selections, were opened by entrance upon
the stage of the graduates, the music being
the High School Cadets" The appearance
of the young people on the stage was the
inspiration OF u big burst Of applause, which
was repeated time and again as the awards
of merit were made.
On the stage were Supt. Powell, Commits
sioDers Ross and Truesdell, Rev. DR.. Elliott,
rector of Ascension Church; Prof. Lane, ex-
Commissioner Parker, Prof. Barnard, Prof.
Greely. Miss Westcoat, Mrs. Haegelberger,
Prof. Sites, Trustees Whelpley, Harries, viii
SOD, and Justice Cole. the orator of the even
ing.
The prayer was offered up by DR.. Elliott.
The Introductory address was by Commits
sioDer Ross.
Mr.. Ross, after speaking OF the great
success OF the present year in the public
high schools, referred appreciatively
to the financial success OF the bazaar for the
teachers annuity fund, $25 900 having
been raised, and the good result of that
enterprise. He recited the many things
that had been done by Congress for the
public school system, enumerating the new
building for the Western High School and
the increased appropriations.
COMPLIMENTED THE TEACHERS.
He spoke in highly complimentary terms
OF the work done by the teachers and ex-
tended his Congratulations to the graduates
making this the occasion of showing that
tne education OF youth was the highest
product of the civilization of the old and
tile new world.
Mr.. Ross introduced Justice Cole, who
was handsomely received by the audience.
lie delivered very finished Grafton on the
American public school system, its origin
in New England State, its spread to other
colonies, and its adoption by the fathers
of the Republic who placed it in the
constitution in which public education
must be had under the general welfare
clause.
Justice Cole quoted the passages of Wash
ngton's writings on the subject of free
education, and thenedified the audience by
ba ssotiu nf
pairing the results or 1878 with the present
year. The appropriations by the govern
mentin the formersyear were SIS, 600;
in 1895 they were $17O,OOO,OOO. In
1873 Congress appropriated for the Dis
trict $475,OOO; in 1856 1,14I,O5 In
1873 the number of pupils. enrolled was
22,673; in the present year, he was in
formed, 1t woulu be not less than 45,OCO.
The speaker was loudly applauded when
he said that the secret Of the great success
OF cur system was that it was conducted
without reference to parties. Washington
was a model city in all things, but in
nothing more SO than in its public schools,
which would in time, be the model for the
whole nation. Judge Cole concluded with
some lessons for the future of the grad
mates. which he delivered with earrestness
and force.
Ex-Commissioner Parker was invited to
speak by MIR. Ross, and he made quite a hit
in his fe W minutes talk.
DISTRIBUTING THE PREMIUMS.
The distribution of the premiums was
allotted to Commissioner Truesdell. A
notable incident of the distribution was that
when Prof. Sites went forward for his school
there was u great deal of applause from the
floor.
Superintendent Powell announced the fol-
lowing award Of scholarships:
n,Ist
L. Stone of the Central, Miss Alice Putnam
Of the Eastern, and Miss Josephine Miller
Davis OF the western Schools respectively.
Dickinson College-Miss Minnie Matulda
Meyers OF the Central School.
National Medical SchoolNiss Ella r.
House of the Central. -.
Kendall scholarship in Columbian Uni
versity-Miss Rosalie Robinette of the
Eastern School.
Georgetown Medical Bchool-Mr. Nelson
6apen of the Eastem High School.
Miss Inez Philippe Carusi, Miss Bessie