The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-06-17
MONTPELIER HIGH SCHOOL.

It's Eighty'third Anniversary Celebrated
Last Friday Evening The Glass of
Hinety-six a Credit to this Institution
An Immense Crowd Enjoys the Com
mencement Exercises.
Standing-room, even, was at premium last
Friday evening at Blanchard Opera House,
when the graduating exercises OF the class
of '96 of the Montpelier High School were
held. The stage was prettily decorated
with palms and cut flowers, and suspended
over the center was the class motto, Row,
Not Drift" Music was furnished by the
Montpelier Orchestra.
After pray or by Rev. A. H. Webb, Miss
Sallie Oviatt gave the salutatory, and read
a bright and unique essay on Children's
Ideals" Children early begin to have some
idea of what they intend to do in life, and
the child sees his future bright with sue
CESS. While the vagaries OF the child's
mind may be amusing, it often sizes up cor
rectly its future career. The manner in
which Miss Oviatt acquitted herself, as
we'll as the ideas she advanced, gave the
best of evidence that the honor of saluta-
torian had not been wrongly awarded.
Miss Eta Clark next read an essay on
"The Point of View" in which she in
geniously compared battlefield with the
battle of life. Happy is it for us II we take
an optimistic view Of life, from an elevated
standpoint. Elevation is knowledge and
knowledge 10 power.
|
dainty essay by Miss Mertie Whitcomb.
She compared the times Of our forefathers,
| of which she drew delightful word picture,
with those of the present. and asked !:
"Were they good old times or hard old
times?" Few OF us would be willing to go
| back to them, but all times may be to us
good times II we think Of them Alright and
with content.
Clayton Boyce delivered an grafton on
vermont Among the States" that was
way above par. He showed that while the
| people of Vermont are not of a warlike dis.
| position, yet, If the occasion demands, they
are ever ready to exchange the implements
| OF industry for those OF war. The Civil
War found the sons of Vermont possessed
| with the patriotism Of their ancestors, and
the death-rate among Vermont soldiers in
| that war attests their bravery and loyalty
| Mr. Boyce spoke of the beauties Of Yer
mont, and of the prominence in war, art,
music, literature, craftsmanship her sons
have reached, paying glowing tribute to
| those men who have made our state IA
nous.
The essay ITO Illustrate" by Miss Ber-
nice Hunt, was an interesting and intelli-
| gent discussion OF the question whether
stories in magazines and newspapers gain
or lose by accompanying illustrations.
| Even such illustrations as those OF Gibson
will soon be as old fashioned as are those
to-day of Thackeray, and this risk the au-
| thor runs when he allows his work to be
illustrated. The burden of this essay was
against the illustrator, and its author gave
| good reasons for the beliefs she expressed.
Investments" by Miss Marion Dewey,
sparkled with bright ideas. 1t showed that
| men seem to think that money Is all there
| is in this world to be invested. Our time.
| thoughts, labor, words deeds and habits
are our investments, the result OF which is
| character II we have strong character
| invested, on which we can draw, success is
| certain.
Miss Nettie Wade had for her theme " A
Novel" 1t was a strong and gracefully
worded plea for the value of good novels,
of which she took George Eliot's Mill on
the Floss" as an example. Such stories
widen our horizons, take us out of the
routine of our daily lives, and rouse and en-
large our sympathies.
Miss Bessie Pitkin spoke Of Social Set
| Elements" In choice diction and we'll
modulated voice she referred to the origin
and object OF social settlements among the
| poor in large cities The custom originated
in London, and the work done there. as
we'll as at Hull House, Chicago, and at
Denison House, Boston, was touched upon
and the benefits they afford to those for
whom they were originated were pointed
out.
The theme of Harley Cummins Grafton
was A Search for an Ancestor" 1t told
in an amusing and entertaining manner Of
| the tribulations the author experienced in
| searching through Une DrduCneb Oh his IAN
| lily tree for the past two centuries. Mr..
Cummins closed by urging the thought that
| it is better to make a name for ourselves
than to look to our ancestors for fame and
renown.
Miss Frank senter made an ingenious
and very happy defence OF Slang" She
pointed out that slang is a commonality of
our language, and is OF two kinds-useful
and useless, temporary or permanent. Ex-
amples OF both were given, and in her de-
| fence OF useful slang the talented essayist
| quoted Shakespeare and Chaucer.
Looking Backward" by Miss Esther
Hathaway, was supposed to have been
written in 1916, aud in an interesting man
ner it chronicled the life history of each
member of the class.
Miss Bessie Bowers was the vaedictorian,
and she acquitted herself most creditably.
She read a brief essay on " Work, " in which
she referred to the fact that all there is of
value in this world represents work. The
magical and miraculous in these days are
( explained by the one word work" Grand
characters and stately regulations are not
made by chance, but by earnest work.
Well directed work is what has made the
American nation what it is to-day A
graceful adieu was said to the friends OF the
class of '96, the board of school commission
ers, the teachers and Professor Blanpied,
aud the young lady took her seat among
continued rounds OF applause.
General j. III. Lucia, chairman of the
school board, presented each member of the
class with diploma, accompanying them
with brief words of congratulation.
The personnel OF the class and the
courses they have completed is az follows:
English course-Harley Albert Cummins,
Clayton Brigham Boyce and Bessie Kate
Pitkin, Latin English course-Bessie Belle
Bowers, Eta May Clark, Esther Achsa
Hathaway, Bernice Maud Hunt, Marion
Belle Dewey, Salle Eliza Oviatt, Frank
Geneva Senter, Nettie Florence Wade and
Mertie Elvira Whitcomb.
AT the conclusion of the exercises at the
Opera House commencement hop was en-
joyed at Whitcomb Hall, for which the
Montpelier Orchestra furnished music.