The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-06-05
High School Notes.

High School Notes.
Charles Cooper's essay, read Friday alter
noon, was very interesting. 1t was entitled
The Wonders and Curiosities of the Mod
ern Railway" The strides taken III the
railway business from the time that the hrst
American railway in 1926 drew material at
Quincy, Mass. for the Bunker hill monu-
ment until the modern lightning express
Numbered along, are enormous and worm
study. The rendering of the shapeless ore
into the drying wheel or boiler plate is an
interesting and beautiful process. Peter
Cooper built the first locomotive in america.
1t was sent to South Carolina and lived but
year owing to dusky southerner's sitting
on the safety valve to stop the Kissing noise
of escaping steam. 1t was impertinent IN
Columbus to discover America if there were
to be no railroads. Railways bind nation
because they effect an interchange of ideas.
They tend TO sever a nation because they
are temptation to paralyze the industries
of nation through strikes. The locomo'
tive with its 5460 parts has an active life or
thirty years, at the end of eleven OF which
| its original cost has been spent on 1t for re-
pairs. 1t is monument and marvel of APP
piled industry.
| Miss Maud Gilbert recited her well writ
ten narrative, founded upon fact, OF the life
| of union soldier, who leaving behind his
beloved home and his favorite violin went
| to the war, was wounded and left in the
hands of the enemy. The rebel physician,
untrue to the ethics of his profession, tried
to cause the boy all the pain he could. Fail
ing to extract groan from the brave fellow
he stabbed the flesh around the wound with
his murderous lancet, but no cry escaped
the union lad. Recaptured he died In
union hospital from the blood poisoning
caused by the southern surgeon.
Monday afternoon Leo Moss delivered his
essay on the United States Navy, in which
he traced the history of that very important
part of national life. The growth of our
navy has been retarded by lack of inter
est on the part of the nation at large, but
the congresses of the last few years have
made appropriations which are securing and
have secured cruisers which in their respec-
tive classes excel anything afloat. The
cruiser Indiana for example, could fire at
one volley 6724 pounds of steel, of which
1920 pounds could be shot straight ahead.
We have other cruisers of similar capabili-
ties and our navy is altogether one of which
we may well feel proud. Mr.. Moss es-
say showed careful research and was list
ened to with interest.
Miss Mabel Ferry gave in the form of a
narrative IAN Educational Idea," sum-
mary of the reasons for and against an edu-
cation. There were three boys whose histo-
ries were traced. One was taken out of
school when twelve years old because he
liked to be in store and didn't wish to go
ed I'D business owing to lack of education.
The second boy went through high school
and college but acquired no definite aim in
the course of his studies and amounts to
nothing at the close of the story. The third
boy exemplifes the educational idea by
building upon broad general education a
special capability the demand for which
gives him good position and living. The
narrative form of presentation of this idea
was an effective one and reflects credit upon
the English work done In our schools where,
contrary to the old notions, story writing is
encouraged.
Tuesday afternoon Miss Minnie McCor-
mick read an excellent essay on the life of DIR.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, whose loving hu-
mainly seemed to beam forth from his por-
trait which adorns the assembly room. He
belongs to the same age as Darwin and Ten
nyson.. He was a sunny tempered lad with
a natural bent of wit. He attended Phillips
Academy at Andover where 1t was expected
that he would become minister. But, as
he said, he met there, ministers who looked
too much like undertakers. He graduated
| from Harvard In the famous class of 1890
! studied law but finally gave 1t up for medi-
cine. For thlrty-fve years he was profess
sor Of anatomy In the Harvard Medical Col