The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-17

ON LIES THRESHOLD
TWenty-Tnird Commence
ment of the High School
at the Academy,
FLOWERS, MUSIC AND oRAToRY
List Of the Graduates and Prize
Winners-The Glass Part
ing Song.
FLOWERS, MUSIC AND ORAToRY

the Academy of Music, and The ninety
members were presented with diplomas
by Mayor Wanser. The exercises were
late in beginning, and the large audience
passed the time in admiring the many
bouquets and baskets and punches of
flowers which filled the space usually oc-
cupied by footlights. After Cranmer's
orchestra had played the overture, Pass
ing Show the curtain was raised and
disclosed a scene so pretty that the audi
ence i~nvoluntarily applauded. In the cen
ire of the stage were seated the girl
graduates; behind them on elevated seats
were the girls of the High School choir,
in front at the left of the stage was the
Board of Education: at the right, Superin-
tendent Snyder, Principal Charles S.
Haskell, E. S. Cowles, the High School
faculty, and a table bearing an immense
pile of diplomas.
The Rev. Robert K. Wick invoked Gods
blessing upon the class of ninety-six
and the exercises of the evening, and after
"Rusticana" by the orchestra, Superfnten-
dent Snyder presented the class. He said
the class had been faithful and efficient
in studies. and the Board of Education
had now set its seal of approval on the
work done by the individual members.
The audience must bear in mind that these
diplomas had reference not only to the
four years work in High School, but also
the years in grammar and primary
schools. If faithful work was not done
in those schools good results could not
follow in High School. He had great
pleasure in presenting the class of ninety
six.
Immediately following were the essays
by the graduates. All were particularly
good and some were excellent. Such
adverse criticism as there is must be
directed at the gestures. The subject
matter Of the productions was good, the
delivery was generally acceptable, but
the gestures were almost entirely I'M
graceful, and utterly at variance with
the thoughts expressed. AT times a
most effective peroration was marred by
a gesture which seemed to have been
jerked in as an after-thought.
Mr. Norman l.. Rowe, Jr., Salutatorian
Of the class of January, gave the saluta-
tory essay. 1t was a graceful piece of
English, and welcomed the friends. par
ents. teachers and Board of Education.
Mr.. Rowe paid a delicate tribute to the
parents. saying that to them was due
mucn Of the success of the class.
Miss Anna L. Marmelstein, in her es-
say, Progress of Society," traced the
progress from the days of barbarism to
the present civilization. She told how a
system of exchange and barter first be-
came necessary and what were the various
things used. This system, she said, made
it possible for a man to support his fam
lily by his own labors, and thus allow them
to do work of a different nature. Where
before all had been obliged to do the same
work, they then began to vary their mode
Of life. In closing Miss Marmelstein said
religion had been a potent factor in the
progress of society. The Egyptians had be-
come more refined through their worship
of gods and goddesses, and other civilized
nations had become so in a great measure
by devotion to their religions.
ssThe Profit We Derive from Books"
was the subject of the essay by Miss Ag-
mes f. Reilly. Miss Reilly divided tina
profit into two classes, one of usefulness,
the other, ntertainmen In speaking of
the usefulness of books, she ssaid histo-
ries and biographies melted noble deeds;
that the lives of Abraham Lincoln and
Ulysses s. Grant made readers Ego and
do likewise" Books are of incalculable
good in amusing one. They divert ones
thoughts from woes and troubles; they
pass time which would otherwise pass
slowly, and by so doing keep ones good
nature. A three-part chorus, Down in
the Dewy Dell, directed by Fraulein
Hersog. was admirably sung by the High
School choir.
Mr.. Edward Dafin Dunn ~eulogized Glad
stone in his essay, "The Grand Old Man.
His paper was statistical, and he pre-
scented a formidable array of dates and
events. He quoted a number of opinions
Of the worth of Gladstone, and said he
thought if Grant should return from the
grave the first thing he would do would
be to eulogize Gladstone.
1.-THE Scotch in Present-Day Literature
by Miss Martha MacDermid, was one of
the best essays of the evening. Miss Mac
Der1nid spoke Of Barrie. Crockett and
the works Of Scott and Burns had made
the Scotch dialect familiar to the reading
public, and they now had no trouble in
remarks about the beauty of the books
Of Maclaren and Crockett and Barrie by
selections from THE sticket Minister
dow III Thrums. She said the pafhos of
these character delineations is Irresistible.
Miss Macpermid had fess of the auto
matie machine about her gestures than
the majority OF her classmates and her
delivery was excellent. The moduiations
of her voice were In accordance with the
thoughts expressed. and taken altogether
It was SO good that the audience enthus;-
ast.cally recalled her.
MIR. Firman B.. Hull gave an essay on
The Commercial Age He said there
had been three ages, the Stone Age. the
Bronze Age and the Iron Age, and this
age might now be called The Commercial
Age. Commerce. Mr.. Hull said, is respon-
siple for the advances in civilization. Deal
ings between peoples of different nation
alities have broadened them and helped
civilization. The great amount Of metal
Mr.. Hull thinks, if Congress will only
take advantage of opportunities, oppor-
tunities Of which Mr.. Hui seemed to
think Congress has been careless.
The next essay was 11The Eve the
Window OF the Soul,n by Miss Henrietta
Kenne. Miss Kennels enumeration was
clear and her manner good. She said
81 the I'VE senses that of seeing Is most
Important. Although the eye has been
called the window Of the soul there are
1many people who never see with the
soul, whose seeing ends with the y
and who thus miss many of the good
Things Of life. Miss Ken1e closed 80
advIstng her hearers to see with the
soul and not miss opportunities
49, ~ Iaa Kathsryn Mhyte w. also
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