Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1896-11-25
THE ATLANTIC COUNTY
SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT.
"A Cromdcd House at the Red
men's Hall.
Tue SWEET GIRL GRADUATES GALORE.
MUSIC, ELoqUENcE, YOUTH AND BEAUTY
CAPTivATEs A BIG AUDIENCE, INTEREST
ING EXERCISES AND RECIrATIONs. CUR
RENT COMMENTS OVERHEARD,

The annual commencement of the
SCHOOLS of Atlantic Cornty was held in
Red Mems Hall Friday evening, and an
audience larger than could be seated
was in attendance The exercises were
under the direction of County Super
intendent S. d. Hoffman, and were cred
itably planned and executed. The
sweet girl graduates" figured conspicu-
olsly with their modest white dresses,
rosy cheeks and handsome bouquets of
flowers. The Suggesting was pat
termed after the minstrel order, one tier
of seats above another, and it made an
attractive and beautiful picture. A few
''wall-fiowers' of the male persuasion
were set on either side of the stage, TO
give dignity to the affair, and also pre-
by contrast. These ornamental gentle
men comprised Ex-County Superinten-
dent S. r. Morse, Of the State Board
of Education; c. j. Adams and DIR.
Pollard of the Atlantic City Board of
Education; C. w. Ingersoll, Supervising
Principal of the Pleasantville High
School; Rev. T. J. Cross, of Atlantic
City, and Rev. Levi Larew, pastor Of
Salem Church. The exercises were
opened with selection by the Amateur
orchestra, of Atlantic City, and prayer
offered by Rev. Mr.. Larew. The saluta-
tory was delivered by w. Burt Riley, of
Mays Landing, a member of the gradu-
ating class. who was followed by Miss
Alice Morton. of Pleasantville. who re-
cited .'The Different Ways of Saying
Yes in a very pleasing. manner.
Ex-County Superintendent 5. X. Morse
then made short address, giving some
interesting historical information CON
cerning the schools and school teachers
of Atlantic County, and of the earlier eff
forts to improve our educational system.
Norman Shinn. of Pleasantville. then
gave Il recitation entitled. "Ihe Ancient
Miners Story. and Miss Edna Small
wood recited< Il comic piece called
Traps" Superintendent Hoffman then
presented each member of the gradua-
ting class with a diploma, and John 5.
Fisher followed with Il recitation upon
Lafayette" The annual address was
delivered by Rev. L. ]. Cross, of At
lantic City, who is most eloquent and
captivating orator. Taking for the basis
of his remarks the class motto, "RoW,
not Drift he said in part
How can a young man or young
woman make the most of themselves
is the dominant question i'll the mind
of YOU who now stand upon the
threshold Of life. This occasion re-
minds, me Of the dilemma in which the
small boy was placed, when asked his
age. He replied, AT school l am
six, on the cars four. and at home, five.
What your honored County Superintend-
ent may deem worthy and what you
think you are entitled to, is another
thing. The message / bring may be en-
tirely different from either expectation
But it is one of best wishes and since
God-speed.
.You face a three-fcld demand. You
must know Yourself: your world: your
God. Your motto. Row, not Drift, is
most suggestive. Rowing in Indicative
of action. not only action. but progress.
1T suggests a starting point and a goal.
Rowing is active drifting. passive.
Rowing presupposes individual action,
and the one thought of individuality, per-
soIality.
..Tbe singular case. / would keep be
fore YOU tonight, if no longer. Re-
member. the one channel through which
flows the blessings and mercies to TINS
world is through men and women.
Mountains Indicate strength; flowers
show beauty, and the ocean symbollZes
power. As you stand with your dlpio-
ma. having the seal of the Common
wealth, let it act as an impetus. not
merely an additional framed ornament
in your homes.
s.One of the demands of the day Is
Your prescribed course of study is end
ed. But let this be only the commence
ment of study You are after charae--
ter which is real, not the veneer OF
reputation. ,-
Yourself, know your world. DISMISS
from your minds that there. are oniy
three open profcssions-the law. med
icine and ministry: We need lhleiii-
anf.tl
Statesmen and educated business nen.
The public schools of our country must
be the base of supplies. There Is al,
WAYS a place for competent men anu
women. David thought his world was
a sheep fold But when divinely guided,
he became a leader. king and poet
T,uther outgrew the Wills Of the monas-
tery. and finding his world, began the
great Reformation.
.sHe once said that the prosperity OF
n country depends. not on the abundance
of the revenues. nor on the strength OF
It's fortifications, nor OH the beauty OF
it's public buildings, but i'll the number
If its cultivated citizens, its men ana
women of enlightenment, education ana
character, Here are TO be founu 10,
true interests. its chief strength, us fei'i
power. ,a;,,a
sThe thought of freedom that received
a fresh impetus when Luther taught .ne
doctrine Of justification by. faith made
| every man feel he was priest and KING
before God. and accordingly, was hlied
with n new sense of his dignity.
..Students of history know full wen
tho consequences of such teachings
Feudalism was swept from Europe,
| the English Reformation and Ehsilsh
Revolution of 1858 followed. The FL
| grim Fathers, the French Hugueno,s,
/
| exnonents of this principle OF free
| dom To them we owe our lndcpen-
dence. Our own Revolution was won
| for tlis country's freedom from an ar
| rooaut and ignorant king, whose. only
| hone was IN brute force. to compel sub
;action. But God heard the cry OF his
Children. and to Us has come the plesseu
| heritage. ,,an
,gTime will not permit the mere NEIL
| tion of usan, famous IN the n,s'ory oe of
this country, who were .1d caheo Rnt 9"t n
every case they were prepared men lor
Tho prepared place. The cccnsion ue-
yeao,ed the ability to meet the demands
th ;n their w,,ld. Krow thyself, know thy
,.orid and kno~ vour Col. The tear
of the Lord is the beginning OF WIS
DOM - npoprzpcy
when Mr.. Cross had concluded the
class m nrophecy was delivered by Miss
Idle Beekman. Miss Dora Allen le;ra rs,
cited some verses entitled. "dolns
Home The farewell to the class va was
then said by Miss Eta Steeman, ,iu VIZ "
read the yaiedietory, and the Grass u
'96 passed into history.
Those who graduated were n.,
Ffta ri. Steelman, W. Burt hliey,
/ idie de- %Beekman, John s, Fisher, Warner
Risley. John e. Iszard. Norman shinn.
| Ada ingersoli, Bertha Spratt, Aiw1loa
5fee3man, Annie s. Collins. Alec .,1sess 5tor'