The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-17
A CLASS OF EIGHTY-N
LARGEST EVER GRADUATED FROM
INDIANAPOLIS HIGH SCHOOL.
TOmlinson Hall Crowded Last Night
at the Commencement Exercises,
Which Lasted Quite Late.

The largest class ever graduated from
the indianapolis High School was ushered
out into the busy world with appropriate
flourish and pomp last night. The twenty
ninth annual commencement of the school
took place at Tomlinson Hall at o'clock
last evening
There was an immense audience present
when the Schellschmdt Orchestra gave
the first strains of the opening overture.
The hall was packed with parents and adj
miring friends of the graduates. The en-
tire class, eighty-nine young men and
women, occupied places on the stage. With
them were Superintendent of Schools Goss,
George w. Hufford, principal of the High
School, and William Scott, president of the
School Board. Many of the young men of
the class were in full evening attire. The
girls wore gowns of spotless white and all
carried armsfull of bright flowers. The
stage was a pretty picture of youth and
beauty and palms and roses. Above was
the great hag of American colors that al
ways floats there in the hall.
The hall was sweltering hot when the
exercises began and the swish and rustic
of fans was kept up until the storm came
on and relieved the oppressive heat. Some
left the hall as the rain began to- pour,
but most of the audience remained until
the last essay was delivered. 1t was 1870
o'clock before the exercises were over and
then the people started home in a driving
rain. There was a great demand for car
riages and umbrellas and the condition of
the weather worked ruin to smart cos
tunes.
Rev. Burris A. Jenkins delivered the in
vocation, after which Herbert X. Wildly
SPOKE on Sir Humphrey Davy and His
Contributions to Science" He told what it
was that made Sir Humphrey Davy a
natural philosopher. The essayist consid-
cred him the greatest chemist of the age
in which he lived. 1t was this man who
Invented a safety lamp for the mines of
England and saved thousands from the
poisonous and deadly gasses. He would
receive nothing for his discovery. He did
not desire pecuniary reward, for his work
in the interests of suffering humanity
The Royal Institution, where Sir Hum
phrey was a professor at thirty-two years
of age, is yet a Mecca for the chemist
Elsie E. Tilley gave the audience a pretty
word picture of picturesque old Corydon.
'Indiana's First Capital The quaint old
town, nesting among the green hills of
southern Indiana, might be termed, the
speaker said, the cradle of the State. Here
met to frame the Constitution of the State.
The old town stands to-day dear to the
people because OF the tender recollections
that cluster about it. Miss Tilley in her
essay showed that she was conversant with
the earlier history of the State.
Rembrandt and the School of Dutch
Art was the topic of the essay delivered
by Miss Emma e. Klanke. America, she
said, is yet in its infancy and is feeling it's
way in the world of art Holland and Eng
land are among those countries that have
produced the richest coloring in. art. The
brightest light ana the perfect blending OF
shadows were the chief charm of Rem
brandts master hand. He was artist
skilled in the management of light and
shade in executing his designs. Every face
that this man portrayed on canvas repre-
scented type. Miss Klanke thought 1t
matter of congratulation that while in the
past but few were ever permitted to look
on Rembrandts work, thousands can now
view his masterpieces.
WAR A VERY GOOD THING.
Mr.. Joseph Barry had an Grafton on the
True Significance of War" He said there
was more than the physical strife in war.
The battle will permit no sham, for there
reality is made apparent. He believed war
necessary. Were it not for war, many
names now looked up to would have re-
manned in obscurity The great soldiers of
past ages demonstrated that mind is SUI
perior to brute force They have left rec
ords, not on tablets, but on the minds of
and these laws cannot be frustrated. War
was, and is right. But the speaker held
that the excitement of to-day is of a more
spiritual kind growing out of the battles
of man with himself More terrible battles
are fought than Waterloo, but they are be-
tween unseen forces. The orator thought
war should be allowed to die and the val
liant deeds of peace be the subject of the
MINISTRIES song.
Miss Bertha Langenberg had for her sub
ject Eyes Have They, But They See Not.
She spoke of people who go through the
world and overlook the things Of lmpor7
lance that go about them. They fail
to discern many of the beauties of nature:
She spoke of the grandeur of the sky-of
the days when there is both sunshine and
shadow, as the clouds sail by, making the
azure more clear, Just ;as q life is more I
ness Nature is not exclusive, and men
should cultivate the poetry in nature.
Ernest l.. Talbert discussed the Tendon
cies of the Day" The young man showed
himself to be something of a socialist. He
gave his views of social reforms and quoted
the opinions of the famous reformers Up
lift the man, he said, and the vicious for
eign element will leave American shores;
upIift the man and the struggle between
capital and labor will be no more. 1t has
REQUIRED eighteen centuries to make men
realize that the kingdom of good will and
peace is on earth. The speaker took hap
DIV and optimistic view of life and believed
that all would yet be well with the ma
Miss Adelaide Lecklider took 1.-The Su-
pernatural Element of Shakespeare" for her
subject and dealt with 1t cleVerly. She dis
cussed, principally, the t nncannyy women women Of
Macbeth" who were the embodlment OF
temptation and evil intent The young
woman thought many of Shakspeares witch
creations were at once terrible and sublime.
Then there were the elfs of comedy-lively
dancing fairies that sported hill and
dale. On the whole, the speaker insisted
that they were an interesting set-the peo-
pie one meets and loves in the realm OF the
supernatural in Shakespeare.
Samuel E. Selig selected humorous es-
say entitled American Wit and Humor."
He regarded the humor of America as being
of the slashing kind. The American goes the
whole length on every occasion. While Eng
land cries and laments her financial losses
America laughs over her own financial dis
asters as pictured in the comic papers. The
speaker felt that the criticism TO the effect