The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-06
THOMPSON SCHOOL COMMENCE
MENT.
A very interesting address by Hon. c.
Fl. Mebane, State Superintendent of
Public instruction.

Siler City, n. c., June 3.-(SpeciaD
The seventeenth annual commencement
exercises of Thompson School closed
Tuesday night. On Sunday, May Both.
at eleven O'Clock the annual sermon was
preached by Rev. w. A. Bunch, Green's
l)r0, y. C. The scriptural foundation for
his very able discourse was Hebrews
1911. If We endure Christening, God
dealeth with you as with sons" In dis
cusSing the Divine plan of human devel-
Opment, is attained through the great
gree of intellectual and spiritual devel-
opmentSc, is attained through the great
st amount and degree of suffering, reach
ing the sublime climax, in quoting the
scriptural declaration, 1.-The Captain of
our salvation was made perfect through
suffering" The sermon was greatly APP
preciated, and it was conceded by all to
be a mastery effort, the result of great
research, profound thought and careful
study.
Monday night the joint contest in pub
lie debate by members of the Erasmian
and Prolific Literary Societies was held
The query discussed was, Resolved,
That civilization is able to cope with the
evils attending it's progress After
very interesting debate, in which all the
speakers did well, the judges decided the
question in favor of the negative, and
awarded the medal to Mr.. j. Q. Smih,
Clinton, n. c., a member of the Eras-
milan Sosiety. Tuesday was regular com
mencement day, and the, weather being
unusually fine, very large crowd Of
people attended. A more orderly and
better behaved crowd doubtless never
assembled at this or any other place.
In the declaimer's contest the speak
ers We're so nearly matched that the
judges decided it was almost a tie with
three speakers, one Prolific and two Eras-
mians, but they gave their decision in
favor of Mr.. w. B. Harris Evans, n. c.,
a member of the Erasmian Society The
result of the orators contest was that Mr..
Willard NJ. Fox, Siler City, n. c., a
member of the Prolific Society, won the
honor. Mr.. A. NJ. Moore, Liberty, n. c.,
won the complime ntary gold medal offer
ed by the Erasmian Society to its best
orator.
The browning beauty and joy of the oc-
| casion was the most excellent literary
address of Hon. G.. III. Mebane, State
Superintendent OF Public Instruction
His subject was ''True Manhood and
Womanhood and Some of the Elements
that go to Make it, To attempt to give
even an outline of this excellent address
might do the speaker injustice. Suf-
fee it to say it was a forceful presenta-
tion Of irrefuable facts and truths
which we trust were well received by an
appreciative audience and will result in
much good. AT the close of the exercises
the Superintendent made a brief state
ment relative to the enrolment of pupils,
the majority of whom were boarding
students, the work done during the year,
&c. In announcing his plans for the
next year he outlined a policy that met
the hearty approval of his friends who
appreciate the work he has done.
The social gathering Tuesday night
was greatly enjoyed especially by the
young people, as they fingered in the
society halls until near the hour of mid
night when the large bell in loud clear
tones rang out the close of the seven
teenth scholastic year of Thompson
| School.