The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-28
A SIGNAL SUCCESS.
The Academy Crowded.to Witness Com
mencement Ey.rcises

mencement Exercises
such crush perhaps was never seen at
Tue Academy as that of last night, and
long before the hour for opening 1t was
packeu by those eager to witness last
nights closing exercises. of the public
schools. This was the first time ANYTHING
or the Kind had been attempted in the
history OF our schools, but in the light.of
iast nights performance we are sure that
III present must pronounce it good-very
good.
Superintendent Rust presided, and after
the opening prayer by Rev. DR.. w. G.
Campbell, Miss Azaline Lillian Merit.
man, OIL the part of the high school, de-
iivered an address of welcome, which
both In subject-matter and the style of
nelivery reflected credit on herself and
her classmates whom she represented.
The saiutatory was followed by Il cho-
rus sweet Ginning Bells of Long Ago."
participated in by members of all the
schools. Nothing more appropriate could
have been selected, and the simple, yet
sweet ard lovely melody will linger long
In the minds of all who heard it.
fhe programme had been 50 arranged
that al the schools in the city should
have some part in the exercises. and. car
rying out This idea, the Gilmer avenue
school had prepared several scenes from
1.-The Courtship of Miles Stantlish" The
costuming was excellent and much care
had extremity been bestowed upon the
production of this we'll known classic,
put, owing perhaps to the size of the hall,
much OF the DIALOGUE work was lost to
those in the audience.
TO the Melrose school fell, perhaps, the
most difficult work of the plght-the
Swedish gymnastics, in which some
hundred and twenty pupils took part.
That SO many pupils could have been
drilled to perform in unison so many diff
cult movements, with such accuracy and
eXactncss is marvellous. and none but the
managers, Miss Eckloff and Mrs. Spence,
can realize the amount of patient drilling
1T must have taken to secure the results
they uid. That it was appreciated was
sho wn by the hearty applause Of the au-
dience.
Miss Pace. of the Belmont school, in
the Japanese Wedding" gave the audi
ence glimpse of Oriental customs. Thir-
teen pupils from this school. CARRIED in
the quaint costumes of the Japanese, gave
faithful representation OF the marriage
ceremony of that country, their grotesuue
movements and profound salaams elicit
ing much merriment from the audience
The stage accomplishments in the way Of
screens, rugs, etc, were all i'll harm ony
with the production and made Il pretty rs
we'll rs instructive picture.
We are sure that no one in the audience
will accuse us of discrimination when we
say that 1.-The Feast of Roses" drill
composed of sixteen young girls, and got
ten up by Miss Fishburne, Of the Com
merce street school, was one of the pref
tiest and best executed numbers on the
programme. All were costumed alike in
Nirl- nj 81
fr!nged sashes, wearing gilt slippers and
bracelets and anlilets set with little
tinkling bells Each carried Il bouquet of
roses AMI us they tripped and noated in
rhythmic cadence through the intricate
maZes of the drill, with IL woodland
background for Il stage setting, it WAS for
all the world as though the curtain had
been raised upon Il nook in fairy. land
surprising group of fairies in their
haunts. The 1.-the and willo NY graceful
ness of limb and body was in perfect uni
son with the musica! accompaniment, and
showed conscientious working out of
detail and regard for minitiac Indicative
both Of good taste and unstinted energy
on the part Of the originator. so hearty
was the applause that they were forced TO
once more come before the curtain.
Miss Mary Virginia Shields had been
selected rs valedctorian, and in clear,
full voice she delivered valedictory. of
unusual merit, showing culture ana re-
search in it's preparation.
Mr.. Il. L. Fishburne, i'll IL short hut ap.
proprate speech, awarded the di plomas
to the graduating class, which consisted
of Misses y. l.. NIcrriman, Laura T.. Fer
guson, Louisa \. Dyer and Mr.. Harry \.
Muse. Miss Mary V. Shields was also
decla II distinguished graduate in the
schools Oh Latin, German, French and
English.
"-\me,icaH as II chorus and the bene-
diction concluded II programme attractive
i'll its makeup and almost faultlcssly
carried out.
So closed the first commencement OF
Roanoke's public schools, and the high
standard of excellence displayed in it
| rejects credit upon the management and
the teachers, while its effect upon the
pupils in the way Of drill and discipline
cannot fail to he beneficial 70 them in
future life