Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-05-05
Number |.
HIGH SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT. At
FORkSvlllE.
Glass of '08 Acquits Itself Crsditably.
Their Orations Showed Careful Prepa-
ration.

Glass OF '00 AcQuits 1tself Croditably.
Their Orations Showed Careful Preps-
ration.
A class of three young men have
completed their public school course
and have passed the. occasion which
sewers their connection with the
Forksville High School as pupils and
sends them forth into the world as
future citizens or to some higher in
stitution of learning.
The sky all day Friday had look
ed threatening, but it:did not prevent
a large and fappreciative audience
from various sections of the county,
gathering in the NJ. f. church to
honor the class of '98.
The exercises opened shortly after.
O'Clock. AS the music from the
organ foated ON the air. there was
disclosed a.scene which alwaysiglad-
dens the hearts ola Forksyille aud
ience-The opening Of theirl High
School Commencement. While the
march was being played the faculty,
members of the school board and
class of '98 filed in and took seats on
the platform; the class on the right,
the faculty-Prof. F. J. Wandall and
Miss Geneva Huffman-On the left,
and Rev. Frasier, County Supt. F.
w. Meylert and School Board-M.
R. Black, w. E. Miller, John Flem-
ing, Isaac Rogers, Robt. Lancaster
taking seats in the centre. Over
them hung the motto of the class, -
"Step by Step"
The class consisted of three inte-
lectual young men who seemed to
feel the importance of the occasion
and were as noble and manly as
though the class was not without Its
usual and most attractive feature
young ladies in all the beauty OF
young womanhood, attired in such
way as to make them more attrac-
tive-to join with them in reaping
/, honors.
The orations were of a high order,
containing excellent and original
thought with careful and thorough
reserch, rendered as follows: Salu-
tatory and Grafton, n,-"There is no
Royal Road to Learning"-George
F. Miller; Grafton, ,-'secret Of
Succes"-Wm. T. Clarke; Valedic-
torary and Grafton, -"Ideal Citizen
ship''-John T. Molyneaux.
Rev. Frasier invoked the blessings
of God upon the exercises of the
hour. The program was just long
enough to hold the undivided atten-
ton of the delighted audience.
There was an abundance of flowers
and useful books presented to the
class respectively after each had de-
livered his oration. AS we left
the church we heard the remark by
those well qualified to judge that the
occasion ranked among the very best
in the history of the school. The
smile of Providence seemed to rest
on the labors of the class, the faculty
and their numerous friends.
The Salutatory and Grafton which
was so pleasantly rendered by Mr..
Geo. Miller was in part as follows:
It is said that none but the rich can obtain
an education such as an American ftoday
should have, If such we're the case what
, would we say of Franklin, Of Lincoln, OF
Grant, of Garfield, and Of the President
of this glorious rrpublic, Mckinley; these
men were not born with any special gift
of knowledge nor were their parents rich,
but by their own industry aud perseyer.
ance they reached an eminence which
perhaps not all but at least some may
attain. franklin stole his hours Of study
from his meals and sleep and for years
with inflexible resolution, strove TO make
! himself what he finally became.
J.Q, Adams to the last day of his life
| was an economist of times striving in
( every spare moment to further his know
e ledge. Learning never came to any one
, by waiting. Its not an instinct but an
: acquisition and we shall never get beyond
the need Of having more and more know.
ledge. There is saying that "know'
ledge is power,n but there is no such say
ing as power brings knowledge. Labo,
: alone secures it. Thaddeus Stevens
Americas ssGreat Commoper," Was born
! in very humble circumstance. He vae
= sickly and lame when child but had a
great desire to obtain an education. Ry
, the aid OF his mother be WAS enabled ,o