Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-15
IN A BLAZE OF GLORY,
Commencement Exercises Of the
High School Last Night
MAKES A BRILLIANT PICTURE,
Stage Filled With Pretty Girls in White
aud Lovely Flowers.
PROGRAMME 4 SPLENDID ONE.
Highly Interesting Essays, Recitn-
tions, and sOngs-Rey. Donald
Guthrie's Address on the Essential
Nature Of Education.
PROGRAMME A SPLENDID ONE.

Sweet music. sweet flowers, sweet girls
/ last night was commencement night with
| the Richmond High School
| The exercises were held I'm the Academy
Of Music; no other hall in the city would
have contained the crowd OF mothers and
fathers and grandmothers and GRANDPA
/ Tiers. and uncles and aunts and cousins
| Of the lads and lasses who were on the
/ stage to receive the reward OF labor in
! the school-room.
| Admission was by card; otherwise the
Academy would have been crowded to
| suffocation. As 1t was, there were not
/ seats in the building for all who entered,
and many who came to get in had to be
( turned away.
/ The exercises were not elaborate. but
were emhcntly appropriate and greatly
enjoyed. Some of the features Of the pro-
sramme called forth applause almost as
great as that which has greeted the great
histrionic stars who have played on the
Academy boards.
| AS a whole, the exercises were a fitting
. climax TO a year Of faithful and effective
work. and Mr.. Julian =. Thomas, the prin-
cpal Of the Richmond High School, had
every reason to feel the pride which was
displayed in every line Of his countenance.
/ PRESENTED A BEAUTIFUL SCENE.
The stage decorations. consisting solely
OF cut-nowers. were beautiful and artistic.
In rear of the fooughts was a sem-cir-
Gle. formed with baskets of carnations,
roses. and lilies, piled high, and extending
/ the full length of the stage. These were
sent to the graduates and were later pre-
! scented. At the rear and centre of the
stage was a pyramid Of roses carnations
and evergreens, reaching to u height Of
probably 10 feet from the floor. The whole
effect when the pupils We're seated upon
! the stage was very pretty. viewed from
| tho auditorium.
At $50 o'clock Richie's Orchestra struck
up a march. Professor Thomas took his
/ stand at the foot of the floral pyramid,
and the pupils began filing in from the
| basement entering at the rear OF the
! stage First came twenty girls, robed in
white. ten entering from each side. The
| two parties met at the front and centre
Of the stage marched 10 the pyramid
at the rear, and then divided, taking seats
at the left and right of the aisle. This
was the manner in which all IN pupils
entered until finally the girls Of the grad
uating class came in. occupying seats at
the front At the left ana right were
seated the members of the City School
/ Board.
When Professor Thomas introduced
Miss Mabeth 5 Russell as the first essay
ist at $40 o'clock, there was hardly
a vacant seat in the building, save in
the gallery, and that was probably two
thirds full.
\ FINE PROGRAMME.
The essays, orations. and songs were
| received with every demonstration OF APP
| probation. Miss Russells essay on our
! Country" exhibited much, and careful
| thought. and the excellent manner in
which il was read fully brought out its
strength. 1t was received with great APP
plause.
The Grafton of b.. Frank Tinsley, Jr..
on the character of Washington was
received with such prolonged applause
that it looked as though the young ora
tor would have to respond to an encore.
! The boys and misses who sang Moon
| light on the Lake" had 10 respond TO an
! encore, so vigorous, hearty and ionS-con-
| tnued was the applause by which the
| audience showed its appreciation. The
/ singers were Misses Monica Farrar,
Lizzie Mosby. Maggie BEDFORD, Iva Bass
Willie Roane John Howard, Robert
/ Stone, Clyde Maddox, and Eddie Vaughan
A YOUNG ORATOR.
| 1t would be highly incorrect to say that
| any number on the programme created
! greater applause than Mothers Fool,
or that any boy or miss scored a greater
| success than Master Winston Carter,
| who recited it. lie is the H-year-old son
| Of Mr. NJ. II. Carter. His half-reckless,
| fearless manner. the air OF the genuine
school-boy. was exactly suited to his reel
tation. The audience recognized this
fact. and he was given what was little
| less than an ovation.
'"rhe Tintamar" was rendered by an
octette of young ladies in a most
delightful manner and was most warmly
applauded The young ladies were Misses
Vida Chalkley whO led). Lucille Johnson.
Matte Hasker Ella Chiles, Juliet Woody,
Belle Willingham, Minnie Clendon, ana
Eva Prosser.
BEAUTIFUL DUET.
Miss Monica Farrar and Miss Iva Bass
sang = duet ely Away, Birding" a
manner s|'t made the audience clamor
so op for another that the request
had gfdn'cd, ana III WIS ulLiCuil 10
avoid 8 second encore
- solmarm's Experience" hum9r-
GUS taton, by Miss Resale Corson'
elected very great applause, the young
elocutiohist often having to pause untll
tho audience had recovered the equiliD-
r,,m which the humor Of the piece had
caused them to lose. Miss Corson show
ed that she has quite marked ability
as a humorous recter.
MIR. GUTHRIEs ADDRESS.
After music by the orchestra Professor
Thomas introduced Rev. Donald Guthrie
pastor of the Second presbyterian church,
who made the address % the graduating
class. Mr.. Guthrie's AIDES was re-
ceiyed I'm most dpprec,atlvc manner.
| The sneaker seemed IN excellent voice,
and his subject was thoroughly appro-
pirate. being "The Essential Nature OF
| Education
After congratulating the various par
Elephants I'm the exercises OF the evening
| teachers. officials, scholars and parents
| Mr. Guthrie proceeded TO his subject. lie
| first of all dealt with one or two popular
misconceptions IN regard 10 education
| Some people seem To look upon education
| I'm much the same way as the good mother
looks upon chiCken-pox-it IL necessary
| for tho children TO have IL ana get IL over