The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-05-30
A GRADUATING CLASS
Six Young People Complete Their
Work in the Billings
High School.
A MEMORABLE EVENT
One Long to Be Remembered by Grad
yates. Relatives and Friends.
Synopsis of Orati0ns.

Another event was added in thehis-
tory of the Billings high school 8atur-
day night, when the graduating exer-
cises of the class of '99 were HELD and
six young people completed their studies
and passed out into the World to enter
the active pursuits of life. The class
was the second one to leave tile Bill
ings schools and was the largest by one.
Fred Penrod was the only young man
in the class and has the honor Of being
the first to graduate from the city
schools. The opera house was taste
fully decorated with streamers, flowers
and potted plants. the class colors,
pink and green, being quite prominent.
The five young women Of the class were
daintily attired in white gowns, while
the young getlemen member wore
black. The class motto "Nullo
Secundus," Latin phrase meaning
''Second to None, was prettily worked
out in gold letters with pink and green
background over the front of the stage.
The graduates and the relatives and
friends and those interested in the high
school and it's work will remember the
occasion all their lives. The graduates
were the recipients of many lovely
bouquets and baskets of roses.
The opera house was crowded, many
standing and number being turned
away from the doors unable to gain ad-
mittance. Each graduate delivered an
essay or oration, a portion of each one
following below. In justice to all it
is but fair to state that each one ac-
quilted himself or herself in highly
creditable manner and the orations
showed careful thought and prepara-
tion. The programme opened with
splendid over rture by the orchestra, fol-
lowed with an invocation by Rev. W.
D. Clark. Throughout the evening the
programme was iterspersed with music,
a ladies' quartette, composed Of Misses
Martha Denham and Dora Gruwell,
Mesdames Tompkins and Barstow, and
a male quartette, comprising Messrs.
H. M. Allen. Ira L. Whitney. E. H.
Hollister and G. F. Young, each sang
fine selection. Miss Denham also
sang beautiful solo and encore, being
in splendid voice for the occasion. A
co1net duet by Messrs. H. A. VanHorne
and W. 0. Allen was another pleasing
musical number. At the close Of the
orations, Judge Jas. R. Goss, president
of the board of trustees, made the pres
entation Of diplomas to the graduates,
omplimenting them upon having run a
successful race and doing we'll. When
he had closed, Principal Fl. NJ Bray
ton addressed the class, reviewing their
school work and speaking of the regret
that was felt upon bieng called to bid
them goodbye and that they would be
greatly missed from the school. The
orchestra then played selection and
after benediction by Rev. Clark, the
programme came to close and rela-
tives and friends Of the graduates hast
ened onto the stage and showered con-
graulations and we'll wishes upon them.
Salutatory, "a Philanthropic Movement"
by Miss Winifred Rixon.
The salutatory was given by Miss
Winifred Rixon. After extending a
cordial welcome to all present she took
up the subject A Philanthropic Move
ment'' She said:
"We meet tonight to celebrate the
end of school days and to hail the be-
ginning of serious life-the day, the
months, the years have passed by and
at last our course is finished. We have
looked forward to this night as period.
in our, lives of much importance to US
and I, in behalf of my class. welcome
you to these commencement exercises of
the class of 1899. Looking back
through countless centuries. the fate of
the wounded soldier was to be left
alone upon the battlefield, there to
watch eagerly for the moment when
pain and exhaustion would bring to
him the only reward which emperors
and kings were liberal with-the glory
Of dying for a country. Little interest
was manifested in the final lot Of the
sick or wounded patriot until the
Crimean war, when the effect Of the |
press upon the sympathies Of an intelli-
gent people became evident When re-
ports were found showing that the gov,
eminent had failed to supply sufficient
medical aid, that soldiers were dying
from pestilences; that men, wounded
in battle, lay in the trenches, where
they fell; that they were unfed and un-
cared for, the British nation was filled
with horror and indignation. Sidney
Herbert, realizing that . civil organiza-
tion would be better able to cope with !,
these humane duties, wrote to Florence
Nightingale, supervisor Of a London