The Republican journal., 1899-06-22
High School Graduation.


18th. A class of nineteen graduated ,one of the
largest in the history of the school, and tine
opera house was filled to its utmost capacity
The hall was very neatly decorated. The
class motto, "Finis est initium," was shown
IN evergreen letters on field of white, with
deilcate sprays at the top and front of the
stage, The prevailing colors in tie decora-
tlons were the class coors, purple and gold
The left balcony, portion of which was re-
served for the Junior class, was decorate d
with garnet and yellow bunting (the class
colors are garnet and gold) and a triangle
OF peonies with two oughts of yellow flow
ers III the centre The design was similar to
that Of their class pin, The Junior class, as
usual, did most of the decorating with the
supervision and aid of a few of the Seniors
The Senior class, teachers, clergy and the
chairman of the School Committee were
seated on the platform. Music was furnish
ed by the Belfast Band, and the exercises
opened with the overture "Raymond," by
Thomas. Prayer was offered by Rev r. T.
Capen. The response selection from
Reinecke The salutatory was by Miss
Edith Dunton. as follows:
Parents and friends: Your presence here
shows your interest in the occasion, and yet
to most of you it means and must mean only
a recurrence Of the annual celebration Of
the closing of our school.
AS regu lar as June and roses come, comes
the High School graduation and ours to you
seems only one more added to the list of
those that have come and gone. 1t will
soon pass from your distinct recollection
and be lost in the obscurity of the things
which you have forgotten But we shall
not forget For to us it has meaning which
words can not express. 1t means more to
us than the essays, the applause and the
loug-Wished for diplomas lit means the drop
ping OF old interests and pursuits and the
severing of ties made dear to us by the
happy memory of our school-days We
have long looked forward to its coming it is
with us, and the clock will strike but twice
at most before our class and school life ends
Morituri Salutamus. Shall we give you
that sombre welcome? No, we have for you
better one, for although we stand upon the
threshold of the dead past, the door that
opens to our touch is the door of the living
future and we 60 each his separate way to
the new duties of new and larger life, With
the poet we believe,
.EThe best is Vet to be-
The last OF life for which the first made.
Not we who are about TO die; but who are
about to live salute you.
To you, our Superintendent and members
of the school-board attendance upon the
Hugh School graduation comes as a duty of
the office which you hold. You are here
this evening as representatives of the city
to confer upon us our diplomas which we
are here TO receive at your hands. We are
proud to have our names enrolled on the list
of High School Alumni and are grateful for
the opportunities that have enabled US to
be counted worthy of this honor But while
- n laf in ha
half we do not forget your personal interest
in our welfare aud our words of thanks
shall he your words of welcome.
Teachers, to you We owe a debt of graft
tude for whatever success we have achieved
in our High School course has been chiefly
due to your untiring interest and fidelity.
But we will not thank you for doing your
simple duty, we feel that your patience with
US when we We're stupid, your sympathy
when We We're disc sraged, and your
thoughtful care OF our feelings, even when
we least deserved it, were not prompted
solely by school board requirements. You
lave been our friends as we'll as our teachers,
and as such we shall always most gladly
remember you. We thank you for your un-
varying kindness during the years we have
been with you, and although as class and
teachers we tonight part forever, we
earnestly hope that we may still be counted
among the number of your friends.
Juniors, we greet yOu and welcome you
to an event i'll which yoa have an interest
second only to our own. On our passing
out of school, you will take upon yourselves
the dignity of Seniors, and to this dignity
we trust you Will add honor for with the
class of 80 as model during three years of
your High School life you ought indeed to
be an ideal class. In the years that We
have been together many pleasant friend
ships have arisen between the members of
ninety nine and those of naughty zero, so that
we have personal and friendly interest in
your success. We hope that as Seniors, you
will continue to be studious, that YOU will
never whisper behind your books, and that
you may always be as well rewarded for
your many virtues as we have been for ours.
And now friends, schoolmates and all who
have assembled here to witness these clos
ing exercises, the last exercises in which we,
as pupils of the High School, will ever have
part, we thank you for your coming and
extend to you the cordial welcome of the
class of '99.
Reginald Hazeltine was class historian,
and we give his paper in full:
The writer of contemporaneous history
has always difficult task, for to be Justly
treated events should be viewed through the
perspective of years. Such is the difficulty
which confronts the historian of the class Of
W. But what seems so sCant tale to Chron-
lcte now, would doubtless become glori-
Gus record fifty years hence.
AS we have always been an extremely
quiet class. there are nc front seat, back seat
or like troubles to relate, for which YOU are
doubtless grateful.
had 1t not been for our Pitcher Pond eX-
pedltlon two days ago, we would not have
had even class ride to record, and would
have been guilty of one more sin of omission
The incidents Of this ride, though of vital
Importance to the class would not be of in
terest to the public in general.
Though the class numbered thirty-seyeu
when entered only nineteen have com
peted the course.
At the beginning of our Senior year we
We're surprised to find that we had lost one
OF the ablest and most original members of
the chemistry class. The reason for his
absence caused great anxiety until we found
that congratulations were in order. Some
one suggested that Patterson preferred be-
ing blown up in some other way than in the
laboratory.
During our course we have been yery for
tunate in having teachers who have taken
the greatest interest in us, and in our work
1t was with regret that we said good bve to
Mr.. 1lsley at the close of our Sophomore wear.
but he was ably succeeded by Mr.. Mcclellan,
who has been great favorite. If any one
wonders why so many things escaped our
Principals watchful eye just after the game
with Rock land, | would refer them to Togp
4 Brown, who furnished the desired cure.
The class is remarkable for one thing, its
small feet, the smallest shoe being a No. 3
the average l2; while the largest is only
No. 10.
The average age of the class is seventeen.
Mo,