The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-06-24

Again, for the third time this week,
the auditorium of the high school was
crowded to overfowing last night, when
the twenty-third annual commence
ment exercises occurred.
At the training school commence
ment and, at the class exercises, by
this years graduates, on the night be-
fore, there was not a vacant seat al
though the aisles and orchestra space
were filled with chairs. Last night, all
this space was occupied and, at the
rear of the hall. persons stood four
deep, during the whole course of the
exercises, while others stood on chairs
in the corridors, happy in getting a
glance at the stage through the door,
| ways
Not little difficulty was experienced
in making a passageway through the
rear of the auditorium for the gradu-
ates who came in from the recreation
| rooms and passed down the two main
aisles to the stage, the boys on one side
and girls on the other. They ascended
| the stage from opposites sides in single
| file and passing behind a screen made
of the school colors, purple and gold,
| emerged in pairs at an opening in the
center and walking to the front sep
arated and took seats in tiers on either
side.
UNDERGRADUATE CHEERED.
Cheering was continuous from the
undergraduates while the march was
in progress, an increase in its volume
at times greeting the appearance of a
star tackle or short stop or high hurd-
| Ter.
When all had been seated Bauer's S
orchestra played an overture and at
it's conclusion Rev. w. G. Simpson, d.
D., gave the benediction. being intro
duced by the principal, DR.. George w.
Phillips.
A chorus, Awake! Awaken by the
class, led by Professor c. b. Derman
and accompanied by Bauer's orchestra
and Charles Doersam, pianist, was the
next number. 1t was excellently sung
as were all the musical selections given
by the class.
| The salutatory was then given. II
was delivered by Miss Elfreida Sylves-
ter and was very commendahle ef-
| fort. She took as the theme of her essay
characteristics of American Poetry
contending that we now have a ma
tional poetry and can no longer be ac-
cused of copying British models. The
high and pure degree of morality rep
resented by the New England poets
was held up as one of the greatest
things to be admired in our poetry.
The first Grafton was by James S
Gibbons, his subject being "Wireles:
Telegraphy." 1t was thoughtful, wei
written and well delivered effort. His
explanation of the uses to which wire.
less telegraphy could be put indicated
no little originality of ideas.
The class sang the chorus italia,
after which Miss Mabel Neeld with "A
| Point of Honor" as her text, gave q
! clever dissertation on 'Othello," ana.
lying the play clearly and thoroughly
and making the deduction that "naugh
in hate, but all in honor" was an non,
est utterance of the fierce thing made
weak by his own strength"
PLEA FOR PARKS.
Miss Blanche Lidstones plea fol
"Public Parks contained some very
apt and well-worded arguments, ant
no feature Of it was commonplace. Sht
regretted that there were children il
the large and crowded cities who wer,
thoroughly schooled in vice before they
knew the first principles of foot ball
and was pleased that there are thost
who would prefer to see the gras!
grow yellow beneath the feet of tn
children, than green above thei
graves"
In crying out against the advertis
ing fiends who have been permitted t
desecrate the rocks of Nay Aug parl
with their business announcements, sh
told of the surprise that resulted t
one of her girl friends who took
photograph of her brother and his par
ticular lady friend at an especially pic
turesque spot in the park and which
upon being developed, disclosed q back
ground which had as it's most promi
nent feature the glaring catch-word o
an insect powder, Dead Stuck"
A vocal solo. "Grass and Roses" b,
Miss Flora Levi, with violin obligato b,
Prof, Bauer, was one Of the best re
ceived numbers of the programme.
Walter Benedict, in an grafton Of
Nelson and Dewey" evinced a thor
ough technical knowledge of the tw
great naval battles in which thes
famous admirals won their laurels
Deweys achievement at Manila wa
proven by his arguments a far NOR
glorious one than that of Nelson a
Trafalgar, and he argued that tn
great American admiraIs place in his
tory should by no means be second t
that of the Englishman.
"Liquified Air" which is at presen
causing so much discussion in scienti
fc circles and wonderment among tn
laity, was the subject of very cleve
essay by Miss Pearl Treverton. TIL
first part of the programme wa