The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-21
given THEIR DIPLOMAS
The Commencement of the Wash
ington High School.
Thousands Gather in Convention
Hall to Witness the Graduating
Exercises - Commissioner Macfar-
land Neutrality-suspicious. to the Class
by Fred II. Wines-Prizes Awarded.

The annual commencement OF the Wash
ington High Schools was held last night
in Convention Hall, corner OF Fifth and L
Streets northwest. About 5000 people
were present to give hearty goispeed to
the loo graduates OF the several schools.
The hall was tastefully decorated for
the occasion, and, as the chairman said in
his address Of welcome and colgratulation,
the weather smiled upon the occasion
Music was furnished by the Marine Band
under the leadership Of Prof. Santelmann,
and served as a pleasing interlude to the
several addresses and exercises.
Henry B. F. mcfarland, Commissioner
OF the District, under whose special super
vision are the public schools, presided.
The following was the programme:
Overture, THE National Capital Centenniar'
Selection. Light Cavalry. .Suppe
Air de Ballet, Malta .Delibes
March, ''The High School Cadets" .Soisa
Entrance of graduates.
Invocation. Rev. Donald C. Macleod
Celebrated Minuet ....................Pad erewski
Introductory address. Hon. II. b. +. Mcfarland
president OF the Board of Commissioners)>
Cornet solo, se;ected........,.M Mr.. Otto Eberhardt
Address .....................Hon Hon. Fred II. Wines
assistant Director Of the Census Bureau.)
Fantasia, The Runaway Girl, Herbert bert
Commissioner
Intermezzo, .'C1valleria Rusticana' .Mascagni
March, The Man Behind the Cum .Sousa
One Of the pleasing features of the pro-
gramme was the entrance of the grad
yates. 1t was at $50 o'clock that the band
reached its fourth selection. Upon the
stage the faculty of the high schools. the
chairman Of the evening, and a few guests
- n
of High School Cadets" sounded through
the hall there was a sharp order at the
door, Forward, march," and the girls of
the high schools, dressed in white, filed
into the hall. As the long line stretched
down the hall. and as the boys began to
appear, the audience arose, cheered, and
vociferously applauded the young who
were turning from books to vocations
from study in the high school to harder
study in college or professional school,
from the educational period to the stern
realities Of life.
Mr.. Macfnrland's Address.
In his address of welcome Mr. Macfar-
land made a pleasant hit in describing how
he had passed through the schools of the
District within about ten days, until he
had reached the elimination and felt him
self one of them-a graduate. He spoke
as follows:
Be good man, my DEAR said Sis
Walter Scott, as he lay dying, to his
son-in-law Lockhart. There is no bet
ter word to be said to you members of
the graduating class tonight Be good
man. Be a good woman. Be a good citi-
zen. BE good, my dear, and let who
Will be clover; do noble things, not dream
them all day long
Knowledge puffeth up, love buildeth
Up. and after all the great thing is char
ecter. To stand in your place. to do your
duty, to serve your city in all truth and
honor-this is the best result that can
come from all your preparation for the
strife of life.
las the official head of the city, call
upon you to be true to her. She is worthy
of your love and devotion. She has been
a tender mother. She has cared for you,
protected you. educated you. And now
you must strive to repay her by loving
interest and noble living. You must cul-
tivate that civic feeling, that civic pride
which they say We lack because Wash
angton is the capital of the nation. and
because her population is so changeable.
Many Of you were born here, most of you
will live here. Do your full part to exalt
and advance your city.
Remember that Rome in her best days
was nothing but city. though from her
seven hills she ruled the world. It does
not take great area or great population
to make great city. Think of Athens
think OF Edinburgh. Nor do you have
to get rich or get office to be great
citizen. The public opinion. which is the
real ruler OF this city, is made up Of the
personal opinion of private citizens, most
of whom are neither wealthy nor powerful.
Perhaps the greatest service you can do
your city is to make and to keep that
public opinion sane, sensible, and sItrong.
DO not wait for some great thing to do.
DO the next thing, your daily work. your
plain duty at the post where God mas
placed you, and SO you will be ready for
whatever opportunity comes. Do not be
grumbler or captious critic. and let
patience have her perfect work. There
Is opportunity for everyone of you. as
President Seth Low so well said. There
is room at the bottom as well as at the
top for the faithful, cheerful, persistent.
worker. Soon, very soon, We who are now
carrying on the work of the world will be
gone and you must be ready to take our
places.
Count not your lives dear unto you in
The service OF your city and your country
tOmnia relinQuit servare rem publican
Is cut In the memorial to Col. Robert
Shaw on Boston Common. May you be
ready, IL need be. to give up all, yes, life
IA.
die for your city or your country than 1t
It to live for it Yet, If you would not
live poorly and ingloriousiy. you must live
thus unselfshly. If you do you will know
the real joy of life and achieve its real
success, even il you never become rich
or famous
Address of Mr.. Wines.
Fred II. Wines, the orator OF the even
ing. was late in coming. Mr.. Macfarland
stated that the orator of the evening was
unavoidably detained and he suspected
that it was for the purpose OF adding an
other 10000 to Washington's census. The
Commissioner was not permitted to go any
further with his excuses, for just then Mr..
Wines entered the hall and was properly
introduced. In part he said:
There are many ways in which grad
Iation day resembles a wedding. II is a
great event In a mans life or woman's
life when the few formal words are said
which make them man and wife. II some
times seems that the formula is not at
all commensurate with the Importance OF
the event which 1t solemnizes. Like it Is
graduation day. II is a great event in
ones life to have won a diploma, and it
much resembles wedding ring.
''At wedding l never know which to
eympathize with most the groom, the
bride or the brides mother. And so II Is
tonight. my sympathies go outward in
several directions. First TO these young
people, then to the teachers. and finally
to the public. / think i know how these
young people feel tonight with their work
done and their achievements won. They
have bright aspirations. They see things
with big eyes. i had such a pair OF eyeA
once but i lost them long ago. They may
think there is nothing they cannot do IL
they have the opportunity. Well, they
will have the opportunity for fortune gives