The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-01

HOSc IctelNliiS tue iDdCiitlol VI ~ -
degree: i. W. Alderman. II. c. Bar
rctt, Y. c. Coffey. T. S. Crutchfield
G. +. Edwards, G. \. Foote, {. NJ
Heck, G. w. May. O. l.. Powers. j. f..
Royster. Geo. e. Spruill, {. II. Taylor.
j. Il. Bagley. f. j. Britt, j. +. Crutch-
field, A. X. Cunning, J. u. Eure, 5. f..
Garner. j. Y. Irwin, f. {. Frye, W. O..
Rossser, II. {. Sears. II. Trantham,
Bachelor of Laws: A. w. Cooke. j. T..
Davis. a. 4. Goodwin. +. w. Pearce.
I'm addition to the salutatory and
valedictory addresses. orations were
delivered by five of the graduates, as
follows:
A. Wayland Cooke, Hartford County
National Conscience
0. L. Powers, Pender County-"The
Nations Crisis"
c. r. Edwards, Moore County-"The
Dawn of a New Era-Its Demands and
Possibilities
J. H. Eure, Gates County-"Asleep on
the Field of Battle
ID. M. Springfield, Fender County-''The
One Who Creates and the One Who EN-
ploys.'
The salutatorian was Mr.. \. Il.
Cunning. of BERTHE county.
The valedictorian (the leader of the
class) WAS Mr.. Harry Trantham, of
kcrshaw county. South Carolina.
MI nthesc orations and addresses
were of a high order. both as to
thought and subject matter as we'll
as to the manner in which they were
delivered.
Theses were submitted b. the fol-
lowing graduates:
Trusts. w. Alderman, Harnctt Coun-
ty.
The Triumph of Truth. B. Bagley,
Halifax County.
The Equity Of the War in South Africa
r. c. Barrett, Moore County
Culture and Progress-E. J. Britt
Robson County.
Assurbanipals Library-V. c. Coffey,
Caldwell County.
Herman Husbands, the Regulator. E.
Crutchfeld, Gulford County.
The Jewish Synagogue-T. S. Crutch
field, Chatham County.
The Private Life of Cicero. T. Davis,
Pasquotank County.
The Genius OF the South--G A. Foote,
Warren County.
Martin Luther and his Works. Z.
Garner, Carteret County
Trial by Jury-A. p. Goodwin. Hartford
County.
s The Origin of Elements and the Be-
ginning of life--C. NJ. Heck. Wake County.
The Nicaragua Canal y. Irwin,
Cleveland County.
Richard Caswell-G. w. May, Franklin
County.
The American Woman-E. f. Mumford,
Pitt County.
The influence of Geography on History
+. c. Nye, Robson County.
The Naval History of the American
Revolution--E. w. Pearce, Stokes County.
The Jews under the Romans-W. o.
Rosser Halifax County.
Amiel, Critic and Philosopher. F.
Royster Wake County.
Chaucer and his Times-H. c. Sears,
Chatham County.
The Personality of Alexander the Great
&c L. Spruill,' Franklin County
Mohamed, the Arabian Prophet-C. r.
Taylor, Ponder County.
The Claims of Humanity Upon Young
Mend. G. Washburn, Cleveland County.
On conclusion of the orations by
the graduates President TAYLOR in
presenting them their diplomas spoke
as follows:
BACKWARD GLANCE.
1t seems not uniting that at this
commencement. before the lifting curtain
shall disclose the scenes of the Twentieth
century we should take a backward
glance and briefly review the work and in
fluence of Wake Forest College. Just
two thirds of the Nineteenth century have
been covered by it's life. When measured
by the life of man. this is a long period;
short however, for the life of an institu
ton But it has extended enough to af-
ford some criterion as to the extent and
value of the work of the college and it's
relation to the State and the kingdom
of Christ in the world
In order to appreciate Alright the strug
giles and the significance of the sue
cess of the enterprise one must have a
clear idea as to the condition of North
Carolina at the time when the college
was founded. Interest in education was
at ebb- tide Perhaps the most reliable
testimony to this fact is to be found in
the reports of Mr.. Calvin H, Wiley, who
was Superintendent of Common Schools
from 1872 until 1866. Writing in 1855. he
State in 1886, just about the time when
Wake Forest was first opened. | con-
dense some of his statements. Twenty
years ago, said he, the facilities for inn
provement furnished to the masses were
very indifferent. The subscription system
Of old field schools was utterly made
quate. There was not a school house for
every ten perhaps it would be
more true to say, fifteen miles square in
the State. Many of these were without
floors and with chimnies built of sticks
and dirt The teachers as class, were
Indifferent scholars. The lazy the lame,
the eccentric. the crippled were but too
often the old field school teachers. Many
could not write their own contracts with
their patrons. Those who did produced
literary curiosites unique in style,
spelling and chirography. The stu1ies
pursued were reading, writing and arith-
metic. Grammar and geography were
almost unknown in the best of these
schools The method of teaching was ex-
tremely primitive. To get through the
book was the great end. and to whip we'll
was the chief means thereto The schools
were generally limited to three months
during the coolest part of the winter.
The attendance was uncertain and irregu-