Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-07-03
THE FIRST COMMENCEMENT.
Graduation Exercises of the Marathon
Training School Held in the High
School on Friday Evening
Twenty three Grad
yates.

The first annual commencement ex-
ercises of the Marathon County Train
ing School were held in the Assembly
hall of the Wausau High School, on
Friday evening, June 29th. Twenty
three graduates received their diplomas
at that time, and the Marathon expert
ment, the only school of the kind in the
United States, was fairly launched up
on the tide that had reached its full,
and we know that it will be carried on
ward to success. The Assembly hall
was beautifully decorated, potted
plants, palms, ferns and towering ex-
pressions of natures handiwork being
distributed to advantage upon the
stage, and over all, hanging from the
rear wall of the stage, was the class
motto, in raised cotton letters, I'VE
viii not yeelde to any Scott that ever
yeti was borne"
The evenings exercises opened short
ly after eight O'clock, when nearly
every seat in the large hall was occu-
pied, with piano solo by Miss Mar
garet Wilson, who rendered her selec-
ton in a faultless manner, and follow
ing her the opening prayer was made
by Rev. Adam Fawcett The Training
School Chorus then sang pretty selec-
tion filled with melody, entitled
dream On"
A debate, with three Training School
graduates on side, was the opening
proper of the long program, and the
subject discussed was, Resolved that
the township system of school govern
ment is preferable to the district sys-
tem' The affirmative side was repre-
sented by Misses Amy Bressett, Mar
garet GLASGOW and Anna Weinkauf;
negative, Axil Clarine and Misses Julia
Wawrzyniak and Emma Wendorf.
Many excellent points were brought
out in favor of both systems, and each
debater spoke distinctly and withouS
embarrassment. The district system is
the one in vogue in the state of Wiseon-
sin, and the affirmative tried to show
that the township system was the more
preferable, centralizing the power of
the districts and doing away with many
snail schools that are more of a drag
and burden then of educational adj
vancement. Indiana was the first state
to take up the township system and it
has given very satisfactory results, and
the affirmative side believed that that
system would be taken up by all of the
states in the Union before many years
have passed. On the other hand, the
negative debaters believed that the dis
trict system should be continued, for it
has been in use in this state for twenty
years and has given satisfactory re-
suits. The children are kept nearer
home, and the negative speakers be-
lieved the system more economical and
satisfactory No decision was rem
dered in regard to the debate, but the
deciding power was left with each
listener in the audience.
A bass solo, entitled "The Ocean, :"
was rendered by Leonard Lemmer,
assisted by Misses Beatrice Ringle and
Ina Thornton, following which an in
strumental solo was deftly played on
the piano by Miss Mary Marson.
A defamation, "An Old Settlers
Story" by Will Carlton, was presented
by Miss Lulu Cayo, who held her aud
fence interested throughout the entire
poem, which is long one.
The subject of Miss Beatrice Ringle's
essay was Practical Education" and
it was handled in manner that showed
that modern ideas of education were
steadily being taken hold of and taught
to advantage.
An interesting class exercise In ''Pri-
mary Number Work. was conducted