Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-06-22

Number of Degrees Conferred-A
Change in the F~acuIty-An EndOvv-
ment Fund Has Been Raised,
Placing Her in Good Condition.
Most joyful Event in History
of the Institution.
Old Bethany College, so dear to the
hearts of many graduates, was again
the scene Of a large and convivial
gathering Of visitors yesterday morn
ing, the occasion being the ffty-nintl
annual commencement Of the institu-
ton. Ideal summer weather ushered
in the day and the showers following
in the afternoon were fortunately too
late to interfere with the order of ex-
e~rcises. The present graduates were
William Mahaffey Long, of West Vir-
ginia; Fred Marsh GORDON, Jesse Ell
more Martin, Drusilla v. Johnson, OF
Ohio; Frederick Lemuel S~tottlemeyer,
of Maryland; Guy Milton Mason, OF
Virginia, and Percy Bayard Cochran,
Grace Frances Cooper, Virginia V. Vo-
gle, Anna Estella Swaney and Mary
Louise Colburn, Of Pennsylvania. The
post-graduates were William Loren
Fisher, Of Missouri; James Levi DEM
ing, of Connecticut, and Thomas James
White, Carrie Brownlee Mathews, Ida
Harden Taylor, Anna Belle Woolery,
of West Virginia, and j. e. Bates, OF
Pennsylvania.
The exercises began at ten o'clock
and the seating capacity of the COM
mencement hall was taxed to its ut
most by the admiring relatives and
friends Of the graduates. The stage,
which was occupied by the members
of the faculty, the board of trustees
and the graduates and under-gradu-
ates, was ta%stefully adorned with pot
ted plants and flowers and many gay
colors of the classes which blended eff
fectively.
The first speaker was the salutator-
ian, Guy Milton Mason. who very
fttingly likened the class unto a blush
ing bride with becoming modesty and
impressed his hearers with the thought
that but yesterday the class was at
tired in the simple garments of child
hood, while to-day ii is donned in
the royal clothes of manhood. he
also impressively pointed out that they
were awakened from a happy life of
dreams and had thus come to greet
tneir friends In bidding farewell to
tue scenes of the old college he said
that to those who have followed us
with their prayers and their hopes and
their devotion; to those who have
watched with patience and kindness
our course through college, we can but
say to them hat we admire, love and
welcome them.
The salutatory vas followed by a
Lreek Grafton, which was very ably
given by F. l.. Stottlemeyer.
w. NJ. Long next gave an Grafton,
in which he principally discussed the
difference between the masses and
classes. He pointed out several in
stances of how the masses are out
ragged and suggested various means by
which their burden might be lessened.
He was of the opinion that the world is
getting better, but that the conditions
of the masses are not improving sa-
is~factorily.
The next Grafton, the subject being
"The Spirit of the Age" was given by
F. NJ. Gordon, who thought that
the spirit that characterizes this age
from all others is that Of progress and
advancement of civilization. He beau
tifully likened progress unto a river
flowing through the valley of time. ever
widening and broadening in its course
to the ocean and also emphasized the
point that it has undertaken TO pro-
vide a way for the development of the
nation. Mr.. Long concluded his re-
marks with the hope that the day would
come when the spirit of progress would
serve to bring the nations of the world
together in %brotherly love and that
their voices might together be raised
to Heaven in songs OF praise and lib
erty.
Grace F. Cooper gave another Grafton
choosing for her subject "Carpe Diem"
and compared the years that are gone
forever with those that are TO come.
She remarked that the future is sweet,
vet the fulfllment of hopes is for him
who is ever awake to the present and
ready 10 grasp at the least favorable
opportunity. She also urged that we
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