The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-09-21
OPENING EXERCISES
At the Industrial IDstitute-An
Interesting Program and
Large Attendance.

TIE people responded in large
numbers to the invitation of Presl-
dent Stephens aud Wednesday
morning the auditorium of the In
dustrial Institute was pretty well
filed The program did not only
possess the merit of brevity, but it
was excellent in other respects.
The audience, which was composed
Of people of this and adjoining
parishes, heard some good music
played by Prof. Sontag, who was
accompanied by Mrs. Mcbride.
and listened to three splendid adj
dresses delivered by President
Stephens, Mayor Caffery and DR..
G.. G. Kramer.
Before the opening of the exer
cises, President Stephens invited
the following gentlemen to occupy
seats on the stage: DR.. James A.
Lee and Capt. Jno. G. Buchanan,
members of the Board of Trustees;
Mr.. A. Olivier, president of tn e
School Board; Prof. l. J. Allen an,
superintendent of public education;
Mr.. NJ. Billeaud, Jr., president OF
the Police Jury; Mr.. Crow Girard,
treasurer of the Industrial Institute;
Mayor Chas. ID. Caffery and re-
representatives. of the press.
With deep earnestness DR..
no
the belief that the educational work
thus begun should prove great
good to the community and parish
of Lafayette, to Southwestern
Louisiana. and to the entire State.
He believed that 1t would grow to
be an important factor among the
forces tending to the industrial, the
intellectual, and the moral uplift Of
the generations it is to influence;
and he bespoke the sincere purpose
of his faculty to do everything in
their power to make the institution
such a factor. He expressed the
conviction that the greatest educa-
tional force is the moral idea
quoting the well-known injunc.
ton Of Emerson: earn the man:
| let him learn in season that he is
born into the state of war, and that.
! taking both reputation and life ir
his hands. he must dare the gibbe,
! and thu mob, by the absolute truth
of his speech and the answering
rectitude Of his BEHAVIOR"
| DR.. Stephens took occasion be-
fore closing Of renewing on behalf O
/ the industrial Institute an expression
Of the highest sense of appreciation
and gratitude for the eminent public
services and self sacrifice of Mr.
Robert Martin, Of St. Martinville
who conceived, planned, and car
ried into effect the original estab
11shment of the Institute--of Mrs
Maxim Girard, and her son, Mr.
Grow Girard. who gave the magni
ficent tract of land on which tn
school is situated--and of the PEG
pie Of the town and the parish Q
Lafay cite, who SO generously votet
the self-imposed tax which mad
the present magnificent beginnin
of the institution possible.
At the conclusion of the exer
cises President Stephens stated tn a
the examinatio would take plac
in the class-rooms and requeste'
all applicants to present themselve
to be examined. One hundred boy
and girls applied for entrance
How many among them will be &C
mitted can not be known before tn
results of the examinations are as
certained. AS the number
students will doubtless be increase
within the next few days, the e,
rollment is expected to reach
least 125. This is very sat,sfactol
and the friends Of the Institute wi
no doubt feel gratified that
merits are already recognized
the people Of this section.