The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-28
THE EVENT OF YESTERDAY
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLOSED FOR
THE SEASON.
at the High SthooI Last N~fght-Six
Young Ladies and Two Young Men
Received Diplomas-The Hemenway
and Union Closing.

The fairest flower of the twentieth
century is the free public school, the
origin and development Of which reflect
the history of civilization. There is
no one object today that lies nearer
the heart OF the public or that occupies
a more central position in the mind of
the people than the free public school.
These thoughts came to us as We sat
in the crowded assembly hall of the
~Hemenway school building yesterday
morning. The occasion was the clos
ing exercises of this popular school
and the seven hundred people who had
gathered there attested in no uncertain
way the interest that our community
takes in this institution of learning.
Yeserday's exercises fittingly closed
the session of the school-the most
successful in it's history. The exercises
were opened with the singing of the
Doxology, ollowed by the opening
hymn sung by five hundred fresh young
voices. The chairman of the school
committee, Mr.. James F. Post, after the
hymn was sung, stated TO the audience
that the exercises this yea would be
rendered by the children Of the primary
grades and hat especial attention had
been paid to the practical part of
school work by the grammar grades
and that the school had made steady
progress in all the studies that per-
tain to this work, and that each class
room had an exhibit on their walls of
the work done by the pupils of the
grades. He called special attention to
the fine work done by the drawing
class under h supervision of Miss
Bernard and stated that the work in
this department was of an exception
ally fine character, rejecting great
credit on the pupils of the fifth. SIKH,
seventh and eighth grades. He also
stated as a matter OF interest that the
library had proven to be an important
factor in school work this year; that
5000 volume had been issued during
a period of six month n that 5000
worth of books a been added to the
library the past year-the present
value of the books being $500 and the
volumes now numbering over a thou
sand. 1t is expected that in time this
library will contain at least 5000 vol
umes.
While the auditorium was filled with
a deeply interested audience, Superin-
tendent Blair announced the following
programme:
Satisfactorily Fannie Mitchell.
Song, Welcome Spring"-By h
school.
Concert Recitation-By the children
OF the first grade.
Recitation, Young Thomas Jones
when he took his pen'-By Carrie
Thompson.
Song. Come, Let US Haste Away
BY the school.
Concert recitation, (origina1 g~estures)
BY children of the third grade.
Recitation-By Elise Emerson.
Song, "Carolina"-By the school,.
Recitation.-By Halle Rutland.
Parasol Drill-By children of the
third grade
Recitation-By Kate Murphy.
Recitation-By Hazel Miller.
Concert Recitation. North Carolina
HiStory'-By Miss Jennie Woods class.
Song. "Vacation''-By the school.
The exercises were very pretty and
quite creditable. The p~araSOl drill was
specially pretty. and one of the notable
things on the programme was the his
torical recitation of Miss Woods class.
They recited the history of North Car
DINA in verse, composed by Miss Wood.
Superintendent Blair closed the eXer-
cises with a few remarks referring in
commendatory terms to the work of
the school. the Zealousness and faith
fulness of the teachers and the deep
interest taken in the school by the
school committeeman. The success OF
lAAC S1AlOOls AC NCSAG1 w.. No SN~ ~ NA~
interest and enthusiasm shown by the
teachers. He wished the children a
happy vacation. and then the exercises
came to an end while Carolina" was
sung in an inspiring manner.
While the song was being sung, the
visitors were invited to the rostrum to
1oow int othe sea of bright faced chill
dren. Among those who went forward
were Colonel w. r Kenan, Colonel
ohm D. Taylor. Mr.. r. ]. Jones, Mr.. z.
Borden, Mr.. Donald MacRae, and the
newspape representatives.
The visitors were then invited to go
through the room of the various
grades to inspect the work done by the
children. The walls were covered with
botanical and natural history drawings,
sketches and various scenes drawn by
the pupils. The work IN arithmetic n
other branches was also shown.
The Messenger representative went
through the grades and found the work
to be even better than was expected
and in many instances was surprised
to see such evidences of talent and
skill on the part of the pupils.
Miss Bernard is the art teacher OF
the school and during the term she has
spent a half hour each week in teach
ing all the grades above the fourth.
The work of those grades was exhib-
tied on the walls of the auditorium, and
1T was a revelation. 1t was all excel
lent, but special credit is luz Miss
Adele Drapeau for some artistically ex-
ecuted pen sketches after Gibson.
Many EXPLANATIONS of admiration n
even of establishment come from the
visitors as they inspected the work in
the various rooms.
In Miss Helms room, we noticed
portraits of Longfellow and Washing
ton, and it was learned that n pr1n-
cipals have been making penny con-
tributions to purchase portraits to
adorn the walls OF their room in the
fourth grade. They do not ask their
parents for the money but they are
encouraged to save a few cents that
they might spend for candy or some
thing else. All the rooms and the au-
ditorium were beautifully decorated
with flowers.
The following constitute the faculty
OF the Hemenway school:
Mrs. NJ. L. Mcleod, principal; Miss
Mary D. Cronly, eighth grade; Miss
Louisa Hill, seventh grade; Miss Flor
ence f. Willis, sixth grade and libra
80 Tya- s-&h ~roln.