The Newtown bee., 1902-06-20

NEW MILFORD.
SCHOOL.
The interest shown in school affairs
in New Milford was shown by the
large audience which crowded Roger
Sherman hall on Friday afternoon
Rev Cranston Brenton offered prayer
in the absence of Rev DR. G.. Taylor,
who had expected to ofticiate. Attor.
ney Adds of the school board presided
and gave splendid address.
The program as carried out was as
follows:
March.
Prayer, Rev Cranston Brenton.
Salutatory and Essay, Money"
Isabelle Mealia.
GLASS History, Kathleen Duncan.
Essay. Reading" Edna Reynolds.
Song, School Chorus.
Grafton. "what the Twentieth Century
Promises 8. Woolsev Pepper.
Glass Poem. Alice Baldwin.
Essay, "In the Woods" Ruth Partridge.
Song, School Chorus.
Glass Prophecy, Matte Moore
Essay, "Infiuence OF Printing on Civili-
zation," with Valedictories,
Mary Barton.
Comforting OF Diplomas, John F. Adds.
America.
A list of the members of the class of
1902 is as follows: Alice Marion Bald
win, Mary Eliza Barton, Kathleen c.
celia Duncan, Katharine Jane Hart
we'll, Sarah Emeline Hatch, John Nal
achy Mcdonnell, Isabelle Loretta
Mealia, Martha Augusta Moore, Ruth
Eleanor Partridge, Seymour Woolsey
Pepper, Edna Reynolds, Coda Anna
Wells.
VALEDICTORY ADDRESS OF MISS MARY
e. BARTON.-sUBJECT INFLUENCE
OF PRINTING ON CIVILIZATION"
Since the introduction of printing
about the year 142O, there has been a
more steady and rapid growth in civil
ization than ever before. There is
nothing that goes SO far toward in
creasing civilization as knowledge.
And since before the introduction of
printing, the books required so much
time and labor, several years some
times being needed to print very small
book in the production, there were
very few books used. And since very
little knowledge could be obtained
without some books and the expense
of their production gave few the op-
portunity to possess them (even if they
had anyone to teach them) very few
people had much if any knowledge of
anything outside their every day life.
And then the people were very SUI
perstitious because their minds being
very narrow on account of their in
ability to develop them by good read
ing, if anything strange happened
they could not reason it out but
thought it must be witchcraft or some
other uncanny thing. With printing
and the increase in books, and there
fore in knowledge, came decrease in
superstition. Also the books were of
better quality as the minds of the peo-
pie were more highly developed and
they could think better. The expense
was greatly lessened so greater num-
Der of people could afford to buy
books and thus gain more knowledge of
things at home and, as the use of
printing became more general, of things
all over the world. Then, as men read
of the travels of others, they too be-
gan to explore and much was dis
covered that otherwise might have re-
manned unknown. OF course as knOwl-
edge became more common, better
books were written and thus knowl-
edge was continually increasing. Then
when men found what great pleasure
and help books were, they desired
others to know these things also, and
with the improvement of the printing
press the books became SO much cheap
er that this could be more easily &C
complished, and so knowledge was still
more easily increased and with it civ.
| ilizati
Besides this, with the growth in
reading came fuller knowledge of othel
peoples lives outside their own circle
and thus there was naturally an in
crease in sympathy and charity. Witt
these came an uplifting of the lowe
classes in all ways. or course as mer
gained learning there would be men Of
better Judgment and because of thei
better knowledge of the people, the.
could form a government better suitet
to all classes of people. They saw tina
the people would be better satisfied
with a government in which the
could take some part themselves, AM
to be able to do this they must have
better education. Thus came NOR
general public education, and eve
compulsory education, which was
very great gain for civilization.
WI r,