The Washington times., 1902-06-17
SENATOR MASON TALKS
TO HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS
Class Night Exercises of
Western High School.

The class night exercises of the grad
uating class at the Western High Schcol
were held last evening in the assembly
liam E. Mason, of Illinois, delivered a
brief and highly amusing address. which
at the same time embodied a vast
amount of excellent advice to the body
Of young men and women about to step
forth into the world. An audience,
composed OF the students and their
friends, was present that taxed the ut
most capacity of the large hall.
Senator Mason took as the KEYNOTE
of his talk the need CT sincerity and
earnestness on the part OF the gradu-
ates just entering upon their careers
as men and women of the world. He
succeeded in diffusing many highly hu-
morous incidents and "reminiscences OF
his own schoolhood days into the more
serious veins of his address. He said
in part:
Whatever you do in this life be sin
cere about it. Do it the best you know
how No matter what work you have
undertaken, il you wish 10 be truly sue
cessful in it you must do it earnestly
with your whole heart in it. There was
a very timid boy in the little school I
once attended. In those days it was
customary to hold weekly class enter
tainments every Friday afternoon. Every
pupil lad to recitc something. Well.
this timid boy had never been able to
get through any sort CT a verse since
he had been r. the class. No matter how
short his little piece was, he would in
variably break down In the middle Of it..
Sincere in His Efforts.
Zone day he made up his mind to be
earnest about that little verse. He de-
cided 10 stick it through on the next
Friday. When he became sincere In his
efforts to do his work to the very end
he succeeded much better. He broke near
the end. but he contrived to laugh and
cry it out. Anyway, he reached the end
for once m his life.
"The man who gave me the worst HEX
ing ever had in my life is the very man
would walk three miles 10 see today.
He was my school teacher. and he unmer-
cifully tanned me with that birch. But
with my experience OF later years | can
see tkat Re did it for my own good, al
though ! was of a very different opinion
at the time. He did more for me than
anyone else to make me sincere about my
work Everyone OF those thrashings was
for the purpose of making me take an in
terest In things, to make me learn some
thing. and he somebody"
Another special feature of the pro
gram was the presentation by Corporal
Helehowor of a magnificent gold pin 10
Miss Winnifred Mason. daughter of the
Senator on behalf Of Company H. OF the
High School Cadets. The presentation OF
g. q IN vas generally considered the
highest honor tsat can be paid girl
student-even higher than the election to
the sponsorship OF the company.
Mark of Esteem.
Mr.. HeGebcwer made a brief pres
entation address. in which he stated
that the pin was given by the officers
and men of Company II as 4 mark of
the esteem with which the recipient is
generally regarded by her FELLOWSHIP
dents.
Miss Mason briefly thanked the boys
fer the extremely high honor they had
conferred unOu her. She complilrented
them urcn the excellent showing they
had made In The recent competitive
drill ard wished them all success in
the future. She vas given tremendous
ovation. The pin IS 4 handsome gold
affair. bearing the initial II, surmounted
by n small gold star
The other features of the program
consisted chiefly OF an address by Mr.. ].
Holdsworth Gordon. the class history. by
Mr.. Horace Sansbury Ogden; the class
poem, by Miss Isabel Louise Towner;
class prophecy. written by Mr. Edwin
Rayes and read by Mr.. Warren OGutt.
on account OF the formers illness, and
the valedictory. by Miss Ruth Matilda
Stauffer.