Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-06-05
THEY RECEIVE DIPLOMAS.
Graduating Exercises of the High School
Enjoyed by Large Audience.

W do dtiCIlt1NS duu dppt Z
throughout and the program was
carried out with ease and accuracy
that proves that our high school for
character building, has adopted a
course which must necessarily place it
among the best institutions of the
SKATE. The graduates this year have
certainly brought credit to their alma
mater and themselves. Those who
attended the presentation of
''Fanchon, the Cricket" Wednesday
night. or the exercises on Friday night
were well repaid and felt that the
class lived up to their motto, Labor
ommia vincet''-Labor conquers
everything.
The literary numbers of the pro-
gram was interspersed with musical
selections by the orchestra, vocal
solo by Miss Matilda Bunge and a
piano solo by Mrs. G. W. Faulus.
which were we'll executed and
generously applauded After the
invocation 10y Rev. B. J. H. Shaw,
Ray F. johnson, president of the class
made the opening address, which was
forcibly delivered i'm a clear and dis
tinct tone. He briefly spoke of the
old plan of giving commencement pro-
grams, and how the class of 1902 had
inaugurated the idea of allowing one
half Of the graduates take part in
the program on two different evenings.
''We are not here to show you what we
know, nor to point out to MarcOni
wherein he might better his wireless
biography, nor to give advice to the
president of the United States
neither are we here to show our
ignorance. We only appear before you
to recall some Of the profitable and
good times we had at the old gray
school house on the hill"
Olga Martinson'SS subject was Louisa
NJ. AlcOtt." In pleasing manner
she sketcheG the life of Miss Alcott,
showing how from her very childhood
she had the purpose of educating her
self. At eight years of age she wrote
beautiful poem, ''The Robin, and
number of fairy stories. Her mind
was not one of dreams, but of deter
mination. Charity, loyalty and
devotion to home underlie all her
dramas. When success came to her
she paid the debts of her father Her
unSelfshneSs and deep religious feel
ing was also seen in her kind
treatment of our soldiers during the
civil war. But she OvereStimated her
strength and her reward was a shat
tered system. The influence of her
life and her work will live on.
The historian of the west side high
school was Amanda Fritz. She said
there was q feeling at first of resent
ment when it was learned that the
west side must join with the Howe
IIirh cahnp1 b,1f fhnf thic fanli m
soon wore off. The class started in as
Freshmen with twenty-three mem
bers, and finally dwindled down to
seven. These, she said, had q pluck
and steadfaStneSS of purpose to stand
together, and the Teutonic element,
numbering five, may have had some
thing to do with this spirit. A brief
history was then given of each member
of the class. The average age was H.,
the Oldest 10, and the youngest 16. All
the west side students now feel that
there is only one Grand Rapids high
school and have not thought or a
wish that it might be otherwise.
Ida HalvOrSen said she found it diff
ficult task to give the history of the
east side section of the class on
account of the great amount of
material at her disposal. However,
she showed great skill in selecting
only the important events. She did
not delay in saying that the wise and
dignitied bearing which characterized
the class as eight graders had always
been the mark of the class. The
history of each member was properly
chronicled. The historian said that
1902 was the largest class in the his
tory of Grand Rapids schools, that
they had introduced the Junior
Prom and that their department.
had always been 100. "Our hearts are
filled with sorrow as we are now about
to part; our hearts have longed for
this event of tonight, but we are now
about to launch on the sea of life"
. Future of Siberia" was the theme
of Mayme Edwards grafton. She
showed throughout that she had made
a careful and thoughtful study of her
subject. A new era is about to begin
in Siberia: the miSgOverned Siberia is
now being transformed into a civilized
country. Time and patience alone
have opened up this bright future to
the people. The government has
found that it was a mistake to send
criminals there and the system has
been gradually abolished. The great
Siberian railroad has done much to
unity the struggling population. A
good educational system is now being
established. The speaker predicted
that Siberia would soon throw off the
yoke of Russia and take her place as
one Of the great nations of the world
The class prophecy was given in
nv IaCcio Cpoif h on6 WIFI
Brown. A lawn bench had been placed
at the center of the platform. Jessie
Smith, as professor, and Will Brown
as lawyer, met and sat down to talk
over the important events that had
happened TO each member Of the class
during the past twenty years. Their
bright and humorous remarks given
in natural conversational tones was
much appreciated by both the class
and audience.
Lloryan Lemley's grafton, "Modern
Servitude," was delivered with earn
estness and sincerity. She gave a
short history of the labor movement
in England and America. The laborer
and capitalist represent two distinct
classes now. The theory is that they
should be united, but it is not prac-
ticed. Consolidation Of capital seems
to have come to stay. Huge institu
tions move and stand still at the COM
mand of one man. The capitalist
looks only after his own interests. and
the laboring class becomes more and
more dissatisfied with the struggle
Thus the gulf between them widens.
is the only wise and safe
solution. The time is not far distant
when they will see their interdepen-
0ence and until that time there will