New Ulm review., 1903-06-17

Commencement exercises Of the New
Ulm high school were held in the
Brown county court house Friday even
ing, when eighteen young men and
women, the largest class ever known
to the institution, received their di plo-
mas. The exercises were held in the
district court room, which was prettily
decorated with flowers and ferns, and
filled to overfowing with an audience
that was enthusiastic and appreciative
and whose interest was unfagging.
Every seat in the spacious hall was
occupied, while late comers stood in
congested groups about the doorways.
Seated within the railing reserved
for members Of the bar we're the grad
uates, their parents, members of the
board of education and others, while
near the class appeared the motto,
eve Aim at Perfection" in gold let
ters upon a field of red. The whole
presented delightful appearance of
youth and beauty, the handsome white
gowns of the girls being thrown into
sharp contrast and relief by the black
suited young men.
The program was one of unusual in
terest and merit, the essays being
handled in an original manner and all
being we'll delivered. In opening, the
class chorus gave Veazie's "Song of
Welcome,' and following this Miss
Emma G.. Aufderheide, the salutatori-
an. read her essay entitled, ''The Bard
of Ayr Miss Aufderheide's effort
was very pleasing and she was accord
ed hearty applause.
A piano solo, ~ The Palms," by
Miss Elsie H. Eckstein came next
and was enthusiastically received.
Miss Eckstein is mistress of her in
strument but she has never played bet
ter or more charmingly than to Friday
nights audience. Miss Lily M. Juni
did her share toward entertaining we'll
by giving a jocose history of the class.
She told of many Of the happy Incl
dents and experiences of school life
and paved the way for the class pro-
phethess, Miss Bretta Price. The lat
ter spoke in clear, natural voice and
her utterances penetrated the most re-
mote corners of the big room. In pic
turing the futures of her classmates
Miss Price made numerous happy and
humorous illusions, her reading prov
ing distinct feature of the program.
After the chorus had sung "Join in
Pleasure Miss Estella M. Swanson
gave the valedictory. She took as her
theme, GA Turning Point in History, "
and handled her topic most compre-
hensively. her vivid and realistic de-
scriptions conjuring UP in the imagi-
nation the very scenes of the important
period and epoch which she so faith
fully pictured. An excellently rendered
violin solo, ''La File du Regiment, .
by Max Pfaender followed, and then
Prof. W. W. Folwell, Of the University
OF Minnesota faculty, delivered the ad,
dress of the evening.
| Prof. Folwell's lecture was not ir
any sense howery or farfetched, but
rather good, plain, common
sense talk on the good points and in
efficiences OF our high school system
He confined himself exclusively to 9
discussion of high schools and higf
school work and advocated adding two
years to the four-year course. Under
the present state of affairs, Prof. Fol
we'll stated, the high school student
upon graduating, was little more thar
grounded in any Of his subjects Two
more wears would allow the student:
to complete the work which is now un
completed, and he believed the presen
ARA angement to be responsible for 81
; many boys dropping out of the higl
. school before the completion of tn
course. They really had nothing tt
: look forward to and reasoned that the.
!. might as well stop early as late. Fo
the young men and women who canno
or have no inclination to take highe
\ education he recommended the intro
. duction of courses in manual trainin
.. and business, fitting them for the trade
. or for useful labors in commercial
. offices.
!. Upon concluding his remarks Prof
! Folwell presented the graduates wit
their diplomas and then the elias
!: chorus sang aSpringtime'' as tn
closing number, Miss Elsie 81. Eek
: stein playing the accompa animent. I
addition to being the largest in. mum
!, bers, the class of 1908 is one of th