The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-17

NINE O'CLOCK, WHERE A GENERA
The caps and gowns OF the graduating
class. the frock coats OF the alumni mar
shals and the academic robes Of the
faculty combined to make an impressive
as we'll as pleasant spectacle.
AN IMPRESSIVE FEATURE.
The procession of alumni and under
graduates down the hill to the Com
mencement exercises in the First Baptist
meeting house" was one OF the most i'm
pressive features In connection with Com
mencement week.
The assembly was sounded at 9:l5. when
the line was formed on the walk running
north and south on the front campus, i'm
mediately In front OF the buildings. AS
soon as the columns OF twos were ready
the line started down the hill TO the music
of the Commencement March"
The order OF formation was:
Marshal Harvey Almy Baker. o3;
Reeves American band; chief marshal,
Henry usn4n hmSqpSh Josln 81 aoss sa'u
chibald c. Matteson. 'ss: edward n.
sses; j john ASntsoPaK K aaR%ons Dyso @ Wsnr %
Ham p. comstock, 80; Edward T. Gross.
After the officials came the classes.
in the following order starting with the
Glass Of 1906: stephen B. Ames,
cry % X. p Porter SsA'cn Class of Of 1906: Marshais-
8. Foster Hunt. Frank N, Vaudeville.
Stephen w. Mason, Ralph @. ostby
ton, Harold V. Joslin, Houghton Metcslf.
Edward r. Taft. Glasses OF 90. Oh Mar
snsals1williar' .ns H. Hull ol; Allen Greene, ,sn
ss@wiism sno Gano Gaay u.s. cefsTs Clarence ce
ershs. h,,:: % GIssses fIsss Of Mrr,ay sswllST
Classes Of s5- 9l-Lucian Sharpe, 90; Wal
G. Harris, ,,ss; Morris w House ss Class
Ian Page Abbott. SO. Classes of 's6- a.
George 7. Brown. 70; George F. Weston.
rs rs Classes see Of ,sl-oscsr Lapham;s g.;
Martin s. Budlong. 90; Henry ]. Hoye,
'N: Graduating class-Harvey L. Bates,
nn John Ho, q; Cady' Stephen J,s n Easton, Jere
rice b. Rich. Candidates for higher de-
grees-William Huntoon, Thurston NJ.
son. 81: Courtney Lansdon, 81. Invited
Smith 'ss board OF trustees~touis Tuck
soarS Of s spSGneF Cook ir 81
Gorham n. Norton 92; chancellor. presi-
dent. county sheriff.
IN THE CHURCH.
class after all had taken seats In the
church. was the competition for the Gas
ton medal. annually awarded to the best
commencement grafton. The award will
be announced tomorrow.
William Thomson Hastings of Feeding
Hills. Mass. took for his subject THE
Passing Of College Traditions" speaking
as follows:
In the old DAYS there were many inter
esting customs at Rhode Island college
Those were the happy days In which the
freshman was effectually and the senior I
consistently, exalted. When a fresh |
man came 10 a door or gate he must /
stop. glance about him. and allow any
approaching upper class man to pass /
through before him. unless" as the reg
ulation read. permitted TO go forward |
by wave OF the hand from the supe- !
rior.' The students were strictly for |
hidden" TO find fault with the stewards 3 l
table and we wonder what vent the dig |
nifed collegian found for his feelings !
And 10 us. among whom the observance /
and almost the remembrance OF these old /
customs have ceased. the protection OF 4
the steward and the freshman's abase-
ment seem equally strange and unnatural
The days OF the more immediate past
have likewise fostered their customs and |
traditions IL was In our fathers time
that commencement was general holl-
tories closed. all Providence turned out
to watch the procession marching from
the campus to the church and back: and
fakirs and lunch booths drove a thriving
trade.
But upon them all. the traditions OF
the days OF Manning. Of the DAYS OF
Wayland. and, largely. of the days OF
Robinson. oblivion has set It's seal In
the slow process Of time. n custom comes
into being; In time II ceases to be the
most natural thing To do. and becomes n
tradition. which IL still observed faith
fully. but has lost its formerly infectious
zest: times wheel revovcs again. and
shortly the chroniclar of how they used
dition no more.
ITO these. indeed. who belong by years
or by interest To former DAYS the inev-
liable changes wrought by time have
deeper significance than 10 ne who
view them merely with n semi poetic re-
eret. Any change I'm traditional WAYS
OF thought or action IL synonymous to
them with lowering or subvsrting of the
ideals Of life: II II as inconceivable as
planting trees with their roots In the cir
They conclude that men are not so good
as once they were; that standards Of life.
Intellectual and moral have suffered de-
cline. Small wonder r. n. then. that both
he who has vegetated and he who is pos I
sessed by antiquarian fervor should be
quick 10 take up the chant of old age the
burden OF whose song has forever been
The World Went Very Well Then
But the passing ~ traditions may he I
net I'm another spirit than that of Van
" 81 vanities all is vanity. II r. only
'entiment which prevents our seeing that