The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-21
THE VIRGINIA
CADET FINALS
Military Movements Open the
Commencement Exercises.
THE BOARD WAS SALUTED
Final Celebration Of the Cadet Dramatic
Literary Society-The Hosts Gath
ering for Unwilling of Cadet
Battle Mon ument.
Especial to The Times-Dlspatch.)

Especial to The Times-Dispatch.)
LEXINGTON, VA, June 26.-Com-
mencement exercises incident to the
closing of the sixty-fourth session at the
Virginia Military Institute began this
morning at o'clock with morning pa
rade. followed by guard mounting. Those
initial exercises were witnessed by large
crowd of visitors and ex-cadets, who for
several days have been arriving In Lex
ington for the commencement this year.
The cadet battery, in command of Cap
tain T. g. Carter, the tactical officer. at
1920 o'clock fired a salute of twenty-one
guns In honor Of the Board of Visitors.
the following members being present:
Alexander Hamilton, of Petersburg, pres
ident of the board; Colonel Francis l..
Smith, of Alexandria; Phil T. Brown, of
Blue Ridge Springs; j. NJ. Hooker. OF
Stuart: Lloyd r. Smith. of Heathsville:
William T. Shields. OF Lexington; Thomas
w. Shelton, Norfolk: j. W. Southall su.
perintendent OF public instruction.
The salute was followed by various
manoeuvres of artillery drill by the Sc.
cond class. the fourth classmen serving
as horses to draw the pieces over the
field. During the exercise. other cadets OF
the third class were being put through
signal drill.
o'clock in the afternoon and the young
soldiers showed up to fine advantage.
LITERARY CELEBRATION.
The final celebration Of the Cadet
Diahctic Literary Society took place to-
night at $3.50 In the Stonewall Jackson
Memorial Hall. A large and appreciative
audience was presence. The music was
furnished by the v. NJ. I. orchestra. Pro.
fessor Herman Krause, leader. The So
off Morcha11
Nice. Milton. OF Berryville. Va; Vice
President, Sidney "A. Loughridge. Of
Louisville. Ky; Secretary, Carroll D.
Hagan, of Richmond, Va; Treasurer,
Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr.. OF Rio. Ky:
Sergeant-at-Arms Henry d. White, Of
Martinsville. Va.
President Milton welcomed the auditors
In a short and appropriate address Fol-
lowing this came two declama tons: Cadet
Robert S. Hudgins. Of Hampton, Va. sub
ject THE Traitors Death; Cadet James
A. Merritt. of Baltimore, Md. subject.
"Marmion." The orators were: Henry D.
Whittle. subject, THE Confederate Sol
der; Ellis C. Caldwell. of Stop. Va,
subject, "Our Country's Need" The ques-
ton for debate was: Resolved. That
Territorial Expansion is Beneficial to the
United States" The affirmative debaters
were: Cadet Marshall McC. Milton, Of
6eTFyVllle, Va anu SducI reuben rag
land, of Petersburg. Va: the negative
by Cadet Gilbert Marshall, of Bay. ST.
Louis, Mo-, and Nicholas c. Harris,
of Bellevue. Va.
OLD BOYS GATHER.
Already the "old cadets have begun
to pour In to attend the Virginia Military
Institute commencement exercises and
the unwilling OF battle and battalion mon
ument-''virginia Mourning Her Dead
| = cSt. H.,
cadets who fought In the battle of New
Market May 18TH 1854, and nobly sus-
tained the day. More interest has been
evinced by the alumni for this occasion
than any event In the history OF tho
school. General Joseph R. Anderson, of
Gooctland county. the president Of the
" NJ. I. Alumni Association. arrived
Thursday afternoon. and has been hard
at work looking to every detail.
The local alumni committeeman are
meeting all of the incoming trains. and
each old cadet as he arrives. Is taken
to headquarters and there assigned to his
quarters. Many of them will be accom-
panied by their families. Tuesday. June
23d. is the day Of the unwilling OF the.
monument. and several special excursions
will be run by the railroads from the
adjacent cities. which will bring hum
dreds to attend the exercises. The alumni
in Baltimore. Washington. Richmond and
other cities have made special arrange
ments to attend and they have held
mSttings In order to have a full repre-
sentation present at the exercises and
once again meet their old comrades who
wore the gray coatee aud brass buttons.
TENTS TO SHELTER THEM.
That there may be no lack of quarters
should the attendance be larger than
anticipated, the tents occupied by the
cadet battalion during their last encamp-
ment on the Institute grounds have been
left standing, and will be used to quarter
some Of the visitors, and thus they will
have the pleasure of again renewing
that part of their cadet life.
More responses have been received
from the graduates of earlier years than
from those of later years. but as the
case has been for many years past the
greater portion Of the returned graduates
on alumni day have been those of re-
cent years; hence they will come In
great numbers. being accustomed to max
ing the annual pilgrimage,
1t has been roughly estimated that
there will be present as many as 600 sons
Of this great military school. ''the West
Point of the South to do honor In thus
adding another chapter to the history Of
the school, and 1t Is hoped that all who
can will possibly attend. A hearty well
come awaits each and every one OF them.
and "Auld Lang Syne" once again ring
in their ears, when they will meet old
comrades, which may be for the last
time, and pass pleasant moments to-
gether.