The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-03
S. M. A. AND F. S. COMMENCEMENT.

luS Will GuS OaCCo1ooAo ooO oOA IaoiA -
the First Baptist Church by Rev. G.
E. Burts pastor of the First Baptist
Church, Blackville S. G. The theme
of the sermon was Culture OF Ser
vice. and Mr.. Burts delivered a
striking and original discourse that
made fine impression. The music
which was especially arranged for the
occasion was unusually good, especial
ly a solo by Miss Bessie Ingram.
@sMonday morning at 1870 o'clock the
annual oratorical and elocutionary con-
tests were held in the Opera House in
the presence of alarge audience.
The contestants for the orators medal
we're:
Lieut.. N. B. Hicks. of Clarendon
county; subject, "True Grandeur of
Ntaions. :.
county subject, "The New South. "
sergt. S. NJ. Askins, Of Sumter
county: subject, "Woman's Duty"
Sergt. E. 2. Mitchell, of Barnwell
county subject, cliff up Your
Hearts. I"
The medal was won by Sergt. Spann
j. Greene, and presented by Dr.. c..
G. Brown, in an appropriate address.
The young ladies who contested for
the medal offered for excellence in
elocusion we're: Miss Myrtle Nc
Knight, of Williamsburg county; sub
ject, ga Quite Evening at Cards.
Miss Gladys Millican, Orangeburg
county; subject, An Oversight
Miss Bessie Keels, of Sumter county /;
subject, GA Violin Fantasie.
Miss Daisy Scarborough, Lee coun-
ty; subject, can Appeal.
Miss Mabel Shuler, Orangeburg
county; subject, ''Search for the
Slain
The medal was won by Miss Daisy
Scarborough and presented by Rev. G.
E. Burts.
knight, Rev. VIM. Haynsworth, Mr..
Chas. M. Hurst, Rev. G. G. Brown,
Rev. G. E. Burts.
The musical numbers of the pro-
gramme were artistically rendered by
Miss Daisy Greene, of Barnwell coun-
ty, Miss Pansie Durant, OF Lee coun-
~. and Miss Lille Hogan of Sumter.
The annual celebration of the Tim
rod and Gagner Literary Societies was
held Monday evening in the Opera
House.
Owing to some trouble at the
Electric Light Station the exercises
did not begin promptly for the lack Of
lights. The presiding officer of the
evening was Mr.. j. M. Woods, presi-
dent of the Gagner Society.
The programme was as follows:
instrumental Solo-Miss Alien
Owens.
Essay-Deyotion of Southern Women
to Southern Principles, Miss Daisy
Greene.
Declamation-"The South Before
the War; Cadet U. Y. Millican of
Orangeburg.
DEBATE.
Resolved that the General Assembly
of South Carolina should enact a
Compulsory Education Law"
Afirmative-Nugent B. Hicks, Miss
Annie Brailsford.
Negative-Spann J. Greene, Miss
BESSIE hoelS.
The judges were: Maj. H. F.
Wilson, Prof. S. Ii. Edmunds, and
Mr.. Harmon Noise, Jr. The judges
decided in favor of the negative, and
the gold medal for the individual
dictatorship was awarded to Miss Bessie
Keels, Of Sumter county. The medal
was delivered in well chosen words by
Harmon Noise, Jr., Esq.
Instrumental Solo-Miss Annie
Brailsford.
The following telegram was read:
Columbia, S. c., June l, 1903.
To Col. G. J. Owens, Sumter, S. G.
Unexpected urgent official business
prevented my catching train for Sum-
ter. 0. B. Martin.
The exercises yesterday morning we're
devoted principally to the Ready Speak
ers' contest. The programme was as
follows:
Instrumental Solo-Miss Rosa Lou
Folsom.
Ready Speakers Contest-The con-
testants we're: n. B. Hicks, j. NJ.
Woods and S. j. Greene.
The cadets were assigned the sub
ject: "The Future of the South. !" They
we're given ten minutes to think and
were required to speak 10 minutes.
The judges we're: Horace Hardy,
Jr., Capt. L. G. Noise. and Chas. L.
Cuttino, Esq. They rendered decision
in favor of j. NJ. Woods, and it was
gracefully delivered by Capt. Noise.
The medal is given by Hon. VIM.
D. Upshaw, better known as Earnest
Willie'' the rolling chair speaker of
Georgia. The medal bears the inscrip-
tion, God touch your lips with living
fire, and help you lift humanity
higher
The next feature was the military
contest. The drill master was Capt. j.
Clinton Brogdon, the senior cadet
officer.
TIE squad representing the two COM
panies gave a spectacular drill in
bayonet exercises. The cadets showed
marked proficiency also in firing
kneeling and lying down. The judges
on the manual were: Capt. Doar and
Lieut.. Minis
The medal was won by Sergt. ]. D.
Dougherty, of Orangeburg after an
exciting contest, and the medal was