The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-05
THE BLIND SCHOOL
AT Closing a Splendid A.
ddress by B. R. Lacy.


cert Being a Delightful
One.
The closing exercises at the State
School for the Blind is always an oc-
casion of much interest to the public
Yesterday morning the auditorium
was well filled with the friends and
acquaintance of the four young Ia
dies who, having completed the pre-
scribed course Of study, were to re-
ceive their diplomas.
The stage was decorated with dra-
peries of white and heliotrope (the
school colors), palms, ferns and sweet
peas-a very becoming background
tor the pretty gowns of the gradu-
ates.
The commencement exercises were
opened al half past ten with prayer by
Dew DIR. Bumpas, after which the Ad-
Vanced Choir sang the beautiful an
them "Tarry With Me-" The essay
Romance in North Carolina history"
by Miss Calphurnia Zachary, was well
written and beautifully delivered, as
was, also, aspirations" by Miss
Frances Esteele Fleming. Then fol-
lowed a selection by the every welcome
institution after which Miss Luna
FRANKLIN read an essay on '"Topogra-
ply and National Character" and
Miss Elizabeth Burns read one on the
Meaning and Value Of Beauty" Both
were thoughtful papers and charm
ingly read.
with flowers, and were the recipients
of many interesting looking white pa
per parcels tied with the school colors.
Hon. b. r. Lacy was the orator of
the occasion and, after a humorous
introduction by Mr.. Ray as "a tow
headed boy he FUSED to know" he
gave magnificent address on the
necessity of education at the present
day. He complimented the young la
dies ON their essays and said they
more than compared favorably with
the work of any of the schools and
colleges of the State.
Mr.. Lacy's Address.
Mr.. Lacy spoke for about forty min
utes. He humorouSy gave an account
Of the search for a subject had at last
concluded to name his address "Edu-
cation" because he really was not eX-
pected to stick to his subject but could
wander over the entire range of sub
JectS historical, financial, biographical.
The main idea was, that from the
day when Moses, the only educated
ISraelite led his people out of bondage
down to the present time, the man
with a well-trained mind had been
the leader in every enterprise. Eli
Whitney, the Yankee school teacher,
saw hundreds of men, women and chill
dren picking out cotton seed by hand,
he brought his trained mind to bear
on the problem, and 10, the cotton gin,
which was a God-send to the South
and incidentally gave him a fortune
to go back to his New England home
to build a big gun factory.
Mr.. Lacy spoke of several other in
stances where educated men had seen
the labor and trouble of the uneduca-
ted and had invented machines that
had benefited the world and made
themselves rich and famous. He paid
beautiful and glowing tribute to
Fanny Crosby, who was born in New
York in 1920, her family physician put
out her eyes and took his blunder SO
to heart that he disappeared She
has written more Sunday School
hymns than any other person, and
her life, written by herself, was an
inspiration, every one should read it.
He complimented the essays read
by the young ladies in higeSt terms,
and also. said that he was delighted at
the manuscript, which was typewrit-
ten by the girls. He advised that they
put their wits to work and invent q
typewriter that would make a raised
letter so they could have the pleasure
of reading what they had written.
Next he gave very Interesting ac-
count of Rev. VIM. Moon, an Irishman
who was one of the pulpit orators of
the world, but who went blind, and
this great misfortune was the cause
of bringing light to thousands upon
thousands who sat in utter darkness,
as he was the inventor of the raised
letter that all blind people used.
He then went back to the Bible and
drew a graphic picture of dtsconso-
late Joseph sitting on the sand in the
bottom of the pit with his hands
around his knees, waiting for what his
elder brothers would do with him, but
il was necessary for the saving of his
people, for him to go through the
depths of the pit. q slave and jail
bird to be the Kings prime minister.
His picture of Mr. Moons despair
and detection and rebellion, ana the
wonderful benefit his misfortune
brought the world, and the fame il
gave him was well. He told several
anecdotes and one very pretty and pa
thetic story of the war. He PAID
glowing tribute described North Caro-
lima but especially to the eloquent
Aycock."
Exercises Continue.
After a selection by the Institution
and the diplomas were conferred upon
the young graduates by Hon. George
Allen president of the Board Of Trus-
tees, Mr.. Allen made few well cho-
sen remarks appropriate to the occa-
sion. which were particularly appre-
ciated by the class.
At the close of the exercises the
bovs gave some very good examples
of their work in physical culture.
The visitors were then invited to
insDect the work of the industrial de-
nartnents. The specilnens OF work
exhibited surprised and pleased all.
Work progresses rapidly at the
nd hr