The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-07-01
Valedictory Address
Delivered by Miss Selma WIKI
man at the Commencement
- Exercises, June 10th.

Excelsior is the motto chosen by the |
class Of 1904 and it gives to you in con- |
else form the sum and substance of our |
ambition. 1t means higher, still higher, |
and upward. Longfellow has wonder |
fully described what each of US ought
to feel in his poem, Excelsior"
We are told we can never be satisfied
with what we have attained. Some
thing within says, higher, higher still.
In following this voice lies the key to
success. Many have found this true,
we may be sure to find it so.
This ever-present desire to rise has
made the people of our country the most
inventive of any in the world. The dis
covery of electricity in all it's forms
is evidence of mans desire to know and
to do still more.
Thomas Edison had few advantages
for education and his ambition for
knowledge led him to read and study
and he became a great inventor. HIS
first invention was an automatic tele-
graph repeater in 1868. Since then his
many other inventions have followed
such as the qadraplex telegraph ana
the electric railway. 1t is said he does
not himself know the number of his
inventions.
Excelsior has also inspired many to
success in the business world. No
doubt but many of the millionaires OF
the world would still be common work
ing people if they had not followed the
voice whiting which said, higher,
still higher"
Cornelius Vanderbilt laid the foun-
dation of his vast fortune on hundred
dollars given him by his mother. Be
ginning with that he worked on until
when he died he was one of the rich
| est men in America.
John Jacob Aston sold apples on the
| streets of New York and the money
earned in that way was used to the
| best advantage. He was one of the
| men at the summit of the ladder OF
wealth when he died..
| Rockefeller is another example. He
| started when a young man to refine oil
and now he is the great oil king of the
country. Mr.. James ]. Hill has said
| that the struggle for success is great
est among the poor laboring people but
| the higher up you get the easier success
| comes. This should make us wish to
| rise as rapidly go possible.
| Following our motto the modern
world has come to excel the ancient
| world in almost every way. The
| Greeks were the best athletics of the
| ancient world but now athletes of Amer
! lea rival and surpaSS them in skill and
| strength. The spirit to excel has led the
| modern nations to strive with each
| other in perfecting implements of war,
| such as great guns and great armored
| ships any of which far surpasS any
| thing that the ancient world ever knew
| of the instruments of warfare. This
| same unsatisfied desire to be first
and best has led to wonders in ship
| construction and in railroad equip
| ments, new passenger steamer being
| built 715 feet long and great freight
and passenger boats the greatest ever
| constructed plough through the great
| waters of the Pacific. The people of
the ancient world never dreamed OF
| such implements of war and such YES
sells of commerce as we have today and
they did not know anything of comforts
| as we do. The people in common homes
have more comforts and cOnVeniences
than kings and queens of a few hundred
years ago. and this is all due to our
ever-present desire for improvement.
Then too, this same desire leads us
to seek more and more knowledge. A
person who is we'll educated has more
power than an uneducated person anC
can get a much better position. A per-
son with knowledge, too, can get more
pleasure out of life. For instance, al
!. Indian may enjoy the singing of thu
! birds but if you were to take him tt
grand opera he would not enjoy it a
. all because he does not understand i
unless educated where person of ever
ordinary education would enjoy thu
! same opera very much because he un
| derstands it.
The influence of this still small voice
leads us too, to strive for better char
acters. Education without an uprigh
character is a menace to society. W.
may not all be able to climb the heights
to fame, for many noble persons ar
never known to the world but we SHOULD
strive to have our ideals high even i
. our names are not to be handed down
: in history
Taken all in all without this desir
! to improve we must go through lif
sluggards and idlers and this would b
: to fail So Excelsior shall be our motto
! truth and aim.
To the Teachers.
: AL the Close Oh SCHOOI y cd
: we wish to thank you, our teachers, TO
( your untiring efforts in our behalf an
I we hope that in after years you wi
: see that your efforts have not beel
5 made in vain. We know we have trie
!. your patience but we hope you will for
give our tricks and forget our thought
lessness and only remember us kindly
: We hope we may not disappoint 70
in our lives.
To the Board of Education.
We also thank you, the Board o
Education, for the splendid provision
you have made for us that we Nigh
enjoy these school years. We not onl
thank you for the provisions made TO
the necessities of school work but ais
for the things that you have provides
to make our school work more pleasan
and interesting.
To the Classmates.
Dear classmates, one and all, as W
have sought to follow the sentiment o
cur motto SO far III our school course
may we be true to it all through life
We have had happy, merry times to
: gether, following our studies under tn
, encouragement of our teachers and nov
I even though our pathway should par
may we ever strive onward and up
ward, and may we so live that our live
may be as bright and pure as the sun