Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-06-01
.IHE GRADED SCHOOLSCLOSE.
AN EXCELLENT SHOWING MADE FOR THE
SECOND scAcoL YEAR.
BEST COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
Ever Witnessed In WaIhalIa-H House Crowded
and Many Turned Away.

The commencement exercises of the
Walhalla Graded Schools have become a
thing Of the past. That the occasion
was thoroughly enjoyed by all who at.
tended is made very evident by the uni
versal praise heard on all sides. There
is but one criticism, and that is that there
was enough of good things crowded into
one nights exercises to have occupied
two. This, however, can hardly be con-
strued as an adverse criticism, but rather
must be taken as good advice In shaping
similar entertainments in the future.
Superintendent Nicholson and his able
corps of teachers deserve and have been
given unstinted praise, not only for the
splendid showing made in the closing
exercises, but especially for the uninter-
rupted progress and excellent showing
made by the whole school in every branch
during the second year. The labor has
been hard and exacting, and Walhalla
has reason to congratulate herself upon
80 thoroughly alive to the interests of
the pupils and patrons. During the past
session the faculty has been composed
as follows: Superintendent, Prof. D. r.
Nicholson; teachers 9th and 9Th grades, }
Miss Kate j. Stock; 5th and 9th grades,
Miss Susie Brunson; Sd aud 4th grades,
Miss Mary Stribling; 1st and I'd grades,
Miss lula Jones.
AS the beginning of the commence
ment exercises, last Thursday morning
Rev. Francis w. Gregg, of Pendleton,
preached an excellent sermon in the
Lutheran church to the school and q
large congregation Of citizens interested
in the school as patrons or we'll wishers.
The subject OF Rev. Gregg's discourse
w 10 20 Of snts
gressiveness." 1t was an excellent pre-
sentation OF the various phases of the
relations between education and Chris
tianity, and the subject was handled in
masterful manner, forceful, yet so full
of simplicity that even the youngest Of
his hearers might grasp with ease the
great truths he presented. He was at
tentively listened to by the large congre-
cation.
Friday morning at the Court House
j. j. McSwain, Esq, of Greenyille, de-
livered the literary address to the school.
The Court House was filed, and Mr..
McSwain had something to interest and
benefit each of his hearers from the
youngest to the oldest. The central
thought of his dicourse was progress
with Patience" 1t was developed in an
artful manner, his logical analysis and
simplicity of expression enabling his
hearers of even tender age to grasp
his meaning. He is young man
of talent and ability, and his COM
ing t. our midst was the source of much
pleasure to his friends and admirers
here, to which list he adds with each
successive visit to Walballa.
The exercises prOpel~-that is, the part
in which the children were the central
fgure-were reserved for Friday night
at o'clock, and were held in the Court
House. whore a large stage had been
erected for their use. The court room
was packed to its utmost capacity with
interested spectators, some fifty or sixty
of whom stood for the whole four hours,
seats being out of the question and stand
ing room at premium.
The program as originally designed
was intended to occupy three hours in
it's presentation, but owing to the fact
that the tableau, Tennyson's Dream of
Fair Women" by the eighth grade, and
the "Fire-oracker Drill" by the little
boys of the first, were repeated on request
from the audience, half an hour was
lost, and another half hour not reckoned
upon was lost in stage changes, which
were hindered by the very large crowd
of children necessarily kept behind the
curtain. AS result the town clock was
just striking IL as the large crowd began
to make their way home.
The Program,
which had been carefully arranged by the
teachers, was carried out in full, and
was admirably rendered, being almost
perfect, even to tho smallest detail. 1t
was as follows:
1. Fire-cracker Drill-Little boys of
first grade.
2. District School-Blue- back Corners
Fifth and sixth grades.
3. Japanese Drill-First and second
grades.
4. Tennyson's Dream of Fair Women
adapted. )-Eighth Grade.-Dreamer,
Irene Strother; Helen of Troy, Helen
FAINT; Iphigenia, Anna Stribling; Boa
dicea, Mary Pitchford Joan of Arc,
Bertha Schumacher; Cleopatra, Eloise
Strother; Jephthah's Daughter, Mamie
Harrison; Fair Rosamond, Gertrude Bic
mann. (Tableau at close.)
5. Colonial Flag Drill-First and sec
ond grades.
6. The Courting of Mother Goose
Third and fourth grades.
7. The Family Photograph Album
Seventh grade.
8. May-pole Dance-Fifth and sixth
grades.
0. Tableau-The Walhalla Graded
Schools. Grades 1-S.