The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-26
ANOTHER Az NJ.
YEAR IS CLOSED
First Commencement in
New Auditorium
ORATIONS OF SENIORS
Speeches by R. P. Reece, J. B., Hard
ing, Vim. Kerr, G. H. Hodges and
E. P. BaiIey---President Win
ston's Farewell Words
to Graduating Class.

The first com m enCemSnt OF the "A
and NJ. college IN the new PUllen
Building auditorium yesterday morn
ing was great success. THE TIC hall
was filled with the cadets and their
pied the gallery, and played during the
intervals the usual excellcnt music els
pensed by it The fine spring breeze
blew through the windows ana al
though it was the hottest day of the
season. it was perfectly comfortable all
through the more than two hours Of
the exercises, from eleven Until after
one o'clock
The ladies were out in large num-
bers. and heightened up the scene
wonderfully with their cool, white
summer gowns. 1t was q beautiful,
inspiring sight against the gray uni
forms of the cadets.
On the platform, besides President
George r. Winston, sat Governor ~
cock during the first part of the ex
ercises, Commissioner of Agriculture s.
l.. Patterson, the entire State Board of
Agriculture, which is also the Board
of Trustees, and the five seniors who
We're to deliver orations. Governor
Aycock was compelled by urgent huei-
ness to leave soon after the exercises
began.
The Exercises.
First there was music and then an
invocation by Rey. j. w. Jenkins su-
perintendent of the Methodist orr han
age.
Then, after more music by the band
came the orations of the graduates
President Winston said the Seniors
elected one speaker Mr.. Geo. H
Hodges, the faculty another for schol-
arship Mr.. Jarvis Il. Harding and the
remaining three by the faculty.
Mr.. Il. p. Reece.
The first speaker was Mr.. Risden P.
Reece. who spoke on Modern Depend
ence on the Engineer. He recalled that
every age depended upon some class
of men, and coming down TO this age
spoke of the slow development of mod
ern engineering through all the various
stages until the marVelS of the present
day were at last reached. He then
took up every kind of industry anG
every danger that threatened mankind
of this 2ges and showed how the EN-
gineer stepped in and made easy and
profitable the one and conquered the
other.
Every discomfort of civilized Efe
had been removed, and every luxury
supplied by the engineer. Mr.. Reece
closed with q plea for honor To be
given the engineer along with othe.
professional men.
Mr.. j. Il. Harding.
Mr.. Jarvis Il. Harding spoke next in
Our Textile Growth. He referred to
the great increased production of cot
ton IN the South since the days oi
slavery were over, and the long steps
that had been taken in the line OF
manufacturing the raw material bat
still the problem of manufacturing coz
ton in the South is unsolved. In seven
years the capacity of our mills has in
creased forty-five per cent. North Car
DINA now has more cotton mills than
any other State in the Union. The
advantage of home manufa cure was
clearly shown. Something like 100000
bales of cotton were manufactured III
North Carolina employing some $4,000
operatives. The greatest prosperity
i'm time of peace and the greatest
strength in time of war belong to The
manufacturing country.
Attention to textile education was
necessary in order to increase the
value of the manufactured article, and
there was practically no limit to the