The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1904-05-27
Class Of six Young Ladies and Gent
leman Complete theirhigh School
Education and are Given DipIo.
mas---CIass Address is delivered
by Prof. U. S. Fleming
Opera House was Filled to OVERLOOKING and Many
were Unable to Gain Admission---Essays Were
Excellent and Music Fine Gold and Silver Med
ais are Presented to Scholars.

lives OF four young ladies' ana Two young
gentlemen on Thursday evening when
they received certificates Of graduation
from the faculty OF the clarksburg
public high school at the annual com
mencemcut exercises held at the Traders
Grand opera house. The event marked
the dividing line OF two epochs of their
dives. They left the one and entered
the other under circums tances suspicious
and with the hearty congratulations and
best wishes of their teachers, parents,
relatives, school mates ana friends
These young ladies and gentlemen were
Misses Alma Earle Hnymaker, Georgin
Watkins Thorn, Genevieve Gray Hay
maker, Edna Evelyn Tinsman, Messrs
ATichael James Connell and Edgar For
man Hood.
The commencement exercises began at
eight o'clock. At that hour the opera
house was filled to overlooking and many
were unable to get into the building At
all. This NANTES tation of interest in
the public school system was gratifying
indeed.
When the curtain rose, a beautiful and
enhancing scene greeted the eye. Seat
ed upon the stage We're the graduating
class, Numbers of the undergraduate
rIasse- of the high school and of the
grammar department, The beautiful
white dresses OF the young ladies, CON
trasted with the conventional black
worn BY the young men and the deco
rations of flowers ferns and palms made
harmonious and pleasing picture. The
class motto Labor omnia yincit," hung
suspended from the top of the stage.
The exercises were opened by m en-
semble chorus cover Fields of Clover"
(Adam GiebeD rendered excellently and
the fresh young voices of the chorus
caused responsive enthusiasm in the
audience.
Rev. James F. Plummer, rector of the
Christ church, invoked the divine bless.
ing.
) Misses Grace Duncan. Vera Williams
Josephine Sheets, Tina Heenan, Beulah
Starc6er and Louise Kyle composed
sextette which sang ''Nermaids' Evening
Song" tGlover) very sweetly.
The address to the class was delivered
at this point in the program by Prof
q. s. Fleming. superintendent of the
Parkersburg public schools, and one OF
the prominent educators of the state
The professor received message short
ly before the exercises began calling him
ITO his home city and the program was
altered to permit him to leave on the
night train.
Prof. Fleming was introduced by Sup
erintendent Burdette in few well chos-
en- words. Prof. Fleming said he wac
supremely glad to witness the NANTES
tation of interest in the public school
commencement and was also gratified at
the rapid progress and work done in the
public schools of the city. He spoke OF
4he srowtH OF the material character of
Harrison county and said that it, edu
cation should keep pace with mat WON
derful progress "If the public school:
do not keep pace with the increase in
prosperity" he said eve will not nd
vance. In the words of Lyman Beecher,
swe must educate or we will perish The
education in common in this state now
will not do. 1t must be more complete
more comprehensive and cover a wider
scope" Prof, Fleming said they ex'
,pe7ssnced trouble in keeping the boys at
school in Parkersburg; that out of their
last graduating class of twenty-seven
there were four boys and he was glad
10 see the ratio better here. "Boys say
they can make more mony out of school,
he said. "they say they can make sl.oo
a day. That's where they are going.
They leave school to earn money But
this does not pay"
Prof. Fleming then gave several IL
lusfrations showing that higher edu
cation paid more. not only in dollars and
cents but also in the uplifting and bet
4ermenf of the Young mans life. He
CONTINUED on page avey
Gold of class that graduated from the
Fairmont Normal School in 1873. and
showed that every living member OF that
class today was holding high and re-
sponsible positions in life and We're earn
ing a far greater salary that the boys
,who left school. He substantiated hi=
arguments by statistics showing that of
the most prominent men in the country
chose who had won enviable distinc
Hon and prominence" owed theft success
10 higher education. He concluded his
remarks by showing that mere dollar
and cents was not the code by which
this higher education was measured