The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-07-08
VALEDICTORY..
By Audrey Miller.

The following Valedictory Address
was delivered by Miss Audrey Miller
on the occasion of the Commencement
exercises of the Ely Grammar School.
| 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 great inventor. His
first invention was an automatic tele-
graph repeater in 1863 Since then his
| many other inventions have followed
such as the qadraplex telegraph and
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 a hundred
dollars given him by his mother. Be-
ginning with that, he worked ol until
when he died he was one of the rich
est men in America.
John Jacob Astor 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 q young man to refine oil
and now he is the great oil king of the
country. Mr.. James j. 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 as 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
hI1t OIL of of
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 lis 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 well educated has more
power than an uneducated person and
can get much better position. A per-
son with knowledge, too, can get more
pleasure out of life. For instance, an
Indian may enjoy the singing of the
birds but if you were to take him to
a grand opera he would not enjoy it at
all because he does not understand it
unless educated, where person of even
ordinary education would enjoy the
same opera very much because he I'M
derstands it.
The influence of this still small voice
leads us too, to strive for better char
acters. Education without an upright
character is a menace to society. We
may not all be able to climb the heights
to fame, for many noble persons are
never known to the world but we should
strive to have our ideals high even if
our names are not to be handed down
in history.
Taken all in all without this desire
to improve we must go through life
sIuggards and idlers and this would be
to fail. So Excelsior shall be our motto
truth and aim.
To the Teachers.
At the close of another school year
xxyich 10 Il 20