The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-06-07
NINETEEN GRADUATES FROM
NORTH YAKIMA HIGH SCHOOL
Commencement Exercises Held Last
Friday Evcning-SynOpsis of
OratiOns.

ing success. Although stormy
evening, the large building was
crowded to topmost row of the gal
lery. The stage and surroundings
were very tastefully decorated with
banks of roses and the various
MOWERS that bloom so luxuriously in
North Yakima at this season of the
year.
Opening with very appropriate
invocation by Rev. H. p. James, the
program was successfully and cred
itably carried out. The choruses,
by the whole school, were well rem
dered, under the supervision of Supt
Selleck. The addresses by different
members OF the graduating class
were really good. The pupils wise
ly selected subjects they were &C
quainteo with and handled them
nicely, anu in manner that showed
that they knew what they were talk
ing about. The solos by Miss Ross
man and Miss Spalenka were very
fine indeed and exqusitely rendered
and received enthusiastic applause,
calling for merited encores.
The address to the class, by Rev.
+. l.. Hayden, ID. d., was a classical
gem, well delivered and full of words
of wisdom for the benefit of the class
and also of the large audience, who
were favored by being permitted to
listen to so able and eloquent an
orator. The diplomas We're pre-
sented by the president of the board
Prof. Barge. with some well consid-
cred and pertinent remarks. after
which the benediction was pro-
nounced, most 1eeiingly, by Rev.
Father Brunsten, thus closing one of
the most beautiful and successful
commencements ever had by our
high school.
The first Grafton. by Charles r.
Hauser, was pleasant surprise, even
to those who know him and his
abilities best. He spoke with the
ease and self-command of an expert
enced orator, his address being the
salutatory He SAID in part:
Mr.. President. Ladies and Gentle
men:
We are gathered here tonight for
the purpose of Witnessing the COM
mencement exercises of the class of
nineteen hundred five, and in behalf
of my class | wish to extend hearty
welcome to all those present
Every spring when the end of the
school year approaches, and the
many schools all over the country
are each preparing a class for gradu-
alton, we are led TO think of the
great numbers of young men and
women that are leaving school to
engage in the practical work of
every day life The majority of
these have received the last of their
education, except that which they
are to receive in the more severe
school life
Small wonder. then, that those
most interested in the welfare of the
pupils should look upon the
graduation exercises as an event of
great moment in their lives.
1t is indeed a turning point in
their careers; a time when theories
are to be tested by practical use.
Yet it is a glorious and happy oc
casion, marking, as 1t does, the re-
ward of twelve years of hard study
and effort We view 1t in this light,
especially. when we stop to consider
that of the children that attend
school in the first or second grades,
the comparative few that reach the
eighth grade and ofthose that finish
the eighth grade the fewer number
that ever enter the high school.
And even in the high school there
is a sad falling Off, for only about
one-third of the ordinary freshman
class ever reach the senior year.
The main cause of this Is that
boys and girls, when they reach
certain age, generally begin to look
toward the business side of life and
part of them are induced to stop
school and commence their business
training. Occasionally the reason
for this Is that some one will offer
particularly bright boy dollar day
for his services for a short time,
and, as dollar day is pretty good
wages for boy, he accepts and in
the majority of cases never returns
to school.
About the best remedy for this
would be to introduce a good manual
training and business course in the
schools
The class of 1905 is no exception
to the general rule. and although it
has diminished mucn, yet 1t has the
honor of being the largest class ever
graduated from the high school, be-
ing composed of nineteen members.
And SO it is, that | express the
unanimous WISH OF nineteen Wnen,
in the name of the class of 1905, |
bid you sincere welcome.
Miss Blanche Rodmans' essay, en-
titled DIR. Whitman's Ride" was
one of the best papers of the even
ing.
The Lewis and Clark Exposition
which is To be held this year at Port
land, recalls many important events
in the history of the northwest to
the attention Of people who have
taken very little interest in them
One of these is the ride OF DR.. Mar
Gus Whitman from his mission near
Walla Walla to Washington city, in
his effort to save the Oregon terri
tory for the United States.
While the rides of Paul Revere
and General Sherman, which lasted
only few hours, have been praised
in history and in famous poems, that