Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1905-06-14
(Frnm FridaY's DailYl

the Elks' Theater, the four graduates of the Prescott High School last night completed the chain of school experiences, and stepping upon the threshold of a new life, entered into the activities of a work-a-day world.
 Upon the stage, which presented an attractive appearance with .potted plants, were seated Trustees R. Baehr, II. T. Andrews, Wm. NJ. Claypool, Pre- sident Babcock, of the University of Arizona, and Superintendent B. D. BiIlinghurst, and with them were the four young ladies, who were soon to receive the documentary evidence that they had completed their course of study faithfully and well. Attired in dainty gowns of orthodox white, they presented a charming picture, and the group was the center of many admiring eyes.
 The exercises opened with an orehes- tral selection, and was followed by an essay, "Folk Lore of the Rhine, by Miss Annie Myers. It evineed much research and study, and was extremely interesting.
 "A Plea for Simplicity" was the theme of Miss Minnie Davis we'll written essay. and it was replete with excellent ideas, backed by forceful logic. A delightful vocal solo by Miss Carpenter was followed by a "Character Sketch of Henry D. Thoreau," by Miss Mamie Davis, who handled the essay with keen ana lysis, and evineed a comprehensive knowledge of the subject of her sketch.
 An essay upon "Parsifal," by Miss Alice Adams was an intellectual effort that evoked much praise, and was deeply interesting to the audience.
 After an orchestral number. Doctor Kendric Charles Babcock. president of the University of Arizona, delivered an address upon "Publie Education and Citizenship" He handled the subject in a masterly manner, and the keynote of his remarks was that the complexity of modern civilization makes much greater demands upon the individual than in the centuries past. Then the effort was to educate the prince, while now education is gen. eral, and the responsibilities are great CT upon the schools, colleges and uni versailles to fit the individuality of the pupil to the work of his life. In this connection he dilated upon the impor- tance of manual training as a feature of the curriculum, pointing out that from the interest that it develops in a boy it gives him a momentum that gives him an advantage in the battle of life.
 Before presenting the diplomas to the graduates, Superintendent Billing hurst incidentally expressed his appre- citation of Dr. Babcock s address, and the valuable ideas it conveyed, and reverting to the important feature of the occasion. said in part:
 In the presentation of diplomas this evening. I take it that this audience is too intelligent and too sensible to think of diplomas at more or less than their true value. It is not the diplo- ma Chat has value it is what has gone before: the thought, the training, the self-reliance that have been devel- oped in the years of study that the student has spent. The value of the years thus spent to the young man er-estimated. That a high school edu- cation is worth while, therefore, is not the theoretical notion of a school superintendent who is ambitious of in- creasing his high school enrolment, but it is the crystallized opinion of the 'business world of America, an opinion in which the criterion is not senti- ment. but results. Therefore, parents, it is your sons' or your daughter s right to receive a high school educa- tion, and every encouragement should be put forth to this end. Young ladies, of the graduating class, you will look upon the diploma you are about to receive in its true relation. This dip- loma or any other diploma will not open to you the doors of wealth or fame or happiness. Yours years of study will help you, but whatever sue cess shall subsequently, come to you either in the home or in business or in college will depend upon the industry, thought, and sensible conduct that you hereafter may exhibit. In the name and by the authority of the board oftrustees. I now have the honor of presenting to you these diplomas, the first that have been given for the com pletion of the full four years' course