The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-20

| ~ OF MN tfiANpisi%Rs
Mr.. Horace Edward Chandler OF Scran-
ton. Pa. was third speaker and took for
his subject: 'The Embryo Civil En-
| gineer He said I'm parts
| I'm the charter OF the British Institute
| OF Civil Engineers. we read The profess
son OF the civil engineer Is the art or dir
Getting the great sources OF power In ma
ture for the Use and convenience of man
BY this definition the function OF the civil
engineer is clearly stated. Upon him we
depend for our fuel. our railroads, bridges,
er-power plants. water supplies and
sanitary works. He designs the steel
frames OF our sky-scrapers. He Is even
now cutting, through the barriers or
| Panama. a path for the worlds COM
merce. This. then. is the work OF the
| civil engineer-to make the forces OF ma
ture mans servants. and to protect
humanity from slavery 10 those powers.
what equipment must this civil en-
| gineer possess in order 10 perform these
vtaly important duties? His knowledge
must be broad; his character strong. The
! sciences OF mathematics. physics chem
istrS, geology, biology and SOCIOLOGICAL
these must sooner or later be his that he
may rule nature. Besides this mental
equipment he needs a sturdy character.
| Accuracy. courage, the powers OF work
and thought, honesty. and love for all
truth-these are the inbred traits of the
civil engineer.
Turn now. 10 the civil engineer in en-
bryo. the graduating bachelor OF science
in civil engineering. What equipment has
I he? Certainly his mind has CLEANED some
facts from his college course: he has de-
veloped some good traits OF character and
has acquired scientific temperament.
He has studied mathematics. physics,
chemistry and geology have taught
him their wonderful secrets and he has
been trained I'm English French and Ger
man From this ha N Qon
ward 10 view the fighting line of his pro-
fession.
He has learned the principles OF rail-
way building and how 10 design bridges.
street systems and public water supplies
but beyond all these are still vast stores
OF knowledge TO which he has here re-
ceived the key.
What Of himself. his character? His
laboratory training has given him care
and exactness. The hard problems he has
met and conquered have tested and there
by strengthened his courage. BY applying
the laws he has learned TO actual cases.
he has developed the power OF thought
He has been forced to apply himself Wig
orously to his tasks. and thus has had
forged about him the habit OF hard work
Nature has no use for liars: therefore.
through his dealings with her, ne has be-
come honest.
Where then and with what equipment
| SAaibr Ahf tiNll kTduuhte OF
today? He is just within the gates OF
the great world OF work and life. To
some extent science has revealed TO him
the secrets and powers OF nature. His
character has become strong What he
must do now is TO use what he has I'm
the service OF men. With that use will
come n gradual growing OF his knowledge
and his powers; and finally he will be-
come, In truth, civil engineer"
Mp Cnpy's nPATInN
Mr.. Herbert Ellsworth Cory OF Provi-
dence rendered as the closing grafton.
The Sterner Side OF Poetry" He said in
part: Nowadays Il has become almost
an unwritten law. TO idolize Victorian po-
etry. We laugh at the English public OF
the last half OF the eighteenth century for
their blind age-worshp and their cock
sure belief in their narrow and conven-
tonal poetic ideals. Yet, we show the
same hide-bound subservience 10 our own
different but equally narrow belief
The attitude OF our Victorian poets,
however, presents serious DEFICIENCIES
Never has an age been more fertile In
sources for inspiration. The great paint
ers OF the Italian renaissance. the great
poets OF the Ellzabethan period drank In
the new influences and famed out like re-
sistless meteors.
"Rossetti and Morris deliberately turned
away from the problems OF this era. Ar
| nOlO fingered IN melancnOly neSltHnCy.
Browning and swinburne are partial ex-
ceptions. Both accepted our age In it's
full Significance. but Brownins's optimism
facile. and swinburne chose aioofness Of
an over-cutured utterance. Even those
who accepted the spirit OF our age then.
large fsdda Snd vipe E EVe s sSRe@
"ft has been an ungenerous task to at
tack Victorian poetry so harshly, but the
part at issue precludes any attempt to
| show recognition of the really noble uual-
tiles of our latest poets. We are forced
to believe that the Victorian poets were
most vital properties OF their art. and
that this weakness eliminated today In
tsH-tifffest complete divorce from the
larger laws OF song.
THE weakness OF our poets Is indeed
deep-seated. In spite OF the apparent In
difference OF the world TO song the fauIt
is not with the people, but with the poets.
Atrue art will arise phoenixlike from the
ashes Of our decrepitude
ITO embody the sterner side OF poetry,
to be large enough for the task OF truth
seeking, the great singer must have the
spirit OF intellectual adventure. The great
poet OF the future must have one other
as n priest. He must be filled with
spirit of revolt against dead and corrupt
ed beliefs. He would stem the mad
scrambles for optimism so prevalent to-
day with spirit OF pitiless denial. But
along with his stern criticism he would
bring them ennobled aspirations. This is
|
venture which inspires the singer with the
sterner side OF poetry and makes him a
savior OF men"
AWARDING OF DEGREES
After the orations came the awarding
OF degrees. announcement OF prizes and
the comforting OF honorary degrees. When
the exercises were concluded the entire
body marched back TO the campus and
luncheon wns served Immediately I'm the
administration building Rhode Island hall
and the gymnasium.
At l:30 the exercises I'm Sayles hall be-
gan. MIR. Rathbone Gardner ~. presided
and speeches were made by President
w. IA. +. Faunce Gov George H. Utter
/ Prof. j. Irving Manatt. Mr.. Henry Wat
tcrSon and Mr.. Charles T.. Hughes. At
4 o'clock in the afternoon will occur the
baseball game between the Varsity and
the alumni.
DEGREES CONFERRED.
Upon the following was conferred the
degree of bachelor OF arts.
Harris Merrill Barbour. Albert Francis
| IA ssford Reiuhart William Rerfbold