The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-06-23
GRADUATING
EXERCISES
Opera House Packed to the
Doors Last Evening.
A PRETTY SCENE
Friends Of Bennington High
School Listen to Excellent
OraliOns and Essays.
STAGE A PRETTY SCENE

nthCeulcub III lue D6lnluSt llRH
School occurred at the opera house
last vening before an audience of rel
atives and friends that completely fill
ed the house.
The stage setting was an imitation
garden, and the numerous palus, aud
profusion of buttercups and ferns add
ed to the simplicity and effect veness
OF the scene Suspended from the cen
ter of the stage by purple and gold
streamers, was large banner of pur'
pie with gold letters, 1906 The deco
rating was the work of the members {
the Junior class.
The reserved seats we're separated
from the others with broad ribbons of
gold and purple and were attended by
he following ushers; Arthur Barney,
Russell IT, de, Arthur Kehoe, Guy
Livingston and Marden Nichols. The
school trustees and their wives occup-
led one of the boxes.
To the martial strains OF the orches-
ira, the class entered at 8:lS o'clock,
ana with Principal A. B. Willmarth.
and Rev. Frank K. Morris at the left,
and the class president, Rollin d. Jens
n3y at the right, they took their lac.
% on the stage,
After the invocation by Rev. Frank
r Morris, Principal W. marth spoke
a ew words OF welcome to the people
OF Bennington in behalf of the class OF
1906. He spoke OF his appre-
citation OF the large and en-
thusiastic audience, and OF his regret
that it was impossible for only seven
Of the sixteen members to appear On
the program. 81 am proud" he sa d,
"of the classes OF tie
last two years, and the records they
have made, land [ predict a pros.
porous future for the class about to
leave our school"
The first number on the program was
an essay ga New Outlook for the De-
limquent Child" by Miss Grace Liv
ingston. This we'll written description
of the juvenile courts of the western
cities, their judges, aud their prisoners
and It's future effect on the Maynard
child, was extremely interesting.
"Mind Pictures of Authors" by
Miss Fannie Hicks, the second mum
Der, gave an excellent contrast between
Addison and Steele's "Sir Roger de
Coverly," Cooper's famous "Leath err
stocking" and "The Black knight" Of
Scott, and brought forth the charac-
teristics of these wonderful creations
OF the great authors.
Next came an essay by Miss Ella
Moon, entitled Three Stages In the
Life of Queen Victoria. " Through the
youth, the married life, and the life
in effairs of state, OF the great and
good queen OF England, were traced
her many womanly and queenly char
acteristics,
"The Debt of Civilization to the En-
ginesr," an Grafton by Guy Edison
placed before the audience the many
machines and appliances, the labor
saving devices, and the comforts OF
home, all of which are due the untiring
efforts OF the engineer.
Miss Hilda Pratt In her essay, 1.-The
Call from the Past" gave an excellent
description and history of old Ben
nington, and the mention OF the old
village, its church and academy, the
first grist mill and the first house, the
pottery and the iron furnaces, instllled
in the hearts of all feeling of pride
and reverence for the village.
An Grafton, "a Plea for Agricul-
ture" was delivered by Lauriston a.
Wilcox. He appealed to the young
men who were thinking of the riches in
our great cities to stay on the old farm
where "healthful, useful. and ar
honorable occupation" may lie car
ried on.
The last essay was that of Miss Ma
bel Holt, "The Mountain of Fame.
This was an excellent allegory depict
ing two brothers one leaving home to
strive and finally die exhausted
a.aong the crags and crevices OF thu
mountain, the other staying at home
living simple useful life and peace
fully going to his rest at the foot o
the great hill.
Rollin Jenney, the class president
then addressed the class in simple
= we'll chosen words. He spoke of tn,
rejoicing of the class In finishing thei
high school course, and their regret II
leaving their comrades and teacher
and to be separated from each other
He thanked the people OF Bennington
the school trustees, the superintendent
: he principal, and their teachers TO
$ what they had all done for the elias
and the great benefits they had rect iv
ed.
Supt VarneY in his usual pleasing
| 80 Fnooaf,,t ,,oonrao analSn N -. ......a