The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-16
.ANIAR D DIPLOMAS
TO NINETY EIGHT
High School Exercises at Bijou
Showed Real Merit in Ora
tory and Song.
WINNERS OF SCHOLARSHIPS
Fine Work Of Chorus the Strik-
ing Fcature-Address by
Drl Nctcalf.

Regardless OF the rain which was
falling briskly when the exercises
opened, crowd. filling every
seat Of the Bijou Theatre, gathered last
might to witness the Richmond High
School finals. No one was disappoint-
cd
aside from the delivery OF the d.
r,on az to the nlnety-eis!t graduates
IN tie different departments II the
school, the feature of the evening was
tile performance of the High School
chorus. whicn has won lanrsis as a
part of the "Wednesday Club. and at
VAR, us other functions during the
spirg. Under the direction CT Mr.,
Walter C. Mercer. who has been train
ing it successfully for the last two
years. the chorus did perhaps. its most
b.i,.isnt work last night. The sun
nv South" a solo by Miss Lille West.
which has been sung many tines dur
ing the season, always calling forth
"A great encore, won the & ,,test Ip-
plauYa After she had gone to hor
seat far up with the singers. she was
obliged to return to the front of the
stage rnd repeat a verse.
Ntnety-cigh Graduates.
Including the ninety eight graduates.
there were about 300 persons on the
stage, which in order to accommodate
them all, had to be extended almost to
the first row of seats. The seats occu-
pied by the chorus were arranged In
tiers against the scenery, while the
graduates. speakers and orchestra were
placed at the front.
Miss c. Cornelia Maglll. of the Jan
uary graduating class, was the salu-
tatorian. her subject being "Chivalry"
She described the style of the steel
clad knight of old and of the chlvalry
he practiced. which began to disappear
with the advent of powder and shot
Next to him. she said, was the South
crn gentleman of ante-bellum times,
who though he lived as rule in
kingly ease. demonstrated his ability to
do such deeds as his forefathers, by the
stand that he took in the Civil War
Now. however. although she admitted
that the spirit was not utterly ex-
tinct she bewailed the fact that 1t
was fast dying. She gave ample rea-
son for the state of affairs-ciange of
environment after the war: the neces-
sity for stern work; the growing de-
sire for money at any cost and finally
the fact that women were now bidding
for the work that men do and even for
their share in the government
.. Despite pit the fac, that the light is waning
fast, she called upon her class to take It up
and fan the spark into the old flame.
rs 9is sS,1sr TINS TOO
stearns and ..our Guide. by Miss Florence
Lichtensten They were both well receiy-
ed. the latter having to respond TO an en-
core.
Mr.. Russell G. Smith. of the class of
June, read the valedictory on the subject
Child Labor" He characterized this evil
az the darkest of all the many evils OF tho
United States and showed Its i'll effects and
advanced nlans for its determination. The
speech was we'll written and showed a great
amount of research and an cSceIIen, knnwi
edge OF the subject.
Address by DR.. Mctcalf.
me commencement address was delivered
pS Or. John Calvin Metcalf, of Richmond
college He spoke on the Citizen and His
School," dwelling upon the Importance Of
coupling business and educational life. There
education. the first that each man should
get the same, and the second that every
person should go as far as possible. ire
whose intellect might not be OF the same
calibre The latter. he declared is the only
proper stand to take. and that education is
the surest safeguard of the nation.
He advised the graduates to cling to their
books and their education, no matter how
foreign to it their life's work should be,
ance of taking lively interest in public
affairs, so as to let broad knowledge of
things aid them in teaching the youth OF
the land "a plain average child" he said
lis the truest asset of democracy"
Dr. Metcalf closed his speech with tho
prediction that Richmond would soon be-
Gene the educational centre of the South
Scholarships Awarded.
After commendatory remarks by Mr. !.
I. HARDWOOD the diplomas were delivered by
Mr.. Charles Hutzler. chairman of the c,tv
school Board. In addition to the list al
ready printed, Miss Ellen Thomas James.
who was sick and unable to take her cx-
amlnations at the regular time, was award
ed her post graduate diploma.
The scholarships were awarded as fol-
lows: Hampden- Sidney College,. Francis
Moyland Fits; Richmond College. Russell
Gordon Smith; University of Virginia, Perry
Seay; Washington and Lee University Nor
Tor Ludwig wallerstein: william and Mary.
hlichaux Crump: Randolph Macon Woman's
College, Miss Ruth McGruder Thomasson
and the Training School for Eindergartners
MISS N. Florence Lecch.
years membership to The Rosemary
Library was given to the following scholars
standing first in their respective grades
Ruth Thomasson, Cornelia MagIl Jessie
Wood, Martha Blair, Henry Stern Elma
Meredith Louise Weisiger and Russell Kuhn,
Home Society Meeting.
The eisnth annual meeting Of the
Children's Home Society of Virginia
will be held on June 25th at 5 P. M.
at the Receiving Home, No. 26O5 East
Franklin Street. The public is cordial
ly invited to attend