The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-05-28
CROATAN NORMAL COM.
MENCEMENT.

Witnessed by a Large Crowd
How the School Was Found.
ed-Prof. Edens Reelected
Principal-Dinner Served in
the Grove.
The Croatan Normal school at
Pates closed Friday with appro-
pirate exercises, and great day
for the race it was. This school
was created by an act of the Leg
lslature in 1887. The bill was
introduced by the Hon. Hamilton
Mcmillan, who has recently pub
lished history of the Croatans,
and it was mainly through his
untiring efforts that it succeeded
in becoming a law.
The school was founded for
the purpose of training and Civ
ing instruction to young men
and women who would go out
into the various parts of this
section of the State as teachers
in the Croatan Indian schools.
At that time the school was nee
essary for that purpose alone,
for the people of this race had
just been given a system of pub
lie schools, and they had no 9TH
er way of obtaining teachers.
Now the school is not only doing
this work of preparing teachers,
but it is also serving to prepare
the young generation for every
other vocation in life.
The exercises opened at 9
O'Clock with a song, The Red,
White and Blue" and from then
till II o'clock was a continuation
of songs, recitations and dia-
logues, all of which we're render
ed with much credit to both the
students and their instructors.
James LOwrie, student about
10 years old and a grand nephew
of Henry Berry Lowrie, deliver
ed a speech on prohibition in a
manner that is seldom surpassed
in any school. The speech was
about fifteen or twenty minutes
long and he rendered it perfect
ly. At II o'clock Col. N. A. Nc
Lean was to have delivered the
address, but on account of du-
ties at court it was impossible
for him to be present, which was
a great disappointment to the
many who had gathered in antic-
ipatiOn of a great speech from
him. Rev. E. M. Hoyle was
asked to fill Col. McLean's ap-
pointment, which he kindly con-
sented to do, and at the hour for
the address Mr.. Hoyle took the
floor and made rousing speech,
winding up on the subject of
prohibition, which was we'll re-
ceived by the entire audience.
At the conclusion of Mr..
Hoyle's speech the crowd was
' dismissed for dinner. There
was quite a lengthy table prepar.
E ed out in the grove. but it failed
to hold the contents of the many
: boxes, baskets and trunks which
had been brought to feed the
eight hundred or more people
who had gathered to witness the
closing of this years work of the
Croatan Normal, the only schoo
of its kind in the State. Every
body having satisfied their appe-
tites and many baskets of frag-
ments being gathered up, thu
Croatan band played several Sc
lections of music, after which
Mr.. R. W. Livermore mounted ;
wagon and introduced Col. Free
A. Odds, who spoke from thu
same platform. Col. Odds is con
nected with the Historical De
partment of the State at Raleigh
and he easily interested his audi,
ence by giving them some of the
history of their race. Col. Old
had with him a photographer
Prof. Hoe, who took severa
views of the school and he ais
- took pictures of different famil
les that are fair specimens of tn
d race.
= After Col. Olds' speech, abou
e three o'clock, the crowd re-as
q sembled in the auditorium to hea
IS the last of the songs, recitation
J. and dialogues, which ended a
n five o'clock.
q Messrs. Frank Cough and E.
e Phillips assisted in the music TO
# the day, Mr.. Cough playing tn
le organ, while Mr.. Phillips lea
the singing.
Capl. John bucket, State 81
perintendent for the school, We
l. present and met with the boar
- of trustees for the purpose
- electing teachers for anOthe
&c year. The board reelected Pro
-; H. L. Edens as principal of tn
~ - school. The other teachers al
y, to be elected later.
&c The Croatans, generally speal
q ing, have been regarded as vel
a. a, Incorporate and opposed to pr
~ hibition; but injustly has tn
" been done. In this large crowd
VI eight hundred or more ever
H. H. body was sober and the MAORI
~ of them gave evidence of beil
ne ardent supporters of prohibitio
~ Decision in Britt Case Affirme
35 The Supreme Court on Tue
.rt day affirmed the decision of t
ill Superior Court in the case of
.o M Britt against the Raleigh