The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-05-26
SCHOOL CLOSING.
GLASS OF SEVENTEEN BOYS AND
GIRLS GRADUATED.
.sEaAis.iI. p.

GIRLS GRADUATED.
From the orangeburg Graded School
This. Closing Exercises
Were verg esting and Enter
tanning.
The closing exercises of the Or
angeburg Graded School were held
on Thursday and Friday evenings.
They were very interesting and We're
witnessed by packed house: in fact
many people could not get in the
Opera House to witness them. The
school during the past year; has done
most excellent work in all depart
ments. The teachers have put in
some good and faithful work and
everything has been moved along
! like clock work.; thanks to the ex-
.cellent management of Superinten-
dent Thackston and his able corps Of
teachers.
The school this year graduates a
class of seventeen boys and girls,
who are pretty we'll equipped for the
battle of life if they never attendra
higher institution of learning. Every
member OF the class participated in
the closing exercises, and all of them
acquitted themselves most creditably,
showing that they had been careful
Iy trained. The commencement. ex-
ercises embraced two evenings,
Thursday and Friday evenings of
last week. On Thursday evening the
Literary Society of the school held
its annual debate and other public
{ exercises, all of which were of
most entertaining and interesting
( character and were witnessed by
large audience.
Literary Society Exercises.
After prayer by the Rev. G b
Smith, President Herbert l.. Collier
called the Literary Society to order.
The roll was called and the min
utes Of the last meeting We're read
by the secretary. Then the Presi-
dent delivered an appropriate address
of welcome to the large audience
present. He then introduced Miss
Minnie Bowman, who read an ex-
ceilent paper. on Forestry This
was followed by piano solo by Miss
Lucille Melton, which. was s%eetly
rendered. Miss Mary Inab.net read
a selection very nicely.
Then came the debate, the question
being: Resolved, That Simplifed
Spelling as suggested by the Sim
plifed Spelling Board, should be ad-
opted. Miss Gertrude Smith open
ed the debate for the affirmative side
with an excellent paper. At the. con-
clusion of its reading We were con-
vinced that. the simplified spelling
should be adopted. Then Miss Angie
McLees read strong paper on the
negative side, which convinced usthat
we did not need any change in our
spelling at all and that we haSetter
jog. along like our fathers hs aone
before us. Mr.. Ashley Merriman
then came forward with a most con-
vincing argument, which he present.
ed in an eloquent and forcfble man
ner, showing that the simplided SPELL
ing had come to stay and would
eventually knock out the old style
altogether. We had nearly agreed
with him when Mr.. Milton Crum
came forward and made a most elo-
quent and logical argument for the
old system. This last speech mixed
us all up, and we found it impossi-
BILE to decide the question at all, and
so we left the matter for the judges
to decide.
The judges were .Messrs. A. ].
Hydrick, s. J. Holiday and j. NJ.
Hughes. They retired and consider
ed the mater, and, after being out
some time, returned and through.
the Hon. A. ]. Hydrick reported that
after much trial and tribulation that
they had finally came to the conclu-
sion that the Affirmative side had won
by hairs breadth Mr.. 5Hydrick in
little talk complimented the young
ladies and gentlemen very highly on
the able manner in which they had
upheld their respective sides, and
said the committee had found it very
difficult to decide the matter, because
they had all done so we'll in the
argument on both sides.
Then came the Aspiring Dish
washer" by Miss Lucille Melton. who
decIaimed this amusing. piece most
naturally and amusingly. Miss Ber-
tina Barton, as the critic, read a
most amusing and well written pa
per. Mr.. Elliott Salley then read
the prize essay written by himself on
the South Carolina traditions Of the
American Revolution, which won the
medal offered by Moultrie Chapter,
D. A. R., for the best paper on that
subject. Jerry M. Hughes, Esq.
presented the medal to Mr. Salley on
behalf of the Chapter in neat and
appropriate little speech. This about
concluded the exercises for the even
ing and the audience was dismissed
with the benediction. Every one
went away pleased.
Graduating Exercises.