Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-06-03
rWENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL COM.
MENCEnlENT EXERCISES OF
WlLLNIAR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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Twenty lone Students Graduate From Hiqh
School and Fitty-Five Finish Work in Sth
Grade. Roll of Punctual Pupils.

VI 0UCs null vi
The twenty-sixth annual COM
mencement exercises of the Will
mar High school were held at the
Opera House last Friday evening,
May 20, when diplomas were given
to a class of twenty-one students.
In spite of the unfavorable weather
the house was filled, and all en-
joyed the exercises very much.
The musical features of the occa-
sion-an overture by the High
School Orchestra, vocal duet by the
Misses Marion Minton and Olive
Crosby, piano duet by the Misses
Florence Couling and Ida Sander.
son, vocal solo by Miss Helen Saith
er with violin obligato by Edgar
Sather, and the class song by the
graduating class-were unusually
good and thoroly enjoyed by the
audience. The class of 1908 has
been known as the musical Glass;"
as it had an unusual number of
very good musicians, both singers
and players, and they certainly
maintained their reputation in the
closing hours of their high school
life.
Miss Anna L. Fridlund read an
interesting essay on Famous Wo-
men, relating the history of sever
al leaders of the sex at various peri
DDS Of the worlds history.
Miss Ida B. Egge gave a recita-
tion, commencement, "a very in
teresting selection to which she did
full justice, holding the rapt atten-
tion of the audience from begin
ming to end.
Miss Ruth V. Thyden read class
history, in which she sketched the
labors, trials and pleasures of the
voyage of the class of 1908 in a
bright and interesting manner.
The orations by Victor H. Selvig,
Hjalmer Swenson and Russell S.
Peterson formed continuous series
of history Of American develop
ment that was somewhat out of the
ordinary lover the Alps Lies Ita-
ly' sort of commencement orations
and therefore were thoroly appre-
ciated by the audience. 1t was a
tangible, concrete subject Of vital
interest to every American, and the
boys showed that they had devoted
considerable labor and thought to
studying out their subjects and pos
sessed more than ordinary ability
in writing down their findings.
Under the title ''The New West"
Selvig gave an account of how un-
der the Campbell system of "dry
farming" the semiarid regions of
the west had been placed under cul-
tivation and made very productive.
He then sketched the reclamation
work of the government in the arid
regions, showing how it was con-
verting deserts into homes for mil
lions of people. Swenson's oration
on "A Modern Wizard'' showed
how Luther Burbank had helped de-
velop the natural resources of the
country by producing more produc-
tive crops and especially by devel.
oping species of plants that would
produce rich crops Of food in desert
regions. Peterson followed with a
sketch of 1.-The New South," show.
J ing the terrible condition of that
region after the war, and how il
had been developed until now it is
one of the richest and most pro.
ductive regions Of the country, ano
} that the moral and intellectual de.
velopment of that section had kept
pace with the material develop.
ment.
The class prophecy by Miss Mar
ion Minton was bright and witty
and the numerous hits were
greeted with laughter and applause
The diplomas were presented t<
the class by Russell Spicer, presi
dent of the Board of Education
who gave a short address of advice
and counsel to the class.
Rev. H. C. Buell. of the Presby
terian church opened the execrise!
with prayer and closed with tn,
benediction.
An interesting part of the clos
? ing exercises of the class took plac,
in the High school auditorium il
the forenoon. An enjoyable musi
cal and literary program was rend
cred. At its close the president O
the class, Victor Selvig, in behal
Of the class presented to the schoo
a memento Of the class in the shap
of clock for the high school room
The clock is a thing of beauty a
well as usefulness. It is a regula
tor in a solid mahogany case eigh
feet high, and will certainly be al
ornament to the room and q grea