The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-05-13
LABOR DAY AT SCHOOL.
States Attorney Gates Addresses
School Children.

In spite of weather of the most
discouraging kind, a goodly sized
number of townspeople gathered on
the campus of the Union school
building at 915 Friday morning to
help the school children celebrate
Champlain Arbor Day. Previous to
the exercises, the drum corp, head
ed by William Bartlett and accom-
panied by Prof. Brownscombe,
marched through the main streets,
giving rousing concert in front of
the Montpelier Savings bank and
another serenade in front of the
county Jail on Elm street, each time
scoring a decided hit with a crowd
! of bystanders.
The corps then marched back to
the school grounds, playing a varied
repertoire while the school children
were marshalled by tows to the
campus, the little kindergarteners
leading the procession which was
brought up by the High school stu
dents and faculty. The flag salute
caps off, was reverentialy given by
the grade children and Flag of the
Free and Columbia, the Gem of
the Ocean" were sung with rousing
vim, Miss Rundell conducting, as
sisted by Karl Forsell, cornetist.
"Champlain,' George Haseltine's
production, was sung in public for
the first time and was splendidly
received.
Prof, Brownscombe then intro
duced the speaker of the day, States
Attorney Benjamin Gates, who was
well received. States Attorney
Gates spoke to the accompaniment
of scattered raindrops which came
down more and more frequently so
that his remarks were necessarily
brief although straight to the point.
He spoke of the special significance
of "Champlain Arbor Day. of the
Importance of planting these trees
to grow out and broaden and give
shade and the equal Importance that
the rising generation should grow
straight, and broaden mentally as
we'll as physically, and to give plea
sure to others by thus becoming
useful. Umbrellas were going up
at about this period and rain began
falling heavily, and to the music of
the drum corps the children march
ed back to their rooms and were
given the remainder of the day.
AT the conclusion of the eXercis-
es proper, the campus was quickly
deserted and the remainder of the
day and evening given over to the
inspection, in the Union and new
school buildings of the manual
training work accomplished during
the year. Each room housed a
goodly number of interested towns
people who admired the work be-
fore them unrestrainedly and the
teachers and instructors of the
young idea came in for a very
full share of deserved praise. Each
room had a specially of its own to
offer so that after manual training
has been employed in the school
course for the requisite number of
years, a pupil, graduating, will have
become conversant with the major
ity of the various branches of this
interesting and instructive work
which is both pleasant to the hand
and pleasing to the eye.
The visitor in Miss Osgood's room
in the Union building, found excel
lent work in Clipped wood and the
boys of this grade can white a
stick into something worth while.
Miss Howe has taught her pupils to
execute very neat designs in lea
| Their with the aid of the typography
outfit. Miss Bliss shows some very
fine sewing and cardboard work and
Mrs. Terrill displays splendidly ex-
! ecuted birchbark canoes, photograph
frames, dainty Japanese drawings,
and sweet grass baskets; Mrs.
Booth can show best work in Indian
beads and sewing; Miss Doheny
Venetian iron, and brasswork. Miss
Chamberlain has taught her pupils
to weave baskets, and to make cane
seats for chairs and this very prac-
teal art came in for a great deal OF
praise. Miss Parker also does chair
Gaming, Miss Lewis grade con-
structs clever hammock pillows from
wood. Miss Wiley excels in chail
seating. Miss Bowers of the Hlgf
school, has chemistry and botany
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