Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-07-06
GRADUATION EXERCISES.

az" VI OiiO idCC ClidL UIlc udy was
scorcher, the attendance was {
surprise. Every seat in that spaciou.
hall was taken, chairs were placed il
aisles and even then many stood uI
during the entire evening The fac
ulty of the school, assisted by former
graduates, lara Schooley, Hugo
Schneider, Irwin Heise and Henry
Lueck, acted as ushers and showed nc
partiality in their work.
Although the heat of the day had
been oppressive, the assembly room
was quite comfortable. All of the
windows were thrown open and nc
one felt any distress.
The rostrum was handsomely decor
ated with potted plants and cut flow
ers, which lent an inviting air to its
appearance.
We might end right here and cover
the exercises of the evening in few
words, by saying that they were among
the best ever conducted by any class
which has graduated from this school,
in the opinion of many. But we deem
it worthy of far more extended men
tion, in justice to the class and to the
faculty.
The program began promptly at
eight O'Clock and during the follow
ing two hours things moved along
with circus precision-not break OF
falter of any kind-and the time
passed so quickly that the audience
did not realize that two hours had
been spent, which will come again,
and two very entertaining hours they
were. The methodical training of
these students elected praise for the
faculty which had spent many hours
of tireleSs work in directing that
which was to make of the exercises a
success. Principals O. E. Wells and
assistants, the Misses Rosalia Bohrer
and Ellen Mcdonald, are deserving of
the unstinted credit they have re-
ceiyed.
The program opened with an in
strumental solo by Miss Eleanor
Yonker. Miss Yonker presided at
the piano at all musical numbers of
the evening, with one exception.
Rev. G. G. Crippen, who was to have
pronounced the invocation, was absent
from the city, and Rev. Il. B. T..
Fisher eloquently performed that
duty.
Miss Grace Peterson followed with
an Grafton on Universal Peace" and
her effort was remarkably fine one.
Then came the class play, "The
Girls of '76.' This was the Strong
feature of the evening. In pre-
vious paragraph we spoke of the class
training and this was fully exempli-
fed in this play. We are safe in say
ing that no play was ever presented
in Wausau by amateurs which gave
better satisfaction.
The play is a story, as it's name in
dicates, of revolutionary times, when
handful of colonists were struggling
to free themselves from the tyranny
of the oppressive English crown.
Part of the cast manifested that loyal
devotion to country which made the
American womanhood of that time
admired by all the world. A few, on
the other hand were Tories and in
sympathy with King Georges sol
diery Barbara Steele Josie Vosh-
mix and Dolly Darrah (Iva De Witte)
are two young woman who are raised
in an atmosphere of Toryism-their
friends and relatives are opposed to
the cause of the colonists. They
hear of plot to deliver the Ameri-
can army into the hands of the
BritiSh-an act which has made the
name of Benedict Arnold one of scorn
to every American who has lived
since those memorable days. Barbara
and Dolly plan to regain the papers.
In this work they are assisted by
Betsey Ross, laura Hobart) the
maker of the first American flag,
who helps them disguise themselves.
Troubles, Una L'Anglois) a negro
menial, finds the papers, but loses
them. Madam Mayfelds (Erna
Edwards) finds them and delivers
them to Barbara, believing the latter
to be loyalist spy. The latter de-
stroys them. The closing scene is
that memorable Christmas night
when Geo. Washington, with hand
ful of half starved and half clothed
but brave American soldiers, in the
face of dangerous ice flow, crossed
the Delaware river and captured a
bunch of detested Hessian hirelings
of the British at Trenton.
/ The, characters above mentioned.
that of "Grandmere" Mayfields
Susan Dalel who acted the de-
crepit old grandma, as well as all
others in the cast, are all desery-
ing If more mention than our
limited space will permit. Suffice it
TO say that the Misses Emma Plateau
and Louise Guenther as Amanda and
Helen Mayfields; Lillian Taicher as
Honora Drake; Lydia Zamzow as
Anne Van Dresser; Pearl Hughes as
Jacqueline Val Cartier, and Violet
Rammel and Sigma Johnson as guests,
all performed their parts with great
credit.
The slave characters, Troubles,
IChloe, DasSy and Minerva, were
taken by the Misses Ina Lang
lois, OreSSa Mccormick, Ida Runke
and Lena Benz, who were attired in
most pronounced darkey fashion. The
antics of these young ladies and their
proficiency in handling the negro dia-
lect was feature of the evening that
added greatly To the entertainment,