The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-08-12
koRvELL HAS GRADUATED
South Dakot. Young Man Has Re
ceived His Degree From the Or.
for. college in .-onuon.

veil vas a student in Dakota Wesley
an University of this city. During
the summer he passed an examination
for a scholarship in Oxford college,
London, which had been provided by
the late Cecil Rhodes. Late in the
fall MIR. Norvell went to London and
began his course of study, having
made n trip home during that per-
lod. The young man has just written
a letter home to his parents at Ash
ton announcing his graduation from
the English institution and that he
has received his degree. In his let
ter he stated that he had met Miss
Lee and Miss Lathrop, both of this
ty. and who are travelling through
that country after finishing their
musical work at Berlin. The first
part of Mr.. Norvell's letter is de-
scriptive of some of the scenes in the
Immediate vicinity Of London, and
which he describes in an interesting
manner. The latter part of his let
ter, which is published in the Ashton
lChronicle. tells OF his graduating ex-
lercises, and which Is given below:
"On Saturday morning 1 had my
degree conferred upon me. AS the
ceremony was to begin at 10, I was
required to appear before my tutor
at $3.50 arrayed in a black suit, white
lawn tie, with cap and gown. From
there we went to the Sheldonian
Theatre, where the degrees were con-
ferred. When l had paid the SOS
degree fee, we were "herded" into
the theatre. where an audience had
already collected. among them Miss
Lee and Hazel. Soon the vice-chan-
cellor in his crimson robes appeared,
preceded by a pompous and liveried
servant bearing the great university
mace The vice-chancel1or sat on his
elevated throne, surrounded by the
lesser lights of the university, each
in his role of black or scarlet or blue.
and on either side of him sat the two
proctors Of the university. who as
sisted him in the ceremony. The
yice-chancellor than began a long
harangue in Latin, periodically rails
ing his mortar-board and bowling in
the direction Of the candidates for
degrees. 1t was the duty Of the proc
tors to raise their caps at the same
tinfc, but as they did not always
know when it ought to be done. they
would sometimes get ahead or be-
hind. and convulsed the audience.
Then when any one would walk up
to receive his degree the rest would
pat their feet on the floor in time
with his steps, making a great noise
like an army marching. Again, in
comforting some Of the degrees the
vice-chancellor had to touch the man
on the tops of their heads with a book
and the other students would stamp
on the floor so that it sounded as
though he had hit them with a board.
One could tell the Importance of the
degree by the way the vice-chancel-
lor raised his cap. When some fam
Gus man came up to receive some
honorary degree the vice-chancellor
would make a profound bow and
take his cap entirely from his head.
But for some of the others he would
merely nod and raise his cap about
half an inch. Finally my turn came,
but l really couldn't get up any ex-
citement over the matter at all. How
ever, it Is a satisfaction to feel ones
self a graduate of the great English
university"