Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-06-02
FRIDAY A BIG Day
Whole County Comes to Alma for
GratiOt county Field Meet.
CITY BAND MAKES ITS Debit
Ithaca Wins Track Meet / Class A-St Louis
In Class B-AIma gets Tennis.

One of the most delightful days Of
the year was last Friday, when the,
younger people OF the county ac-
companied by their cousins, aunts and
uncles, assembled for a days celebra-
ton. In the morning 232 graduates,
of the eighth grade from all over the
county received their diplomas at the:
college chapel with appropriate eXer-
cises In the afternoon the track
meet of the County Athletic associa-
tion was held on Davis field. The
whole day was one of great interest
and value to the entire county, but
itors from all over this section spent
the day here taking in the exercises
and track meet incidentally they in
spected the buildings and campus of
Alma college
The music furnished by the newly
formed band was an agreeable sur
prise to the people of the city. There
were some fifteen pieces and quite an
extensive repertoire was rendered suc-
cessfully. In the evening the band
gave a concert on State street op-
posite the lawn party given by the
Athletic association OF the Alma high
school, which was the means of draw
ing a large and appreciative audience.
The commencement exercises of
the eighth graders OF the county was
largely attended The fact that near
ly two hundred fifty were presented
with their diplomas would show the
extent of the audience. The college
chapel was jammed full and line
extended out on the campus in front
of the administration building for sew
eral rods. The program was very in
teresting and of much merit The
musical part of the exercises were en-.
tirely in charge OF Miss Cora Hearn,.
of the local schools The program
was as follows:
Spring Blossoms" "Maytime'
Observation-Disclosures. Sixth grade
Invocation..........Rev II. l. Grain
I'm Spring. "Vesper Bells. .....
...................... Sixth grade
Little Orphant Annie ...........
..................D Dorothy Naldult
Address. ........ Judge Kelley S. Searl
Presentation of Diplomas. ........
........ County Commissioner Pike
America NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Audience
Benediction.. Rev. H. L. Grain
The address given by Judge Searl
was very highly complimented by all
present 1t was just such an address
as is best adopted to an occasion of
this kind.
The Track Meet
In the afternoon the biggest feature
of the day was held on Davis field,
the annual field and track meet OF the
Gratiot county interschoastic athletic
association. Davis. field has probably
never held such large crowd as at
tended this meet; the grandstand and
bleachers were packed as closely as
possible and the field below was at
times covered with people 1t is
estimated that the attendance reach
ed well over the thousand mark.
In the morning the tennis tourna-
ment had been played off on the coll
lege courts. Robinson, OF Alma, cas-
lily defeated Chambers, of Ithaca, in
the boys singles, and he and Hood
took the doubles. Partridge, OF
Ithaca, took the singles in class B
and -- took the doubles. Pre-
liminaries had been run off in the
dashes also.
Headed by the city band furnished
by Alma, the crowd assembled at the
field shortly after dinner time There
were some thirty events TO be run
off, but Coach Carrithers of the col
ege, acting as Judge, and Frank
Hurst, acting as starter, assisted by
several members of the college track
.eam, pulled off the. events without a
hitch, the long meet being finished
ust before six o'clock.
Ithaca won the contest by safe
margin, with Alma an easy second.
Only the three larger high schools of
he county, Alma, Ithaca and St.
louis, were represented in the Glass
\. 1t is figured by the Alma contin-
gent that if Kress had been allowed
% compete the result would have
,een different. Kress is without doubt
he best all-around athlete in the local
high school and is strong in both the
lashes and jumps
The prettiest races of the day were
he half-mile in class A and the mile
un in the same class. Johnston, ST.
.ouis long distance man. managed TO
lose Cooper. the local runner, out of
lrst place in the mile by about yard.
'ut Cooper came back in the half
nile with first place. leaving John
ton to content himself with third
Continued on pege twol