The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-06-07
DIPLOMAS GO TO F|FTY-THREE.
PROF. w. I'll. HAND HIGHLY COM
PLlNrENTS HIGH SCHOOL AND
FORCE OF TEACHERS.
Hon. n. !. Manning Asks for Extra
Mil Levy-Large Audience Present
at Final Exercises-Thirty Diplo-
mas from State Department OF Ed-
ucation.


the nfty-three graduates get their
diplomas.
With the bloom OF sweetness
beauty and youth on their faces
twenty-five girls and with earnest
manly bearings. thirty-one young mer
were seated on the stage at the
Academy OF Music last night to rend-
er the closing exercises OF the high
school commencement and to pay
their parting tribute to the school
which had trained and assisted them
for the past eleven years and to re-
ceive at the hands Of Supt. s. III. Ed
munds the final gift OF the school.
The graduates were seated in a
semi-circle around the stage and for
the singing they came gracefully for
ward and arranged tlmselves nearer
the front Of the rostrum. AS each
one who had some part to perform
tripped lightly forward 20 the edge
OF the stage she was greeted with ap-
plause and again as she finished her
part she was heartily applauded by
one OF the largest audiences which
has ever assembled for commence
ment All OF the exercises were per-
formed In good part and executed
well There was no ialter or hesita-
ton and the audience was well pleas
ed with every part Of the program.
From the opening OF the program
when the invocation was ounced
to les close everything passed through
nicely. Two features not on the pro-
gram were brought in. but these did
Hot detract from the other features
but rather added to the interest which
had been manifested by the audience.
Each number performed by the
young ladies' Of the class as their turn
came was executed we'll. The young
ladies showed the excellent training
that they had received at the hands
Of their teachers and from Prof. s.
-
III. Ecmunds and did honor to both
her school and to her teachers.
A feature OF ,he occasion was the
absence Il towers on the stage. The
graduates e9&ntTscrool had on this
occasion decided to do away with the
custom Il receiving flowers n the
stage as some OF the members Of the
class might not get as much as some
Of the others and might feel sighted
about H. The plan was a good one
and the graduates deserve great
credit for their voluntary efforts -
do away with the custom.
Mr.. n. i. Manning made a short
talk on behalf Of the city schools in
the capacity OF chairman Of the board
OF education. He stated that the total
tax on property In the city for school
purpose now. was six mills and he
asked that IL be made seven. He
said that petition would be circulat-
ed asking for an election to increase
the school tax levy and that he hoped
that every property owner and quail
fed elector would sign the petition
when IL was presented to him. lie
said that the boys and girls of the
city were its biggest asset and That
he believed i'm the education OF these
boys and girls. that money could not
be expended for better purpose
than for education.
Before Mr.. Manning made his talk
Prof. Edmunds stated that the extra
levy was for the purpose OF getting a
supervising principal OF singing and
painting in the primary department
and an instructor i'm manual training
and In the industrial arts I'm the
grammar and high school depart
ment
Following Mr.. Manning's talk came
one from Mr.. w. II. Hand. State Su-
perintendent OF high schools. of the
University OF South Carolina. This
was another feature not on the pro-
gram. Mr.. Hand made very short
talk, but In his talk he highly com
plimented the Sumter city schools,
Prof. Edmunds ana the force OF
teachers I'm the schools.
He said that this class was the
largest To ever graduate from any high
school in the State with one exception
that OF Memminger Normal school OF
Charleston, which had graduated two
classes at one time. He said this was
the largest class Of boys ever 10 grad.
uate from any nigh schol in the
State and that ne was very glad tc
see that the boys stayed at the schoo
until they graduated. He also sale