Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-06-06
class ever graduated in Oregon
The Chatauuua Saiute.

l
hearts throbbing with the glory of it,
their class colors fiuttering in the
morning breeze, the vast assemblage
gave the "Chatauqua salute" with a
hearty good will and the waving of
countless handkerchiefs.
There are localities" said Super
intendent Alderman, as the class re-
sumed their seats, that are prouder
of their livestock than they are of
their boys and girls. 1 recently had
occasion to visit a large farm given up
to the raising of fine stock. The owner
took me about from one place to an
other of his land and pointed out
the numbers of fine stock that he pos
sessed. He proudly pointed them out
one by one and told me their records,
their histories and their values. He
told me their ages and their various
characteristics, all of which he had at
his finger tips. When we had made
house, l said to him, How many
children have you?'
They Were Thoroughbreds.
Well, well,' he stammered, Let
me see. There's nine-nine, think.
How old is this one?' He didn't
know. But he did know the age of
the next one, because one of his thor
oughbred cows had died the. day the
child was born.
6 rs it fitting that you know more
ahout x,o,,r oouc than x,ou 40 about
your boys and girls? asked him.
Yes, but you see these cows are
thoroughbreds.'
'I hope to see the time come in this
country when we will think more of
our boys and girls than we do of our
thoroughbreds.
Il am expected to speak to the
class, and to give them advice. There
are lots of things that can be said to
a graduating class. 1t is so easy to
give advice. 1t is easier to give ad-
vice to 20 people than it is to be one
of the 20 to follow the advice. But
do not feel the task very heavy.
They do not need much advice. They
have already received sufficient. But
l do want to congratulate them upon
the fact that they are here that they
have graduated from the great public
they are here numbered among the
great body of II millions of pupils.
Hope of the Nation.
eve are apt to be pessmistic after
paa n ha Ho r,f M
the blues We think that maybe this
government of ours cannot endure.
want to tell you, men and women,
that if you could go with me over the
State of Oregon you would witness
classes of young men and women
you would get the opposite side of the
picture. The $4,000 boys and girls of
oregon are going to make this state
what it should be. They are going to
carry on the work of our forefatners.
1--WE should believe in training the
make this government the best possi-
BILE government that can be made.
1t is better to raise all of the people
an inch than it is to raise few of the
people a mile, and that is what the
public schools of this state are going
try to do. If democracy means any
thing, it means opportunities for all
the poor as well as the rich.
First Indian Graduate.
81 notice we have in our class
no five of fl,to oarutr,, /rafarrfoar 20 n
bright young Indian graduate from
The Grand Ronde school,( ''and I
want to congratulate you as the first
graduate in the public schools of Or
egon in the eighth grade. May God
speed you on your wayl
I'VE have here something like IT'S
graduates of the eighth grade. 1 want
20 say to them that we, their friends, |
parents and well wishers, are here to |
10 them honor. That they have 1t |
argely in their power to do what they
want to do. We are going to try to
ielp them to try to be what they want
% be. 1t is a great thing to know
hat any person can fix an ideal and |
De able to attain 1t. Fix that ideal |
high. Then by work reach your ideals. |
We will not be satisfied in their not
attaining their highest ideals. We
want them to value time. for time is
he thing of which life is made. We
want them to believe in pluck. We
want you to have pluck, grit and de-
You may be what you
would be. We want you to be the
,est that you can be.
II want to congratulate the people /
If Polk County upon the fact that you
ire going to have other grades within
he reach of these boys and girls You
'oted at the last election to provide |
means for a high school fund. II is
| worthy ambition of your County
school Superintendent to have a high
chool within the reach OF every pu-
,il in the county
Earning Capacities.
Some one with a genius,for figures
las estimated that the earning capae-
ty of an eighth grade graduate is
800 per year. That may appear a
arge sum. but when you come TO re-
ilize that bacon is 80 cents a pound.
nd that spring hats-how much are
pring hats? You see. do not know
low much spring hats are worth, be-
ause I always buy my wife's hat on
he installment plan. Well. when
living is so high. $500 is not very
much. The same, authority has hgur-
d that the average high school grad
late is worth $1,000 a year. The diff
erence between $500 and tI2OO Is
zoo. which multiplied by the aver
ge duration OF life Of 40 years makes
difference in earning capacity Of
$4,000 that these boys will earn on
he average by attending high school
There is no school in the State OF
,regon that these students cannot
nish II they want to. II is worth
heir while to go on and finish the
Ugh school. and then to finish col
ege. II will help them to serve their
ellow men best