Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-05-04
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES DAY
Exercises Held at University Yes
terday Largely Attended.
Grafton by Professor George w. Bene-
diet Of brown University, 1885,
Addresses by II. II. Fisher md
W. G. Walker.

The nth observance Of the founding of
the University of Vermont was commem-
GRATED by appropriate exercises In the
college chapel Monday morning Ac-
cording to custom the service In chapel
was preceded by a ceremony in front of
the old mill in which ten juniors were
elected to the Boulder society. The pres
ent members Of the Boulder society were
grouped around the boulder which stands
in front of the old mil! building. Tho
| ceremony Of the election Of Boulder men
j. a simple one. The members Of the
junior class were stationed below the
boulder. one by one the ten juniors were
lead by senior boulder men to a place
around the big stone. Dean Perkins then
delivered a short address to the old and
new members Of the society as they stood
III a seni-circle around the boulder
rOUNDER's DAY SERVICE.
After the ceremony IN the open air.
the annual service began in the chapel,
with the Rev. John E Goodrich, d. D.
presiding. George F. Mcmahon, ~, rem
dered n violin solo which was followed
by the G5th psalm and hymn. The
Rev. X. c. Flagg. d. d, OF Winooski,
he chaplain. offered prayer. william c..
Walker Of Cabot. IL. then delivered the
Junior class address.
ADDRESS BY W. c. WALKER.
Mr.. Walker said In part Each year
VIC select for special honors some one or
more of those who stand out prominently
as founders or builders of our college;
each year we try to bring before our
| selves some line of college activity which
deserves special praise or needs new i'm
retus. And to-day have selected two
sons OF this college. one who has added
materially to our buildings. to our equip
mont and to our courses, the other who
has honored his college by a long life OF
| service to his country"
The speaker then sketched the live.
of two prominent Vermont graduates,
John Hemen Converse and John Adams
Nasson Both Of these men have passed
away within the year. Mr. Kasson being
ut the time Of his death the oldest living
graduate Of the university John Adams
kassOn was born in Charlotte In 1892 and
graduated from the university in 1912. In
1851 he made Des Moines. Ia, his place Of
residence. There he became prominent
in politics and was six times sent to rep
resent his State in the Lower House at
Washington. Later in life Mr.. Kasson
became power in the postal service and
served his country still further in the
office 81 ambassador to Austria and later
to Germany.
Mr.. Walker traced the history OF John
II. Converse and enumerated the many
gifts he had made to his alma mater.
MIR
of 1861 He was first In the employ of
the Burlington Daily and Weekly Times
Later he was connected with railroad
| corporations and finally with the Bald
win locomotive works and in the capacity
of president Of the latter corporation he
made himself famous.
II. II. FISHERS ADDRESS.
Harold II. Fisher speaker for the senior
class, followed Mr.. Walker and spoke on
THE Mission of Great Books" Mr.. Fish
CT said In part: 1T Is the decree OF or
age that We shall be specialists, and the
majority Of us having been duly enrolled
in science or business or philosophy OF
art. we insist from the beginning on TAX
| Ing sides with one Of these four spirits.
Everything which NAV tempt us frou-
]
retards our progress. a thing to be avoid
! cd SO in our reading. II we road at all
! II is quite often something that may be
utterly worthless, as II Is read only for
a moments diversion or else II is some
! thing which bears directly on our subject
Except life itself. books are our best
| teachers, for without exception the crea-
! tors Of great literature have been more
| interested in life than In making books
! flowers crumhle to earth hut he whose
book lives, cannot die" Books are the
footprints on the march of mind through
| the ages. They perform greater feats
| tran ever did that marvellous lamp o.
Aladdin they bring us friends for every
mood, paint pictures OF surprising beauty
| make music for the cradle of oul
| thoughts, they overcome space. riches
! poverty, the span of time and even death
! for through them we hold converse witt
the sublimcst spirits of three THOUSAND
years. To Macaulay books were ''olC
friends who are never seen with new
| faces; who are the same In wealth ant
poverty, In glory and obscurity."
Mr. Fisher concluded BY stating th'
mission of great books Their mission is
| as he said. ito place within our reecl
| this expression OF our larger selves, Il
weave into our world some OF tho sior!
| we have missed"
GRAFTON RY PROF. GEORGE w
BENEDICT.
The Grafton was delivered by Professor