The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-06-01

sumter nlSn ScnOolS. Inc exercises
We're we'll attended as is usually the
case and were very interesting all the
way through. The drilling was Of a
high order and the declamations were
probably the best, as a whole. which
any graduating class has ever de-
livered.
The rain in the afternoon had
cleared the atmosphere of dust and
had cooled the atmosphere which no
doubt added materially TO the num-
Der in attendance upon the exercises,
although there were signs Of rain at
lhe time to go to the Academy in
which as usual the closing exercises
were held The building was filed,
though not packed by an interested
crowd, whose interest was retained
until the completion Of the last num-
ber on the program. The exercises
were commenced promptly at 8
o'clock when the curtain ascended
and the Rev. r.. NJ. Mcleod invoked
the divine blessing
The pupils of the high school We're
the graduating class Of girls being
seated in a sem-circle at the front
with the boys seated immediately be-
hind them. The class Of graduates is
a large one, though not SO large as
last year, which was the banner class
Of the high schol for all time up to
now. there being twenty-five girls and
seventeen boys comprising it, All of
the young ladies wore their prettiest
pink or blue dresses, as the case
might be, and presented a Very beau.
tiful spectacle. grouped as they We're
where all could be in plain view of
the audience. AS is usually the
case on the first night Of commence
ment the exercises were for the maj
or part i'm the lands of the boys, al
though it is SAT-, to say that the girls
attracted their full share of atteu-
ton.
Following the opening Of the ex-
erclses with prayer the three pick
ed men from the battalion-men who
hac been selected at previous pre-
liminary competitive drill-were lined
up on the stage and drilled in the
manual OF arms and facings for the
greater part of twenty minutes. In
this picked squad We're Messrs. Rob
ert Dougherty, Moultrie DeLorme
and Roger Sddal. 1t was only by
taking into account the smallest in
accuracies that the judges. Messrs.
Robbie Brown, Perry Brown and T..
q. Cantey. were able to come to any
decision. Moultiie DeLorme was the
fortunate one selected as the best
drilled man in the battalion and to
him was presented the medal which
is annually the reward OF the mem
ber of the high school companies
The medal was presented by Mr.. Neill
O'Donnell who stated in few words
that all of the people of Sumter were
extremely proud of their schools and
what their schools had done and Of
the military feature in the schools.
He hoped that the winner would new
er be called on to serve his country
in war. but if he was called on he
hoped he would serve with the same
fidelity as he had served his school.
Next the medals offered by the City
National Bank for the two best adj
vertiSements for the savings depart
ment of the bank were awarded 10y
Mr. X. |. Manning. one of these
medals was offered To a boy and one
To q girl of the graduating class.
Miss Florence shaw was the winner
Of one medal ana Mr.. George Butt
man won the other. Mr.. Manning
i'm presenting the two medals made
short talk concerning the necessity
Of saving. lie mentioned the fact
that the Increased cost of living was
| duo To- CNtraNaGcncc, not only i'm this
community. but all over the coun-
| try. tie called attention To the fact
that il was hy advertising that the
people were reached and the necessity
of effective advertising. He stated
that the truth must hc told i'm adver-
tising To make il most effective as
| the truth was always most effective.
Dr. j. \. Mood in a few pleasant
remarks made the presentation of the
strauss medals for best compositions
i'm the ready writing contest" He
stated that the subject Of the COM