Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-08


teachers have made the final exam1n-
atoms and have reported that you have
passed the examinations satisfactorily
the board Of education has voted TO
issue diplomas to you--and you arc
making your last appearance as SUI
dents Of Ottumwa high school tonlsht'
1t should be a moment of great JOY 70
you, because it is evident that you
have accomplished the object OF your
desires-you have attained success IN
your first effort to become successrui
men and women, whose estate you are
about to enter.
"You should realize that you nave
had the opportunity to acquire no,
eral education at great moneyed
expense of the community in when
you have lived. These opportunities
have been given you at great sacrlnce
on the part of your parents-on inc
part Of your teachers and School OIL
ficials. It is said the school is the cor
ner stone Of the republic-that Is true
If the office of the school in our ma ,
tional life be accurately understood
and nerformed-but in our hurried way
we have taken education to mean mere
instruction in definite subjects-the
learning of facts rather than training
IN wisdom and character.
Greatness of Character.
"The greatest Of these is character.
Character is an individual matter. you
can not have another's character; you
may try to initiate the charactei o.
some great man, but to the man him.
self who is his own master, his char
acter stands or falls. Character IS that
something within you which receives
and imDreSSeS upon your nina AMI
writes in indelible letters on your own
heart, your thoughts, words and DEEDS
Character is the fine tone OF your
ic,t hn dull
Of life which seems to chill you through
and through. Character is that some
thing which points you onward ana
inward in life's dregs. Some one mas
well said that character is not some
thing that is added to your life, but IS
life itself.
character building is not the work
Of a moment or day, you cannot Jump
into a character as you would into
suit of clothes-unless it be an as
sumed character. The man or woman
with an assumed character is hypo-
critic, whom we dispise. Character
building is a slow process: it must be
worked at continually, and we are
building when we are not conscious or
it. We are adding to 1t each day by
little things, little deeds Of kindness,
loftier ideas and thoughts Of our bet
ter moments. as some one has truly
said, character building may consist or
little willful Misrepresentation, impure
thoughts, mean motives, hours or
stolen pleasures and doing things that
your own conscience disapproves-bu
the right kind of character is created by
hammering one upon another or tne
gold sheets Of opportunity, which Weld
together and build higher and higher
one strong piece of gold. This character
will stand the test of fire, but the char
acter that will fail might be likened
to that reared upon tinfoil, which, Wnlle
to all appearances YIELDS together for a
time but will not sustain the test OF
time and years.
ITO fulfil this purpose should be your
highest aim, take the highest. purest
and best as your standard. Remember
one thing in building your character
you cannot make friends by attempt
ing to destroy the character Of others.
that no moral coward can
ever become a really great man. TOO
many Of us know what is right but
we lack the true courage to do 1T. Our
lot may not be that of soldier gal
lantly fighting upon the field Of battle
but our lives may be replete with
worthy efforts and even glorious deeds.
God grant that peace and prosperity
may ever abide with this nation and
that no scenes Of carnage may ever
disturb the domestic tranquility for
which our forefathers have bled and
died. Our every day life is battle
ground where we have opportunity of
heroism and true nobility
Of character"
The Graduates.
The following members of the class
Of 1912, were given diplomas Of gradu-
alton last night:
Louis p. Spiwak, j. Max Wilson,
Nell G. Jeffries, Clara M. johnson,
Edwin Gardner Cook, Leonard Al
bort Kendall, Fred D. Wilson, Ber-
tina c. Wormhoudt, Josephine M.
Ludeman, Hazel M. Davis, Alma L.
Fox, John Lewis Nevin, Walter
Kenneth McLain, George A. Lind.
say, Helen c. Fleming, Guy Edward
Rodgers, *Eunice M. Levien, Hazel
M. Overman. *Elizabeth 3. krafka,
*Marie e. Porter, Joseph n. Ost-
dick, Mabel Burgess, AIDA c. Caine,
Clarence p. Glenn, *Maurino Nye,
Edwin M. Lester, Mary Charlotte
Irwin, Robert e. ConneIl, Sidney n.
Cove, Henry S. Wormhoudt, Harry
w. Walker, Dominick J. McDer-
mott, Harry C. Lynch, Ethel I. Me-
CURE, Gladys M. Doherty, "Verna
Elizabeth Grubbs, Leona V. Berry,
Elsie May Humphrey, Hattie Irene
Wolfe, James J. Dysart, Martha
Rachel Cowan. Clarence A. Mahon,
Edward r. Gushing, Paul D. Boxx,
Paul Van Gent, Mazda M. Thomp-
son, Bonnie Grace Jones.