The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-12-24

/ see any reason for any one TO think
hat such an occasion - brings u
together hore today is anything elsa
than one OF great interest and Erca.
Importance Why should not an iusti.
tuition of learning recognize dis iu.
Guishcd service? The dominant note
IN moCcrn education is the note II
service, and while tho secular scnCoI
can not ia such large degree do 90,
yet the colleges such as this, main
tanned by a great religious de1Omma.
ton, can tcaricssly and boldly lns
above them and fling 20 che breeze
TIC banner Of the cross and proclaim
that the education for which they
stand shall be the service cEcmp!iGol
by the master Of mon. Why, then. is
IL not entirely right and proper tina. a
citizen OF our State distin,a isaed in
every way should be signaHy hanoIcI
by a degree such as this?
President DCueys remarks III con.
fclring the degree were az follows:
William Seymour Edwards lawyer
and statesman, worldwide traveller
and author friend OF youth and educa.
ton, unenvied producer Of wealth. jus.
employer Of labor, cXemplar of he sec.
Ond as We'll as OF the first command
ment, and lover OF God and man. by
virtue of the authority conferred uDon
me by the Board OF Trustees ana By
vote of the faculty, and in accordance
with the laws OF the State OF West
Virginia, | confer upon you the degree
OF Doctor Of Literature, and I'm testi.
mony present to you this diploma.
duly signed and sealed, together wlth
all the honors and cmoluments per.
81
name shall be inscribed among the
list Of the honorary alumni OF the
West Virginia Wesleyan College.
COL Edwards Address.
After the degree had been formally
conferred upon Colonel William Seq
mour Edwards, he addressed the dis.
tinguished audience, as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
a little less than century age
there departed from the beautiful Hoo
satonic Valley. in Western Massachu
sets, a notable company, young men
and women, chiefly sons and daughters
OF New England's greatest stock, de
bcendants OF the Pilgrims and Puri.
tang.
These travellers set out as a we'll.
organized colony They had great
against the long journey ahead They
moved with their oxen and their
horses, their cattle and their sheep;
they took with them their axes for
telling tho forests, their anvils and
their tools for working iron and like
wise their plows and farming nipple.
ments; while they carried their trusty
rifles, which they well knew how TO
use They fetched with them. also,
sometimes their old folks, always their
children y stalwart company they
were. and they turned not toward tho
mighty West, but bent their way
southwark along the foothills OF the
Alleghenies and to Virginia instead OF
Illinois
After many days they halted their
wagons and unyoked their oxen upon
the well-watercd highlands OF trans
Alleghenian Virginia, and the land
looked good unto them. and they said
To- one another. Here we will abide"
So they surveyed and settled upon a
great tract Of Wild land which they
paid for with the cash they brought
in hand Here they hewed great tim.
Dcrs from the forest and builded them.
selves theIefrOm comfortable homes,
substantial houses, barns and out
buildings, here they cleared out wide
acres. whereOn the blue grass sprang
up spontaneously, and corn and wheat
and oats and rye ripeued joyiully be
meath the kindly Nirgul sun. here
they founded schools and raised up
churches unto the Lord. for they we're
q God-feaIiug people. although they
feared not man. Here. as the years
went By they gathered unto them
selves other men and women Of kin
dred spirit and equal faith. loving I'D
orty, IGNORING God and prizing above
all else education and true Christian
culture Year By year they grew into
q populOus and powerful community
resnectod nnd honored throughout the