Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-05-31
WAS PRESENTED WITH A SPLEEN
DID GIFT LAST EVENING BE.
FORE HIS DEPARTURE-EXCE
LENT PRESENTATION SPEECH
WAS MADE AND RESPONDED TO.

Superintendent and Mrs. d. F. Bangs
were pleasantly surprised last night
when at eight o 'clock they were called
into the chapel Of the School for the
Deaf and found all the children as
sembled there. Miss Gudbjorg Oddson,
Of the class Of 1910. rose and made the
following speech, which revealed the
purpose of the gathering:
I'VE assemble here tonight without
permission from MIR. Bangs and without
his cognizance, but We think that we
have perfect right on this occasion
to take possession of this room for a
while. We, pupils of this school, as
we'll as the graduates and former pu-
pills who are scattered all over the
state and who are making good, desire
MIR. and Mrs. Bangs to know that we
are not unappreciative Of what they
have done for us the past seventeen
wears. 1T we could only realize all the
hardShips and disadvantages that con-
fronted them when they came here the
first year, We wonder that they did
not take the train back east. Every
thing was in a shabby conditions; there
were no electric lights, no steam heat,
no conveniences whatever to speak of,
no trees to be seen around the school;
it was dreary, lonely prairie, as it
was when Devils Lake was small vii
lage. There was no help in sight, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Bangs had to go down
town to get their meals, and at that
time their daughter, Miss Gertrude,
was but a one-year.old child. Mr.
Bangs administration opened with on
ly four teachers and an enrolment Of
thirty pupils, but since then enrolment
has swelled up to 239, twenty-eight Of
whom have graduated with honor and
eight have successfully entered college.
Several new buildings as well as addi-
tions to the original building on the
north. east and west sides, have been
erected, but it was not without siren
uous efforts on the part of our beloved
retiring superintendent that the appro-
priations for such additions were secur-
ell by legislation. And, also, what is
more important, by persistent hard
work, Mr.. Bangs has raised the stan
dard of the school to such point that
the school ranks favorably with the
other schools, even of larger size and
the state has every reason to be proud
of it. 1t is with deepest regret that
We have to see Mr.. and Mrs. Bangs
leave us, and before they leave we
wish them to feel that we are appre-
ciative and we wish them to accept this
parting gift, which, though small
one, is given with tender love and low
ing wishes from the pupils and grad
yates and former pupils of this
SCHOOL,
The gift was a handsome, massive
mahogany rocker, upholstered with lea
Their and beautiful sterling silver de-
post card receiver.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bangs were so over
whelmed they hardly knew what to do
or say; nevertheless, Mr.. Bangs made
a most touching response. He said he
had often told his friends how easy it
was to make speech in the sign
language but that on such as this occas-
ion he found how helpless he was. He
touched upon the general hardships he
and Mrs. Bangs had to encounter and
the Improvements for which he had
been able to secure appropriations from
the legislature. He said he was proud
Of all the improvements, ETC., but above
all he felt that they, with the
aid of his able teachers, had done one
of Gods noblest missions in bringing
the children up to understand that
there was God to whom they knew
when to go in time Of deep trouble
and to know that there was Savior.
He said words failed to express their
gratitude for the gift.
After this, Miss Edna Hartman, one
of the present pupils, recited "Miz-
pah' in graceful manner.
Then the children with Mr.. and Mrs.
Bangs had a very pleasant social ses-
sion.
Mr.. Bangs will give farewell talk
to the children next Sunday, as school
c],ses on the tenth Of this month.