Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1930-05-08
THE CARPENTER AND COLLEGE
GRADUATES
tSolected}

About $50 students who had just
received their final degrees met for
final dinner, before they separated TO
90 into various parts of the world,
probably never to meet again. They
had been SO surfeited with dignified
drivel during the four years at college
that they decided to omit the address
at the final function.
OF two hundred professors there
was one man whose criticism of col
lege addresses was well known. He
had never made an address in his
life, and 1t was suggested, more as
joke than with any serious intent, to
invite him to deliver the address. If
they had imagined for moment that
he would accept the invitation, he
would never have been asked. He
accepted however, and the committee
decided to let the class grin and bear
1t.
The dinner took place in one of the
worlds greatest hotels. The banquet
ing hall was known far and wide for
its artistic arrangements and lux
urious furniture. The young men
were dressed in conventional full
evening dress. Most of them were
future captains of industry. During
the course of the dinner there was q
good deal OF joking and speculation
about the professors address. When
the dinner was over the chairman rap
ped for order and introduced the
speaker.
Gentlemen" he began, II never
made a speech in my life, and I don't
intend to begin now. I have some
thing to say, however, and, in saying
it. I will follow Luther's threefold
rule: Stand up straightly, speak OUT
boldly, and sit down quickly
I'VE are in one of the famous ban
quoting halls of the world. Belshaz-
zar's Hall compared to this was q
lodging on the third floor back. Nc
such art ENLISTED in those days. Nc
see around this room. No such viands
sraced his baord. What was there
was elegant Tor that day, but we live
in another age. an age of art, ar,
craftsmanship and luxury. From the
four corners of the earth came the
) things on this table. From the lowest
forms of day labor to the highest
forms of art we have around us sam
pies of at least hundred forms OF
human work.
Take this tablecloth to begin with.
1t is Of most exquisite workmanship.
1t involves weaving-to go no further
back-bleaching, smoothing, design
ing. 1t is a damask linen, beautiful
and most pleasing to the eye. want
to ask you question: Is there any
one here who knows from personal
experience anything about the labor
involved? Have any of you ever con-
tributed any labor to the manufac-
turing OF table linen? I am serious,
gentlemen. If any of you have
would like him to say So" There
was absolute silence. IT understand
then" the speaker continued, that
the making of such thing is beyond
your ken.
LET me draw your attention to the
samples of pottery here. Surely the
men and women who produce such
beautiful thins are artists. What q
joy it must be for man to hold such
thing in his hand-complete-a
say: 7 made it, Many forms Of
labor are involved here, also-the dig
ging of clay, the carting, fashioning
painting, burning, baking and finish
ing. If there is man here who has
ever touched this form of labor, lei
him answer. No one
There are samples of the mos
exquisite and, know, costly cut glass
That also involves much labor ane
great art. 1t is a unique industry II
itself. will not detail the process
we see the result, but the variou!
forms of labor are practically un
known to us. ] would be surprised tt
find man among you hao ever touch
ed this industry at any angle"
In this way he went over the silver
dwelt lsngthily on the subject of min
ing and the life of miner. He drew
attention to the carpet and rugs OF
the floor, to the curtains and draper.
of the great windows, to the mura
decorations executed by the creates
living mural painter. There was ;
rich fresco around the room. He cal
led attention to it. When he had gon
over most of the things in the room
he turned again to the table.
"There are cut flowers here" h
said. Most of you spent some year
in the study of botany, but / don
think any Of you would undertake t
give us complete classification O
what we see and enjoy on the table.
There was disposition to laugh, bu