Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1886 — THE CLASS OF 1886. [ARTICLE]

THE CLASS OF 1886.

Fourth Annual Commencement of the Rensselaer High SchoolThe graduating exercises of the class ot 1886, of the Rensselaer High School, were held last Thursday evening. ./'The Opera House was filled to the limit of its seating capacity by an appreciative and sympathetic audience, deeply interested in the exercises of the evening. The stag 6 was beautifully and tastefully decorated with a profusion of flowers, vines, plants, flfkgs, and draperies.-' Above, extending clear across the front of the stage, in silver letters on a purple banner was the class motto, “JSrugo 4nimi, Rubigo After an instrumental trio by Mesdames Watson, Rinehart and Reaniing, the Rev. David Handley pronounced an invocation, and after this was a fine bass solo by W- B. Austin, Esq. Arthur H. Hopkins was the class .-alutatorian, and his opening remarks were a graceful and well prepared salutation of his teachers, classmates and the audience. His oration which fallowed was upon the subject, the “Calamities of War.” The speaker gave a graphic summary of the measureless ezils which the practice of warfare have brought upon the generations of men; but he did not confine himself wholly to the dark side of picture, but at the same time mentioned some of the countless blessings that have resulted from wars, in times near and remote. In fact the youthful orator’s logical and well considered observations must have carried the conviction to most of his hearers that war, on the whole, has been a necessary evil and has done more good than harm, in the long run.

Miss Rena S. Peacock, the only representative of her sex in the class, who perserved to the end, -took for the subject of her essay the strikingly novel and enigmatic subject ‘The Casters.” She is a young lady of fine powers and considerable training in eiocutipn, and her graceful and spirited rendition of her essay won the admiration of all. The opening sentence of the essay will give some idea of its general drift. ‘‘Has it -never occurred to you that the common table-caster is a perfect representation, of the Great Caster of Life, with its Salt of Avariciousness, its Mustard of Gossip, its Pepper of Passion, its Oil of Flattery and its Vinegar of Crabbedness.” The subject, odd as it seems, admitted of a wide range of treatment and a wealth of illustration and was listened to throughout with rapt attention, by the whole audience, to every one of whom the words of the reader were perfectly audible. Lady readers will not be satisfied. without a description of the costume of this the only “Sweet Girl Graduate, with her golden hair,” in the class. It was a poem in beauty, the robe of French Albatress cloth, trimmed in brocaded satin and Oriental lace; and kid gloves and slippers and all of the most delicate shade of cream color, completed the costume. After a brilliantly executed intrumental solo, by Mrs. Delos Thompson, Albert R. Hopkins gave, as his Oration, a brief but masterly sketch of the life and services of our great war President Abraham Lincoln. The salient points of his life, character, and great services, were set forth in a clear and concise manner. ■‘Labor Omnia Vincit,” Conquers all Things) was the subject, well worn but ever fruitful, of Benjamin F. Fendig’s oration. Labor, hur led down by Divine lips as a curse upon the seed of Cain, has proved through Divine benificence, a blessing instead of a curse to those who bow in humble submission to the Divine decree. All the great benefactors of our race have been incessant workers, and nowhere in history can be found a truly great man who can not be classed among the constant laborers of his age. The careers of Demosthenes, the mightiest orator of Antiquity; Archimedes, the most celebrated of Ancient mathematicians; Columbus, who added a new hemisphere to our globe, were cited as examples of what persevering labor, in the face of many difficulties, has been able to achieve in the remote past; while in more modern times, Warren Hastings, Disraeli, Morse and Edison, were briefly sketched for the same purpose. Through labor the earth has been transformed from a wilderness of savagery and darkness into a world great and mighty in its civilisation. AU the performances of human art are the results of tbh reaistfoM fbrce of pereeverenoe. with Ils swoiupUinßumts ( but;

without labor Genius, though covered with a beautiful exterior can' do no great work; but, ’ Let Grains with her pinions bright, Ever ready for iter flight. Be but sustained by- Labor's earc, She'll have no cause for doubt or fear, And , grtte of all, ran fly from earth. To that high Heaven, herplaceot birth. At the conclusion of Mr. Fendig’s oration, the ushers passed through the audience and collected the bidpiets and other offerings, intended for the graduates, and delivered them to the proper recip-' ients. The boquets were especially numerous, and each member of the class received a number of beautiful ones, while the floral tributes gathered in front of Miss Peacock in such vast numbers as to threaten to obscure her from the view of the audience. Prof' Reubejt’s Class address and the presentation of diplomas by Mr. Spitler, on behalf of the School Board, then followed Prof. Reubelt’s address was so excellent of its kind and contained so much that was valuable and worthy of a wider circulation, that we reproduce it entire. Mr. Spitler’s presentation address, as well as his remarks to each individual graduate, were exceedingly appropriate, and indeed models in their line.

CLASS ADDRESS. Dear Pl'l’ils: —Il has been aiy lot to be with you but one year during your entire school course either as neighbor, friend or teacher; but this single year I can say, at least for myself, that our intercourse has been agreeable, and, I trust, profitable. As teacher and pupils, we'have learned to know each other fully and thoroughly; and may it ever be our happy lot to remember the -pleasant days spent together in tee school building, your alma mater. You seeking knowledge, your teachers en deavoring not to increase your knowledge only, but to discipline your minds, fitting you for systematic study, for thinking, for deliberation, for discrimination. It is held by educators generally that a well educated, thoroughly disciplined mind is far preferable to a mind that is only well tilled, .- tilled with names, dates, facts and especially is this true if the two minds are tai come into contact with the world at large. We learn from history that not the most learned men have been the benefactors of the human race; tjieir theoretical doctrines being too frequently 7 found chatty, and the first wind-storm they encountered, their theories were driven to the four corners never again to be brought-together. Not so with the practical man. But rather those practical men, with practical ideas, idbas ot invention, ideas of discovery concentrated on One grand purpose, carrying this purpose to its legitimate, logical end, simplifying it, putting it to some practical use, these nave been the human family’s true benefactors. Their ideas were not mere theories, but rather substantial, wholesome facts, forever materialized. Robert Fulton could hot at any time have filled the chair of physics at Harva d or Yale, but his philosophy of navigation, and its thorough application, has done far more than the theories of the Harvard and Yale professors, Columbus was not,’ in our acceptation of the term, a learned man, lie could not be favorablycom pared (knowledge being the scale

of measurement) with those learned men of his time who thought him a monomaniac concerning the earth’s rotundity, but I believe he knew more about the subject oL pr&dtieal navigation than did his wise theoretical critics. Galileo, in the science of astronomy, was perhaps the peer of any astronomers of his time, but there were astronomers of his time who were far more learned in other sciences than was Galileo; but these men, Fulton, Columbus aud Galileo, put then - thoughts, their ideas, into actual practical use—made demonstrable application of their theories; and the benefits to mankind of these men's discoveries and inventions are indeed wonderful, yes, incalculable' They were men of action, men of genius—not theorists. They had implicit confidence in their ultimate success; They made the egg to sit on its end. Let these few facts teach you, my dear pupils, this lesson; that a man must persistently apply himself to one thing if be wishes to make a complete success of it. For he who undertakes too much or too many things—who tries too many callings, must of ueces ■*- sity fail, as he cannot do justice to all. I am aware that some few men achieved fame in several ayocatiops, but these were rather the exceptions to the general rule. ~ ' / Whatever vocation you may hereafter conclude to follow, be it the law, the ministry, medicine or politics, after you have made your choice, concentrate entire energy upon that profession and its auxiliaries, ever earnestly striving to excel. Aim high, so if the work aimed at be not reached you may still ■trike e piece above Uw ebmnlon level vt jrlfttr ffellow kHCKiafart: RwfriMvWjhVdM.fi. Yun wilt r??

ceive your diplomas, having completed the prescribed courses. You- will no longer be a member,of any class in the school, The old bell will no more ring out its cheerful tones calling you to attendance, to work —all these will be things of the past. But right here let me impress upon your youthful minds this fact, a tact too frequently very delusive to many that have completed the prescribed High School course, the fact is this: Your education is not finished, rather thatit is but begun, You have simply passed the novitiate period. If you will act wisely you will not Bit idle, fold your arms, and throw yourselves back upon a graduate’s dignity, (for this dignity is too foolish) and try to Convince yourselves that you have learned all that is necessary for you to learn; but if you have learned, and fully learned, that in reality—you know comparatively nothing, nothing fully; and if you have learned how to study, how to apply yourselves diligently and faithfully, how to economize time and make the best use of it, and how to concentrate your mental power on the s ubject under consideration, you will have accomplished more than the usual or average high school graduate accomplishes. To know that we know but little is quite an impetus on the way to knowledge; and if this knowing be stimulated with a strong desire for truth, for investigation, a good worthy of all your persistent efforts lies at the end of the race. In conclusion let me say, that it is the wish and desire of your teachers to see you do well in life; to rise to distinction in whatever calling you may pursue. As adyice we give this: always act with zeal and integrity, iaithfully and honorably with your fellow man ; respect your superiors; show kindness to them below you; and above all reverence him, who hath given you understanding, who watcheth you by day and by night, who knoweth your every thought. So live that when you shall have finished your earthly mission, when the awful hour approaches, and the last breath is drawn, you may have that blissful command: “Enter thou faithful son, thou true daughter into the kingdom prepared for thee, and here forever dwell with me Your God.