Tuesday, February 8, 2011

School Exhibition

Marietta Intelligencer, March 27, 1855

The closing exercises of the Marietta High School, on Friday evening last, were of a very interesting character, and must have been gratifying and satisfactory to all the friends of our Public Schools.  Tax-paying is not the most agreeable duty a man has to perform, nor the one best calculated to put him in good humor with the world "and the rest of mankind," but we think that most of our citizens who attended this exhibition, must have felt it to be a privilege to pay taxes for the support of schools where every child, every young lady, and every young man, in our community, is furnished with such educational privileges as our public schools provide free of charge.

We do not propose to speak in detail of the exercises, but may remark, generally, that they were highly creditable allike to teachers and pupils.  The young ladies (with a few exceptions) read their compositions distinctly and well.  The young orators appeared quite at ease, and delivered their speeches with grace and vigor.  The singing was good, some of it very good.  The order of exercises was as follows:

Singing.

Selected Declamation - Wesley Sniffin.
Selected Declamation - James Nye.
Composition - The Future - Kate Booth.
Composition - The Grave of the Household - Letitia Jones.

Singing.

Selected Declamation  - William B. Shittlesey.
Selected Declamation  - J. H. Sniffin.
Selected Declamation  - William C. Gray.
Composition - Life's pleasures - Susan Bigelow.
Composition - Past, Present, and Future - Margaret Edgerton.

Singing.

ORIGINAL PIECES
Salutatory Oration - Albert L. Smith.
Woman's Rights - D. Perkins Bosworth, Jr.
Public Stations - George B. Turner.
Composition - They all Perished - Ann Maria Phillips.
Composition - The Practical - Eunice M. Rice.
Rehearsal - Eunice Anderson.
Rehearsal - Sarah Shipman.

Singing.

Oration - Our Customs - Francis A. Ross.
Oration - The Battle of Marathon - William C. Wells.
Oration - Mouths - Arthur B. Little.
Oration - The Prospects of Liberty to the oppressed of Europe - Harold D. Lewis.
Composition - The old Mill - Emily K. Brown.
Composition - Happiness - Carrie Divine.

Singing.

Oration - The Advantages of Education - John D. Dye.
Oration - Abolition of our Slave Trade - Alexander Lamb.
Composition - The thrice closed Eye - Mary Morse.
Composition - Monuments of the 19th Century - Mary Ewart.
Rehearsal - Lorinda Gracy.
Rehearsal - Abby Brown.

Singing.

Oration - Pre Adamite Earth - Samuel A. Titus.
Oration - Self Culture - Charles A. Hayward.
Paper - Edited by Melvina D. Wells.  Matilda Leonard.

Singing.

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