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i PLEASINGEXERCISES Mark the Graduation of the Class of Nineteen-Fifteen of the Prince ton High School. Twenty-One Graduates Receive Di plomas at the Armory Last Thursday Evening. The annual commencement exer cises of the Princeton high school were held at the Armory last Thurs day evening, and one of the largest audiences ever congregated in Prince ton was in attendancefriends and relatnes of the graduates filled the spacious building to overflowing. The class of 1915, whicn numbers 21, is composed of blight young men and women, who realize fully the value of an education, and there is no doubt but what their future efforts in the various fields of en deavor in which they engage will be crowned with real success. The names of the graduates follow: RegularEdith Early, Jean Mc Vicar, John Schmidt, Frank Umbe hocker, Lettie Foltz, Blanche Manary, Freeman Drinkall, Ross Foltz, Ruth Briggs, Tillie Hoehn, Haiold Lofgren and Mildred Hamil ton NormalGertrude Bishop, Hazel Scalberg, Nellie Foltz, Hildegarde Kalkman, Grayce Kaliher, Daisy Pierson, Lydia Steinbach, Anna Benson and Isabelle Esler. The exercises opened with a selec tion by that ever popular musical organization, the high school orches tra, and wtjile the overture was be ing played the graduates marched down an aisle of the Armory and took their seats upon the stage. Rev Peterson then pronounced the invocation, and the salutatory by Miss Blanche Manary was next. Miss Mannary, after extending a sincere welcome to those present, took for her subiect, "The Building of a House," and compared the ef forts to complete a successful life to the methods employed in erecting a structure to dwell in. It was an excellent salutatory, delivered in pleasing style, and hereundetHHi aj^&wtaB pears in full: "Friends of the school, we bid you welcome to our commencement. "The ending of our school life is called commencement because it is the real beginning of our life. It is the point from which each one goes on his individual course to secure some wished position in this world. Commencement is the starting point of the life that counts. "We have started the foundation on which we are to build our future life. It is our own fault if our foundation is not solidly and care ful^ laid, for we have had the best material and the best plans put be fore us Those who have neglected their high school education lack the substantial basis of life that shall be ours through all evils, all storms, and all life. But this, however, is not one of our faalts, or we should not be at this commencement. "Getting an education is somewhat like building a house,both start with a foundation. In building a house, the beginning may be made even before the plan of the body is definitely known All houses, whether palaces or cottages whether grand and magnificent or humble and simple all must have the begin ninga foundation. After the plan is settled the base may be enlarged to suit the plan. This foundation must not be hurriedly and carelessly laid in any place The greatest care, the best material and the most skilled workmen must be employed to make the building solid, lasting, and secure. "The body of the house depends upon one's wealth. Nevertheless, whatever type it may be, one's only guide would be the best principles for building. Each person has a different idea of the best principles and so no two houses could be ex actly alike, nor could their merits or faults be judged by any one set of principles. "Now, of course, the first import ant part of house building is the lay-., ing of the solid, firm foundation and the erection of a strong building, well put together but equally im portant with these is the purpose for which the house is constructed. This purpose should be two-foldT First, a house, when completed, must be beautiful, comfortable, and use ful. Just how much of these quali ties will be in the finished structure depends entirely on the good judg ment and standards of the architect. Second, the house must be beautiful, comfortable, and useful not onlv for the builder, but for all people. Only as the world can enjoy the building is the architect a great man. "Just like the house building is our life. Our future will be deter mined by the strength of our tounda tion by our ideal principles for life, and by our own judgment and stand ards. Our education has secured for us the greater part of the agents and the future will bring us the rest. Each of us has a different aim and a different standard by which to act. But, as in the building of the house, the most important part is the pur pose, so in life must each one, to be successful, aim to.do something to help along humanity. With this educational foundation, which can never be totally destroyed or torn down, we all hope to perform our duty to the world. "We could never have procured our education alone. The united efforts of our teachers, our parents, and our friends, the people of Princeton, have made this com mencement possible. We take this time to show our appreciation, and to sincerely thank all for their aid. All receive the warmest of welcomes to our commencement." At the conclusion of the salutatory Nathan Peterson favored the audi ence with a vocal solo, and so pleas ingly was it rendered that he was forced to respond to an encore. Mr. J.J. Skahen of the board of educa tion then introduced Hon. Charles M. Andnst who delivered the com mencement address. Mr. Andrist is eloquent and forceful, and, while he had no piepared speech, his remarks should prove helpful to the gradu ates in the years to come. If his advice is followed there is no doubt but what numerous difficulties will be avoided, and the graduates will successfully complete the voyage of life Mr. Andrist said in part: "I have come up here without a set speech, but as I was riding along on the train I saw Princeton in the dis tance and it occurred to me that it was a pretty good looking town, and as I drew nearer and saw the green grass, the towering trees and the fine residences, I felt that you had right to be proud ofi your town, and 2 want to congratulate you upon which to live,a a Dlac suc "And then I feel that you are to be congratulated on this building in which we are at present, because a building of this kind serves so many purposes and is a credit to the town. 'I. feel, also, that you are to be con gratulated on having such school facilities as you enjoy in the way of buildings and appliances. I am sure that the public has made consider able sacrifice to make this all pos sible. "But that for which you should be most congratulated is this array of young people here, in the bloom of health, who are graduating this evening Coal and gold, forest and field, have no significance except as they are interpreted in terms of humanity, and I feel that the gradu ating of a goodly number of young people, who are to be sent out into the world to do their work, is a sub ject for congratulation for any town. "Minnesota has been very lavish in her expenditures for public educa tion, and I feel that these young people owe it to the Commonwealth to make the most of themselves, in order to repay in a measure, what has been done for them. The class motto: "Out of the Harbor Into the Deep," is a very appropriate one, because they are setting out from the harbor into the unknown deep, and only God Himself knows what the landing will be. Yes, there are many boats putting out from the shore, most luxuriously equipped, such as the Lusitania a boat of eleven decks, running ele vators, such as you find in the office buildings in the twin cities, to carry the passengers up and down, gardens, parlors, promenades, and even roof gardens. But what did it matter what the appointments of the boat were, as long as the passengers did not reach the other side? Can you say of any passenger who fails to reach his destination, in no matter how rich a train, that he has had a successful trip if he does not arrive? "Now. you have all started out from the shore in a most auspicious man ner, and let me exhort you to do what the ships do when they start out from the port take a compass and a sure guide with you. That sure guide and compass for your voy age through life is righteousness. A lively faith in God and an accept ance of the principles of Christ will lead you, without failure, into the haven. And so I exhort you to make the most you can of life, by being as kind to your neighbors as possible and by being as helpful as you can- not striving forever after self-seek ing, but rather being willing to share the good things of life with others. "Minnesota has a great mixture of population, and I think that it is one of its sources of greatness. To us the present European war seems a most terrible butchery. 1 am sure it seems worse to us than it does to the Europeans, because to them it simply represents tribal warfare, to which they have become accustomed throughout the ages, while to us, who have risen a step or two higher, it has no ireaning, because our popu lation is so mixed in its elements combining as it does the blood of nearly all of the nations of Europe that we have lost the antipathy for tribes or sections. The othei day a man came into my office, and upon my inquiry as to whether he was pro German or pro-Allies, he said, "I scarcely know where I stand, be cause my father was a German and my mother a French woman." We should put aside our higotry and make ourselves American citizens in the fullest sense of the word. When we consider how the early colonies were founded, the mixtures of na tional ties and creeds and tongues, we sometimes wonder that we have come out so complete a whole as we are at present. Massachusetts was founded by the Puritans, Rhode Island by the Baptists, Pennsylvania by the Quakers, Delaware by the Swedish Lutherans, Maryland by the English Catholics, but when the cru cial moment came for them to op pose a common foe, they stood shoulder to shoulder in the great un dertaking, and made possible a country founded upon trre theory that all men are created equal. "These fathers and mothers I know are proud of their children as they see them here upon the stage, and they have a right to be, because for seventeen or eighteen years they nave been looking forward to this occasion. "I am glad to have had the honor of addressing the people of the village of Princeton, and assure you that I shall not soou forget the very hearty welcome I have received here." The high school male quartet! sang? a selection at the conclusion of Mr. Andrist's remarks, and it was an en joyable feature of the program. Miss Lettie Foltz then delivered the vale dictory oration, and it was a splendid effort. At the conclusion no one was surprised that Miss Foltz had been awarded the first honors of the class. The valedictory follows: "Education may have for its aim the development of the powers of the mind through special training, this special training to be used for practical purposes. There is, how ever, a broader aim of education, the aim which teaches one, first, to lay hold of the high, strong principle of unselfish devotion to the world's good and second, to live in accord ance with this principle. One who does not acquire education for this purpose can never hope to be suc cessful. Of course, it is right that one should devote one's self to the acquirement of specific factsthat one should learn the rules of arith metic and of chemistry it is equally right that this knowledge be used for practical purposes but, when the practical comes first, when the high ideals and principles are subor dinated to the immediate material gainthen is education being mis used. "The present war is an illustra tion of one of the greatest misuses of education. The two great bellig erents, England and Germany, each in her own line have knowledge of the practical facts that make mod ern civilization what it is yet each is using her education for her own selfish good, forgetting that to ig nore the world's known ideals will surely cause her failure. "Germany has for years led the world in science has made special effort to develop and improve scien tific inventionsarms, submarines and other war implements in par ticular. Thus, leading the world in science she could have gradually be come the most powerful in other respects. She could have had much influence in aiding her fellow countries in reaching a similar height. Here is where she has ap parently made her mistake. She was unwilling to wait to become first through education and through natural development of the nation. She chose the other course, the course of war. "On the other hand is England, standing at the head of commerce and knowledge of the sea, and hav ing the same opportunity as Ger many of using her education for the benefit of mankind. But she, with^ Germany, and the other belligerents, is destroying all that could possibly have raised the ideals of the world. Whole nations are ravaged indus tries are destroyed thousands of honorable, upright men are killed boys whose duty it would have been to continue the work of educating the world are needlessly slaughtered. This war is devouring science, art, literature, philosophy, faith, and everything .that makes life beauti ful. And for what purpose? Just to satisfy the ambition of a few men to gain for themselves the name of power and superiority. "We, the people of the United States, particularly as we are a neu tral nation, have the opportunity of using our education for our own ma terial advantage or of following the higher standard, and using it to raise the ideals of the world. Since we see that war is a subordination of the high principles to practical good, let us not disregard this fact and join the war, but let us remain neutral and work for the high ideal of peace. It is our duty as an edu cated people to do all that is in our power to aid the universe. We should make every effort to stop con flicts between other nations, if it proves impossible to bring the present one to a close, let us prevent any occasion for such strife in the future. "Shall we hesitate to stop the suffering caused by war when it is in our power to do so? How is it possible that we are' to give such peace and happiness to the world. Truly, the answer is, by education. The ideal of peace should be taught in all the schools, from the lowest to the highest should be held continually before the growing girl and boy. They being the most easily taught since they are the most desirous of learning. So let us each one strive to make education of such a type that it will abolish war and spread the ideals of peace ideals that shall help each individual and each nation to develop in its fullest and best manner. "Classmates, we are. as is the United States, in a position to live in accordance with the ideals taught byjfedueatfon-or to subordinate these ideals to our own selfish gain. Let i^ao^besaid of us that we have failed in our duty to humanity, but let us each one prove ourselves worthy of the efforts our teachers and our parents have made to give us a start along the right road. "In the name of the class, teach ers, I wish to thank you for the in terest you have taken in our behalf and for the encouragement you have given us. "Classmates, farewell it must be. The parting has come it(can not be put off. We must now depart, each on his own separate path. As the years pass and we gather new inter ests, ^the image of each event of our school life will gradually fade and become more indistinct, but surely we shall never entirely forget the four, short, happy years spent in dear old Princeton high. "Friends, we must bid you fare- well." The presentation of the class was next, and then Dr. D. A. McRae, president of the board of education, presented the graduates with their diplomas. A beautiful selection by the high school orchestra concluded the program and the class of 1915 was "Out of the Harbor, Into the Deep." The Princeton high school is an institution that should be a source of pride to all residents of the dis trict. Each year a splendid class of young people is graduated from the school, and it is a credit to the vil lage and county. Christopher Minks. Christopher Minks, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Minks of Bogus Brook, passed away at a hospital in St. Paul early yesterday morning, at the age of 22 years and 5 months. Appendix citis was the cause of death. The young man had been attend ing the Northland college at Ash land, Wis., and was taken sick about three weeks ago. The physicians he consulted failed to diagnose the case correctly and advised him to go to St. Paul for relief, which he did, but it was then too late. The remains were shipped here last evening and the funeral services will be conducted tomorrow, Friday, morning in Bogus Brook. Deceased was a bright young man. and was well liked by all who knew him. He was just completing a five years' college course and it is indeed sad that he should be removed at this time. Numerous friends in this county, where he had lived prac tically all his life, sincerely mourn his death. LOCALS DEFEATED Princeton Ball Team Defeated by a Score of 12 to 4 in a Wierd Contest Last Sunday. Nemecs of St. Cloud Will Oppose Locals at the Fair Grounds Sunday Afternoon. The Princeton base ball team went down for the count in a woozy ex hibition of ball staged at the fair grounds last Sunday, when the Blom mer-Guthman nine of St. Cloud romped off with the long end of a 12 to 4 score. With Berg, Mallette and Skahen out of the line-up "Pongo" Olson's men were not in a position to wage a strong offensive game, and the result was slightly disastrous. Princeton was unable to hit when hits meant runs, and this inability to connect combined with a few costly errors accounts for the defeat. Wilkes was on the mound for Princeton and pitched a strong and consistent game, but his support at times was extremely wobbly. Ema hiser was at the receiving station and performed well. Morton and Welch did the heavy work for the visitors, and also performed in a creditable manner. The visitors pushed one run over the plate in the first inning, and then blanked the locals in their half. The second round was extremely disastrous from a local viewpoint, as four of the Granite City athletes crossed the registering station. Princeton broke into the score col umn in this inning also, Emahiser completing the circuit. The visitors added another run to their total in the third, and the locals also took a brace, and Doane and Jesmer crossed the plate. Both sides played air tight ball during the next three in nings and not a run was scored, al though Princeton had an opportu nity to make things extremely inter esting in the fourth. F. Angstman and Umbehocker got on before any one was down, and prospects looked briglrtr-H a few runs. The next three men up struck out in succes sion, however, and tbe hopes of local fans evaporated completely. In the seventh inning the visitors annexed two more runs, and -Princeton se cured its last score of the game in this round, when Smith completed the circuit. Princeton tightened up in the eighth and again blanked its opponents, but in the ninth four of the visitors crossed the plate. This is the most disastrous defeat Princeton has sustained this season, and the management realizes that the team will have to be strength ened in a few places. Next Sunday the locals expect to be in a position to give a good account of themselves. NOTES. The Nemecs of St. Cloud will be here next Sunday, and "Pongo" Olson expects to have a team in line that will force this aggregation to extend itself. These teams met once before this season, and the result was one of the most thrilling con tests ever staged on a Princeton diamond. Don't miss it. H. J. Plaas and a gentleman from St. Cloud acted as arbitrators and proved satisfactory to all. "Billy" Doane celebrated his re turn by pulling off a couple of catches that were spectacular to say the least. A few victories would be welcomed by local fans, and they will undoubt edly be forthcoming in the near future. Woodward Brook Graduation. On Thursday evening of last week, graduation exercises were held at the Woodward Brook school, and an interesting program was carried out. A large audience was in attendance, many being compelled to see and hear through the open doors and windows, and the exercises were thoroughly enjoyed by all. A pleasing organ solo by Mrs. Shea was the first number on the program, and a chorus of young people then favored the audience with a song. A recitation, entitled "Be Friendly" was given by Otto F. Minks, and it won the plaudits of the audience. A vocal solo by Effa Reicbard was next, and it was rendered most pleasingly, after which Alfred E. Anderson recited Whittier's "Dis armament, in a manner that did complete justice' to it. County Superintendent Ewing then ad dressed the assemblage, and he gave an interesting and instructive talk, and Mr. E. L. McMillan followed address., McMillan's remarks were timely and to the point and interesting throughout. After the presentation of diplomas by Mr. August Anderson, the pro gram concluded with a trio "Fairy land Waltz," by Misses Dickey, Wilkes and Riechard, accompanied on the piano by Mrs. Henry Avery. The graduates, Otto F. Minks, and Albert E. Anderson, acquitted them selves in a very creditable manner. At the conclusion of the exercises Mr. and Mrs. Clint Jump served re freshments at their home to the vis iting musicians, speakers and others, and the hospitality was much appre ciated. The Woodward Brook community is thoroughly alive, up-to-date and "progressive" in the best sense of the term. An active community spirit prevails, as evidenced by their Farmers' club, their interest in pub lic affairs and their loyal support to their school, which, under the able tutelage of the Misses Effa and Alta Reichard, has come to be recognized as one of the best schools in the county. Alumni Association Meets. The annual meeting of the Alumni association of the Princeton high school was held at the I. O. O. F. hall last Friday evening, and about 65 were in attendance. The hall was neatly decorated for the occasion in the colors of the school. Instead of the usual banquet, the Alumni association decided to have a musical and literary program this year, and the following program was carried out: EJSOGRAM Piano Duett Misses Marjone Dickey and Ida Mae Schmidt Reading Miss Alta Reichard Vocal Solo Miss Effa Reichard Reading Miss Laura McVicar Cornet Solo -Charles Umbehocker Reading. Miss Kathryn Wold Vocal Solo Miss Rita Byers Each number on the program was pleasingly rendered, and enjoyed by all. A short business session was then held, and the following officers were chosen to direct the affairs of the association for the ensuing year: President, Charles Umbehocker vice president, Henry Milbrath secre tary-treasurer, Clifton Cravens.' Light refreshments were served to those pfesent at the conclusion 0} the program, and dancing concluded the entertainment of the evening. The annual meetings of the Alumni association are ever enjoy able affairs, and the one last Friday evening was no exception. All pres ent pronounced it to have been a pleasing event. Telephone Meeting. The Farmers' Rural Telephone as sociation held a meeting at the court house last Monday, and the commit tee appointed to arrange the details of the purchase of the Rural Tele phone exchange in tnis village made its report. The committee recommended that the various local companies should be the shareholders of the new com pany, and that no stock be issued to individuals. Each company is to be represented in the management by one director. All complaints and suggestions must be made to the officers of the local company, who will then bring them to the atten tion of the directors of the central company. It was decided to adopt the articles of incorporation and by laws of the Minnesota Rural Tele phone Co., with a few slight changes. The delegates representing the Silver Lake and Wyanett line re ported that the stockholders of that line had decided not to affiliate with, the other companies in the purchase of the Rural exchange. A meeting had been held the previous evening, and the sentiment was that the price asked for the exchange was ex orbitant. In view of this action, Louis Palm, treasurer of the new company, could not hold his position, and he was succeeded by W. H. Gebert of Princeton. The seven companies remaining have a total of 416 stockholders, and will proceed with the purchase. A Great Nation. Why shouldn't we be proud of the United States? At the present time it Is the very greatest country in the world. Not only that, but its op portunities and possibilities are un limited on account of its wealth and resources. The United States has produced the greatest statesmen, orators and generals it has shown the superiority in sciences, art, in ventions and learning besides the best. system of schools and colleges. Last but not least a country peopled with a big majority who believe in peace. Albert Lea Times-Enterprise. i a