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' VOL II Thursday will, be a memorable ocâ€" casion with soores,'_bes‘ides the nine- teen young men and women who graduated on that occasion from our grammar school. In the first place the evening was beautiful, inviting people out from their homes. Hence the crowd was unprecedented in this city. The auditorium will seat about 425, but these were only a minor portion of the crowd. The room was packed, then the hallway was jammed. and way down the stairway as far as people could hear, to say nothing about seeing while scores were turned away who amid not get near the doors. It settled the question that the Parkites are a theatre loving people, very like folks everywhere else, we opine. Of course the nineteen graduates’ cir- cle of friends would make a respectable audience, but there‘is no denying the fact that this modern style of public school exercises, in- stead of learned, labored es- says and orations by boys and girls in their early teens, is immensely popular and deservedly so in its essential features. The program, as may be seen, was a full one, and yet with all the talent on hand it could not Well have been shortened. Pastor Johnson a eted as chaplain. Young John P. Bubb of! the Fort Sheridan military post. read an excellent essay on “The Indian of Today." As the Fourth Infantry, with which his father is connected, has just come from the frontier, he had something fresh. interesting and up-to~date to say. Then followed the “Sunflower quartette," a decidedly original and taking sketch. The huge sunflowers were immensely comical. Miss Clark recited “Courtin’ ”, from LOWell, and did it w‘ellgfioo. The musical sketch, superbly ‘é‘ostumed, was in every re- Highland Park News. SCHOOL COMMENCEME‘NT. HIGHLAND PARK, ILL, JUNE 25,1897. ' , No“‘4‘ aspect“ well refiflered, while Miss Laura Schneider’s burlesque on those folks who exhaust their energies in caring for other people’s children and neglect their own, was admira- ble, and it came pat on the forms of our soâ€"called local philanthrqpists. Raphael’s Cherubs was a beautiful tableau. The burlesque drill by about a dozen eighth grade boys was perfectly irresistible and was most admirably executed. The boys had just enough native fun and mischief in them to make it a grand success. The International Flag exercise by a class of girls was very fiiie. It was somewhat complicated, but in execution it was complete, and elicâ€" ited unusual commendation. The Rainbow Drill was good, and a cred- it to the sixth grade girls who exe. outed it. President Francis D. Everett of the board. in well chosen words, urg- ing the graduates to go on and com- plete the work so well begun, pre- vented the class with their diplomas. Of course the occasion confined him within certain limits, but he seldom MRS. JEANNETTE W. CRAWFORD We are not going to express our opinions and preference, but we have heard many others say that Russell Jones in “The House that Jack Built” was as complete and satisfac- tory a piece of acting as they ever saw in astudent. His genius had full and fitting scope, and no one could have made the pathetically lu- dicrous features of “Our Christmas” stand out better than Laura Schnei- der, and if every boy could write as fresh and interesting an essay as John Bubb, people would enjoy hearing them, and Edward Maroney was not slow. has spoken mere tersely, aptly and wisely than last evening In next week‘s issue {ve will pre sent to our readers a half-tone cut of the graduating class. rms'r GRADE. On personal invitation of Miss Barlow we spent an hour in first grade room Thursday morning where were about 70 pupils, all as bright as June flowers. All the readings recitations and songs were admirably dune. When you remember they are all little children just beginning [com LUDED ON Vrrzuru PAGE] Mrs. Bowen has intro- duced the modern style of school commencements, and while there are honest differ- ences of opinion respecting the wisdom of it, there is none at all respecting her success in its management. She and her school can fill any hall in Lake county now that people know what they can do. It takes lots of time and hard work, line upon line of drill and rehearsal, but it wins success and public fa- vor. Personally we confess toa thorough approval of the modern method, the only question is of carrying it to excess, and that we think will be regulated by good sense, fortified by a sound, healthy public opinion.