excellent review of the events which preceded the inauguration of George Washington as the first President, the deplorable condition of the country under the articles of confederation, and the unspeakable blessings which "a more perfect union" conferred upon the country. He portrayed the peerless character of Washington in eloquent terms, and closed with the following beautiful peroration: To-day a hundred years have gone since first the nation's life began. The infant of that day stands a strong man, acknowledging no superior among the nations of the earth. The century has been filled with momentous events. Revolutions have shaken the thrones of Europe. Empires have risen and fallen across the sea. But the union of these States has grown always stronger and more vigorous. The noise of battles and the tramp of armies have come to us not only from afar. We have had our own experiences of war, at home and abroad. The Constitution of a hundred years has been assailed from without and from within. But, like the mountain oak, it has gained strength and vigor from the tempest, and stands to-day a proud monument to its founders, the rock of national unity and strength. Under it we and our fathers have for a century past enjoyed the blessings of liberty controlled and regulated by law. Under it, let us hope, the same blessings may still be enjoyed by generations yet unborn, who will stand upon the now silent shores of the far-off coming time. Upon you who are boys and girls to-day the fate of these coming generations will largely depend. You may not be called on to engage in the conflicts of arms, as your fathers have been. But you will have to fight battles no less serious. Each generation must fight its own battles, and every generation finds new battles to fight. It is still as true as it ever was that "We are living, we are dwelling In a grand and awful time- To be living is sublime." This, my young friends, is our country. That flag is our flag. Think what it has cost to defend it. That flag has been bathed in the blood of heroes. It is the emblem of our liberty, the symbol of national unity and power. It represents home and friends and freedom and country. Many a man among us has seen it floating above the smoke of battle. Land of liberty, "May peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces! May there be no decay, no leading into captivity, and no complaining in thy streets. May truth spring out of the earth and righteousness look down from heaven." DORE SCHOOL. At this school an interesting address was made to the pupils by the Hon. E. B. Sherman. The programme included the singing of "Old Uncle Sam." The song had a special significance for this occasiom. It was written by Col. Putnam, the son of the nephew of the Revolutionary Putnam, who settled in Marietta, Ohio, and who took an active part in the War of 1812. The pro. gramme included singing, declamations, quotations and essays. HOLDEN SCHOOL. The celebrations were held in each room of this school edifice. There was no general programme on account of the lack of suitable accommodations. Addresses were made by Judge Baker, Col. D. W. Munn and J. P. Ahrens. The programmes were of great interest and were well rendered. HARRISON SCHOOL. To the music of flute and piano, the pupils of this school marched to the large hall. The exercises were opened with singing Keller's American hymn, by a chorus of 250 voices, and after this the programme prepared for the occasion was followed out with fidelity and intelligence. A good feature of the programme was the appearance of the forty-two states, represented by fortytwo little girls with crowns and badges. Another feature was the wand exercise, given by girls, the wands being trimmed with red, white and blue. The speakers were the Rev. Dr. Utter, ex-Mayor Carter H. Harrison and John Foster. Mr. Harrison was received with great applause. He told in an eloquent address of the duties of citizenship. In the course of his remarks Dr. Utter said: It is a strange mingling of seed with which, two hundred years. ago, this land was planted. There were Pilgrims and Puritans, Separatists, Brownists, Quakers and Scandinavians, beside other heretics and heresies with which the age was rife. There were the Dutch at New Amsterdam and on Manhattan Island. The French were out West in the wilderness, and ever since the people have been coming from many foreign lands. We do not need any more people now from foreign lands. Let us mould into one union now, if we can, what we have already got. In union there is strength. This day one hundred years ago they gave us a constitutional government and selected that grand man, Washington, as our first President. Before the Constitution was written it was in our hearts. The nation has written it there to-day. That Constitution written in our hearts makes us a nation. It fuses this widely differing people into one grand nation. Love, reverence and never be untrue to your flag. With all its grandness it means our good, freedom and its blessings. The pupils who took a prominent part were: A. Guerner, G. Quinlan, W. Johnstone, G. Cohn, E. Saunders, George Schroeder.. BRAINARD SCHOOL. This building and its various rooms were very tastefully decorated for the Centennial occasion. Every one connected with the school entered enthusiastically into the work of preparation for the proper observation of the anniversary of Washington's inauguration. The address of the day was by Samuel Parker, who spoke on "A Goodly Heritage." He said: There may be advantages, benefits, enjoyments to be derived from belonging to other nations, but there is no nation that can compare with this one; and the statement thus broadly made by thousands of orators and speakers to-day will stand unchallenged. In this highest of free government you feel nothing of those selfish conditions that influence others not so highly favored. It is for the purpose of still more stimulating to a loftier appreciation of the one who more than any one else framed this government, that we have set aside this day as one of celebration and rejoicing. It seems that the fathers builded wiser than they knew, and indeed through that wisdom which always comes soonest to those who earnestly ask it, they have brought to you and will soon pass to your hands for safe keeping the grandest and best government ever devised for serving the best interests of all. If out of the wrecks of former efforts from which to form and found a great republic, and to perfect it through years of effort, our fathers have brought this government to us one hundred years old, we with our advanced surroundings should cherish and protect it, and always strive to pass it on to others improved, if indeed it can be, and so on and on and on to the outermost verge of time. LANGLAND SCHOOL. The rooms of this school were prettily decorated with bunting and flags. In the lowest rooms and primary grades the exercises included music, singing, recitations and selections in harmony with the day. In the highest rooms the formal programme was given with great fidelity. Those who took part were: J. Patterson, O. Bendixon, Florence Sylvester, C. Delposse, G. Walker, Ella Klatscher, Nellie Stephenson, Howard Richards, Eddy Irwin, H. Pieser, A. Moore, M. Rosenthal, M. Schulze. The address of the day was delivered by Dr. J. Rosenthal, who spoke in substance as follows: It has been truly said that the American Declaration of Independence was the beginning of a new age, and changed the condition from redress of grievances to a self-governing commonwealth, which thirteen years later developed into the government of the United States, the centenary of whose existence we are now celebrating. In reviewing the history of the time we find that there was no one man so absolutely necessary to the government of the time as was Washington, whose noble wisdom, frankness and character alone were able to sustain him with any prospect of success in the strange duties and responsibilities of the new and untried office of President. The century of suspense has passed into a pleasant retrospection. From thirteen states we have advanced to three times that number. We have grown from the infant cradled in mother Columbia's arms to a free nation. It is a noble lesson, and should be conned by all. If you need further inspiration, think what has been done in free America. Remember that you have an equal right to rule with any other man in the commonwealth. Think of all these privileges. I think often of them and then thank the Creator that I am in free America. CARPENTER SCHOOL. The exercises at this school were of unusual interest. Flags, bunting and evergreens beautified every part of the different rooms. The programme included the rendering of excellent music, selections and recitations. The following pupils took part: L. Thoen, L. Ross, D. Quinlan, T. Baker, L. Colburg, L. Brinkworth, Kate Cashiere, Clara Larsen. The address of the day was delivered by the Hon. T. C. McMillan. He sought to show how much the world owes to its poor men. Washington was born in a log cabin in the wilderness, and the campaign of 1840 revived this log cabin of the father of his country. Lincoln lived in a humble log cabin, and in that humble home out on the prairie had read the few books in his possession by the fitful glare of the log fire. Mr. McMillan alluded to the fact that the nation is greatly indebted to its great men. He also spoke of the interest the celebration of to-day would have for the children when it became the celebration of yesterday. HAVEN SCHOOL. The exercises at the Haven School were of a most interesting character. Separate programmes were prepared for each room. Those in the higher grades were very praiseworthy, and were executed with intelligence and spirit. HUMBOLDT PARK SCHOOL. The exercises at this school were very entertaining. The regular programme of songs, dialogues, patriotic quotations and essays was followed. The addresses were made by Col. A. C. Higgins and Mr. Edward R. Sweet. Col. Higgins said, in concluding his address: It was Washington's hand that placed the five-pointed star in the flag of our country. As Hamilcar led Hannibal to the altar and made him place his hand on the sacrifice and swear by the gods of Carthage that he would forever be at enmity with her enemies, so let us place our hands on our national flag, on this the hundredth anniversary of her birth, and swear perpetual enmity to national disunion. We may then rest assured that this land of Washington will become the greatest among the nations of the earth, and we may thus offer our salvation and our freedom to the oppressed of every nation under the sun. Columbia's free institutions will offer an example to the world, so that the people everywhere shall rise up and deliver themselves from the hands of their oppressors. The throned despot will tremble beneath Columbia's law, the scepter unsheathed shall fall from the tyrant's palsied hand, and men everywhere shall stand erect and right-minded and regenerated before the American Union and the Constitution of the United States. HAYES SCHOOL. The Hayes School was gay with flags on the morning of the celebration. A large flag waved over the main entrance, while |