Then came an exhibit in artistic and scientific cooking, by the Senior Normal class. If the quality of the cooking were to be judged by the rapidity with which the different articles disappeared after reaching the hands of the committee, it must be pronounced a great success.
And last, but not least, came a look at the farm, and an inspection of the barn, the crops, and the stock. The conclusion was that the whole establishment was a credit to the State, and worthy of the study of all the farmers thereof.
At the close of the examination on Wednesday, P. M., the school assembled in the chapel to listen to the report of the examiners on what they had seen and heard. They had nothing but praise to bestow on the literary work of the University; the evidences of hard and accurate study; of clear, inspiring teaching, and of the scholarly bearing and quiet, orderly spirit in all departments of the school. They were specially gratified with the manual training given in so many directions, and its promise of future value to the State. One of them, who seemed to voice the feelings of the others, said: “I believe that, take it all in all, Atlanta University is the best-equipped school in the State of Georgia.”
Wednesday evening, Rev. A. D. Mayo, of Boston, delivered a very able and quickening address, taking for his theme: “American brains in American hands.”
Thursday was the great day of the feast, when five young men and six young women delivered their orations or read their essays from the Commencement stage. The services were held in the Second Baptist Church, before an audience of twenty-five hundred people. One of the examiners remarked at the close that he never before witnessed, on such an occasion, such perfect order and decorum. And of the orations and essays it is praise enough to say that not one of them contained a weak or foolish thing.
It will interest the friends of Atlanta to learn that the presidency, made vacant by the death of the lamented Ware, two years since, was filled by the election of the Rev. Erastus Blakeslee, of New Haven, Conn. Mr. Blakeslee was a classmate at Yale College of Mr. Ware and of Prof. Bumstead, who has been acting president during the past year; and it is believed he will enter heartily into the spirit of the institution, and will bring to it new enterprise and enthusiasm and power.
C. L. W.