TALLADEGA COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT.
Talladega College, Ala., observed its twenty-ninth anniversary at the usual time.
The first public exercise was by the preparatory students who had completed the course which entitled them to enter upon the collegiate studies in the fall. Four young men received diplomas at this exhibition.
The display by the industrial departments was unusually interesting. The sewing-room had on hand plain and fancy needle-work, finished garments for both sexes, among which were children's clothes made over from those previously worn by adults. This latter feature will commend itself to many homes where the custom of "making over" old clothes is one of the necessities. Girls taught in the sewing-room are able to make a livelihood by taking orders for work in this line. There is also a nurse-training department which is not only patronized by pupils in the required course, but volunteer classes have been formed consisting of the older male students and of mothers living near the college. A hospital bed was exhibited, and also the various sorts of bandages required in special cases. The boys' mechanical department furnished a large display in carpentry—mostly of a technical character. Then there were geometric and scale drawing, building plans of a varied character, and other work. The farm was represented in an appropriate way. Convenient appliances for care of stock, for housing farm products, etc., were shown, and live stock of various sorts was there—some varieties of which are giving to the college a wide notoriety for their excellence.
Public examinations were held in studies of grammar and advanced grades. The class in trigonometry gave evidence of the practical character of its labors by exhibiting a plat of the college property—some 270 acres in all—drawn to a scale and neatly lettered.
The literary and musical exercises of the commencement were very generously patronized by the white citizens. It is to be regretted that the college chapel is not sufficiently large to accommodate the audiences, and that scores were unable to get a sitting at the concert of Monday night. There is a hope that a more commodious chapel will soon be built.
There were present two distinguished gentlemen from abroad—members of the college trustee board, Dr. Beard, of New York, and Dr. Cooper, of Connecticut. The former spoke most felicitously on several occasions, and the latter delivered a very able baccalaureate sermon and the literary address. Rev. J. R. McLean, of Macon, Ga., preached Sunday night.
The graduates and the subjects of their themes were as follows:
NORMAL DEPARTMENT.