Momence High School - Monesse Yearbook (Momence, IL)

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greatest of all arts. The religion of our ancestors was supersti¬ tious and compulsory. They feared the devil rather than love God. Denominations fought among themselves and a deep chasm yawned between the churches. Today the churches are coming together. Denominational lines are fading away and all churches are uniting in one grand cause, Christianity. The education of our people is ranked with the first. In place of the old back woods schools, high schools, colleges and universities have sprung up. These give every American an education as complete as he is willing to make it. This is a direct step toward financial progress. The poorest of American boys have become multi-millionaires able to buy up several Eur¬ opean kings. But what is more praiseworthy, the philanthro¬ pic spirit is shown in the United states as no where else. Politics is a profession. Men must be educated for this phase of life as well as any other. It takes more brains, a clearer conception of existing conditions and facts to be a mas¬ ter politician than ever before. Able men have developed a government which protected these United States in her infancy and under which she has grown to her wonderful power. Eng¬ land has looked upon her as an unruly child, but now she would fain look up to her as a protector. But the United States will not give up her place as chief peacemaker among the nations to become a fighting champion. The United States has grown while her neighbors have not. She once so weak, requiring the help of foreigners to save her from her own mother country, has been asked since that time to save her mother country from those foreigners. Why is it that America has changed places with the strong¬ est? It is because she understood the laws of progress. It is because her yankee good sense carried her safely through every difficulty. It is because she knew the value of peace and be¬ cause she is the best diplomat among the nations. The greatest century in the history has just ended. But the past has not even hinted at the wonderful achievements of the coming generations. Truly we are living in a great age, in a great country, but the vast and mysterious future holds a destiny for each nation yet unforseen. What the destiny of America will be is not as yet ascertained. But judging from the past a future too bright cannot be imagined. Let us as loyal Americans stand true to our flag, and gua rd the inheri¬ tance of our ancestors. Let us make the future America the main spring to the pendulum of progress. And may that pen¬ dulum swing on forever.

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THE PENDULUM OF PROGRESS IVAN CROSBY. S Americans we are blessed with a heritage held sacred by our forefathers and perpetuated by their posterity, that inheritance without which no nation ever has or ever can live. It is a sacrificial devotation to the Mother Country, a burning patriotism which places the welfare of the Nation above all other things. It was this patriotism which induced our ancestors to exchange homes for desolation, peace for war, and life for death that their country might live. This same feeling prompts us to place our own native country before all others. Nor do we do this unjustly. For what other coun¬ try in so short a time has grown from a mere hand full of flee¬ ing Pilgrims to the greatest, grandest nation on earth? This broad land was given us that we might erect here a living and a lasting monument lo civilization. The foundation of that monument has been securely laid. But with the present and future generations rests the power to erect a strong and lasting edifice or a weak frail structure to he swept away by the first violent gale of insurrection. As we look hack through the past ages, we see that nations have risen to fame in various pursuits. Sparta was famous in war. Athens excelled in culture and learning. And mighty Rome surpassed all in government. These people have passed on into eternity. These nations did not last, they could not last because they were not rationally balanced. But how is it with our own country, is it noted for one thing only, does its fame rest upon one support? No America is the most versatile land in existence. She has been called “The land of glorious extremes.” It is true she has gone to extremes in many things, and this very fact is the key note of her success. “Her fame is as one light which beams out of a thousand stars.” One hundred fifty years ago, all the settled land in the United States lay east of the Alleghany mountains. The cities were few and small. As each year of that century and a half rolled by civilization took a long step westward. Now from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Gulf to the Lakes, the whole country is divided into prosperous farms, and large cities re¬ place the haunts of savages. Steam and electricity have eliminated distances to a mini¬ mum. The journey across our country once lasting months is now accomplished in as many days. The old trail of the prairie schooner strewn with bleached bones of perished travelers, is now replaced by railroads over which the passengers travel in coaches and sleepers. Messages are clicked from one continent to another in the twinking of an eye. Science is superseding material. Wire is no longer needed to conduct electricity. Wireless stations are set up all over the continent. All this has been accomplished since the advent of the twentieth cen¬ tury. Science lias not advanced alone. Yea r after year, step by step religion and education have steadily kept a pace with this

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SENIOR CLASS PLAY W ' HE Senior Class play will be given Friday evening, May 26th, following the class exercises. The Class will present the four act comedy drama “Diamonds and Hearts.” The play has been in rehearsal the past month under the direction of Lou Allen, and is as pretty a comedy as has as yet been presented by the High School pupils. The High School Orchestra will have charge of the music and of the play, and nothing will be neglected to make the play the best one ever presented by the scholars. The cast: Bernice Halstead .... Helen Kirby Amy Halstead .... Lorene Hill Inez Gray .... Capitola Hanson Mrs. Halstead, (Stepmother to the Halstead girls) Ethel Dwyer Hannah Mary Barnes, or “Sis” - - Alice Wilson Dwight Bradley, (Mrs. Halstead’s son by a former marriage,) Wayne Allen Dr. Burton - - ... Ivan Crosby Sammy, (A Coon,) ... Everett Fountaine Abraham Barnes .... Dean Howk Sheriff ..... Earl Brown Attorney ..... Frank Connor BACCALAUREATE SERMON HE Baccalaureate sermon of the Senior Class will be delivered by Rev. Connor at the Methodist church on Sunday evening, May 28th. vited to attend this sermon. The public are in- COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES f RADUATION exercises of the Class of 1911 of the Momence High School will take place at the M. E. church on Friday evening, June 2. Prof. H. B. Wilson, Superintendent of the Decatur schools, will deliver the address. Mr. Wilson is one of the leading educators of the strte and an eloquent speaker. Music will be furnished by the M. E. church orchestra and the High School chorus. CLASS NIGHT mT LASS night program of the Class of 1911 will he given I W at the opera house Friday evening, May 26th. The Grfto main feature of the evening will be a play by the pupils entitled “Diamonds and Hearts.” Previous to the play the usual exercises will be given consisting of the class history, class poem, class will and class presents. Music will be furn¬ ished by the High School Orchestra.