6
THE TAR HEEL
MEMORIAL SERVICES HELD
IN HONOR OF PROF. GORE AND
MRS. SPENCER.
Beautiful Tributes Paid to the
Memory of Friends of .
the University.
Since the last issue of The Tar
Heel appeared services have been held
in Gerrard Hall in memory of two peo
pie, a man and a woman, both of
whom did much for the University of
North Carolina. Sunday, May 10th,
; i' memory of Prof. Joshua Walker
? e was honored. A large crowd of
ients and townspeople was present
und the Senior class attended in a
body. Dr. Venable in a feeling man
ner spoke of Prof. Gore in his connec
tion with the University, a connection
extending- over a period of twenty-six
years, and told of the many things the
deceased had accomplished for the in
stitution he loved so well. Mr. W. P.
Stacy spoke for the students and paid
an eloquent tribute to Prof. Gore's
character as it was viewed by the stu
dents. The sentiments expressed by
Mr. Stacy are those of every student
who ever studied under the great
teacher. Prof. M. C. S. Noble spoke
of Prof. Gore as a citizen. The speak
er knew the deceased intimately and
was well fitted to speak of this side
of his life. Rev. C. E. Maddry, of
Greensboro, spoke of Prof. Gore as a
Christian man and paid a beautiful
tribute to the religious side of his
character. Music was furnished by
the University Orchestra.
Sunday, May 17th, services were
held in Gerrard Hall in memory of
Mrs. Cornelia Phillips Spencer, friend
and benefactor of the University. The
services consisted of the singing of the
hymn, "Eternal Source of Light and
Truth," which was written by Mrs
Spencer for the reopening of the Uni
versity September 16th, 1875. This
was followed by Scripture reading by
Rev. LeRoy Gresham, after which
came speeches as follows: "Introduc
tory Remarks," by Dr. C. Alphonso
Smith; "The Woman," by Prof. Col
lier Cobb; "Reminiscences," by Dr. K.
P. Battle; "Life and Services," by Mr.
James H. Southgate of Durham. The
concluding feature of the services was
tha singing of the University hymn,
written by Mrs. Spencer in the sum
mer of 1881.
Prof. Cobb said in part:
"The brilliancy of her intellect, her
unparalleled services to the State and
to the cause of education, her marked
influence upon passing events in North
Carolina, have all been dwelt upon in
the public prints; and while we can
never overlook the part she played in
the making of our history, it is the
Jilinctively feminine side of herchar
; . ! jr for which she is loved in Chapel
; 1, and it is to Mrs. Spencer, the
Jtuan, that we are met together to
pay our tribute of love today.
"She was fond of flowers for their
sweetness and beauty, rather than
from any scientific interest. She used
them with exquisite taste in her own
home, in the decoration uf this hall,
and in beautiful water coLors given to
her friends in remembrance . of; birth
day, wedding, and other anniversaries.
Of flowers, too, she wrote in her verse,
but rarely for publication. Her life
was marked by uniform courtesy, by
loving kindness and generous benevo
lence. In the service of her church
she was ever active. In the late for
ties she organized a sewing circle
which is still in existence. Into this
she gathered many young women
from the neighborhood of Chapel Hill
as well as from the village. She read
to them oftener than she sewed with
them. She made her church money
by lettering the college diplomas, and
with money saved from this source she
gave to the Presbyterian church of
our village the iron gates it now has.
"The negroes before the Civil War
attended the same churches with the
white people; but the war left them
with no church homes and no religious
instruction, or worse than none. In
1874 Mrs. Spencer gathered the negro
children of the neighborhood into the
Presbyterian church each Sunday af
ternoon where she and some of her
friends instructed them in the Bible.
Her articles in The Independent, got
Northern people interested, and led to
the establishment of a school for them
here.
"She got the young girls in some of
our towns interested in raising money
to buy scientific apparatus for the re
vived University. She took a wagon
load of girls to Hillsboro to attend a
concert given by a French music
teacher at the Nash and Kolloch
school, to raise money to help pay for
this centennial banner that hangs
above the rostrum of Gerrard Hall.
She took a deep interest in the love
affairs of the young girls, who always
made a confidante of her. The chil
dren of the country around our village
knew her by reputation when they did
not know her personally. They had
all read her little history. A sentence
from one of her last letters reveals her
beautiful spirit: 'I have been going
slowly and quietly down hill for three
or four years, a painless old age for
which I am truly thankful. One day
at a time, and thank God that is all.'
Such was the woman whom we love
for her very womanliness!"
Dr. Battle began by giving his rec
ollection of Mrs. Spencer when a maid
en of seventeen, especially popular
with Seniors and Law students. He
then described James Magnus Spencer,
"with the seal of uprightness and in
tellectual power on his brow" in his
marriage and his early death in Ala
bama, the return of the bereaved wid
ow and only child to Chapel Hill in
1861, the sorrows and privations of
those troubled days and the devotion
of Mrs. Spencer in alleviating the
sufferings of her neighbors. Three
beautiful verses of a poem she com
posed on the burial of two student
brothers were read.
When the University was closed she
kept it and its work before the public,
and then after the doors were reopen
ed she assisted in procuring apparatus.
in reviving the love for the institution,
and writing odes and hymns for its
exercises. -
Perhaps her greatest work was for
the eight sessions (1877-1885) of the
Summer Normal School which did so
much to arouse the spirit of education
in our State. This was the first Sum
mer School in America connected.with
a University and has been extensively
imitated. Mrs. Spencer attended all
exercises and without compensation
made full reports to the public press.
Dr. Battle then gave specimens of
her poetry, of a high order of merit.
He closed by reading extracts from a
letter written him by her when on her
death-bed, showing her strength of
mind and interest in our University to
the last. . ,
Dr. Battle also read the following
prayer from Dr. Betts:
"I praise God for sending James
Phillips and his wife to North Caro
lina, I praise Him for the children He
gave them, I specially praise Him
for the life and work of Cornelia Phil
lips Spencer.-
A. D. Butts."
Shallotte, N. C.
May 9," 1908. .
Mr. James H. Southgate in speak
ing of the "Life and Service" of Mrs.
Spencer paid a beautiful tribute to
FIVE SUCCESSFUL DANCES
HELD IN COMMONS HALL TUES
DAY AND WEDNESDAY.
Many Favors Given Away The
"Rae Scene" Very Beau
tiful. The ball managers succeeded in
making the dances this commence
ment among the most successful ever
held here. An unusally large number
of young ladies were here and, with
beautiful ladies, beautiful dresses,
good music, artistic decorations, and
vari-colored lights, the scenes at om
mons Hall will long be remembered.
The dances were ushered in with the
Sophomore dance Tuesday afternoon,
under the direction of C. O. Robinson,
of Elizabeth City, and S. S. Nash, Jr.,
of Tarboro, the class leaders. Then
followed in rapid succession the Sen
ior ball Tuesday night; the Freshman
hop Wednesday morning, which was
led by D. S. Grouse, of Lincolnton,
and G. F. Whitney, of Bessemer City;
the afternoon german Wednesday
afternoon, and the grand finale Wed
nesday night. The feature of the
final dance was the presentation of
regalias by the marshals and ball
managers.
. RAG SCENE.
Led by Chief Ball Manager Manlius
Orr; Sub-Managers Woodard, Banks.
Muse, Fountain, Hanes and Ruffin,
Chief Marshal Masten and sub-
Marhals Earaes, Montgomery, Wilson
and MacRae entered in single file and
paced slowly around the hall. Once
around, eyes slipping in swift review
of each anxious feminine face, the all
important regalia men were more close
ly watched than the newest belle of
the ball. Then they filed to the lower
end of the hall, where a huge question
mark had been traced on the floor, the
significance of which was, most obvi
ous. A moment's pause, and they
broke, each showing to the lady of his
choice the highest honor of a com
mencement finale. Chief Orr selected
Miss Blandina Springs, of Charlotte,
to rule the remainder of the prettiest
final ball of years, which she carried
to a most successful close in the "wee
sma' hours of the morning after."
Mr. Woodard honored himself by pre
senting his regalia to Miss Louise
Venable, of Chapel Hill; Mr. Banks
to Miss Robinson, of Elizabeth City;
Mr. Muse to Miss Linden, of Athens,
Ga.; Mr. Fountain to Miss Kethlan,
of Tarboro; Mr. Hanes to Miss Carter,
of Winston-Salem; and Mr. Ruffin to
Miss Kimes, of Burlington.
Chief Marshal Masten sought out
Miss Henry, of Durham; Mr. Eames,
Miss Graham, of Wilson; Mr. Mont
gomery, Miss Dalton, of Winston
Salem; Mr. Wilson, Miss McArthur,
of Winston Salem, and Mr. MacRae,
Miss Cantey Venable, of Chapel Hill.
Then at the whistle of Miss Chief
Ball Manager Springs these couples
formed for the "rag figure." The
lights were switched off, a red signal
light shone its ruddy glare over the
scene, and amid the hearty applause
of the spectators the prettiest figure
that wonderful woman. He spoke of
her noble and useful life,' of her great
service to the University a service
equalled only by that of Dr. Battle,
of the young people almost myriad in
their number that she helped in ways
that only a tactful woman can help,
and of her old age made peaceful by
the consciousness of duty well done.
The speech was a masterly effort,
and as he closed every person present
was brought to a fuller realization
that a noble spirit had departed this
life.
of all commencements was led by Miss
Springs. It was the old familar
chain, circling now this way, now
that, the glow of the glaring light
lending a still more grateful color to
the already glowing cheeks of the
"rag ladies". And when the figure
was ended, it was most proper that
the sincerest congratulations should
be offered, not to those ladies who re
ceived regalias, but to those gentle
men who gave them.
Among those present were:
T. D. Rose with Miss Frances
Broadfoot, of Fayetteville; W. C.
Woodard with Miss Louise Venable, of
Chapel Hill; Robert McArthur with
Miss Mena Davis; of Salisbury; Kemp
D. Battle with Miss Covington, of
Rocky Mount; George Thomas with
Miss Eloise Robinson, of Elizabeth
City; James A. Fore, Jr., with Miss
Julia Irvin, of Charlotte; H. H.
Hughes with Miss Cornelia Fore, of
Charlotte; Carroll Wiggins with Miss
Mary Wiggins, of Suffolk, Va.; C. O.
Robinson with Miss Sadie' Thomas, of
Charlotte; C. A. Vogler with Miss
Dofa MacRae, of Chapel Hill; T. J.
Hackney with Miss Gertrude Gorham,
of Wilson; H. F Boatwright with Miss
Fountain, of Tarboro; R. D. Dixon
with Miss Helen Liddell, of Charlotte;
Win, Heartt with Miss Kate Huske, of
Winston-Salem; Fred Archer with
Miss Margaret Dalton, of Winston
Salem; Leslie Perry with Miss Mary
Hughes, of New Bern; W. B. R. Guion
with Miss Juliette Crews, of Raleigh;
W. B. Jerman with Miss Mildred Bor
den, of Goldsboro; F. K. Borden, Jr.,
with Miss Blandina Springs, of Char
lotte; J. Q. Jackson with Miss Maude
Applewhite, of Wilson; Robert Drane
with Miss Bessie Dixon, of Edenton;
C. S. Venable with Miss Annie Wood,
of Edenton; Ben Dawson with Miss
Nicholson, of Washington; T. F.
Hickerson with Miss Pilson; Sv N.
Clarke with Miss Cantey Venable, of
Chapel Hill; S. S. Nash with Miss
Mary Kethlan, of Tarboro; Manning
Venable with Miss Jean Venable, of
Durham; Waine Archer with Miss
Kathleen Turrentine, of Durham;
Hampden Hill with Miss Ellen Dortch,
of Goldsboro; J. S. Patterson with
Miss Shuford, of Hickory; M. M. Wil-.
Hams with Miss Williams, of Rose
Hill; K. Burgwyn with Miss Croswell,
of Fayetteville"; Holt Haywood with
Miss Helen Daniels, of Philadelphia;
J. H. Manning with Miss Mordecai,
of New Orleans; Foy Robertson with
Miss Josephine Boylan, of Raleigh;
O'Brien with Miss Ruth Green, of
Durham; John Coward with Miss
Barnes, of Reidsville; B. G. Muse
with Miss June Lynden, of Athens,
Ga.; C. A. Misenheimer with Miss
Delia Farmer, of Wilson; Frank Mc
Lean with Miss Fiuley,' of Wilkes
boro; W. S. Bernard with Miss Mary
Graves, of Chapel Hill; W. C. Cough
enour with Miss Nellie Robertson, of
Chapel Hill; H. P. Osborne with Miss
Betsy London, of Pittsboro; H. B.
Guuter with Miss Knowlton Pritchard,
of Chapel Hill; T. L. Simmons with
Miss Butler, of Reidsville; Hubert
Hill with Miss Annie Howe of Colum
bia; J. J. Parker with Miss Maffitt, of
Wilmington; Chas. Weill with Miss
Cecelia Henry, of Durham; F. M.
Simmons, with Miss Mary Carter, of
Winston; S. W. Cramer, Jr., with
Miss Marguerite Springs, of Char
lotte; Faison Thompson with Miss
Annie Thompson, of Faison; W. Grif
fith with Miss Helen McArthur, of
Winston.
Chaperones: Mr. and Mrs. W. C.
Woodard, Rocky Mount; Mrs. Henry
Daniels, Philadelphia; Mr. F. R. Bor
den, Goldsboro; Mrs. Gray, Chapel
Hill; Col. and Mrs. Kenan, Kenans
ville; Dr. and Mrs. Charles H. Herty;
(Continued ou page 7. )