The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-11-18
LOCAL MATTERS.

THE ATHINAun During last winter, taking
deep interest In the prosperity Of this valuable in
stisuton, we gave full and satsfactory reports Of
the lectures delivered under its auspices and since
that period, regarding il literary and educational
influences of the most beneficial character to our
citizens generally, We have marked its action and
progress with sincere pride and pleasure. At the
last regular meeting of the City Council the first
| annual report of the Institution was presented and
| ordered to be printed From this report we make
such excerpts as will present ts past action ndi.
cate lite present position and foreshadow future op
erations.
The first portion of the Report presents a detail.
ed statement of lectures and lectui ers after which
1t proceeds TO recite that besides the opening ad
dress of Judge Robertson the 3lst of January 1852
| lectures were delivered by ten gentlemen during
the past season; and that short that was,
| commencing ONLY on the 3lst Of Jan airy, Gin con
| sequence CT the necessary delay in preparing the
bulldng) and terminating the 22d of April 1859,
twenty three lectures, la all, were delivered Es-
| 1mating the numbers who attended the lectures
| from the gross amount receiv from them, Gas
| SHOWN by the Treasurers statement hereafter sub
| mltteo) 1t VIII appear that there were in attend
ance at different times at all the lectures together,
| (>9So) Two thousand nine hundred and eighty five
persons; and adding those who we re admitted free
OF charge and who probably attended, together
| with those who attended the opening address, for
| which no charge was made and the number who
were SO IN attendance cannot be less than $50
| three thousand vehundred persons; which would
give an average of O45) one hundred and fofty
persons on each night
The admittance to the Introductory address was,
as stated above, free OF CHARGE and the fee for ad
mlttance to lectures was fixed at twenty five cents
Tor each person. except the children of the Lancds
terrain School, admitted gratutousy in compliance
| with the 18th section of the ordinance, and some
| other persons, who We're, from various considera-
tons admitted without charge. The price thus
| Eva For hrnit l.
low it could be put to insure the payment of the
| expenses, and the procurement of asmall surplus
for the purchase hereafter of the necessary
tus to extend the field of the lectures an object
| which all, who will reflect on the subject must ad
| NIT to be highly desirable and important At this
| price, for the small sum of five and a half dollars,
any one may have heard the whole OF the lectures
delivered during the past season f; and your Com
mitee feel assured that the same amount of useful
| Information and agreeable and enlightened enter.
| tainment could in no way be purchased al less
cost OF time or money
The lectures were delivered on the invitation of
| the subcommittee on Lectures; who made all the
| arrangements for engaging the lecturers, and for
the delivery of the lectures. The high character of
the gentlemen engaged and the interesting subjects
selected by them, forcibiy evince the fidelity vita
which that sub commtt e jhas discharged its duty
The gross proceeds oil all the lectures amounted
to 1869, and after paying all expenses $8S 81
remained which constituted the nett amount re-
| allied the first season The committee being 40.
prised that valuable cabinet OF minerals, which
had been collected with much care and labor by
the Rev FL S Osborne of Hanover county, during a
recent vs'tto Europe, had been purchased of him
| by DR. Maupn, for his own use, and that DR. Maui
pin willing 20 dispose of the cabinet at the
| sans price to the Athenaum or to the Medical
College in this city, your committee did not hest
tate to procure it for the city; and accordingly de-
| voted the nat. sum realized from the lectures
above mentioned to its purchase, the Treasurer
| having advanced the additional amount necessary
to CON plete the purchase and this constitutes the
small balance of s1l % due to him, sho xn by
his statement This cabinet consists of 1881 three
hundred and ninetyeight specimens, listed and
| numbered, besides about one hundred others
which have not yet been listed. Many OF the spe.
cimens are rare and valuable; and while it is by
no means complete collection it forms i'm
porant acquisition to the city and the State being
one of the most extensive collections yet possessed
| in Virsi9ia, and containing, as it does many i'm
portant elements of perfect cabinet. 1t is pro
posed by your committee to have these specimens
properly ged in suitable cases, and placed ia
the small room in the southwest corner of the build
ing, a. soon as the means procured for the pur
pose; and it is confidently hoped that means will
be afforded by the liberal patronage OF our citi-
| zsns, not only sufficient to accomplish that pur
pose, but also to enlarge the cabinet until shall
contain all that is valuable in such collection and
be thereby TeEdefed treasure n itsef. The pre-
| sent acquisition is, therefore, regarded BY your
| committee as of great Importance. 1t has sup.
piled one essential means OF scientific iaves,iga-
ton, which was especially required in our State,
1
Doubtless destined, when properly developed, to be
one OF the CHIEF sources of her wealth and pros
perity Hitherto. the student of geology here, has
had no means of prosecuting It's study to advan
| tage, for the want of such cabinet; which, though
the first cost OF it is small requires for its preser
vation and enlargement, means hey ond the ordi
nary resources of private individuals in Cur com
nunity, where the distribution of riches is happily
| SO equal. Placed in Cur AtheL sus it will be &C
cessl5le to all our citizens; aud every student how
ever poor, will be equally entitled to its use That
student whoever he may be- who devotes himself
successfully to its siuuy, may confidently expect
| to reap rich reward from his labors and to be
stow an essential benefit his State, whose gene
rous bosom is filled with jewels of priceless value
which she freely offers to any Of her children who
| will seek for and find them.
Arrangements have been made TO a considerable
extent for the lectures for the ensuing season. and
It's hoped that greater number win be delivered
than during the past season, notwithstanding that
| some delay must occur In beginning the lectures
| owing to an unavoidable disappointment, in the
| preparation Of the Introductory address By the
| gentleman who had engaged to deliver it.
Your committee feels itself warranted, upon a
| review OF what has been already accomplished, in
expressing its satisfaction at the results thus at
| tanned in the very Infancy of the Ather sum. 1t
10 earnestly hoped that the Council will do nothing
to change or interfere with the objects for which il
was estabiishedto alter its destination or to mar
Its prospects. 1t that hope is realized, the expecta
| ton may be confidently entertained, that the en-
| Hghtened community Of Richmond will not fail
sven more Iuuy 10 appreciate the utility CT such
an Institution and that citizens will more ca
gerly partake of its benefits and more generously
| contribute to its success
We have only to add that we have made arrange.
ments to present full and appropriate reports of the
lectures delivered this winter, thus enabling those
who have notthe time to hear them personally to
read and understand their substance at leisure.
BuTrEn.-The scarcity and high price of good
butter in Richmond forms subject Of surprise
generally. The crops of grain and grass and the
weather have been peculiarly favorable the pre-
sent season for the production of butter there are
fine river canal and railroad facilities for receiving
it from any and every point Of the compass A; and
surely there must be superabundance Of it some
where. Good butter is now comm sndng 3l4 cts,
and even more per pound. This, under all the