The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-01-30

The AlnenWam1.s-ursEa uarse.
. ss, 3 II, M asly sasssh snu ssls to
bolster ~ Institufon-n now on its last legs and
y !. ss @ am a. .
you must have done that the disease with which It s
affiicted-want Of popular suppost-has progressed
history of the Athena un1 ii 10 this and when you
have read IL ask you TO u has not completely
failed to answer the purposes for which y was de-
tex paying citizens infolerahle to be borne. at
this important crisis in monetary afairs-or If IT
should not be turned to other and more profitable
than those for which il IL now employed.
The building was erected an Academy by num-
her of enterprisng gentlemen, the city ioanng por
ton OF the means for that purpose The owners Tor
not necessary TO mention, afterwards sold the
edihee and ground TO the city tor about $l2h00 and
in arranging the general school system, the Council
appointed q committee the Athensum, who ar
ranged for series of practical lectures be deliv
cred to pupils from the schools, as means of i'm
proving and fitting them for their various cangs.-
This plan unfortunately failed and then the commit
began the present system of employing lecturers
various subjects and have continued il at
NOUS expense to the city, with no profit to any one
but the lecturer.
Your article to which have alluded. was inge nj
ousy written, and intended draw the attention of
the public from the Athenanm TO the committee,
whom you Landed the skies for their labor of love
good taste and line literary attainments The com
mittee men, far | know upr ght, worthy cit
zens, AID have done the best they could with the
AtheneuIn, under the circumstances, but their
best has been bad enough, as think shall abundant
~ prove. With them, however, have nothing to do
Just now.
The AthenRum with the land attached to it. is
worth at the lowest estimate $50, 000-many gentle
men incline to the opinion that it would bring $780,,
coo auctions % 000, however, is enough for my
purposes, and shall there fore base my remarks
that sum. The city, all know, is deeply in debt,
and upon $20,Oeo invested in the Athenaum, she is
paying annual interest of 200 But this is not
all An annual appropriation the exact amount L am
unable to say also made by the Council to the
Athepsum and in addition to chat, gas water, etc,
f,rv oka hxyfh o ftvf oh 2n bat in
fact the Athensum does not cost the City much less
if any, than s., 600 per annum And for this enor-
sum- ground out of the people by excessive tax
alton, tell if you please, what benefit the mass
es receive from it Do you not know that none but
the eIte-the arisocracy-the relatives. friends and
acquaintance of the commttee-attend the lectures
at the Athen9um That the working classes-the
peope-never go therel And, that if they desired TO
do so, the hail. which will seat two or three hundred
people, IL small to accommodate moderate size
audience? With these facts before you, how can
you speak in behalf of sustaining such institution,
when redeeming feature in it be pointed out.
But il gives the City reputation for TASTE Inteli-
gence and cultivation, think hear you repeat.
What sort of reputation, other than that of hum
bug, pray tell me-aye humbug of the yiiest sort
for by supporting and fostering it, every class in the
community is taxed-taxed to furnish snug, com
Portable ROOM for the enjoyment of few, who have
ample means to procure aInusements to sut them
selves Taste, intelligence and cultivation" can
never be distributed among the masses by such rick
city concern the Athensuln, and trust anc pray
the ay il not distant when the City Council will put
it TO better than those TO which 1t IL now APP
piled.
As for the Richmond Library and Virginia Historic
cal Society which have rooms in the Athensnm build
ing they can be accommodated at a much less cost
than $4,000 per year to the city but If they Cannot
the sooner they go by the board the better.
In conclusion, have only to say, that the war1est
friends of the Athenaum admit its faiure,-ior they
could not do otherwise to who has witnessed the
slim houses at lectures-and many of them go for
immediate change in the present system OF manage
nent l give the Committee credit Tor their efforts
to do good but finding that they have utterly failed
with hundreds of other citizens am in favor OF dis
posing of the property and applying the proceeds to
liquidation of that much of the city debt
10 9O-1t+ A TAX PAYER.