The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-09-03
LOCAL MATTERe,

aaea'oHs for Mechanics A sensible old yent,e.
man. ana warm friend of the working classes has
sent the following questions To the Mecb.niss 1 I
stifute, and promises to furnish the
future time: ~ " = a. some
l. why mechanics are 80 little resnac+ss :,
| their own occupations -
2. why the sons forsake tho hrsin.s,
ments of their fathers S-tbe nrass ovoan!S
whiie sons OF merchants and professional men ire
| framed to pursue the business by which their
iAtners nave risen to wealth and respectabtv -
-na.a heretofore, as body, have not been
respected, because they failed to respect them
| serves Generally uneducated in their youth thew
| nave grown up in ignorance, until to bring them
IN contact with an intelligent man. was to set them
oo,a shsking hke pointer dog dipped in water, in
| Soiu weather. They knew nothing above their
aaiy iaoors and believing themselves designed
ior menias, sought no higher position than to ouaf
mug OF rum. smoke mean cigar, swear big
us.h, sno mayhap wind up an evenings pleasure
| ~ ~ general row and bloody noses. In times gone
| the thought of improving their minds by reading
and study never occurred to them; and if it had,
| they would have dispelled the thought at once as
| Foreign to their positions. But thank Heaven
| new lights have broken in upon them and the
timers not distant when the artisans of the South
VIII be respected for their intelligence and virtue
Many OF them are hourly storing their misds with
the rich treasures of literature and fitting them
| selves for all Positions and whenever they are
| prepared to assert their claims for the highest
trusts, and can show that they are capable of fill
ing them with credit, the great masses will gladly
accept them as leaders, regardless of their trades
and calling.
Mechanics forsake the business of their fathers.
because their parents who have risen from obscu.
| rity by some freak of fortune, have always look.
ed upon themselves degraded beings: and with
the hope of improving their children, have educa.
ted them for professions, and taught them to be-
leve that labor was not honorable. Had thousands
| OF professional men in the country, who are
| now barely existing by their professions been put
| to trades after receiving their education they
would now be leading men in wealth and influence
instead OF the drones they are. Education is more
important to the success of amechanc than to that
| or a doctor or merchant and until the working
men of the South learn to educate their appren-
tices, the artisans of the South can never as a
| BODY, hope to occupy prominent position in So
ciety: 10 bring about this great result, the Me-
chan1cs Institute have established schools for me-
chanics, and determined to spare no efforts TO
furnish them with intellectual food of the first or
| der To succeed they need the hearty co.opera-
uon or every good citizen, and we trust that all
| who love Virginia and the South, will give sub
| stantlal aid to this great cause. Let our people
| unite as one man in this effort to educate our
working classes, and when that is done, ell disnc-
tions, save those of virtue, intelligence industry
and enterprise, will have disappeared.
Watcthousc Iaearcerotions ns-During the month
of August, 2i5 persons of all grades and complex
| ions were locked up in the two station houses Of
| the city for various offences. Of this number 62
| were white persons, the greater portion of whom
| K,
| slaves, and 81 free negroes. At the first station
| house. the register shows SO whites 81 slaves and
| 81 free negroes At the second station house the
account stands % whites, % slaves and l free ne.
| groes. The number of free negroes is very large
in proportion to their population, and goes prove
| that the great Majority of that race are incapable
of taking care of them selves. In our midst there
| many industrious honest free persons of color
who enjoy the respect of ali who know them but
| they only exception to the rule Just men
| toned. When one is found who is really worthy
Of respect hundreds of others are as helpless as
herd of sheep, and would be far better off under
the protection OF kind masters, than in their pre-.
| sent situation.
OF the white criminals, most of them are stroll
ing yagrants who lounge about grog-shops and the
markets duiing the day and then to secure shelter
at night spread themselves in the public highways
| to be taken up by the w atchmen and Gagged. All
such characters should be consigned to the chain
| gang for a certain period of time, and if the law
and ordinance now in operation are insufficient to
ensure such Punishment, the Hastings Court and
| Council should see 10 it that they are so amended
to include all ''loaferdom." Industrious honest
men sometimes get tpsy, and occasionally fall into
| the hands of the police They, of course, are not
fit subjects for public punishment, and always
| give security for future good behavior but idle
| paupers deserve no sympathy, and the courts
| should never fail TO append balls and chains to
them, when suitable opportunities for SO do
| ing
| Profitable Criminals.-The question has often
| been asked, 'can pauper labor, by means of
chain gazing, be made proftablea" We answer,
| YES and will endeavor to show in what way
The city is paying high prices for La borers to
| dig bitches for water and gas pipes, to make new
| streets. grade old ones and make culverts Give
| officer Perrin the power to employ the chain gang
| in executing these works, pay him liberal salary
for his services give him the power to enforce his
orders, and then see if these fellows, heretofore
| useless to themselves, are not made valuable to
| the city. Habi.ual drunkenness, idleness, wife
| nd fhnffS rifppa
| be punished by confinement in the chain gang,
| and when once it is known that conviction for
| either of these offences will be followed by sen
tence to the chain gang our police will soon have
| very little trouble with such characters.
Indecorous Language-Mann S. Gentry, huck-
Ster in the Second Market, was arraigned before
| the Mayor yesterday to the charge of
| using insulting and abusive language to John B.
| Valentine, CLERK of the Second Market After
| hearing the case, the accused was fined for the
| offence.
| Fast Driuiag-Oscar, slave to Hatcher & Web
ster arrested by officer Seal and taken before
the Mayor for driving his team at rapid rate
! through the streets He ordered hogging
| for his improper conduct.
| Drunk During the prevalence of the storm
last Monday, officer Chalkley found Thomas Pren-
| tice spread at full length on the sidewad very
| drunk and as he was soaking wet and shivering
| cold, lie was taken to the cage. Yesterday morn
| ing when brought before the Mayorthe prisoner
was reminded that he had been released from the
cage the night before, and given to understand
that he would be sent TO the chain gang unless ne
could give security
Long Rua-A day or two since, watchman
| Garter arrested negro woman owned by gen.
| tleman in Powhatan, who ran away from her mas
ter ten years ago. and has not since been heard of
| She stated that she had been working about on
| her own hook passing sl the time as free We
have no doubt that there are hundreds of runaways
| in the neighborhood of Richmond, who are carry
| ing on the same game, and unless persons employ
| ing negroes will first take the trouble to learn
whether they are bond free, it is almost impos-
| sible to detect them.
| Noble Act-Some few weeks since we noticed
| the fact that Waterman Mays had had the mi,for-
tune to drop his months salary in the street. and
been unable to find it. A short time after we no
ticed the loss, dealer in the first market, MI Mis-
souri,, who had picked up the money near his bu-
siness stand returned Ii TO its owner, and refused
to receive any portion of it for bis honest act.
Impmdencs Matilda slave. was convicted be-
fore the Mayor, of insolence to lady and ordered
| to be punished.
In Disguise-A woman called Sarah Carter was
arrested and committed tn the lat Monday