The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-07-28
LOCAL MATTERS.

LOCAL MATTERS.
Committee OF the Virginia Mechanics' Insti.
tute, have issued their circular for their Sirfh
aHNkat Fair, to be held in this city. commen.
clng on WEDNESDAY, TIL: 10TH or OcToBRR
nsA,s IN the new and spacious hall on 9th ST.
Mecnanics, Manufacturers Artists, Inventors.
and all others, both in Virginia and in all the
otner States of this Union, are invited to avail
=. .nemiseives i.s Of the opportunity thus afforded,
70 :. display their taste Ingenuity, and skill, in
ne collection about TO be made.
- y Is the Intention of the Board of Managers
snd the Exhibition Committee with the aid OF their
Ire;nas; and the friends Of the cause they are Ia
is I'll ~ interest far SURPRISING, if possible
~ tneh nave preceded 1t, in point of rarisfy
halls ana the fiasanss in.,ta,s arr
ts VIII nave ample accommodations to show
rr !" ,ie best ADVANTAGE The machine
esnrht ~ entirely separate from eyery ether
~aere !. re nos,sa qss power will not be required.
oepsnn oi articles t. be deposited for
80 sIsuesdsy and "Wednesday following will be de-
Competent ladies and gentlemen will be chosen for
the performances of that duty. placing eaeh article
Board OF Managers beg leave to assure ali vrb n
to promote the interests Of the Institute
ect every article deposited IN she pe ade 60 pro
70 the LADIES. especially, the Board OF Mana
gers feel greatly indebted for their former patron
ase, and the bestowai OF their handlwor Ia swell
the number of defostors, and do most confdently
hope and expect from them increased contr buttons
clate our cause. and doubtless will increase thar
efforts to make their department larger and more
attractive than ever before.
All articles deposited for competition will he
carefully classed so that no two articles of differ
en-. e enasracfer, s e. however much they may resemble
CONC IN competition with each other.
Great care will be taken in the selection of
competent persons to Judge the articles the class
sslgned them, 80 that no room may be left To find
fault on the part of any one.
The Premiums to he offered will be money or its
equivalent in any article the successful contributor
may designate.
''The best article in each class deemed worth, h,
less than three dollars, nor more than one hundred
dollars, to be determined by the Committee on
judges.
Premiums for second and third-rate articles.
II deemed worthy, will be diplomas and Certificates
:" The, above plan of distributing Premiums has
peen ADOPTED with view to elicit. if possible. the
best talent OF the artist the greatest skill Of the
mechanic and manufacturer, and the ingenuity of
the inventor IN the female as in the male depart
ment; And the Board of Managers. in order to eff
feet this object, have determined to set their Pre-
miums at higher standard than at any former ex-
hlbitlon
- Anv information in reference to the details of
the exhibition, will be promptly given by address
ing the chairman of the exhibition, Mr.. William
The great aim and end of the Virginia Me-
chanics' Institute, is to educate the working
classes OF the South, and for this purpose they
have in operation during the fall and winter
months TWO SCHOOLS, in which appren tices
are taught by the most competent teachers
and many of them are making rapid advance
ments in useful learning. Every reader feels
the importance of educating the masses and
OF stimulating young mechanics to study. No
free school, however, can give them. the neces-
sary advantages. unless taught at night. and
no library that they cannot obtain access to
when the labors OF the day are ended can be
afnlt tot hpr thnca ttnJ ~,
tute was organized and now that it is in a po-
sition to effect good results, the public should
come up to its aid.
But there are other reasons why mechanics,
manufacturers and artists should send contri-
buttons to this Fair. On the 2ith of October
the Fair of the Central Agricultural Society
will commence, and the thousands of stran-
gers who visit it will attend the Mechanics
Fair, examine the articles on exhibition, and
become acquainted with the works of manu-
facturers. No better advertisement could be
gben a firm than such as will be secured by an
exhibition of specimens in this Fair, and no
greater praise need be desired than the award
of its faithful and competent judges.
Fyui9 Lamp Erplosion.-Between the hours
of and O'Clock yesterday morning, a fluid
lamp exploded at the residence Of MIR. Alex
ander Hill, on Broad street, opposite the City
Hall; but luckily did no serious damage. One
of Mr.. HIS children becoming restless, the
nurse arose to strike light, and in doing SO
the lamp exploded, scattering the burning
fluid on her and the child. The alarm was in
neighbors ran in, and soon eXtinguished the
flames but not until the servant and the child
were both slightly burned.
The use of fluid is SO dam ngerous, and so many
accidents occur from ii, that families would dc
well to resort to other lights. Scarcely a day
passes that some accident of 4 serious nature
from the use of burning fluid, is not chroni-
cled in the newspapers. Many of them result
from carelessness, but others seem to be una
voidable. On Monday night n lady resident Of
Governor street, was burned by the explosion
of a lamp, and she asserts that she knows nc
cause for the accident. When she arose from
bed she first felt the wick to see if it was
damp with fluI, and then carefully applied g
burning match to IT, when an explosion in.
stantly followed. The lamp may have been
out of order, or it may not have been setting
level on the ia ole; but why use an agent sc
full of danger, when others less dangerous art
to be had Next to gas, good sperm oil is pre-
ferable, when used in lamps properly made
bpt candles or other agents that do not ex-
piode, are more desirable than burning fluid
Child Pofsonea.-A child of Mr.. J. +. Bry-
ant, aged about three years, was dangerously
poisoned by eating piece OF food prepared tc
kill dogs. Mr. B. lives on 18th street, nearly
opposite the Wesley Chapel. He owned two
vicious dogs, and to get rid of them. some ont
threw Il quantity of poisoned food into his
yard by night. The dogs ate enough OF The
bait to produce death; and the day thereafter
Mr.. BIS little child, while at play in the yard
found n piece of the bread and ate il. In q
short time thereafter the little creature was
thrown into commissions. A physician was
at once sent for, and suspecting the cause OF
the sudden illness, gave the child the proper
antidote, and saved its life.
Company F-This new corps, under the CON-
mand of Capt. r. NJ. Cary. promises to rival
the Grays in numbers, as we'll as in drill and dis
cipline Ar 4 meeting held last Tuesday night,
f1fty members were present, and liner looking
body of citizen soldiers cannot be readily
found Every man seems to have joined the
company with the intention OF making 1T what
citizen soldiers should ever be, and the eonse-
quence is. that good order, strict attention 10
The word and prompt execution, are the char
acteristcs of this organization. Capt. Cary
has long been regarded as good officer and
strict disciplinarian, and Will spare no efforts
on his part TO make Company + the strongest
and most perfect organization III the regiment I.
The Pic Mic of the Leigh Street Church Sun
day School, last Tuesday, was one of the most
pleasant affairs of the kind ever witnessed In
Richmond. Besides three or four hundred
scholars, there were an equal number Of guests
who Joined the excursion, and spent the day
in a pleasant manner. The return tram dld
not reach the city until after O'Clock at night,
thereby causing some little uneasiness because
il was not generally known at what hour the
excursionists were expected here. All speak
in praise of the attention of Superintendent
Dodamead, and of the untiring exertions OF the
School to make the occasion happy one.
Dangerous Pldcs.-For several days past off,
GER Seal has taken the trouble to visit the
neighborhood of Victors old mill and drive
the boys out of the creek, where there is hole
of water more than six feet deep; but unless
he were to stand there all the time, TO the me-
glect of other business, he could not keep them
from bathing. Between the hours OF aud q
O'Clock, last Tuesday evening, he drove from
the sdeep hole'' party of boys, but in less
than three hours thereafter, they returned,
and the consequence was. that one of them--a
free negro lad--lost his life.
Heary Freighf.-The railroads running into
n h.si In. he