The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-04-01
LOCAL AFFAIRS.

assemblage OF ladies aud gentlemen took place A
Mechanics Institute Hall last Wednesday night,
to witness the closing exercises of the Night
School of the Virginia Mechanics, Insti.ute. and
We think We but speak the unanimous opinion Of
that large crowd, when we say that the scene
presented was the most pleasing ever witnessed In
that spacious building.
Ats o'clock, the hall being then packed, with
the exception OF the seats reserved for the school
the scholars about one hundred and fifty 10 nam !,
ber, attended by their teachers, Messrs Cone and
Smith, the School Committee, (Mess.s mcfarland.
Bargamin, and Cottrelr and the speakers. entered
Committee, Speakers, Teachers, and Pupils to whom
prizes were to be awarded, taking their seats on
the stand.
The Armory Band, whose services had been
volunteered for the occasion, discoursed sweet mu
| sic while the scholars were being seated and at
| intervals between the speeches.
we we're shown the prizes to be awarded, the
first OF which was two handsomely bound volumes
of "Chambers' Popular Information for the Pso.
pie" bearing on the fly leaf the following:
1 "Presented 10 WIN. NJ. TAYLOR as the best reader
in the Night School of the Virginia Mechanics
Institute"
The second was, beautiful silver medal, on one
side of which was inscribed: awarded TO WM II
CRAFroS for Punctuaity, Diligence and Decorum. .
On the reverse: "Virgina Mechapics' Iusti,ute
Night School, 1S58-'59.'
A. NJ. BAILEY, Esq on behalf of the School Com
! mittee, opened the exercises with the following
address:
| Ladies and Gentlemen: We have assembled tb,.
evening to witness the closing of the Night
School of the Virginia Mechanics Institute con.
grntoate You on the auspcious ernens surron nding
=. ,vh;rh rron,;so fntrra tr;rnmh gu,
| Insttuti n Having BEEN kindly invited to partici
pate In the exercises Of the OCCASION appear before
you. to throw 10 my humble mite. to further the
object ofour meeting together.
Irecollect. while boy, of entering bla
shop IN the country. to see e. chain Of many links
toral ready and make the first link thoua ht il
would take long time to complete the ehaiu, and
asked the smith II it would not He Piled ".t al
ways takes the longest time to make the frs. link
| / shall turn smith. on the present occasion. and
globe in less time than it Took the smith ALLUDED to to
finish the frs link in his-but mine is to be meds
Of facts which lay this table to be taken M at
pleasure.
In the creation Of the earth, the ALMIGHTY bujld
er in the exercise of his wisdom and goodness saw
fit TO give great diversity OF soils aud climates and
varied productions When came TO take his pos-
ton on the stage of life. he formed and endw
ed as to m Ike manifest the Design of his Makers
Providence. Scattered over the earth men en- aged
in the pur adapted to their lo ions aud
stiles, and soon tound additional comfort in ex :
ichanang their products one with the other Til,
Interchange brought from othe sections
produced by the consumer-aad III IS the design of
Gods plan in Cre4t'oa to vary the soils and produo-
tiops If the Earth, brings ont the sdaptation of
mans faculties to put forth the activities reouirsd
to render him useful and happy Let me illustrate !:
90 with me to old England not by steamer. or
the submarine telegraph. put By the electricity of
| thought. We are now in ondnn, or Liverpool or
Manchester, as 1t may SUIT your fancy. We see
lsrge cities, abounding in manufactures imneI Sc
population. and startling activities all around us
We traverse for while her farms in the surround-
lag country Everything shows thrift and wealth
to tbs higher CLASSES. But are struck with II @
absence of elements that enter largely into the wei
no no rice. Whence come they7 From other elmss llGss
or manufacsores would stand still, if the me- mic
did not buiid her ships and the merchant supply
spindle. NOW, then, make my first link ia the
chain-ani bind England and America in int r
fha er,,sk r
, links now more readily snd rapidly. We return
home We are In California a land abounding in
plateaus Her people go ahead. There are no
t.mbers hsce to build ships to bear her wealth to
other eii@es no sturdy oaks or t1nsty hiekores
| The universe. On the Atlantic side these abe und -
They bring gold from .liforna to fill our Golfers
without our having to dig for il. Let me hitch on
my second link in the chain. aud bind the Pacific
, and Atlantic slopes by national commerce The
North supplies the South with ice. etc; the South
furr ishes cotton. sugar, rice, etc to the North
Reciprocity of exchange promotes the general veal
OF both On with the third link. AS with England
and America, Pacific Coast and Atlantic, North and
South so with different sections OF the state
so with farmers occupying circdnjacent territory
50 with communities; mutual necessity finds relief
in mutual interchange. My friends this variety of
supply and demand. this diversity AID distribution
OF soil climate and production, clearly indicate the
purpose Of cur Benefcent Greater to band the hu-
man family in a common b! otherhood and thus
, make the happiness of all the concern of each
Add ell these links. which have been RAPIDLY
manufactured.to TO mylchain; put another for each
class of the manufe C: :urers snd mechanics and
their depondents-another for the professions and
their clients ahd subjects-and yet m ore each
for relations of the family of associations, Of gov
ernments. and my chain is finished II, indie ID an
extra link is needed let it biad the master and his
apprentice. fes. put 1t on. snd on my last link
win base plea before this audience for the orohan
my lends, humanity comes to my aid just here
, Patriotism bids.me speak. aud both urge the go,d
not for donations simpy-rather let me invite youi
cooperation vita this Neutrality-suspicious. mem
bers by paying The pittance of 81 or So per annuD
= and encourage us by your presence at our annual
exhibitions. lectures and general meetings-youi
SMILES Of approostons and by kind words; and m,
f,uts which after years will garner for the glory
. and renow n OF our people.
Well, my friends, my chain is now completed. I
eucirces within its many links the activities tn,
/, relations and duties Of mankind,-apd deserves
name Does it not ftly represent-is it nos itSelt
for the want of better. will give it that desgna
ii But what shall do with my chain? Som.
wreahe it around the Gross Christ the Hope of thu
Weald aBd let the echo go forth from this Hall as
OIL eho of hs sons Of the Angelic Choir s It FL
on the ravi he'd of the Shepherds on the Plain
of Bethlehem GLORY to God in the highest IPeac
f on Ear rch and good will an oDg men"
! and spoke as follows:
been pleased to call my friend who is to follow MI
and myself, champions. 1t is certain that neye
g declining to act the champion tonight COMES
that would like to fight somebody. have apun
3 dant cause to fight for stand before you swim
Q died individual. By cheat have been br0ugh
3 before you. week ago, the chairman of the sehoo
COMMITTEES of the Mechanics Institute. asked if
signated 10 receive it Certainly, said i, if an
| pecttd to do no more than take the volume aEt
ing. when to my tnrp,is day or two after wa
n y sunar ee That
1 W f1,o
j. and other papers aud thus entrapped aud inveSe.
am here to'night-not 60 address you. ladies an,
ct eal them So Yonng ehe!cr as sif frsnt slt
= Bailey has told you am it is natuI al that shou
imposing Would be d sraSe e can '1s b
l. better done in less public place But could no
found though rather scarce article at this Day i
+ must be admitted even fancy that was once
= boy. have faint recollection of fellow, in blu
: Jacket and grey pantaloons, whs every morning
breakfast stationed himself at the conner
marched away to school with nna on the one sid
!" and satchel of books on the other think hav
not forgotten that boy and have notion that he
II sohoo boys and above ali the boy who after toilip
ali day comes at night to the school. to be tsugl
these elements of knowledge which the tir.
{. steps towards an useful and honorable life Yes.
j. love boys, (not meaning to imply that do M
wsea they are as i Of mischief as know one
,r those before me TO be. when they have the rgh
sss 'n ana when moy not be wholly van
less. even to the grown up boys and girls of tn
70 assembly.
y would have you remember. boys. that howev'
Is diuentiy yon may have studiod during tho winte
y however much you may have learned. and howey,
d wen You may have learned it, small will be Il
nroff. unless Yen add continually to what you ha'
already ACQUIRED. Think not that your scho
,, nights because this night school Is temp
whch bigger bcys toe often fall. some there wi
y think their education finished girls are very apt
= fancy it, when they leave tbe boarding school. aI
% | whenever ycu meet with such persons, they I'm
d, zine they know everything, and nobody else an
ID thing. and are uumsnageable and untractable az
mails In Mechanics Institutes and'1n oil other ass
Citations. Follow not the examples OF these. Kno
r. rather that while you lve yoa must 20 to schot
n every hour from the cradle to the coin and eyel
-, DAY must do your task under the stern eye OF u
% | vi0iIauf achoolmaster,