The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-29
AN INTERESTING PREsENrA TxoN
SERVICE OF PLATE PRESENTED TO CAPTAIN
MCMILLAN, OF THE "CITY POINT"

| SERVICE OF PLATE PRESENTED TO CAPTAIN
| MCMILLAN, OF THE "oITY POINT"
| Proposed Revival or tho Marine school
| ship.
| Some years before the beginning Of the
war the Marine Schoolship Lodebar was
bought and put into successful operation.
The project, in it's first beginning, met
with every kind of disoouragement, but at
last the good brig was bought and took
aboard q number Of toys who had heretofore
been wandering about the streets Of Charles
ton. These received a sound commercial and
marine education, it being the aim Of the
Board Of Trustees to qualify every boy for any
position to which as a seaman he might be
called. This was the fret mercantie-ms srinc
| schoolship ever in operation, and it s' pleas
| ing fact that South Carolina. which lad the
| first long line Of railroad; which invented the
| steam plough; which had the first thorough
system of common school education, and
which first applied iron to the purposes OF ma
rine defence. should also have been the fore
most, by the institution Of o marine ship
and a sailors home, to show her appreciation
Of the worth and Importance OF the sailor.
The schoolshlp was, wo believe, mainly the
work OF the Rev. w. B. Yates, OF this city.
After while earnest assistants came 10 help
him, and when the brig was bought and moor.
ed off the Battery, there were among tue trus-
tees the names Of w. G. Bee, Heriot, Robt.
Mure, r. Yeadon and w. B. Yates. The school
soon became success, and had in all about
sixty graduates
At q meeting held on February s, 1861, O let
ter was read from Commodore Nj. Berry, in
which that gallant seaman said that he had
given silver trumpet as PriHo to the first
graduate of the marine school to whom the
command Of ship should be given. This
was the cause Of the meeting held
yesterday aboard the steamer City Point. at
which were present: Robert Mure, Esq, Colo
mel j. d. Aiken, r. Caldwell, A. P. Caldwell,
w. O. Bee, Captain Crowell, Commodore Cox
etter. the Rev. w. B. Yates, Captain NOVEL;,
lieutenant Harleston, and others. The meeting
was called to order by Robert Mure. Esq,, who
said that the silver trumpet presented by Com
modore Berry had been sent up the country
with the family plate, and had there been COB
bled by the notorious Sherman. But it had
seemed to the trustees that some testimonial
was due the graduate who had first fulfilled
the conditions of the trust. and he therefore
called on the Rev. w. B. Yates to present to
Captain George MCMILLAN, of the steamer "City
Point" the reward to which he was Justly en-
titled.
The Rev. MIR. Yates, in making the presen-
tation, spoke most eloquently Of the energetic
assistance given by Mr.. John Caldwell in estab-
fishing the schoolship. and paid merited
tribute to the gallantry and skill OF the reoipi-
ent-Captain Mcmillan.
Mr.. Yates then presented to Captain McMil.
Ian very handsome set Of solid silver forks
and spoons, engraved with his name, when
Colonel J. D. Aiken, in behalf of Captain Nc
MILAN, spoke as follows
esteem it q peculiar privilege to be permit
ted to participate in this Interesting ceremony,
go creditable to the parties concerned;
to the committee, who have cherished and
so faithfully carried out the benevolent design
Of tnat successful navigator, the late Captain
Berry; to you, Sir, who are so eminently the
sailors friend, and who have exhibited your
charac teristic zeaI on this occaslon; and to the
unassumina, but not the less deserving and
skilful seaman, Captain M ,Mian, whose mod
est merit has 30 properly secured to him this
handsome testim 'nial at your hands.
Exhibitions of this kind, at all times ex-
tremely pleasing in themselves. are valuable
stimulants to the friendless and solitary toller
IN whatever field; he feels that there are good
men. even among the multitude of evil and sell
fish. who watch over and reward tho worthy
laborer; especially encouraging is this reoog-
milton OF humble but virtuOus toll to those who
go down to the sea in ships, who brave the
terrors of the deep. and who grow familiar
with dangers which appal the stOutest hearts.
This occasion is particularly pleasing, be-
cause it gives hope that that admirable insti-
tuition; the ''schoolship." may be again reviv-
ed. We need it tor the good of our revving
commerce; we need it for the benefit Of many
idle and lndigent boys; we eed it for the TO
the instinct Of noble manhood and awaits it's
impatient development.
In behalf Of Captain Mcmillan, I thank you,
gentlemen, for this handsome evidence Of your
kindness. and for the noble spirit which sug-
gested it, and ask your cooperation in splic-
ing the main brace.
The company thep s'spliced the main brace"
and entered upon the active festivities Of the
evening. The healths were drunk, in silence,
Of General Stephen Elliott and Commodore
Berry, and among the toasts that followed
were: Mr.. Robert Mure. the Agents OF the
Florida line, Commander Coxetter, Captain
Crowell, Parson Yates, and the Engineer of the
City Point. All were responded to, and the
anecdotes to which the occasion gave rise
proved the necessity of recording as rapidly as
possible the stray leaves which will make up
the most interesting chapters in the history Of
the war.
Captain M. l.. Aimar, the captain of the
Schoolship, WAS not forgotten. and there was
evident an earnest desire to re-establish, as
soon as possible, an institution which can do
so much in reelaiming and utilizing the wan
dering youth OF our city. After spending some
time in gossip and chat, the company separat-
cd; and the writer feels that he cannot exactly
express the full measure OF thanks which are
the due Of the City Point and Messrs. j. D.
Aiken & Co., for their kind and hospirable en-
tertainment. May their shadow never grow
less.
WHAT rs TEE MATTER IA gentleman resid-
ing in Columbia. short time since wrote to q
merchant OF this city to send him some goods,
telling him that If he did not receive notifca-
tion of their being obtained by the 21st of this
month, 1t would be useless to do anything fur