The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-09
y,rr,n,n NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

TIE BALL---THE F0CBTH-NEW CHURcH-REV.
DE-. PRATT- sPRiNGs-MR. WHITEHEAD
HARvRsT--ToBACCo.
correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch.J
LEXINGTON, VA, July @, 1874.
The military ball on Friday night was q
very brilliant affair, and numerously. attend
ed. These balls are anticipated with great
interest By the young people, and form quite
feature in the Virginia Military Institute
commencement. They are intended as an
honor to the graduating class, and 1t IS quiLe
an honor to lady to be invited on the floor
az partner of first classman.
The 4th of July passed very quietly IN
lexington. A very large crowd OF DlacHs
and whites came in from the country TO slpS'
dance. and drink much mean whiskey. a
number of fights occurred, but Win these
executions nothing to mar the ordinary
quiet.
The attendance on the Institute the past
session was quite large, and the prospects
are brighter for the coming session. a little
fact shows the anxiety of the superlntend'
ent as TO the religious character of the sradu-
ates. He presented to each member very
handsome copy of the Bible, with the name
of each inscribed, and the date of his gradu-
alton.
Yesterday, for the first time, service was
held in the new Catholic church, of this
place, by Father Murray, of Richmond.
This church has recently been completed,
is of brick, a neat but not large edilice. The
congregation is small but growing. No
priest has as yet been assigned to the charge.
The dedication is to take place on the 2Gth.
Your correspondent made a mistake in
stating that DR.. Pratt would take charge of
a church in Lexington. He has been called
to the presidency ofthe new Southern Pres
byterian College 10 Richmond, Kentucky,
and has accepted. 1t is understood he will
remove soon and enter on his duties. The
session have before them several names as
his successor here, but no decision has been
reached as yet.
The season for travelling has opened very
favorably for the various points Of public
interest 10 this county. Daily, large num-
bers 60 from this place to the Natural
Bridge.
Company is coming in rapidly to the
springs. The ockbridgc Baths, under the
popular management of Captain Walter
Bowie, is in splendid order, and is doing
quite well. Some thirty or forty young
ladies from one Of the schools OF Staunton
have recently arrived, and are making things
quite lively. The famous Rockbridge Alum
has quite a nice company. So also tue Jor-
dan Alum, the splendid new place, just adj
joining.
To-day was court-day. Many country
people were in attendance. Mr.. Whitehead,
member of Congress from this district, made
a speech 10 his constituents. This was to
explain the most important features of re-
cent legislation. He was most bitterly op-
posed to the civil-rights bill, and hoped it
was killed dead forever. His position on
the currency bill was in accordance with
that of the people of the South and South
west generally. He also alluded to his et-
forts to reduce the tax on brandy, in which
this district is much interested. Nearly all
the distileries in this section distill brandy,
and very few whi>key. The tax has been
very heavy Oh this article