The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-15
,y,nre,pou.e,cc of the Rlcnmond ias'a.ch'I
commencement Exercises OF Hahp'
TON Normal and agricultural
institute.
sxsrcu OF TnE Observation-Disclosures CROWD
EXAMINATIONS ADDRESSES, ETC.

tflTcu ulc iol thC 'i'f ="
exercises of the day.
A, @ O'Clock large PARTY Of us take tht
n,c,s,nt little steamer Mystic. and have !
short hut most delightful trin TO the Wh'r
If the Hampton Normal and Agricultural
Institute, our party being Under the guidance
rf General {. S. Armstrong, The principal
The institution, who shows US every courtesy
and gives us every facility for seeing TIT
school and approaching its workings.
As many Of our people are ignorant Q
the origin, history. condition. and prospects
Of this school, it may he we'll to give brie
SKETCH OF TUE INSTITUTE.
The American Missionary Association
which was engaged during and just aitc
the war in providing for the freedmen
around Fortress Monroe, determined in 1S6'
70 omen "A Normal school at Hampton, ant
iuaurulated its work in April. 1868.
The funds to purchase the farm OF II
acres, erect the necessary buildings, ant
support the school, came from private con
,rihntious, aud the ailiirS Of the institution
were unGer the control CT board OF truS
tees appointed by The American MIsslonar.
Association. In 1872 the Virginia Legisla
ture donated to the institution 100000 acre
OF the M rlic land scrip, which realized
when sold S95, 900.
Uueltntn of this amount was expended
in seventy acres more Of land, so that tn
farm row contains 100 acres OF lard.
Since the appropriation by the State there
haS i,ecn Board Of CuratorS, which Is com
,uscd Of The Governor ct Virginia, the Al
ioruey General IF the State. The SupcTln
,endeat of Public instruction, and The
president If The Virginia Agricultural So
ripty (who are Cr.oticio members OF The
board. and five other members who are ar
pointed tor d term of four years. and these
ciIrators govern tie institution in connection
with the Is ,ard OF Trustees.
The school has numbered during the pas
session two hundred ard tweuty.siX stu
dents tmac and tem1le). Il large part Of whom
are boardcrS. The buildings OF the school
have consisted OF a large school building
called Academic Hail." which Is admirably
adapted for the purpose; quarters aud board
ing-houseS tor the Students; very neat Cha
pei: an excellent firm-mauagcrs' house re.
sidences Tor the teachers, g.. But the accom-
modstions have been so inadequate that many
of the students have been Quirtered in tents
This has necc>si ated the erection OF larger
buildings, and accordingly efforts have been
made which have eliminated in the erection
of Virginia Hail." which was dedicated TO.
day.
This splendid building Is Of red brick, the
color relieved by lines and cappings OF black.
|, measures 100 feet in front by 40 in width.
ami has wing running 100 feet to the rear.
1t contains chape! capable Of seating 400,
an Industrial room for the manufacture OF
clothing and for Instruction in sewing III all
its branches, dining.roOm able TO accom-
modltc 30 boardcrs, large laundry and
kitchen, besides quarters for twelve teachers
and siccping-rooms for 12O girls.
The interior finish is largely Of Virginia
pine, aud the establishment has all OF the
modern improvements OF steam, and best
machinery in the kitchen, the laundry, the
printing office, the grinding of meal, saving
Of wood, DC.
Ten thousand dollars of the sum necessary
TO pay for this building were realized by the
given by the champion Stu
dents" IN their tour through the
North. The Institute has eighteen teachers.
II is an "induStria" school to the fullest X
tent. The farm of 100 acres is under the
charge of an experienced manager, 10 whom
a salary Of 81 800 is paid, and is worked by
toe students, who are divided into FIVE
which are successfully assigned one
dav in each week for labor on the farm. All
the bows also work every Saturday for halt
or the whole Of the day, so that each student
works from day and half to two days a
week. and is allowed for his work from five
10 ten cents an hour, or from seveDty-fire
cents to TWO dollars week, according 10 his
ability.
A large part of the farm is devoted to
"lrucking," and between twenty and thirty
Gallons OF milk are daily produced. BIoodcd
stock has been introduced, and many lm-
movements have been made, and yet the at.
fairs of the farm have been SO we'll managed
that it has not only paid all Of its expenses,
but had remaining III the treasury at the
close OF the present fiscal year over eight
hundred dollars.
The printing office of the Institute turns
off al iilu> tra,ed monthly paper-1he South'
e7m W0rkmdn-and Goes seneral lop Woik,
which ,nectS its expenses.
The Girls Industrial School" teaches
its members to cut and fit garments, to sew.
&c. and to cook ard do general hou>e-work
The institution seems to have been very aG'
mjrably managed BY General Armstrong and
his Co.Hprkers.
DQ( IL j. llllC lOl w "PS"n W.
THE EXAMINATIONS
which were held this morning in the differ
ent recitation-rooms III the presence OF ;
large number OF visitors.
che different classes were examined ir
reading, bookkeeping, philosophy, gram
! mar, arithmetic, history, geography, and
| ALGEBRA. 1t is, of course, difficult to judge
CT the thorou9hness of pupils in public
examination OF this sort, but they really
seemed to be very prompt and accurate in
| their answers, and to show that they had
| been exceedingly we'll taught.
At 1880 the commencement exercise;
| proper begun. The old negro songs ant
| HYMNS by the pupils were very tine indeed
and il is not surprising that their concerts
excited such interest all through the North
The music by the band of the Nationa
Soldiers Home was very sweet, and TIT
pieces with which the choir interspersed tht
exercises were rendered in most artist,
| manner. Then came in order the following
rhetorical exercises by the students:
Salutatory, by George j. Davis; Recita
ton, "Malld Muller" by Mile Galloway
Grafton, by Ackrel Z. White; Essay
" Work" by Mary f. Melvin; Select Read
ing, by Benjsmin L. Tonsler; Grafton, by
NJ. VI. Mendenhall; Recitation, " Bernarde
| del Carpio," by Jennie Ivy; Essay, "Tem
perance," by Grace Mclean; Select Read
ing, " The Vagabonds." by William I. Green
| how; Valedictory, "Africa as Field fol
Christian Labor" by George 4. Stevens.
These addresses and recitations were very
creditable both to the teachers and the pu'
| pills. The recitations and reading were es
pecially we'll done.
Rev. DR.. George Whipple, of New York
president of the Board of Trustees, ther
delivered the diplomas in brief address, in
| which he earnestly exhorted them that they
| WOULD ,nn,;,pa m ,r,yrL op6 mt f,l hphinr