Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-07-17
A Nav ENGLAND REpopr ON THE

A NEW ENGLAND REPORT ON THE
SCHOOLS OF VIRGINIA.-Hon. B. &
Northrop, Secretary of the Connecticut
Board of Education, in his annual report
to that body, has the following about the
public schools in Virginia:
The progress of the public schools in
Virginia since the war is remarkable. &C.
cOmplished a, it has been in the face OF
prejudice and previous ignorance Of sub
lie school system and great financial en-
barrassments for Virginia had her full
share in the loss of over "three thou6and
millions of dollars suffered by the Southern
States by reason of the War'-an aggre-
gate amount larger than all the property OF
New England. To the ques ton when and
how can schools be organized for the
S Outhern States. the answer is, Look at V IL
ginia, especially the schools of Richmond,
? etersburg, Lynchburg, Staunton and
N orfolk. Public sentiment there has been
revolutionized. The common schools are
growing in favor. Prejudice. opposition
and RIGHTEOUSNESS of course exist, but are
evidently waning.
Dr.. Sears, residing in Staunton, rglll-
ia, has rendered Invaluable service to the
C auSe of popular education III that State.
His culture. conciliatory manner and
sound Judgment disarmed prejudice and
won the cooperation OF prominent gentle
men of the South Last year he dlstIlbu-
ted nearly $32, 600 to Virginia, but all this
given as supplementary donations was
SO bestowed as to stimulate local liberality.
ACCIDENT TO VICE-PREsIDENT KEY
SER, OF THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO
RAILROAD.-What might have proved a
very serious if not fatal accident occurred
to Vice-President Keyser, Of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company, at Harper's
Ferry, on Friday night last. He was on
his way to the opening hop at Deer Park,
and having business at the telegraph office
at the Ferry, he hurried across the bridge
in advance of the train, which made a
temporary stop on the Maryland side. The
bridge has no floor other than few boards
in the middle of the trestlework. Near
the Virginia side there is space Of about
seventy feet bare of plank, and as Mr..
Keyser had no light with him, he walked
into this opening without knowing it, and
would have been dashed to pieces upon the
rocks in the bed of the river below but for
his size, which prevented his passing be-
tween the timbers Of the bridge. After
several minutes of suspension, he managed
to extricate himself, and reach place Of
safety just in time to avoid the Plttsburg
express, which came laundering along
Cumberland (Md.) Times.
ANOTHER GREAT FIRE AT CHICAFo.-
A fire broke out at Chicago Tuesday night
which got away from the tiremen and de-
stroyed $4,OO0,000 of property before it
stopped Large numbers of families were
turned out of their homes. The following
were the limits Of the confagration
On Clark street, No. 535, which is about
Twelfth street on the south, and about
Polk street on the north. On Dearborn
street the southern limit is near Twelfth
street, and the northern limit Polk street.
On Wabash avenue Harmon court forms
the southern boundary, the northern limit
being between Jackson and Van Buren,
streets On State street the southern limit
is Harmon court; the line extending Oh
the north nearly to Jackson street. Third
and Fourth avenues are burned nearly
their whole length. The fire burned
number of houses on Michigan avenue,
but has not damaged that street to any
great extent. Some twenty blocks are
burned altogether.