Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-10-13

The bust of the late John B. Baldwin, in
marble ordered by citizens of Augusta, his
native county and executed by Ed. V. Val
entine, sculptor Of Richmond, was unveiled
at the Fair Ground Wednesday,, the occa-
sion and place being particularly fit-from
the fact that Col. Baldwin might have
been called the founder of the Agricultur-
al Society. The announcement that the
unwilling would take place on the day
named had brought together very large
assemblage-nearly two thousand of the
people OF this city and county who delight
ed to honor the distinguished original
while his voice might yet be heard among
them, and who looked up to him as a lea
der. Around the speakers stand near
which the bust was elevated upon pedes-
tai stood the large gathering of farmers
and farmers families, all of whom see med
to feel personal interest in this token of
esteem to the dead. The bust which had
arrived on Tuesday was taken out to the
fair grounds and awkardly tied up in a
cloth instead Of yelled which gave the
spectator an additional feeling Of relief
when the unwilling took place.
THE MILITARY
A little after 10 O'Clock the military who
were too take part in the ceremonies en-
tered the main gate of the grounds headed
by the Stonewall Brigade Band. It con-
sisted of the West Augusta Guarl. Capt.
W. L. Rumgardner, q detachment of the
| Moticello Guard Of Charlottesville and ii
detachment o; the Richmond Howitzers,
| Two Of whose guns ha | arrived on the cars
| he day befare. In addition t, these reg
| ular troops there were the survivors Of tie
nd Staunton artillery commanded by Capt.
| 3althis and Capt. A. Il. Fultz. The ar
tllery unlimberel AMI went into battery
| near the Judges stand, while the infantry
| remained near the rotunda.
THE CEREMONIES
were opened by prayer, offered by Rev.
I W. @. Hullihen, rector of Trinity Church,
after which the band played q solemn
dirge. Hon. Marshall Hanger introduced
| to the audience, in place Of Hon. B. John
son Barbour, who was unable to attend Col.
James H. Skinner, as a gentleman upon
whom the task Of speaking of the dead fell
| with peculiar fitness, as he was the sue
| cessor of Col. Baldwin in the command OF
| the Sind Virginia regiment. Col. Skinner,
who had had but few hours notification
| of the duty, said that they were assembled
| to do honor to the memory Of the most il
| Iustrious man to whom Augusta county
| had given both birth and burial, and the
act in which they were engaged was to
| perpetuate in something more enduring
| then words the estimation in which John
| B. Baldwin was held by the people among
whom he had lived. The State of Vir-
ginia had lamented him throughout her
| borders, as a son whose life was adding
| fresh laurels to her already renowned name,
| highly for his exalted character; that
| character that had enabled her to foil ow
I undoubting in his steps. Among you who
are assembled here to-day, he lived from
early manhood to the day of his DEATH Of
| ten have you hung admiringly on the words
| that fell from his lips in torrents Of i'm
| petuous eloquence, fired by the vehemence
Of a noble nature, and never in the whole
of his life did you hear one word at the bar
| or.from the Hastings unworthy Of the lofti-
est virtue. And among you here to day there
is left fragrant memory of those words.
You often selected him as your represent
| tatiye, and in no way did he ever fall short
Of your expectations. When war threat
ened you he sought earnestly to avert it.,
but when despite those efforts, it came, he
buckled On his armour and went to the
| fight with you. Again, III Congress-a
| wider field OF usefulness-he served you.
| His fertile mind was ever active in de-
vising ways to increase the prosperity OF
4 his people; it was his ambition to spread
prosperity over smiling country. His
| was the motto Of the British statesman:
| that it was as good to be foremost in the
prospect ty of a people, as in their glory.
Immediately after the close of the war
| his first efforts were for the benefit of the
people of Augusta, and he set about Or
ganizing the Agricultural Society, for the
stimulation of agriculture and the me-
chanical arts. The scene you behold here
to-day is the result, and you have made
proper recognition of his services when you
gave your society his name. He valued
| this fair for it's good effects among the
people, as a place of social meeting, where
ideas could be interchanged where gen.
erous rivalry could spring up in the inn
provement of the county. This society
was a cherished object with him, and to-
day we are met to connect his name still
more closely with it by the likeness in
marble, from the hands Of a Virginia
sculptor, and to resolve that the society
shall be a permanent institution.
Come hither then, said Col. Skinner,
come, bringing with you the best which
your farms, and your workshops, and your
houses afford. Bring with you your wives
and your children, as your chiefest treas
ures. Bring with you friendly spirit of
rivalry, which shall incline you both to be
taught and to teach. Hring with you
spirit overlooking with goodwill to your
fellow men, and that will lead you up--for
it was his spirit-to an ever grateful
and proud remembrance of the Patron of
the Fair. Ever keep this. marble effigy of
him before your sons. Tell them of his
mastery abilities, and of his brilliant loren
sic displays; it Will stimulate them to i'm
prove to the utmost such talents as may be
theirs. Tell them Of his resolute and I'M
finching will in furtherance of his honest
purposes. Tell them Of his devotion to
truth, and of his detestation of falsehood.
Tell them of his love of justice, and of his
hatred Of wrong and oppression. Tell them
of the zeal with which he loved his country