Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-06-16

REPORT OF THE AUGUSTA. MEMORIAL
AssoCIATIoN.-The Augusta. Memoria
! Association held its annual meeting OF
Friday last, President James FL. Skinner
presiding. Among those present were
Gen. John Echols, Capt. s. L. Phillips
Capt. Jno. N. Opie, Capt. Thos. D. Ran
son, Capt. J. H. Waters, Capt. c. S. AT
nall, Capt. F. B. Berkeley, and the Trea
surer, MI. Jos. E.. Rollins. The report OF
President Skinner showed the means OF
the Association on June 1st to be $2,6S1.
SO in individual notes, and $1S1. 4S in cash:
| making a total of So. 1858 AT. In March the
| contract for the posts, chains and tags for
the cemetery was awarded to Asa Snyder
& Co., of Richmond, the lowest bidders,
including 430 IRON posts, $500 feet OF gal
vanized chain, and / $50 bronzed tags, for
the sum of 81, 914 so. They also contract
ed with Michael O'Keefe, for 42O stone
bases to support the posts. The contrac-
tors for the iron work have failed to exc
cute their contract in time, and forced the
postponement of memorial day, which will
now be held probably in September, or on the
first day of the Agricultural Fair. After
all the work is done at the cemetery, the
President estimates that there will be a
fund of $3.50 remaining in the treasury,
which it is deemed indispensable should
be increased to $1,000, so that at s. per
cent yearly income may be derived to
keep the grounds in order. This remain
ing $3.50 the Association asks the people
to raise. The President says:
Will not the daughters Of Augusta, in
their several neighborhoodS devise some
means by which they can raise for us say
$50 or 500, in and around each village.
Staunton has time and again contributed
and in even more than her proportlon-to
this cause; she will undoubtedly do her
part now towards the end we have in view.
When call to mind how on yesterday
and to-day, fourteen years ago-twO bright
June mornings like this-the sons Of Au-
gusta, in her 9Th and SIND regiments, barred
their bosomS to the storm OF battle en- the
fields of Cross Keys and Fort Republic,
and gave their lives by scores in defence
Of their homes and loved ones, L will never
doubt that more can be necessary. on each
recurring anniversary, than to touch the
chords Of grateful memory, In order to i'm
pei each true and loving heart to render
all proper tribute to the hundreds of Con-
federate dead-the brethren by a baptism
of fire of your sons and brethren-Who
came from distant homes, and bled and
died at your doors, and whose dust, now
mingling with the clods Of this Valley,
makes doubly hallowed your natal soil.
Very respectfully submitted,
JAMES Fl. SKINNER,
President Aug. Men. Assn.
The Association approved the report
and recommended its publication, and
then elected the following officers: Col.
Jas. II. Skinner, President, Chas. S. Ar
nall, Secretary, and J. E. Rollins, Trea-
surer. In reply to charge published in
the VALLEY Virginian," that the contract
for the iron work at the cemetery was
given away from Staunton, when it might
have been given here, the Executive Com
mittee publish the following:
In reply to the above, the Executive
Committee of the Augusta Memorial AS
ISOLATION for the Confederate dead, have
to say. that bids for the iron work on the
Confederate Cemetery were invited. That
the Staunton Iron Works Company was
invited to bid and was among the bidders.
The bid Of the Staunton Iron Works 60.
was not the lowest by a very considerable
per centage. The contract was awarded
to the lowest bidder. No proposition was
ever made to the Committee to duplicate
the lowest bid, less the cost of transporta-
ton, from Richmond OF Baltimore by the
Staunton Iron Works Company, or by any
other party. The Committee, although
unanimously DESTROYS of awarding the con
tract at home, were constrained by their
sense Of duty to the fund in their hands
for administration, to award the contract
in favor of the bidder who offered the best
and cheapest work. A proposition to du-
plicate the lowest bid would have been
alike dishonorable in the party making it,
and in the Committee in accepting It,.
It never occurred to this COMMITTEE that
the Staunton Iron Works Company had
any political complexion whatever.
JAMES FL. SKINNER,
JAMES III. WATERS,
S. TRAvERs PHILLIPS,
J. n. OPIE,
j. BUMGARDNER, JR.,
COmmittna