Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-12-01

night by Rev. w. 4. Graham. Holy comHu
MON after morning serVlce suojec1 AZ mig lib
BAPTIST CHuRcH-Service morning and a.
night. by Rev. Mr.. Penick:
GERMAN LUTHERAN-No service.
YOUNG MEMS CHRISTIAN AssoCIAT1oN.-
Prayer meeting in the NJ. P. Church a.
Union prayer meeting next Wednesday night, at
$50 o clock, in the NJ. P. Church.
WzA1aER PRoBABmrTEs.-,W Yer OSRdrt
naest, .O6ice ofthe Chief Signal Officer, Wash
n,otou. D. e., Dec. i. 1S77-lO:30 a. m
For the Middle States. rising barometer, north.
erly to westerly wind, clear or partly cloudy
weather and in the northern portions possibly
light SHOWS are probable, with slight rlsn IN
temperature.
CRY SCHOOL BoARD.-The Board met very
punctuay last night-pressnt: 5. Z. Neale,
ESQ.,, Chairman; Messrs. Addison, Gregory,
Kemper, Mckenzie, Marbury and Whiting
ton, Trustees, and the Superintendent OF
Schools.
The minutes of the last meeting having been
read and approved Mr.. kemper. from the
Committee on Schoolhouses and Furniture. re.
ported that the division fence Of the Washing
ton building, on the south, having blown down.
the committee had had it repaired at cost OF
$2l50, and presented bills for that and some
other repairs at Washington aud Peabody build
ings. which were referred to the Com Dlttee On
Finance and Accounts.
The Superintendent, from the Committee on
Studies and Discipline. TO whom was referred
the communication Of j. S. g. Dilaoy i 70.
asking for the readoption Of Blackburn & Mt
Donald's History of the United States. report
ed resolution readoptiog that book unt
September l, 1878, which was unanimously
s.dopted.
Mr.. Mckenzie, from the Committee 90 III
nance and Accounts, reported az Correct t"o
bills of Charles +. Glover, one for repairs at
the Washington building, SCI so. the other for
repairs at the Peabody building, 1896, which
were ordered to be paid
Mr. Kemper, at the request Of the Chair
man, then offered the following resolution,
which was unanimously adopted, viz:
Resolyed, That the Superintendent be le.
uuested to engage Prot. j. II. Siddoos to d.
liver three lectures. or readings, before the
public schools, ct compensation DOT exceeding
five dollars for each reading or lecture.
The Chairman then appointed the following
special committee to visit the different schools
and report their condition at the next meet
ing, viz: 1
Beach and Wilmington.
Lee and Peabody Scbools-Messrs. J. S.
Beach, Gregory and Burke.
Haliowell and Gusts Schoo!s-Messrs. Nc
keuzie, Whittlesey aud Neale.
Spowden School-Messrs. Addison, Marbury
and Herbert.
And, at p. NJ, the Board adjourned.
The POET BURNs.-There was very good
attendance at the Methodist Church last night
to hear Professor Moffats lecture On Burns.
which gave great pleasure and enjoyment, and
was. in fact, great treat to all the admirers OF
Burns. who heard him. The Professor first
rave few Introductory remarks on the poets
10 general, and the place and power OF poetry
in the intellectual development Of the world.
He characterized the bards as tho great high
nrests of nature, her true interpreters, who
grasp By intuition her most profound secrets
and reveal them to men 10 sweet soog. They
are tho heralds Of the dave. the pioneers of
mind. whose thought enriches. not themselves,
hut those they leave behind. Ii tracing the
progress of human development he showed that
10 every land before the philosopher reasoned
the poet sang. He then gave briet historic
sketch of the poor Ayrshire peasant bard, and
close analysis of the man and his mission. lie
said the world was slow TO comprehend true
greatness it took nearly hundred years Tor
them to learn Burns. At first they were daz
zled by the brlliancy of bis genius but they
could not comprehend the man. We arc just
beginning to realize that these utterances, which
at first were thought to emanatc from scoter
at truth we're only the protests ct an earnest
nature against the cold formality Of the age.
He noticed his failiogs and put 10 a plea for
them with the utmost delicacy and beauty tie
then showed that 10 accordance with the 600
oeption Of the poets given 10 his lotroductloo,
Burns occupied ono Of the highest places
among the Sous of song. His was not the pow,
er which culture bestows, but tn, power OF
one who laid his head and heart close to nature s
bosom. he then read several extracts to prove
his position, among them the Cotter's Saturday
Night, Tam o. Shanter, his Vision, and several
other exquisite pieces.
IDENTIFIED. hat Of the mao W no jump
cd from the steamer Lady Of the Lake, sone
weeks since, and is supposed to have been
drowned, has been forwarded to the Ctlef OF
Police Of Philadelphia. and Identified as the
property of James V. Peterson. the missing
lawyer Of that city. AS heretofore stated MT NJ
Paterson was native of Petersburg. Va. He
was left an orphan at an early age and alter
various hardships finally settled 10 Phllade phIa
where by industry and study he entered tht
her and secured handsome competency. ~:
mysterious suicide is so far unacounted for. liz
il represented to have been man OF ooo,anie
matter of fact disposition, and an intelligent 90
server of men and things, aud having sounded
the depths of poverty 10 his early life was on
of the most gentle and charitable OF meo. l
is supposed that he made the fatal piuoge IL
some moment of alteration aud unde! SOM
irresistible impulse.
The CANAL.-Thc wo1k of repairing tn
breaks in the Georgetown level of the Z. u V
Canal is being pushed forward vigorously
There are three gangs of men at work. Ii l
proposed to work the men day and n ,y II
order to carry out the agreement OF the cana
company to have the repairs completed 10 tel
working days.
The statement published in some OF inc news
papers that the Alexandria Cana mao pee
badly damaged is Incorrect. lnat oaos' 10 Il
thorough order from end to end.
About fifty boats are in the Georgetown re LeVe
which will be opened in about week. ines
are the only boats that can get to port TN