The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-06-26
Washington and lee University Com
rnencenenf.
correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.l
LEXINGTON, VA, June "a. 1879.

| The devotional exercises OF Sunday IN
auyurated the commencement-Week ut this
University. The number OF visitors now
here is much larger than for years past, aud
| I am told that many more are expected To-
day and tomorrow. The large number OF
Young ladies present is especially notlce-
able They come, many OF them, from as
tant States, and will necessarily ada much
to the social pleasures OF the commence
ment.
Washington and Lee University Is doing
noble work in the cause Of education, and
| the session lust closed has added another
weli-spent year to the many OF It's long ana
useful life.
Lexington, nestled in the midst OF the
Valley, and surrounded by lofty noun
tains, whose gray and splintered peaks rise
in magnificent grandeur toward the sky, has
donned its holiday garb, aud is dispensing
lavish hospitality to its many guests.
AS one reyisitS these scenes from wear to
year he cannot fail to feel the absence OF
faces once familiar, and miss the welcome
| OF those he was wont TO meet In other days.
The season Of commencement recurs with
unerring regularity, but the tide OF human
| lie is ever ebbing anu flowing, and each
receding wave bears on to the more real life
beyond forms we'll known in the sessions OF
the past. New students take their places,
and so it goes.
The Baccalaureate sermon was delivered
on Sunday morning by Rev. Samuel
| Rodgers, d. D.. of Baltimore. His text
comprised the following selection from the
18th, chapter OF Bccle>iastes:
"Let us hear the conclusion Of the whole
matter: Fear God, and keep his command
ments; for this is the whole duty Of man.
For God shall bring every work into
| judgment, with every secret thing, whether
| 1t be good or whether it be evil"
The speaker set forth in some fullness the
fear of God as the true principle Of life.
The only sufficient law is the command
ment Of God. The elevation which the
fear of God and obedience gives to human
character and life was then exhibited. He
alluded to the fact that we are slow
| to accept the lessons OF experience. Dan
| lei counselled Solomon, but he would try
| for himself. Then, having tested all things
and found them vanity, he turns sage IN his
| old age and usters the words of the text.
The speaker founded upon this an exhorta-
| ton to accept the lessons OF experience,
and closed with an earnest appeal to his au-
dence to accept Christ as the only true
guide. The chapel was crowded with an
attentive audience, and much interest was
manifested in the. discourse. ....
At night Rev. DR.. Boorman, OF Harrison
| burg, delivered the sermon before the
| Young Mems Christian Association. His
discourse was an exhaustive explanation OF
the parable of the loaves and fishes, as re-
lated by St. John chapter 6, verse 8.
| Yesterday evening the banks OF the North
river were lined for more than mile with
an excited, eager crowd, impatient for the
annual boat-race, which was to be rowed at
half-past 6 o'clock between the representa-
tive crews Of the Harry-Lee and Albert
Sidney clubs. At 6 O'Clock the crews rowed
slowly past the judges stand to the start
ing point, two mites below.
The Abert-Siduey crew consists OF the
following: w. g. Kingsbury, captain and
stroke; W. D. Carter, port stroke; Ed. Ran
| dali, No. 4; w. M. McElwee, Nos q. e.
| Ge,zendanner, No. 9; CIV. Taylor, No. l.
| The Harry-Lee crew was as follows: George
Preston, captain and stroke; J. H. Ham!l-
ton, port stroke; W. S. Hopkins, No. g.;
George Taylor, No. 4; Ii. Il. Humill, No.
5; T. &. Barrett, No. g..
The boats are exactly alike. They are
made Of light cedar, iorty-three feet long,
and outraged. At the appointed time the
start was made, and the two boats shot for
ward through the water together; but after
a few strokes the footboard of the Albert
Sidney stroke was broken, and the Harry
Lees took the lead, coming in, amid the
deafening shouts OF the crowd, fully four
hundred yards ahead. Their time was 10
minutes and IA seconds. This crew is one
OF the best ever seen here. and while they
would have undoubtedly beaten the Albert
Sidney crew had the accident not occurred
to the latter, yet the race would have been
otherwise far more exciting and closely con-
tested.
Tonight the chapel was again crowded
with brilliant audience, ii being the oc-
casIon Of the Joint celebration OF the lite
rary societies.
Many, OF course, came to hear the
speeches; not, so, however, with the
Young ladies and gentlemen. At least,
il they did come for that purpose, they
very soon forgot their mission, and,
utterly obliyious OF the speakers on the
stage, spent their time in talking, wri-
ting notes, and eating candy. They have
students dressed up in sashes, badges, &c.,
and furnished with baton, whom they
/ call marshals, the sole business OF said
| marshals being, it seems, 10 carry notes for
the young ladies. They certainly performed
their work with commendable good nature.
Mr.. w. S. Currell, OF South Carolina, as
president OF the Graham Society, presented
the Debaters' medal to Mr.. W. F. Paxton,
OF Mississippi. Mr.. Henton Gordon, OF
Missouri, did the same kind office for Mr..
j. G. Tyson, Of Alabama, who received the
| Debaters' medal in the Washington Society.
Mr.. A. w. Marshall, of Kentucky, re-
!, ceived the Graham deelsimers' medal.
i Mr. Helm Bruce Of Kentucky, as orator
of the Graham, gave Us fine and very sem
!. sible speech. Mr.. j. D. Paxton, of Missis-
| sippi. was the orator for the Washington
| Society. 9. @.1t...
The Santini medaI-an elegant prize, the
! gift Of the late Mr.. G. Santini, of New Or
i leans.-was, presented by Rev. Or. Mutually
to MIR. K. r. Campbell for having written
the best essay during the session for publ
cation in the Southern ColLegian.
/ Mr. W. s. Currell. OF South Carolina, was
then presented with a medal-the gift OF
/ Messrs. Bell, Browne Co., Of Lynchburg-
Il for the second best essay in the Southern
4 Collegian. '@.t.
i Hon. John Randolph Tucker now came
4 forward, and calling for the crews that took
\ part in the race OF the evening, made q
beautiful and Welltimed address to them ms
\ they stood before bin, and presented to the
Il winning crew magnificent gold cup-the
gift OF the Episcopal Bishop of Maryland
winch is Kept from year to year by the vic
tors IN the annual races. MIR. Tucker then
presented in bis most graceful and happy
way very hands0mely-caryed silver boat
TO Mr. George Preston, OF the Harry-Le ZEE
CUB, as the best oarsman In the winning
crew This prize, which was also the cift
OF the generous and liberal minded Bishop
4 Piuckney. IA renewed paFh Teor anS ;e tho