The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-30
DANVIIIE.

A GREAT SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION REM
NISCGNCE OF HON. MATT. CLAY-TuE MON
UMENT OVER THE GRAVE OF MRS. CLAY; A
PECULIAR EPITAPH-THE CROPS AND RAIN.
Correspondence OF the Richmond Dspltch.l
July %. 1881.
A Sunday school convention was held at
Oak-Grove church on yeseI day and the day
before. Apart from the business Of the
Convention, IL was TO all lntents and pur.
poses a Sunday-schoOl picnic Of two days
duration. Reports were received from
tWentV.lhrec scbOOls-SOme from H1iflX,
some from this cOunty-frOm which |
gather that there had been about 1 800
scholars enrolled during the past year,
that the average attendance was about
60 per cent. Of the enrolment, the number
of conversions ~, the amount paid in for
Sunday.scboOl purposes about 1850. The
banner was conferred upon the ArbOr
school, OF Halifax county, its percentum OF
attendance having been SO, and in repre-
Senting the committee which settled the
banner question a beautiful speech was
made by Mr.. Matthew Wood, Richmond
College student from this county, and in
accepting the banner Mr.. Z. Il. Sutherlin,
Jr, made an appropriate reply. This
school has twice won this banner.
oktttUtN uliUu FtNNl a. Duuhdl- 0tnhOi
tones were made by Mr.. &. Il. Sutherlin, Sr.,
Rev. William Slate, and Professor Thomas
+. Barksdale. all of Halifax; by Rev. f. b.
billiard, Captain =. G.. Kesee, Professor G.
f. Barnes, and Farmer Edwards, OF Pitt
sylv3nia; Major l.. Scruggs, OF Chatham;
Captain John b. Anderson, Of Danvlle;
and MaiOr A. q. Smith, Of Bethel Academy.
The plc.n part of the convention was the
feaSting during the receSses, the speech
making to select audiences under the trees
and IN carriages and buggieS, and the gene
raj enjoyment in every way OF a twO.days'
holiday. At night the immense crowd OF
visitors 0he whole crowd shout one thou
sand) was divided out amongst the hOspita-
bic people OF the neighbOrhood, and the
enjoyment OF the day was continued till a
late hour OF the night. And thus this Sun
day- School Convention, which has been held
year after year for several years as an eX-
pertinent, has by general consent been pro-
nOunced an established institution.
Yesterday morning Mr.. George w. Jones,
of Chestnut Level, invited several OF bis
visitors to see the buriaI.place OF Mrs. Mat
thew Clay, wife OF Hon. Matt. Clay, who
was for many years leading citizen in all
this country. Ii is said that Sir. Clay was
at one time beaten for Congress 10y Rev.
John Kerr, and that Mr.. Kerr did himself
no good BY running against him. Mr.. Kerr
aud Mr.. Clay married sisters, the daughter
OF Mr.. Williams, who, the people used to
say. was distinguished as soldier in the
Revolutionary war. Over the grave OF Mrs.
Clay is monument OF rock ten feet by six
and SIX feet high, put together OF pieces OF
stone from the neighborhoOd, and 50 built
as TO be Of it, ancient form, though no NOR
M, nil la IL n cta al Of ma
bic three feet by seven. The engraving on
this Slab il remarkable for two thiUgs-be-
cause 1t does not mention the name OF the
mother of Mrs. Clay, he diSliking his mo- !
and because il gives some items
in the history OF Mrs. Clay which people |
nOW.a.days deem 1t indicate 20 speak OF
Here is the epltaph
"In memory OF Mary, Daughter Of Joseph |
Williams, who was born 10Th June, no. |
On the Atm of December, l71S, she was mar |
ried 10 Matthew Gay. On Sunday the 22d |
Of November, 1889, she was delivered OF !
Daughter named Sally Green" (Shc was |
burned in the theatre, at Richmond, in |
1917 son Saturday the 10 h OF May, 1892, |
he was delivered OF Son named Joseph.
On Thursday the Goth Of March, 1894, she |
was delivered Of a Son named Matthew. On |
5 .turdly he 18th OF December, 1I05, sac |
was delivered OF a Daughter named Polly |
Williams, and on Saturday the 25h OF
March, 1898, she died in child bed, much
amented." Il give the capitals as they are.)
The corn and tobacco IN all the Oak.
Grove region had been suffering much from
brought. A heavy shower came down
IpOn some OF those who left that region
yesterday, and heavy-lOaded corn
wagons" passed In that direction. Corn
'alher shrIyelled; tobacco uneven aud
oXy. ALPHA.