Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-05-31
Meeting OF the American Institute Of
Mining EngineerS.


The meeting was called to order by Maj. Jei
Hotehksss, whereupon Hon. VIM. L. Balthis
the Mayor of our city, introduced Hon. A. Il
H. Stuart as the citizen who had been Sc
lected to deliver The address of welcome. May
or Balthis. addressing the President and mem
bers of the Institute, spoke as follows:
Mr. President and members of the american In
stttute Of Mining Engineers:
From whatever quarter may come nose e,a wns
| welcome them all; but to you, gentlemen, WI
especially desire to show our appreciation y
place in which to hold your present session.
assure you Of q cordial welcome, and, In thu
name Of our citizens, extend every privilege
most distinguished citizens. one who, while II
the Councils Of his country. labored for the ma
terial welfare of every:section. loved and hon
the wishes of his people, has consented to ad
| dress you.
Ipledge you that whatev recruitment he may
utter will meet the endorsement of all TO
| whom he speaks.
/ Upon being introduced, Hon. A. b. 81. Stuar
delivered the address of welcome as follows:
Gentlemen of the American Institute Of Mining
I have been commissioned by my fellow-citi
| zens of Staunton to tender to you, in their be
half, q cordial welcome to our little city Of the
mountains. To this official greeting. hope
may be allowed to add my personal saluta
Without enquiring whether you come from
from the West, we welcome you as brethren, al
| citizens of our common country, which, We
trust, is to remain through all future time one
the ligaments of the Constitution, but by the
closer ties Of common interests and mutual az
lection.
| ton as heralds Of progress; as the represent
atives OF that spirit OF Investigation. which
| has done 30 much to extend the boundaries OF
i LEDGE tn 0i 70 md
activity o the Industries OF our people
We hail your advent as the beginning of q
presence among us win lead to important prac-
| tical results in stimulating the development of
the physic resources Of Virginia.
| Providence has given us q country rich in all
the elements OF wealth and prosperity. Many
| of these lie buried In the bosom Of the earth.
eraosst by o6servstion and 'a study o,
the laws and processes of Nature, to bring
these hidden treasu es to light. ard make them
| tributary to the comfort of man.
1t has been said that agriculture 10 the great
| interest on which all other interests Of human
society depend In limited sense this is true !;
but the proposition ts subject to qualifications
and conditions. I believe it would be more
correct to say that mining is the primary In
dustry, which is essential to the success Of ev-
cry OF er interest and occupation of the hui
man family. Without the useful metals, there
| could be no extensive and effective system of
| OF all the implements by which the various
processes Of agriculture are conducted. With
out metals manufactures and commerce would
necessarily langui-h. Metals enter largely In
| to the products Of our workshops, and supply
| the materials of most of the tools OF the me
nrod1ca Of he mne Whe
and copper, are among the most valuable sub
jects Of commerce, they are also essential in
safe and speedy transportation of all other
commodities by land and by sea! Nor must 1t
f9rs9tten that by the common ala law Of the
constitute the standard of value, and are re-
cognized as the medium by which all the OPP
erations of commerce are carried on.
Am not then justified in assigning to your
noble profession high position among the
| avocations Of men? Can there be any pursuit
| more worthy of the loftiest aspirations of &c
| MUS than thai which brings the human mind
| into such close communion with the laws Of
Natures works. to that OF Natures God!
have often been struck with the tendency
upon objects which are fami. lar and practical
and to occupy itself with others which are re-
mote and specu alive.
wonder Of the accounts which travellers give of
| the huge prehistoric monuments which are
countries, which witnessed the earliest dawn.
| ings If civilization.
THESE are the works of human hands, and
| successive generations have tasked their facul-
ties to discover the purposes for which they
were erected, and to interpret the meaning OF
| the hieroglyphics which are inscribed upon
them.
THIS is a laudable emp 'oyment Of the human
faculties, and we delight to honor men like
dedicated large portions of their lives to the
calculation of these mysteries.
And yet, strange to say; we have around u.s.
range of vision from any of Our surrounding
hills, monuments of far more stupendous gran
pared with which the forty centuries which
have looked down from the Pyramids of Egypt
| are as yesterday Yes, here within view stands
loft 1fat
the Almighty himself and covered by signs
| and symbols inscribed by his hand. Yet. by
incapacity to understand their meaning, W.
emotion.
You, gentlemen, are the Champollions and
LIZARDS to whom we must look for an inter
probation of the mysteries of these mountains,
fb tho o. az
But must forbear from pressing this line Of
| thought further, and turn to other topics.
| stand before you, gentlemen, the connecting
| link between the present and past. I have
outlived two generations of my feIlow-men.
| My recollection of events. therefore. reaches
| back more than half q century, and can as
sure you that the world in which we now live
or even OF my early manhood. Then railways
| were unknown, and the most expeditions and
comfortable mode of land travel was by stage
| coach.
Steam had recently been introduced as a mo-
| tive power on boats on our rivers. but re
member well that as late as 1884 or 1886 the dis
,ingnished ir. Lardner delivered lecture in
practicable to apply steam to ocean naviga-
ton. But, unfortunately for his reputation as
first to bring his lecture to this country.
Then the average time for voyage across
/ the Atlantic was four weeks, and It was often
prolonged to two or three months.
II any one had then suggested the idea OF
Harvesting the Lightning of Heaven. making
it subservfent to the conveniences OF man, as =
/ Of his tbnuVbfs n m nj od
| the possibility of Transmitting the human voice
along wire TO distant points, by the Tele-
tied up for indefinite time. and hen be re,
leased to vtbrate on the eass Of another gener-
ation-or. II the mind Of any one had conceived
| the idea Of educating the sun to become the
most accurate of all delineators OF landscape
and of the human face. he would. undertaking.
y. have been adjudged a suitable subject for a
Then ali the implements of agriculture were
Of the rudest character. The improved pillow,
and many others. which are now regarded as
indispensable, were then unknown. Our wheat
crops were sown broadcast d, by hand and our
die, and threshed out by the fail or the tramp
ing Of horses. Many OF the appliances now
deemed essential to domestic comfort then had
Now SO it was with all the other departments
OF human industry. Machinery for manufac-
| and imperfect character. All commodities
were conveyed to market by wagons, and when
the cost OF prOduct1On and transportation was
deducted from the price received. there was
but small sum left to reward the toll of the
farmer or mechanic.
1t would tax your patience too far to enumer-
ate, even the various articles now deemed to
be of prime necessity, which were utterly an
known to our fathers.
| Truly. we live In an age of progress! When
turn my thoughts to this retrospect of the last
half century, and venture to look TO the future
my mind is dazzled by the brightness of pic
lures which rise before 1t, and am forced to
exclaim who can venture to predict what the
/ next half century may bring forth!
| Whatever 1t may be, hazard nothing in say
Inc that no small part ofits achievements will
be due to men of your profession. Permit me
| then, to thank you in advance for what am
sure you will accomplish, and again to tender
to you in behalf Of my feilow.citizens, a cordi-
| al welcome to our city.
To Mr.. Stuart's address of welcome, Mr.. Will
liam Metcalf, of Pittsburg. Pa, President OF
the American Institute of Mining Engineers
responded as follows:
1t gives me the greatest pleasure, sir, to thank
you In behalf Of this Institute for your cordial
words of welcome.
OF a cordial welcome we were assured before
we came here, for hospitality to the stranger is
| the history Of Virginia from the foundation OF
l this great Commonwealth. Theref0ro vOur