The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-12-06
The Deaf, Dumb and the Blind En-
stltution.

The Dear, DUMP anu Une Dtiuu Ii
stltution.
INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCIPAL-SOME
SPECIMEN TRANSACTIONS OF MIR. DAVIS
STEW ARDsHIP.--THE CAUSE OF THE
TROUBLES AT THE INSTITUTION.
The Vandicator of last week published
long interview with Mr.. Thos. 5. Davis,
late Steward of the d. d. & b. lnstltu-
ton, who was recently dismissed from that
office by the Board of Visitors. In that
interview MI. Davis charged that Tyranny,
arrogance, extravaganza, gross mismanage-
ment and extreme petty bossism. have
characterized the administration OF the
Institution during the past fifteen months,
and goes on to present a long list OF griey-
ances. In order that the public might have
both sides of the question,a reporter OF
the VIReINIAN called upon Mr.. G. ).
Roller, Principal of the Institution, with
whom the following interview was had.
TIE SOURCE OF THE TROUBLE.
Reporter you seen an article in
the local columns of the last Viadacator IN
which appears an interview OF one OF its
editors with Mr.. Thos. S. Davis, late
steward of the ID. d. & b. Institution =
If so, win you please state anything you
may be willing to say in connection there
with.
| Mr.. Roller.-I have, and would be as
+o,;sl,n1 ~ +J,o ,,,o,,x crooc n, iSranrnSpnt9-
tions made therein hy Mr.. Thos. S. Davis.
had not had ample opportunities of thor
oughly knowing the real character of the
man and did not comprehend his chagrin
and modification at being elected from an
Office by reason of his mismanagement of
its affairs and his established incapacity to
| fill the same While there is no occasion
for me TO take up cudgels in DR.. Vaughan s
behalf. in the squabbles between Mt. Davis
and himself, would observe in passing
that Mr. Davis writes himself in fault.
| At the very outset of his remarks, referring
to the difficulties between himself and DIR.
| Vaughan, he says, Myself and the matron
had mapped out a line of policy similar to
that pursued by the old management that
preceded us Does it not strike any SEN
sible man conversant with the respective
duties of the Principal, Steward and Ma
iron, us somewhat queer. to say the least
of it, that the Steward and Matron should
| ..map OUT any line OF policy. And right
| here lies the secret of all Mr.. Davis
troubles at the Institution-his inability
to understand that any body, Board Of
| Visitors, Principal or any one else, should
! have, or entertain disy policy with reference
! to the affairs of the Institution, that Mr..
| Davis did not dictate. In other words,
that any body should he SO wanting in in
telligence as not to comprehend that Mr..
Davis had Il fee-simple title to the Institu-
ton. and was absolute director of all its
affairs.
EXTRAvAGANcE MlsMANAGEMENT, &c.
Reporter observe that Mr.. Davis first
charge is of extravaganza during DR..
Vaughan S administration, as well as dur
ing yours, viz: That extra sessions of the
Board were called without cause; that
enormous quantities of whiskey and cigars
were consumed, and that the Institution
was turned into a free hotel for the enter
tainment Of political guests. What have
you say in regard to this?
Mr.. Roller was installed as Principal
of the Institution on the 1st of February,
1ss3-four months Of the fiscal year having
expired before my administration COM
menced. OF course, have no personal
knowledge of what transpired before that
time, such information as | may be able to
give having been derived from the minutes
of the Boar.i, and the documents belong
ing to the Institution. | am able to an
swer with reference to the occurrences
since February 1st. AS far as the convening
of the Board in extra session is concerned,
that is a matter for the Board alone to de-
termine. The only power to call an extra
session rests with the members of the
Board, and have no doubt that they ex-
ercised that power, according to their best
discretion. 1t is a matter. with which
neither principal nor steward has any
thing to do. may state, however, that
only two extra meetings of the Board were
held during the last fiscal year. one OF
which was for the purpose..of investigating
disagreements between the late principal,
DR.. Vaughan, and Mr.. Davis.
In regard to whiskey and cigars l am
sorry to say that there was an inordinate
| quantity of both these articles purchased,
| and certainly without any directions from
| me. and, rs far as | can learn, without any
! from DR.. Vaughan. The abstracts show
! that III the last fiscal year IS gallons of
whiskey. ut cost OF 22S2, and % boxes of
| cigars, at a cost of $67.25, had been pur-
chased by Mr.. Davis. There having been
purchased only 10 gallons Of whiskey and
4 boxes of cigars after became principal,
was totally ignorant of the remarkable
and extrayagant expenditure for these ar
ticles on the part Of the steward, until 1
came, in September, to distribute the
years expenses in order to lay before the
Board my annual report. At the annual
meeting of the Board, in October, l pre-
ferrea this as a serious charge against the
stewards management. In anticipation
of this being made public, he now comes
forward with the 'sbalderdashn that the
Board smoked all these cigars, drank some
| of the whiskey. and that the physician
| and the late matron, Mrs. Preston, used
the remainder. Now, let us see. The ac-
counts submitted by Mr.. Thos. S. Davis
disclose the fact that seyenty-three gallons
of whiskey. at cost of ,S244, were pur-
| chased on account of the Institution from
| the first day of October, 1882, to the first
day of January. 1854 period of three
months. On the Goth day Of January, 1888,
there was an inventory taken of the fur
niture and supplies belonging to the Insti-
tuition by Messrs. Lipscomb and Gushing,
in which find Mr.. Davis reporting only
30 gallons of whiskey in his storeroom.
This makes 43 gallons of whiskey used in
3 months and 20 days. During this time
there had been but two meetings of the
Board, and Mrs. Preston had been matron
leo days. Admitting, for the moment, that
the Board used three gallons at each of it's
meetings-the fabulous quantity that he,
says was used by them at one of their
sessions-are we to understand that 81 gal
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