National Republican., 1883-05-18
IYNcuRuRG NEWS.

Effect OF the Recent school Decisions
and MechanicaI--An Inspection Tour
Mining Engineers.
Special Dispatch.
LYNoHBURG, VA, May 17.--Tho decision
Last Monday of tho court Of appeals of tho
state, sitting in Richmond, confirming the re-
cent appointment by Gov. Cameron of tho
new public school board of Richmond cityl
and displaciug the old board, does not effect
the TOOL board of this city, nor, in fact, Of
only few in the state. 1t has, however,
produced considerable feeling and discussion
because of the fact that two OF the new board
are colored people, which is the first instanc,
of that race ever having been appointed to
any such position in any of our public
schools, and of course 1t gives great dissati
faction to the whites, who oppose anything
like mixed schools
When the public schools Of the state first
commenced, some fourteen years ago, not on y
were the members of all the boards, but aII
of the teachers in both the white and ctloted
schools, were whites, both male and female.
This was rendered indspensably necessary
at that timo because, in addition to prejudice
of race, illiteracy among the negroes was
almost universal, and competent teachers Of
that color were nowhere to be found among
Ine nAtlNo pOpulaIlOH, anu 10 nave lupOTteu
them from distance would have been i'm
polite, if not impossible. But now vast
deal of this prejudice has been removed, aud
there are colored teachers In many of the
coored schools, especially in the cities, aud 1t
has become to be the general opinion OF the
best informed white teachers as well as our
wisest citizens that in future colored
teachers should be appointed in all the
colOred schools where they can be
found competent, aud this can now
be easily done from the graduating classes la
almost every portion OF the state. Ihis
policy will doubtless be generally observed
hereafter, for it is not only wise and just in
itself to the colored race that they should
teach their own children when competent TO
do so, because naturally having more of a fell
low feeling and interest in that direction than
the opposite race can possibly have but such
policy is also more consistent with the views
and feelings of both races, whose general
sentiments aud prejudices are firmly set
against mixed schools of either color or sex.
White teachers have heretofore been chosen
simply from necessity on the one hand and
extreme poverty aud want on the part of the
teachers who have accepted such service.
The democrats held their mass meeting
Monday night and made their nominations
for city council and aldermen, and appointed
| their delegates to the July state convention.
The meeting was quite large and spirited, and
| the nominations seem to give pretty general
satisfaction to the party, though there is
some growing among some of the disap-
| pointed.
Tho readjuster coalitionists will probably
| hold their meeting and make their nomina-
tions on Friday night next, and thor ticket
| is expected to be q strong one in at least two
of the wards where the fight is expected to be
| the hardest In the third ward Mr.. William
Miller, democrat. has declared himself an in
| dependent candidate for council, because he
| pl nj IN baya ham hadly trpate1 Inv hiQ old
party, and as he is quite strong it is not i'm
| probable that he will bo taken up and sup
ported by the read busters, and most probably
elected as one of their ticket. Capt Charles
| w. Statham, the wheel horse of the readjus-
tors here, will certainly lead his ticket in the
| first ward.
The executive committee Of the Lynchburg
Agricultural and Mechanical society met
here last night with President Graham, of
| Wythe, presiding. Tho attendance of MEM
bers was full. 1t was decided that the fair
be held on the twenty-fourth, twenty fifth,
| and twenty-sixth of October the week pre-
ceding the Richmond state fair, and all neces-.
sary committees were appointed to arrange to
make it great success rs it was last year
when IL made money and brought 10000
people to our city full of life and money.
In few days Mr.. George L. Tyler, presi-
dent +. /. Kimball, vice president, of Phila-
delphia, and other prominent officials of the
Norfolk aud Western, and the Shenandoah
railways, will commence an inspection tour
over these roads, starting from Hagerstown,
| Nd, thence to Pocahontas and Roanoke, and
thence through Lynchburg to Norfolk. These
roads are two of the most important in the
state, with several local branches which add
immensely to their freight, and have greatly
developed the mineral resources of this Sec
| tion of the state. The management of these
roads under their present officials has been
very successful and popular with our people,
and any change in their administration
would be much regretted. The board of
visitors have been rendered an old Virginia
reception by the chamber of commerce of
Petersburg and other points as they pass over
| the line.
Next month tho American Institute Of
Mining Engineers will visit this city to hold
its session, and yesterday tho committee,
heretofore appointed by our citizens for the
| purpose, met and took all necessary steps
| looking to the proper entertainment of visit
| ing members of the institute. To make their
stay as agreeable as possible, a committee was
appointed to tender to them banquet to be
held the evening Of the day of their arrival
| In this city. The meeting is expected TO be
Of great interest and Importance as connected
with the geological and Typographical advan-
tages of this section of vi ginia, which are
| just now attracting SO much and widespread
attention all over the country, as well as in
Europe, among enttrprising minds.
| q