Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-06-03
''AULD LANG sYNEr REPLIES TO tx.
[For the SPECTATOR. I


your paper, says: 'eYour correspondent
'Auld Lang Syne' has Numbered in several
particulars. He ('Auld Lang Syne') at
tributes to gentlemen referred to by him
the foundation of the Virginia Female In
stitute under the auspices ST the Episcopa-
lians, and says their example was followed
by the Presbyterians, Methodsts, &c. The
fact is the Augusta Female Seminary was
founded first, in 1912, and chartered by
the Legislature in 1S44-5. The Associa-
ton had nothing to do with it, ercept indi-
uidually to oppose i.''
This statement is not only uncharitable,
but incorrect The writer of ssX'' is prob,
ably too young to have any personal knowl-
edge of the matter of which he is writing,
and rashly ventures an assertion which he
cannot sustain by evidence.
Does the writer of ''X" know the Cir
cumstances and agencies by which the title
to the lot which the Augusta Female Semi
nary stands was acquired? The writer of
this paper does happen to have personal
knowledge of them, and he hopes the re-
cital of them will satisfy even the author
of "X' that he has "blundered' in several
particulars.
The writer does not recollect accurately
the date of the events he is about to relate,
but it was probably between 1888 and 1887.
It was during the time that Rev. Mr.. Ste
venson was Pastor of the Presbyterian
church in Staunton. He was a gentleman
Of pleasing manners an. social habits, Of
ten visiting at the houses of gentlemen
who were not of his church. On one occa-
sion he spent the evening at the house of
the author of ''Auld Lang Syne." In the
course of conversation, reference was made
to the prospects of his church, and, in that
connection, the writer urged upon Mr..
Stevenson the propriety of purchasing, as
an addition to the church property, the adj
iacent half-acre lot, on which the Augusta
Seminary now stands. 1t was then the
property of David w. Patterson, Esq, and
had been used as u backyard, and was
very much cut up and disfgured. Mr..
Stevenson thought it would be a very valu-
able acquisition, but expressed himself
hopeless of beng able to raise the money
70 pay the price, which was $500. The
writer replied, that nothing could be done
without trying, and said to Mr. Stevenson,
that if he would consent to give four hours
of his time on the following day to the eff
Mr. Stevenson joyfully assented, saying he
would willingly give not only four hours,
but four aceeks of his time, to accomplish
so desirable result.
The writer then prepared a subscription
paper, binding the subscribers to pay the
sums opposite their respective names, TO be
applied to the purchase Of the Patterson lots
and headed the list himself with subscrip-
ton of $40. He also gave Mr.. Stevenson
memorandum of nineteen other person,
to whom he should apply for subscriptions
of similar amounts.
On the following day, Mr.. Stevenson
made his calls on the gentlemen named,
and in a few hours came to the writer re-
.joicing and stated that every individual
named on his mem orandum had subscribed
the 500 indicated, except hlr. Edward Val
entine, who gave SO and apologized for
not giving $40, because he was then en-
gagged in making large expenditures on the
house on the hill, which he had recently
bought, but some years afterwards sold to
Judge L. P. Thompson. But Mr.. Steven
son remarked, that Mrs. Gen. Blackburn,
who then lived where Mr.. R. H. Catlett
now resides, had made good the deficiency
in Mr. Valentines subscription by making
hers $50 instead Of $50.
If this paper be still in existence, Or
there be any record Of it among the archives
Of the church or the Seminary, the writer
hazards little ir saying that the names of
VIM. Kinney, N. C. Kinney, Jefferson
Kinney Thomas J. Niche, Alex. H. H.
Stuart, Francis 7. Stribling, James Points.
Mrs. Anne Blackburn Edward Valentine,
Briscoe G. Baldwin, and John c. Sewers
will be found among those who subscribed
to it.
1t thus appears that the gentlemen who
are represented as having nothing to do
with the Augusta Female Seminary, except
Individually 10 oppose it, actually contrib
uted the greater part Of the money to buy
the lot on which it stands!
1t is doubtless true that the Augusta
Female Seminary was commenced at an
earlier date than the Virginia Female In
stitnte. And the writer has personal
knowledge Of the fact, that some of the
gentlemen above named gave material aid
to the Rev. Mr.. Bailey in erecting the first
building on the Patterson lot.
But at that time It was notorious, that
there was no purpose Or expectation on the
part of the founders of the school to estab-
lIsh anything more than local school As
the corporate name, "The Augusta Fe-
male Seminary" implied it was to be a
school for the education of girls of Staun-
ton and Augusta county, and dependent on
local patronage.
The original purpose Of the 'Virginia
Female Institute" looked to much wider
results. 1t was proposed to give to it
somewhat of a collegiate character and to
draw patronage from all parts of the State
and from other States. Such was its mis-
sion from its inception, and it was hoped
that it would thus tend t. build ~ the ma
terial interests Of the town; and no one
can deny that it has done so.
Other denominations have since followed
the example Of the Virgiuil Female Insti-
tute in enlarging their original plans and
extending the theatre Of their operations,
until, by their conjoint efforts. they have
made Staunton famous as the centre of fe-
male education in the South 1t was Ill no
invidous, but as an historical fact, that
''Auld Lang Syne" said that other denom-
nations followed the example of the Viz
GINA Female Institute in elevating them
selves to the plane of collegiate schools.
Will 1'X'' tell the public what sort of
school the Augusta Female Seminary was
until Miss Baldwin took charge of it? Was
it anything more than mere local school?
Was it not her great executive talent and
broad, liberal, and enlightened views which
ensured its succe S, and stamped it with its
collegiate character?
And so it has been with the Methodist
and Lutheran schools since they fell under
the control OF their present principals. The
public will judge whether "Auld Lang
Syne' or his critic 'blundered''
Nor has ''X'' been more fortunate in his
second criticism.
He says: 'Nor could the Association of
1897 have anything TO do with the erection
of the Virginia Hotel, which was bulls
some years afterwards by the efforts of the
late NJ G. Harman.''
It will be seen that s'X'' assumes that
as the Association of gentlemen referred
to by "Auld Lang Syne" originated in
1887, its operations were limited to that
year, and this in the face of the assertion of
''Auld Lang Syne," that 1t continued in e:c-
istence for q number Of gears!
"Auld Lang Syue" did not affirm that
the ASSOCIATION erected the Virginia HOTEL
any more than that they built the D., D.
& 3. Institution, or constructed the Park
ersburg road.
What he affirmed was. that they dis
cussed, digested, and put into shape the
scheme for building it, He now reiterates
that assertion, and begs to add that all, or
nearly all, the members subscribed $500