Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-02-27
THE AUGUSTA WASHINGTON IL LEE
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION,
Reunion and BANQUET,


ING. GOOD SENSE, WIT AND HUMoR.
In accordance with previous announcement
a re- union of the Augusta Alumni of Washing
ton d Lee University was held on last Friday
evening at Jesser's Pariors, on Frederick ST..
where delightful banquet was given them By
the Stanton Alumni OF that Institution. The
occasion was in every respect an enjoyable
one. There we're some ffty-odd present. in
Guiding some of the representatives OF the
Board of Trustees and Faculty of Washington
d Lee University. and other invited guests
They assembled at 5o'clock and were not dis
missed till IL O'Clock p m. After the stump
tuous banquet of delicious edibles, there was an
Intellectual feast which was even more eaJoy-
able.
In the absence, in consequence of sickn ess ,Oi
Judge John Howard McCue the President Of
| the Association. Capt. T. c. Morton presided
He delivered an appropriate address of well
come to the guests as follows:
FelloWs and Friends:
TINS happy occasion, this suspicious assem-
blage, is one which have long hoped for.
| TO see the a, umui of the grand oid college
meeting together and doing honor to her and
revlvtns the proud memories o. The past is a
pleasure in which We all heartily share and
speaking for the Alumni of of our city. most
cordially bid you welcome. We come, fellow
| Alumni of old Augusta, behind the rampant 8
founder felt in those old revolutionary days
| that, guaIded by Augusta patriots. the cause
| OF liberty and right would De safe welcome.
| Trustees of our Alma Mater. and welcome,
| the delegation from her Faculty. who have
| made us glad by their presence mere to night.
| none of whom have grown White in her service
| and have devoted their lives to us and our
| sons and God spare them to do as much 70
| the sons OF our sons. Welcome. our honored
guests; welcome all to our festal board to-
night aud may this gathering of the old boys
fnF n fkRnir frfa uivyao sod
ries OF those who have dropped outofline many
OF them fallen in the forefront of battle, and
post of duty. May this gathering, still 1 say.
oring with 1t many pleasant recol. ectious of
happy college days; may It revive old friend
ships almost forgot; may it bring us to thank
Goa that SO many OF US have been spared, SO
many blessed, and finally, may our interest in
the dear old college be so revived and our zeal
SO quick emf ed as TO cause many of our youths
to turn their faces toward her as TO the Mecca
of knowledge, and may her halls be filled with
the best and truest youths of our land who
shall send her name in honor down the ages.
After his address, he read letters from
! some who had been invited expressing their
regrets that they could not be present. among
| whom were Hon. A. H. H. Stuart, Judge VIM.
Mclaughlin Gen. G. W. z. Lee and Prof, Har.
| ris of Washington & Lee University, Maj. Ri
| ley, of Halifax, G. H, Jonathan Koiner. of
Waynesboro, and Col. Chas. S. Venable, of the
University of Virginia. He then, In their or
der announced the sentiments proposed to be
offered on that occasion and the names OF tbs
parties who were expected to speak upon
| them:
1.-THE BOARD OF TRUsTEEs-the Watchmen
on Ioloers. Right men in the right place.
| To this Judge Jas. K. Edmondson respond
| ed as follows:
| Mr.. President and Members Of the augusta ".
& L. Alumni association;
am happy for the privilege of uniting with
you in this social reunion. But regret. that
some one more competent is not expected to
respond to the toast just read.
For pluck and administrative ability. the
Board of Trustees of Washington & Lee are in
comparable. When in 1865 (the alarms of war
having ceased) the Board convened to canvass
take counsel together, whether to reopen her
halls of learning to the youth OF the land, The
Institution was found to be in financial straits
her endowment ost and worthless to great
extent; her library and scieulific apparatus
scattered aud INITIATED by venal hands, and
her buildings in decay. Unuaunted by this
state of affat is. the Board with the pluck of d
Spartan, decreed that the Institution should
be re opened, and began casting about for a
President Pending Inc considerations MEM
Der arose with eyes flashing with The excite
ment and lips tremrlibg with the emotioJ OF
the big thought eager Tor expression. and pro-
poeeG Gen. Robert q. Lee Tor President II STA
ceIe y regret that indspos ton enfOrcts his
absence TO night) For moment the Bnard
were DAG, d-lhe propusltfon seemed the height
| q! esumption-it seemed incredible that one
who stood q Klng among men. whose great
name and fame were then sou ud1ng around
he ear th in peHus of admiration, wOul. Tor a
momeut consider such a proposition and es-
peciaily ioi such a meegre salary as the I'M
posertshed condition of the Institution ould
give Soon, however, ne Inenoer caught the
inspiration of the mover, aid Gen. Lee was
| invited 10 the Presideucg.
| Having assumed the tremen dous- RESPONSE
| oilIty "a the tace OF a depetrd treasury, the
| Board began tU consider the ways and means
| tor putting "bhe house III order" for the open
4 Sol rin ffl N dAFlt
| and Academic SAT- were 10 be provided, build
| ings and rounds put IN respectable and nab
| liable condition library collected and apparatus
| renewea, and many other things requisite. in
| volvink large expenditures. How and where
| was The money To be gotten? was the question.
| me exhaustive civil war had left everybody
| comparatively pdor-there was no money. AT
last upon the credit of the Individual men,
| bers a loan was negotiated in neighboring
| town. Yes Mr.. President, the funds that en-
| abled Washington College to regain her feet
after The war were kindly furnished by bank
| OF this city.
| But not to weary wi tn detail. Upon Gen. r.
| E Lees assuming the Presidency, the Board
| called around him a corps OF eminent educa-
| tors, legisated for q broad and liberal course
| of instruction, inaugurated schemes for rails
| ing an endo wment. and with energy almost
| superhuman guided by unexamped adminis-
| Irativs skill pressed forward overcome every
difficulty and obstacle (and they were many,
and laid the foundation of the College-broad
rounding-and to day Washington & Lee Uni
versiJy. with her splendid corps OF educators,
| Of learning, with her library of 10000 vo umes.
| with her scientific apparatus complete In ev.
cry particular, and with her magnificent en-
| dowment of over half million dollars. stands
| forth pre- eminent, like "AncleDt Rome upon
| her seven hills" at once the light and JOY OF
| the whole country, and the proud monument
of the building of this piucky Board ofTrustees.
| Mr.. President, every institution Is largely
dependent for its patronage on the Loyalty and
| influence or Its alumni. l am gratided at this
| exhibition OF the loyalty on the part of the
| Augusta Alumni of Washington & Lee for its
Alma Mater. With the lever OF loyal Alumni
at work all over the land and especially IN
| this southland OF ours, there could be little
room to doubt that soon the classic halls of
Washington q Lee would resound with the
tread OF thousand students.
| 2. THE FACULTY OF WAsHISGToK & LEE
| Guides, Philosophers and FTienGs-We honor
them as tCorthy opponents Of their high calling
This toast was responded to Prof. James ].
| White He said that he claimed every college
bred man as brother. and an alumnus of
| Washington & Lee He felt 1t was good to be
present on such occasion, to renew loyalty
to their alma mater. He dwelt at some length
on the influences of tradition and said 1t ruled
the world, and that institutions that forgot
their traditions are already decadent that
law and craftsmanship grew ont OF tradition
that our liberties were tracesble to the tradI-
tions of an inconsiderable people.
The Faculty, he said, was a voluminous sub
mense. After the war, the old Trustees sur
veyed the situation, and proved adequate TO
the occasion. They needed money, and TO OBJ.
tain it,thsy pledged their individual credit for
; $1,000 and thus got up a boom for the Institu-
: ton. There is now remarkable boom In
property In that county, and stocks are selling
, ON the streets of Lexington as la Wall street
New York. The Campbells went forth, and
the present remarkable boom is the logical re-
suit OF the Educational Board,
The Faculty is a bard-Torkiog body. 1t Is
/ their busine to bore siudouts, aud tne stu
3 dents admit that they attend to their busne S
The discipline Is strict, but it is beneficial, as
: the hardest grinding makes the finest grIst.
: The history of that institution spans the his.
1 tory ofthis country, ard Its administration is
, heroic, Il gives So 900 yearly in aid of stu
dents. and no man is allowed to leave that In
atitution for W mt of money. %e