Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-07-07
Letter from Bedford City.

BEDFoPD CITY, July 3d-A walk through
oid Liberty yesterday morring brought me
into coutac: with some Of Its cit zane. One,
whom | asked about the boom said bualness
was shout as brisk then Ii; wsa ahou: G.
"a y as it wa4 sll daY End that tbs boom had
sutsided. I enqured whether be thought
could get 500 worth OF stock for So be
thought could il waa in the humor for ic-
vcs,iDg, and I thiDk he was about to say
81 600 when he checked himself, The situs-
,ion of ihe place s superb, but Vir2inia is
rather too big country tc be converted Into
one sold Town and that is about what the
success OF all the booms would make 1t.
The cit z.ns didn't even seem to realizs that
She echool4 would help Liberty consldera-
bly,, az they undoubtedly will do. he told
me thst out OF congregation of loo persons
1no had butt pretty Catholic church here
some years ago, oclp 20 remained, the rest
nsd sl goOe to Roanoke.
To-day Superintendent Shepherd, of Flu
wanna county, msds sn aDle and eloquent
address On the duties OF school supetntend-
ents Principal Theodore ]. Wool, of Ports
mouth, read paper on the Teachers' Term
of Office in which be advocated elec.
tioos during good behavior, pension Is
for long service, and other changes more
likely to be Wished for than
obtained; Principal Pend'eton, o. R!ch-
maud, gave an instruction On Map Drawing,
and Superintendent Saundere, of Campbell,
made what vas announced io the PFC
gremme (lrdn9unced progIum By the &C.
vanced eGuca,ori) as "papar or Higher
Education Of Women," tut which was g
discourse on things educational 10 genera,
in which the present Board Of E iucation, 80
wsll as it's predecessors, was ari iaigned in
strong terms for neglect of duty In allowing
TOO many small echools to be established
ard providing few county high schools.
Superintendent Massey replied in an able
manuer, saying that be was usually accused
Of being Too diotatoria, and sometimes OF
as uming Authority he did not possess, but
ttst il these charges continued to ne made,
oe could call upon Superintendent Saunders
90 8 witness to the contrary. Papers on the
sutiect were then read by Superintendent
Bick, of Brunswick, and Rawis. of Isle of
Wight, and Mrso Bartko psks, OF the
programme for another, gave way to
Miss Cslesiia Parrish, of the same
| school, whoIsmads a strong speech In
while she strongly advocated oosducstion
and insisted that girls ought to be admitted
10 toe University Of Virginia and all the
State Institutions en- equal terms with the
boys Sac said che didn't wish to 90 to the
Military Institute but she advised the girls
present 10 stand up for their rights and they
would get at least portion OF them.
The effect of this speech upon some OF The
supe,intendents was far from pleasing, as 1t
showed bow rapidly the isms of the North
were penetrating Virginia, snd the feeling
wes not decreased by the remark OF Supt.
Massey that he had secured coeducstion In
tbs Miller School in Albemarle, which he
considered the bes. Institution In the State,
and that be saw no reason why he Unives-
sitv, sc should not be opened to women.
Nsediui School Legislation was the theme
OF Supt. Caskie, OF Nelson, at the night sss-
sion. ut which an able address on the came
sutj ct was also made 10y supt Hall, Of Fair
fox.
The speech of the evening, however, was
;het of Sult Staples, of Patrick, q genuine
orator of the mountaiDP. l. was cross be-
tween al old-fas5ioued 4:h Of July oratlon
ard political stump speech. His graphic
description of the psriis OF an examination
n "the free State of Patrick" where fifteen
women surroupded him. each demanding
that her uuqas i6ed daughter should have q
first grade certificate and school, brought
down the house, as did indeed many other
passages of his address. FIDELIs.