Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-07-26
Letter from Bedford City.

Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette-J
BEDFORD CITY, Va, July 23.-The
annual conference of the city and coun-
ty superintendent of schools and of the
Virginia Teachers Association closed
last night. 1t was a very pleasant,
though not very profitable meeting,
the crowd being too great for the proper
transaction of business by the former
and the absence of several eloquent
speakers detracting somewhat from the
interest of the latter. 1t has been dc
cided to hold superintendent confer
ences hereafter in Richmond and III
winter, as was the case until recently.
The address of welcome by Hon. John
Goode, a native of this place, was an
excellent one, and State Superintcnd-
ent Massey made Il very appropriate re-
ply, ut the conclusion ofwhich eX-State
Superintendent John l.. Buchanan was
loudly called for and responded with
his usual grace and good sense.
There were number of good papers
and reports read, but the proceedings
were much married by the introduction
on the part of two highly educated and
able female teachers, one from the ie-
male normal school and the other from
Portsmouth, of extreme views on high
er female education, strongly tinctured
with the absurd claims usually known
as woman's rights. Most of the super
intendents were displeased at this, and
Supt. Staples, of Patrick, answered
them in an amusing satirical speech,
which, like all his efforts, called down
the house. 1t is much to be regretted
that such sentiments should be instilled
into our young lady teachers at the
normal school or elsewhere. The con-
tagion will spread, and like all other
isms which have recently been import
ed from the North and West, will make
innovations upon our social customs by
no means desirable. A Virginia lady
is the queen of her household,
the superior, not the equal of
man, in all that goes to make life
pleasant and profitable, and no true
Virginian wishes to degrade her to the
level Bipartisan politics. She can best
reform social and political evils by her
influence upon her husband, her sons
or her brothers, not by descending into
the political arena and losing their re-
spect
The exhibit of school work from
which selection is to be made for the
Chicago Exposition is very large and
fine; all the cities but Lynchburg,
which was the winner Of the first prize
last year, and nearly all the counties
were represented, some of them by 4
very large amount of matter. Peters
burg got the first prize and Portsmouth
the second, for most complete city ex-
hibits, having gone to such trouble and
expense in placing their work in hand
somely bounds volumes as fully enti-
tied them to precedence. Richmond
made q good showing especially in
maps, and Staunton had a very snowy
exhibit. Alexandria and Fredericks-
burg both showed up well, but with less
work, while Norfolk had the least.
noticed that the maps drawn by Masters
Robcy. Warficld and Evans, Of Washington
School. No. /, and McAIistcr, of No. =, had
been mounted in Richmond, presumably for
sending to Chicago. The people WHO came TO
see the work WERE evidently, not instructed
in high art, for they all passed by the spcci-
mems from our art school and admired the
drawing sent by Lee School.
Superintcndcuts Brown, Of Petersburg. and
Carne of Alexandria, and Principal Pendlc-
ton Of Richmond were the committee on
county exhibits, and gave the first place to
those of Rockingham, the second TO those of
Roanoke and the third to those of Norfolk.
1t was OF COURSE impossible TO examine close
ly hundred set of papers, so the awards
were made upon the completeness and gem
cral appearance of the exhibits. FIDEhTs.