Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-06-26
DOCTORS DISAGREE.
LYON a. TYLER REPLIES 70 TOM
pAoL-Mec HANlCs' INSTITUTE.
r,rss sure,stious and FIRST Actions Fuiiy
Dtscussed--Records Quoted and Orig
inai Documents Introduced.
III ,be Edi,or of The Dispatch i.

To the Editor of the Dispatch
Tread with astonisbment the letter OF
DIR. Thomas Nelson Page III your issue
of June 10Th on tho subject Of his re-
cent address before the Mechanics In
stitute. DIR. Page then claimed that he
was the first to suggest" the reorgan-
ization of the old Mechanics Institute,
and that "we carried out his suggcs-
lions" In my letter Of May DIST / I'M
dertook TO relieve him OF this impress
sion by stating that neither MIR. Howard
nor myself. when we set to work IN the
snmmer and fall OF 1884, knew that Dr:
Thomas n. Page had ever opened his
lips upon the subject. Instead OF al once
promptly and generously qualifying MS
language, so far, at least, as AIR. HOW
ard and myself we're concerned, no mas
chosen without directly denyip my
statement TO make me out as knowing
fact which | have emphatcally dis
claimed. "President Tyler" he says,
..is mistaken, else he was most success
ful in keepi' g himself i'll the back.
ground" AMI. to support this unkInd
and unjust mode of attack, he has sought
10 drag Captain George Ainslie, Captain
Thomas Elicit. and even Mr.. Overton
Howard to his support by telling the
world that the two former were
more efficient friends of the in
stitute than myself, and that the
latter is most undeservedly treated
by me. / wish to tell DIR. Page tnat
nv complaint is not against these sen
lemep. but against himself, and that |
,laimed nothing more in my letter than
that 81 was one Of the two orlginat0rs
of the Mechanics Institute. and alter
wards did all in my power 70 assist.
NV assertion of this claim was provoked
by DIR. Pages previous utterances, and
no one but him has thrown doubt
upon it. He says am mistaken In GER
tam particulars. but j will show that
not only am l right, but that Or. rage
is entirely wrong.
TIE FIRST SUGGESTION.
DIR. Page fixes the time OF making his
potent suggestion " in the early part OF
The wear 1854. | have a letter before
me of Major Norman Y. Randolph, de-
scrib;ng movement originated by him
self. Dr. Henry G. Jones, Captain George
Ainslie and others. and supported 10y the
Chamber of Commerce, to buy the lot
adjoining the Armory, on Marshall
street. to erect building for the pur-
noses OF mechanics institute. in
February. 1852. thcyappeared before the
Common Council and asked for So, oOo.
The effort failed by one vote IN the Board
of Aldermen. The suggestion, however,
was not "cheap" one because IL was
followed by hard'and laborious faction
on the part of those who made II. ana
vet when approached MAJOR Randolph
for assistance in the fall OF 1854 he de-
clined to engage IN the new work be-
cause he said he anticipated recurrence
of the same difficulties which
had rendered his late efforts abor-
tive This ought to show DR.. Page that
"a first suggestion" even when accom-
panied bv "first actions" may be a
positive Encouragement to second I'M
dertaking. Even Mr.. Belrne, who was
one of our best friends, sud to Mr.
Howard and myself 81 will help you
all | can through the columns OF my
uaper. hut some one else will take the
praise from YOU. Was 1t the voice OF
uroph,cv ? II is due 10 Major Randolph
f. say that he was not SO ungenerous.
He writes - give Oyerton Howard
ami yourself the entire credit OF starting
the Mechanics Institute. ~
WORE MISTAKES.
The Builders Exchange as DIR. Page
states. WAS organized January II, ISL
l.. 6 honorary IN a. IN ft.r
and LEGAL attorney on motion of Greed
Il. Davis April !, 1854. Secretary re-
cord. And yet, as l am informed by
Captain Elliott, Creed Davis, and Mlrt
Chesterman, at the first meeting held in
the Circuit Court room Mr.. Il. NJ.
Ouarlcs and Mr.. George PoindeXter
made speeches, i'll the course OF winch
they mentioned III general way the
dcsirahilty OF mechanics institute.
Ir. PAGE saws he made the hrst
suggestion. lie is mistaken for not
only Norman Randolph, DR.. Henry I.
Jones. and their friends preceded HIN
in making it, but b. NJ. Quarles and
George Poindexter while Captain IL
lett. TO whom DIR. Page especially refers,
as well as Creed Davis, who was one oil
the two Writ A. Chesterman being the
other, who drafted the constitution ana
by-lays of the Builders Exchange, have
declared 10 me since DIR. Page wrote his
letter 10 the papers that they don't re-
member ANYTHING of DIR. Pages remarks.
while they do remember the remarks OF
4 NJ. Ouarles and George PoindeXter.
have 10 doubt that DIR. Page made
some remarks somewhere and at some
time. but the question is whether tLey
had any result OF influence.
Mr. Greed Davis writes juno II. lS92,
that he "neyer knew of DR.. Pages con-
uection with the school (Mechanlcs
lnsttnte) "either as, originator OF
teacher IN it, and that che always re-
garded Messrs. Tyler and Howard as the
originators, and afterwards as the most
active supporters OF II.
In my letter of May 2lst / declared,
on recollection of what | saw at the time
and what Captain Elicit, the secretary OF
the Builders EXcnange, told me, that
the Builders Exchange was IN
ian expiring condition III the fall
of 1884. But DIR. Page controverts
this and says that cit was III
ali exceedingly flonrishing condition
and was taking steps to organize me-
chanics' institute and to get up an expo
sition." MIR. Greed Davis, who made
DIR. Page attorney. declares in letter to
me that the exchange languished "troni
as formations" and was mainly kept
alive it's last year (it was only IN exist
ence two years. by the brck-manu
iacturera, who found the institution use
full to themselves. When the exchange
utterly collapsed these brick'manu
facturers formed the L" Brick Manu-
facturers' and Builders Association.
(Creed Davis's Ms, june II, 1892.
The constitution and bylaws of the
Builders Exchange contain no mention
OF mechanics institute, and there
is not single resolution III mention
thereof in their proceedi G (Which
have carefully inspected) untll long aitel
our school was successfully established.
Dr. Page says that the exchange wal
n A. a.