Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-07-27
LOCAL ITE n 8.

then presented between her former aud pre-
sent state. Alexandria, III common with all
the seapurts, North and South Of New "rk.
has lost much of her European and other
direct import trade. If this state OF things
can be remelied. the citizens Of AleXan-
dria will thank any one who will devise
the plan Philadel Ihia, for long time,
the greatest city i'll the country, lost the
greater part of her foreign trade. which
was taken by New York. But PhiladeI-
pla has other and more certain sources
of prosperity than foreign commerce, which
have greatly increased. Alexandria may
vet ret into the same track, and we hope she
will, ere long. But injustice is done 10 the
people of Alexandria when they are accu-
sed of want Of enterprise. 1t is true that
nome of our Older citizens i'll times past, re-
member seeing from ten to twenty ships
at all seasons, and four or five times ~
many other vessels and small craft At our
wharves." And as to the enterprise of Al
rxaudria, where can Il town be found which
has done more to secure Il sound and perma-
nent prosperity. The Alexandria Canal
WAS projected some thirty years ago by the
then fathers Of the city, and their wisdom
will, no doubt, be fully Justified by the
event. This Canal is the greatest work in
the country, begun and carried through by
So small a community. There is no work in
the United States. we believe. equal to the
piers of the Aqueduct, drawings Of which
have been taken by engineers from Europe.
This Canal brings to Alexandria IA considers
Bile Coal trade, now counted by hundreds Of
thousands, and shortly We hope, will be by
millions of tons.
The subscription of Alexandria and her
citizens to two of her railroads. have been
heavier, we believe. according to her means,
than that of any other town in the country.
All her railroads run up into n rich and pros
porous agricultural country. One OF these
roads, the Loudoun aud Hampshire, when
finished will open route some t"rty miles
shorter from the west to Washington, than
any other and will open trade from liamp.
shire county of the best and most abundant
supply of coal in the country; and with the
Canal, we believe, will make Alexandria the
greatest coal market in the United States
This alone will greatly Increase our popula-
ton.
Washington has grown rirh 10y the cXpen-
litura Of hubble money, and no wonder that it,
island, and all. sh"uid prosper, ~ long as
the public money continues To be spent there.
We think then that 1t IL n" reproach t" Al-A-
.udriu. that sh. does not rival Washington;
but the end is not yet. Should the seat OF
government ever be removed, there would,
prrhap-, he "A slight decline in her PROSPER
IL. Alexandria in that case would not suffer
at ALL
To show that something can he said on
the other side, We append below II short ar-
count Of some Of our late improvements.
la l~5o, the assessed value Of property III
this city was y, $50 80. In 1889 the as
srssri value was ~. 900, lnj being m i'll
crease in nine years of S2,451,l'O. In
church property alone there has been an I'm
proyemrnt t. the extent of Sjo. 600. Four
new churches have been built within the
past four or five years (all with handsome
spires Within few years past fourteen
first class wareh",isrs aud IN extensive Hour
ing mill have been put up Oh the River front
aud twrnty-six large warehouses for the az
COMMUNICATION Of Merchants have been built
in the vicinity OF the wharveS. Since lS1o
there have been built six hundred brick
dwellings. greater portion OF them first
class. The lands around Alexandria have
increased in value 100 per cent, and the
best wheat that il now brought Ia this mar
krt il grown on lands in Fairfax County, con
tgu",l, l." the city, which but Il few years
since We're almost unprndurtiy". Very rx-
trusivc improvements have been made at the
wharvrs, and our coal wharvrS will, when
Completed Vie with those ut Eastern cities,
and the trade in coal from this place now, ex
creds that Of Baltimore, ani is steadily in
rrraSing
rE,M>IIIr DEroT Mrssrs. F"wle y Co..
are having erected, On the wharf property