The Local news. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-11-16
ALEXANDRIA, VA.
Manuscripts Of an Old Baehslsr.-No. s.
"REMINISCENCES OF ALEXANDRIA.
"Pulvis OF Umbra sumuE" ELI
"Dust TO dust--ashes To ashss. -. R.r;al Nsr,,


"D''t to dn.t-7sshs' to ..lss ~ ar'a' ssr''e.
think have before tmentioued, in thee
manuscripts, visit recently paid to the
burial grounds in the western suburbs Of
the town. am told that y new cemetery
has recently been laid out beyond Shutters
Hill, which il too far. of. aud besides, it
: has none of the associations and recollections
connected with old Alexandria, which endear
it to my. heart and feelings. Doubtless,
however, the new 'city of the dead" may
in time come to be as populous as those
which | know about, and to it will repair
such pilgrims as am, to mourn over the
departed-but not to mourn as those with
out tope!
The first grave digger whom recol!ect
was Pompey Gales-a black man-who it
was said had his weaknesses, and was par
ticular favorite with young medical students.
do not know but that this was scandal;
however, the students aforesaid always
stoutly contended that Pompey never poach-
edtbeyond his own manor, or in other words,
never allowed them a privilege outside of
penny HILL" To him succeeded Harry
Darnell, a tall, melancholy looking black
man, whose appearance corresponded to his
vocation. He was, believe; strictly honest,
and a worthy man, in every sense. He had
the confidence of all the citizens. lie was
alive when left Alexandria to take up my
abode in ueighboring county in Virginia.
The original Penny Hill," or public
burial ground, was at the extreme south end
of Royal street, bordering on Hunting Creek
nearly surrounded by the marsh. Here
were buried many of the victims of the yell
low fever in lS03-that epidemic having ex-
tensively prevailed in that year. Suisse
quently the present Penny Hi! was pur-
chased by the Corporation, and in it were
buried such as had no lots or resting places
in the grave yard belonging to the different
religious denominations. The lower part of
the ground must by this time have been used
over and over again for the intcrment of the |
dead: l was crossing it the other day, mus
ing upon other times, and upon the simple
annals of the poor who lay all around me,
and whose bodies are he'e sleeping az peace
fully as if they had never known pain, and
want, and hardship, when my eye rested
upon plain marble headstone, nearly CON
cealed by bushes, on which was inscribed
: 10 the memory of Francis Hail." | stop
ped and fingered at that headstone, thous-
ard recolections of my early manhood
thronging my brain-calIed up by the name of
the humble man, once 50 well known to me.
and to all the citizens of Alexandria. How
many of the generation now active in the
strees. and employed in the business Of the
place, remember Frank Hall? | expect
but few--though it is comparatively but a
short time since he died. He was a ..bar
keeper"-nothing more, nothing less--of the
principal hotels in Alexandria for forty or
fifty years-commencing, | believe, at the
old Washington Tavern and ending his ca.
reer at the City Hotel, at which latter pub
lie house he had served, have heard, under
The management of 'iadsby, Jesse Brown,
Jlagett, Newton and Wise. These gentle
non retained the services Of Crank" al.
most as a matter of course. lie knew every
body and every body knew him. He had '
ealy good memory for names and faces,
md always affected, at least, never to be at '
! loss on that score. | have seen him shake t
cordially by the hand, "a new arrival" on {
Iuire afectionately after his health, compi- {
nent him upon his appearance, and tell HIM |
that he looked just as young as t
lie did ten years before--when to my certain s
he had never seen his guest be- t
IRE in bis life, and did not know him from
Adam. Amiable subterfuge! How often q
las 1.-THE Recording Angel when he carried G
o Heavens chancery" these little pecca-
illoes,. !"blushed as he gave them in," and ::
legged to have them obiterated
Frank Hall was, as | have said, "bar
eeper" OF the ota SECONDHAND therefore |
liked him then, and like to think of him ,
ow. lie was no "clerk in the ofiicc"-no
''steward" -no "nanarer"-
D assistant" He had no "ofice"-be
God behind the counter at the bar, WHARF