The Local news. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-08

1
sporel hasss mentioned. Every thing was
50 ch.se HAT belle neither of u.
thosshtAhs visit to our old play souad ! !,
livery sPlsasant one-for, as ~ tu1nsd sx.y
-with the remark that it did nEiooE IKE
what it was thsisst time W. we're N xettef-
! thought I saw his eyes mois.en, and am.
sure he might have seen, some unbidden
sears flow from mine. - 4 tHft#i'i' ~
Alexandria is miniature Of Philadelphia,
both with regard to it's situation at the juno
ton OF the Great Hunting Creek with the
Potomac river, and the plan and arrapg,,.
ment of it's thoroughfares. There are some
VINO DO not like its straight and formal
streets, crossing each other at right an giles.
10 be sure. There are no particular sites for
the display Of architecture, or prcteurious
ed'fces ofany kind DO vis,as opening upon
palatial res!dences-no situations for n col.
umn or an arch t." be "gazed at from a dis
sance with the finest effect but then. as'
IN the old times, we had no great architcctu.
raj dIsplays--no Fiji ayenue limitations
no columns to be gazed at--and nj mere eff
feet to be profuccd-,w never felt the want
OF "a maze without a plan in our dear.
homei y little town. 1t suited the people
1t suited US who owned the soil-"t the sacred
sni!'-thrice honored. thrice beloved NAV
1t ever be by every true Alexandriani-;.
was all right for us who lived here and ex.
pec'ed to die here 20 - sFJjI
observe number of new buildings on
hlng. extending from Pitt to Fairfax streets.
In the place of the really fine stores which
DOW loom up" there were formerly rows
IT small wooden houses-and from the cor.
her OF Royal street north up TO the City 1Io- :,
el, there extended series Of tumble. dawn p.
oeklng frame shops and dwellings -thickly ~
inhabited and the inmates busy at different g,
I'nds # handicraft. At McKnigh,'s corner.
old times, was a tavern, doing a large BIZ: y,
'ness--sbe stable Of which, where travellers =,
orses weref fed. was in what we then called
sharpsain Alley" running south of the
MARKET Houss, and in still standing. SHARP
h'a alley was so called, ! believe, from the q
billing coin being cut into sharp 81 Or q Angular
'ecss for smaller change, much used in that /.
'caity IN the pnrchasesof drains. The Old y
nd'an Queen Tavern. ia its day quite b
our'sh'ng establishment, was at the corner !,
h'ng and St. Asaph streets, and its long J,
o'den stable ran on St. Asaph ss,eet nor.h =,
'ariy to the Brooke L..dge, where Joseph !.
wing kept his school. The. Washington :.
avern Vas where the Marshall II, aso now :.
and next to the City Hotel was the prin- :.
pal house for public entsrtaiiiI Ii ent il town =
Its only those who have been absent from ::
cir native places as long as have been, | 1, :
10 can realize what sweet, but IN "a rnful ),
Iisfac'ion, is afforded to the coniempla,;ve -
nd by encs again walking the streets Of =
own where they spent their days Of bov. :.
% ana youih-especially towo which. =
Q Alexandria, has chaased So little in
II century. The ancient landmarks . 40
exist--nor has Terminus been: moved W.
m where he formerly stood Ali is 80 orr
n'har to the eye, that memory reverts, il M
nonent, and almost without the exertion TIT
the viii, to other aud happier DAYS -
rough these streets Iahave walked. with %,
atchel on my back, aud shinin. morning is
E, Ot!linyly to school knowing every. no,
y as passed, and receiving aud giving loa
oectfui situations to my seniors, and
rty greetings to my companions: through En
n have played and frolicked :-alouc the
= rugged. ways | have seen 60 tho hearss IN,
ring to the silent tomb the remains Of the
'e whom loved well aud never shall for. ven
and along their pavements have min. cha
With the peaceful, happy population of wal
aeefal, happy city, the faress and bes, r
'omen. the noblest Of men. Now wan ,r
up and down these Same streets, meeting h.a
and shen an old, familiar face--shakipy ~.
Is, now and then, with an old friend con,
llecti"g and passing compliments nth SOS,
OF the descendants ofthe old inhabitant, h,o,
II the great majority do not know. and h,r,
: saw before Such are the :, chanre. h,,h
fe. even in the streets of Alexander. ,h;,
old streets themselves, full OF the.old as. ''.N
tons, alone remind ma Of the old times 1t
i tAkG m