The Local news. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-04
Manuscripts Of an Old ehelor.-No. 10.
"REMINISCENCES OF ALEXANDRIA.
Aristou men ndor, &c.--PINDAR.
WATER is the best of things-rRArs.

Willis, the poet in one of his poetical
prose essays, calls water ''the belle of the
elements" he proceeds in an ingenious
and fanciful manner to show that it is every
way more lovely-not to say useful--than
earth, air, or fire. This "belle," in the o.
den time, was ''coy nymph" in Alexan-
dria-highly prized-carefully treasured
not too often seen-and had to be sought
after. Every body Of course, will under
stand, that refer to good wholesome drink
ing water-and not to the noble river that
rolls its waves before our doors, deep enough
to float the largest ships, and wide and broad
enough for all the purposes of an extended
commerce. And even the water Of that
river, when filtered, is sweet and good-and
will keep as long at sea, if not longer, with
out spelling, as that from any other stream
on the Atlantic coast. But speak now of
The wells, and fountains, and springs, which
Supplied the town, and were resorted to for
the use of their liquid riches, by the citizens.
can remember when the principal sour.
ces Of the supply of water for domestic use,
were the Old Diagonal Pump at the upper
end of King street.-the Bridge pump-the
Gate pump-the White pump at the lower
end OF Water sreet--and the Stone Spring
north of the town. Subsequently, Yeates'
pump, in the yard of his house at the Gar.
den, and the new Diagonal pump q few
squares from the old one, we're brought into
use. The rest of the town pumps and there
were many Of them-neary all Of which
see still remain-were ent;rely useless, so
far as drinking or washing purposes were
concerned. They gave forth, as they still
do, hard, unpleasant stream-disagl eeabe
to the taste and impregnated with ron.-
Neither the kitchen, nor the wash holse,
nor the BATH could use it. The substratum
Of the soil is ferruginous, and all the wells
sunk III the streets contained the same de-
scrlption OF water. Indeed, this was the only
drawback to Alexandria in its location Ii
had every other :s.coign of vantage" which
could be found for II city Of trade and manu-
features
AS a matter of course, the supply being
comparatively small, and remote from the
most thickiy peopled part Of the town, the
Uater trade was early commenced, and the
water carriers soon became guild" of
their own. We'had not as they have at
this day in Naples, barrels of water carried
about the streets strapped on to the backs
Of men, cooled every now and then with
ball of snow, and served out to the thirsty
pedestrians as they passed along the side
walks. But large hogsheads, were fixed
firmly on wheels, and these carts, filled at
the Old Diagonal, were drawn through the
streets, and water furnished from them to
regular customers, at a fixed price per week,
or month, Or quarter, or sold to transient
buyers at penny pitcher, tub, or bucket.
As the ponderous vain moved along, the
shrill cry Of aoater, was sounded by the dri-
yer Of the cart, and out came the servants
TO receive the stipulated quantity, and place
it in some shady place, in summer, to pre-
serve as much gelidity as possible. The
carts were going about all day-and, in hot
weather, did thriving business-for in the
early days of which l write, it was very
pleasant to get glass of water fresh from
the cask, when ice houses were not as com.
mon as they are now, and ice not used as
much, or as easily obtained as it now is.
Early In the morning the water carts
would be seen standing round che Old Diago-
nal, the drivers contcnding for precedence,
aud the rule of first come first served"-
A wooden pipe Was fixed to an upper spout
and joined to the hogshead, the common
spout closed up, and the pumping common
ced. At it they kept until the carts were
all supplied-and the impatient individual
citizens who sent their servants to the
pump, and..did not take" from the ancient
and honorable fraternity" of water carriers,
had to possess their souls in patience until
the general public were provided for.
This method of supplying the town with
water continued for long time, and various
methods were devised for organizing bet
ter state of things. The acknowledgements
even dangers-consequent, for instance,
h. 70 rolv =