Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1863-11-20
OH &lexau1ria Oazette
FRIDAY EVENING, NOV'R. 20.
"reminiscences Of the "0ld Town"
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The old d,y Qoods store-Ihe three yteJTtes-
Trodc- Decaduce, &c: dc,
On the corner Of Pitt and King streets, was
the dry goods store Of Mr.. 4. Cazenoye 1
remember it particularly we'll, as it was there
made the purchase OF my first suit OF broad
cloth, and at the hands Of the old gentleman
himself Boys, in those days, wore IN the WIN
ter time, corduroy, kind Of cotton fabric
now, think, out Of use-and when this was
dotfed ii proved quite an epoeha in boy $ life;
it was the going out Of the chrysaLls into the
butterfly, an exodus truly delightful. | was
very proud Of my cloth clothes, and | shall
never forget them, nor Mr.. Cazenove, nor the
old dry goods store One or two doors below
was the bookstore of Mr. Gray, and on the op-
posite side Of the street, but little lower
down, was another bookstore, kept by Mr'
Kennedy, Scotch gentleman and most eS~
tlmabe man.
There were three ferries leading from Alex
andria to the Maryland shore, viz: Rozier s.
the lowest Oxen Hill and Marbury :, Or
Blue Plains There were no steamboats, then,
and the ''Old Town." enjoyed large trade,
wholesale as we'll as retail The river counties
Of Maryland and Virginia dealt almost exclu-
siycIy here and the merchants grew rich.
have seen many ships and other square rugged
vessels at the wharves, and riding at anchor,
and many OF them were owned III Alexandra.
King street would, ottentlmes, be janmed with
wagons from various points, but chiefly from
the Goshen Of Virginia, the Shenandoah Val
ley The town was, contessedly; the largest
-four market in America, and the tobacco trade,
TOO, was very large It's deoadence may be
dated from The introduction OF Railroads.
Baltimore was allowed by Virginia to stretch
her Brlurean arms into her territory, and when
one OF them reached Winchester, 1t clasped the
valley trade, made Baltimore what it IS, and
LETT Alexandria like shorn lamb, Every Ell
tort has been made to recover that which WAS
lost, but no sooner was the Manassas railroad
completed to Strasburg, than Baltimore was
strongly represented at Richmond, praying the
legislature to grant permission to extend her
road from Winchester to Strasburg Several
efforts were made, and the last had like to
have been successful This Is surprising as
Virginia owns three ffths OF the road.
There is not living being now in the town
OF Alexandria that knew fifty years ago, and
but very few names that were once familiar to
me I can count but FIVE or SIX But where
are the Riddles, the SIacums, the Marstelers,
the Herl erts, the Deneales, the Dulanys, the
Pages, the Sw!tls, the Pattons, the Nicholses,
the klnkaids, the Butchers, the MandevllIes
the Kennedys, The Bennets, Wattses, Schol-
fields, Sangsters, Witherses, Dundasses, &c
Where are they :? The very names are blolted
ont from the population OF the Town
Every decade Of years brings its sorrows and
affections, and he that leaves home but tor
that short time, must return prepared to weep
over the memories Of the dead Such is lite!
1Nozs eQxo louzsot pede &c, and re all must
bow to the inevitable doom.
The Sanduskv Rau and IOhnsonEs Island