Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-07-29
LOCAL NEWS.

C2LoRED POPULATION OF ALEXANDRIA,
.. s. r. Wall, inspector of the Bureau o.
Refugees, Freedmen. and Abandoned lands
hae made a report to Major General O. o.
Howard, dated the 2od inst, relative to the
condition of the freedmen in Alexandria, their
churches, schools, &C., 10 which it Is stated
that the "colored inhabitants OF Alexandra,
before the war, were not probably moro than
0ne.third their present number, the great ma
ority o. them having come into the city during
and since the late rebellion, from the counties
It Fairfax and Loudoun, Virginia, and Prince
Georges and st. Mary's, Maryland; where they
were slaves previous TO 1855. As might BE ex-
pcc,ci therefore, they are illiterate and with
MT the means OF support Inc latter fact
Gems 10 have its cause more immediately III
the commercial inactivity OF the city, aud the
unsettled conditioG of the surrounding country.
than Ia the increased number OF this class OF
persons. There is manifest desire aud will.
.ngue~s to labor, when fair or living 2JmpeA
alton can be obtained therefor. n many in
stance, they were advised aud urged to seek
lgan the >urroundipc country, aud to secure
land wach may b, obtained for nominal
prce, and on which they may become 4 self
supporting and independent people.
Notwithstanding the very general poverty
there are about thirty families who own
valuable real estate, and are otherwise IN easy
circumstances. There are hal. dozen FAINT
Ic, within the city limits who represent abou,
'wo hundred thousand dollars
The Inspector states that "hc has visited
every house aud tenement IL AlexaHdria and
vicinity occupied by col0red people, and has
had personal interviews with many OF them.
The moyu or religious condition II these
,eople is far more hopeful than! their temporal.
There are frequent and noticeable evidences of
. lishcr toac OF morality devclopiu- itself
@moag them. BY degrees, too, 4 growing de
sire 20 dwcllinmore comfortable, mOJr healthy
ana more cleanly houses is apparent.
here are two large school buildings one in
Ia, northern. the other in the southern part OF
,ac city. Both have good, certrat locations,
lar Is they relate to portions OF the city
mostly settled by the colored people These
tuidmgS with the ots upon which they
:lt,, ~ tii;;22n Thousand dollars. The bald
Tag, wcrs furnished hy the Bureau OF Rcfu-
gees, lra-cmen. and Abandoned Lands.
Fhcr" ta5 been, dur!ug the present school
>c4y, al average OF eight teachers. They are
alt white, from the North, and are sustained
entirely by benevolent associations. An aver
age OF five hundred pupils, of all ages aud
,cxcs, has been in attendance during the Year.
The school 10 the southern part Of the city has
abop' 2u0 pupils; the one IN the northern part,
called the Alfred street school, and under the
immediate supervision oil Miss T.. Leonard, has
80 names on the rolls, and an efficient corps
o; teachers. The pupi'- are quite advanced tor
u primary school. All the other colored schools
10 the city do not number, at any time in the
year, on an average, more than $50 pupils o!
all ages aud sexes; making in all, out OF
population q. nearly 5000, ESQ who take ad
vantage OF the opportunities offered By this
greatest OF all aux,liar.es for the elevation Of
any people.
L. Is TO be regretted that among the colcred
people Of Alexandria there is not so great and
S., general a0 interest in education as could be
desired. II is gratifying 10 observe, in those
Interested, steady aud growing desire TO be
able to Sustain their own schools, and not to be
much lon,er the recipients OF charity"
Tn, following figures are takea from the
tables accompanying he report: