Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-11-11
A REAL ESTATE ROMANCE In the sudder

IN corner lots, many romance unBlnds itself
that, IN the hands OF an expert play writer or
novelist, would make something worth bearing
or reading. The rich uncle who used to come
in at the right moment from India, now turns
up from Chicago, aud in fne suit of broad
cloth, and under silk stovepipe, with no end
of gold chain festooned from his vest, says,
BLESS you my children, to low music and u
slow curtain.
A friend who has very kindly given me the
inner life aod outer prosperity of this wonder
ful place, told me of an affair that, but for its
location, one would set down as tale from
the Ledger. written by Henry Ward Beecher
Senator John Sherman, or some other dealer
in imaginary literature.
1t seems that there was poor cooper, living
within two miles Of the court house, who own
ed patch of land that was about as barreD,
worthless, and miserable in it's low, sandy, vet
condition as eny bit OF real estate 10 the distant
swamp. But the cooper, whose wife had shak
cn herself out OF this wet location, in our vale
OF tears. had daughter that was as fair to
look upon as his land was miserable She was
bare legged and ragged, but the legs were won
deriuly perfect, the graceful figure aud sweet
face appearing all the more attractive from their
unadorncd condition.
One fine morning the old cooper wasencd to
the unhappy lact that his ouIy child had : u
seduced by the SOD Of q wealthy man, and the
maker OF hoops and slaves drove his hand
adze toto his wooden horse, and sWore to be
avenged. He claimed that his daughter had
been married through mock marriage, and
be sought By law to force the scoundrcl to mar
ry the victim. But having no money, he was
only laughed, at although he got together some
ugly looking papers to sustain his assertions.
He tried to sell his swamp, apd although prop
1x1 L.
no one would give him FIVE dollars an acre for
bis ground. To the poverty that came of his
neglected work the poor old creature of bung
holes at last succumbed, dying OF a broken
heart and too much bad whisky. After his
death the girl, with her illegitimate child, dis
appeared from the sight of society, high and
low, in Chicago.
In The meantime the wonderful town spread
ard improved. l. grew to gigantic p!opur
items ard soon Tie poor departed coopers tract
became to be d.si:ab!e. Longing, speculative
eyes were turned rpon it, but no one was about
10 SCI! or even lease. At last full stomachcd,
bald headed gentleman possessed himself OF all
the tax titles and went on boldly to fill up and
improve Over the waste. sandy tract of the
departed maker If whisky barrels one of the
most substantial blocks represented large
fortune.
Some fourteen years passed in this way, at
ter the disappearance OF the poor, ruined girl,
when one morning the iull stomached, bull
beaded speculator was called upon by mat
roSly looking female, accompanied by beau
tilul girl of sixteen. aud this woman claimed
to be the daughter of the cooper, and quietly
asked a restitution of her fathers property.
Old biady was not taken aback. He was
prepared Tor this-and not only claimed the
property under his tax titles, but upon ground
that could not have originated In any place but
Chicago. He claimed to be the husband OF
the poor woman and the father OF the child.
lie asserted that the marriage was no fraud,
but real marriage, and he was as tender and
sentimental in this as he was firm IN lhe de
fense of what he called his legal rights. And
now begun an odd contest. The woman was
as eager to prove the ceremony fraud as she
had once been anxious to SUSAN its validity,
while her seducer, in ike manner, passed trcm
the one side to the other. Ii was eventually
compromised by securing the property 10 the
child after the death of the father apd hand
sor.e allowance to the quasi wife. Cincinnati
Commercial
A MASONIC PRoJECT.-In Tennessee the
Masonic fraternity have projected plan tor
taking care of the widows and orphans of de-
ceased brothers Of the ''mystic tie In each
grand division OF the State thousand or more
acres Of land are to be acquired by gilt CT puI,
chase, and this land will be cut up into small
lots OF one or two acres, with small cottage
on each lot. A portion Of the land will be re-
served for school house and church, thus
making the locality sort of community by
Itself In most cases there will be children old
enough to care for the land, raising vegetables
and fruits for the market, and any deficiency
Of food and raiment will be supplied from the
banavolent tund of the eraod division. The
seventy.two Masonic lodges of the State have
already raised nearly eighty thousand dollars
toward the object to be accomplished, and by
another ycar will have raised the amount de
sired, before making practical test OF the