Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-01-21
Alexandria Gazette



Why do such troublesome people as Travel
ler, Alexandria, Citizen and Visitor, disturb
US? These writer's only mean mischief, and
bring to our good old city, all sorts OF unquiet-
ness Traveller goes into a story OF the wealth
Railroads have brought to St. Paul, and how
many buildings have been put up IN that city IN
the past two years, and Citizen endorses Travel
ler's statement and seems to wish wecould build
also as many houses as St. Paul; Alexandria
says he cannot see he2wisdom Of the course
pursued by the City Council If Alexandria
will read this article carefully, he cannot fail
to sec the propriety of the action of Council,
The writer calling himself Visitor alludes to the
trade and shipping we had here twenty-five
wears ago, and wonders what's the reason there
is not as much trade and shipping here now
NY answer to such restless people Is this; the
city of Alexandria, for quiet people, has vastly
improved in the past twenty-five years why
twenty-five years ago it was impossible Except
on back street, to get ten hours sleep in one
night, or two hours after dinner nap, Tor the
reason, wagons and carts were going till late
hour at night and began running on the streets
again at peep of day We then had several
machine shops, and factories full Of work people.
All these shops and factories had those hldeous
inventions, steam whistles, and what between
the whistles of steamboats, locomotives and
factories, carts, and drays our people were
walked up at all sorts OF hours, completely spoil
ing rest. We have got rid of some Of the
machine and other shops. l grleYe to say, we
they will soon be obliged to leave here for good,
and laws passed to keep all locomotives out of
town, and when that happens, we can sleep IN
peace in the morning.
The people who lived in Alexandria twenty
five years ago, were full of the foolish passion
for making money, and willing to wear them
selves out prematurely, and have very little
comfort during their lives But our people in
Alexandria ofto-day have more sense than to
follow their example. - -. ...,s
The present generation Of Alexandra know
that, at the best, life is short and thatit IS tool
ish to wear life out faster than need be through
great exertiOns to accumulate money. They
know when they are dead, they cannot take
the money with them, and therefore, do not
fret themselves for thirty or forty years with
all sorts of schemes to get rich and then, ten
years or 80 after they are rich die and leave 1t.
The people evince their sense by taking all the
comfort they can get, in refusing to have dirty
noisy machine shops, or other manufactures,
or trade to any larger extent than they can help
When our people want carriage, or hat, or
shoes, or clothes, or almost any other kind OF
goods, they send to New York and buy thems
where they have restless noisy population who
like or need to make such goods, and are glad
to sell them to us. This renders the streets of
our city quiet There is no excitement here; we
eat our meals in peace, sleep night. or day as
long as we wish, thus we are healthy, which is
far better for us than being disturbed with
mere schemes to become rich. Our City Council
perceives the evils that would fall upon US if
the Alexandria and Fredericksburg and the
other proposed roads were allowed to enter our
city. The same thing would happen here as'fn
other cities, factories, machine and other work
shops might start into life sooner or later, and
trade increase and the City Council have my
support. NIGHT CAP.