Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-08

an old man, 10y the name of John Turner. rau,e
ground from Richard Henry Lee, The proprietor
tai all the land OH which our luwn i, bnIll, erect
ed on it small shop in which to curry on the
saddle aud harness business. He appears to
have been industrious, calculating aud saving.
As time wore on and he pr,Spered al his trade,
he added wings to his shop, aud i'll Il few years
o,,ened Il house Tor public entertainment where
the Wurrcntuu House lately stood With
! Turner's house the tOwu al that early day
b,,usted three tavrrllS Each Of these was d
modest frame structure, j >iuglr story high. -
On. of The other two, managed by Tom Mad
dix. stood where the stor" aud ulan-"n E'as-
mus Helm now stands : aud the other, man
aged 10y Vim. Jones, an over>err Tor Richard
, II Lee. stood near the present site o! 'Eriu
in rear Of the Episcopal par,un:.g''. The
| Court house. then >luud on the lot OF the atr
Richards Payne. nearly r'lu-'i>lan from III"
three lavrrlis, aud tie luwn wa scattered about
iii the woods.
Turner wa an r'nirrlrzing. money n'Gku"
man. and hv his tact aud thrift contributed
much towards ulaki ng thr rua which hc
| hoJ lui ih. main business street ol the town.
Concerning his personal history lr was slngI
l,rlv rcticent, Relative 10 all other matters llr
was more free to >p"ak. The old icllnw loved
Joke and particularly such practical .i"krS n>
4 resulted in personal advantage. Ii Is i M,
take to SUPPOSE that Iurncr was a baker By
trade Saddle making was umlucSfionahy his
OCCUPATION. He learned to bake after he com
mcuced Keeping hutr aud the >ngnIariy
shaped base Of one oI the Nalrcnlon House
chimneys is probably the pl ace where he per-
iected himself in that business, which made
him famous and gave TO hm wealth. he was
regarded aS an upright man, aud died as he
had lived. without letting any one know any
thing of his antecedents lie lett quite Il
handsome estate to lhaddeuS Norris, young
man whom he had raised.
Thad Norris sold the hotel property to .Jno.
A. Smith, he 20 VIM. Thompson OF " est
moreland, who committed suicide. Alter hun
the hotel passed successfully into the hands OF
Ashby & Fisher then to Thompson willow,
to Baldwin Bradford Bob Fisher Capt. Tom.
/. O. Jennings, Darnell Smith, Dudley Fitzhugh
and Col. VIM :. knmper. When the latter
took possession he added Il story to it. tore
down the walls of the wine cellar and gave the
corporation for the first time right vi way be-
meath the port; O. k"mpcr was >cccrleI iy
FAINT & Brunaugh, Baker \ Bro, Jas De-
shields D. VI. Pat'ie, J. j. Roberts and Sam.
7. A>hby.
During the hundred years Of its existence
the walls of this old house echoed the opinion.
sentiment. and hrmor Of men Of all phases of
society, and with it is associated Il thousand
plca>n. recOlIectlon>, some oi them not wholly
Of Il heal interest Here it was that travel
So!led pilgrim to the holue of our third Pres
eut presented Il letter conclsely setting
forth. that The celebrated historian and tray
cller, Eolney, needed M introduction from
George Washington.
We will not indulge the reflection that its
bare chimneys are to continue 10 stand as mon
umental head and iootStoneS over lis grave Tor
any considerable time but will rather en-
courage the hope that the old building shall
rise like the fablcd phraiN from its ashes. -
Wnrrrntoa Mti"r.
LET WELL ENorGH ALONE. While the
State of Virginia is holding out inducements
to Immigration, and inviting capital and enter
prise from all parts Of the world, to c"mc aud
secure homes and fortunes within her borders,
she does not over-cstinate the advantages and
resources which her great diversity Of >rlriIc",
soil and climate hcr fertile valleys and noun
taus, rich in mineral wealth., present. And
vet, we occasionally hear of persons WHO are
not content with the uncqrallrd advantages al
fur,lcd by their native State, and aim to do
better by seeking homes in the great West. -,
Some few perhaps may he smiled upon by
dame fortune IN their new homes and relations,
aud their >,lcceSS Is hcrllded by Western land
agents, laud Spectators, and railroad and
transportation COMPANIES, but the short aud
simpl. annals Of the poor and less fortunate,
who are fifty to one nl' the whole number who
seek their fortunes in this mythical El!orado,
are never told Many doubtless would Gladly
return if they had The means. Their story is
not often told They are deferred by shame
and modification, while those who proclaim
the success Of the lew are deferred by srll-ln
terest.
We have heard of several young lirginan<
who propose going to the Back HILLS aud
other gold fields of the West, this Spring, and
it is for their benefit that these llucS arr writ
ten, we advise them to consider the matter
we'll before final action Compare the mild
climate aud refined society of the Old Duinn,
ion with the Snow-StormS, severe winters, and
rude life Of the frontier.
The following extract from letter from Gen.
Hancock is well worthy Of peruSal :-ly"|h.
lr1ininn.
Letters are being received at these healluar-
tiers from various parts ofthc |. $. making
inquiries in regard to the repnted gold Dissolve
rieS in the section Of luntry west OF the Mis-.
souri, River known as the BLACK Hills of Da
kota, and asking, also. II expeditions, preSllnl-
ed to be now in process Of organization: will be
permitted to penetrate that region. The sec
ton of country referred to is SET apart a. an ln:
dian reservation, by treaty with the Sioux. and
the faith of the Government is understood to
be pledged to protect it from the eucroachments
of, and settlement or occupeton by, the
whites Accordingly any parties or "eXpedl,a
tous' which may organize for the purpose OF
visiting or prospecting the region III qnes-
ton, will be engaging in an unlawful enterprise,
the consummation Of which it will be my duty,
under the law, and my instructions, to prevent,
by the use, if Decessary, of the troops at my dis
posal. In this connection | may mention that
/ am inst in receipt of an official letter from
Gen Stanley in command, subordinate to me-
on the Missouri River, in which he refers, lD-
cdentally, to the Black Hills cold reports, in
which be says. 20 gold had been found there.
LIES BRIGHTEST HoUR.-No long since
,,at noptla,n,p who Is assessed for more