Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-09-27

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Hon. VIM Byrd, Of Westover.
The corporate authorities of Richmond Vir-
gina, have at last done tardy justice to the
memory of their earliest benefactor-indeed the
oundcr-of the city, by inscrlbing on their
new corporate seal, ''RlcHMoND, Va, FOUND
ED BY WILLIAM BYRD, MDCCXXXVI.'
The old Westover mansion, not lordly or
even haronial. but type OF the homes OF the
now almost extinct species Of Old Virginian
gentlemen, still stands In the county of Charles
City, on the north bank of james river. 10
the garden, marked by an unpretending but
we'll preserved monument, rest the remains OF
the Honorable William Byrd. The present
owner, Major A. II. Drewry, has the house in
thorough repair, and the rich, teemlng fields
adjacent to it afford, under his direction,
model Of neat skillful aud remuuerative cult
walton. Its present mistress is OF the blood
of its honored tounGer-if we mistake not, a
lineal descendant 1t is still, and always has
been, the seat of hospitality as genuine, as
cordial, as free from the grudge of parsmony,
as it was century and a half ago, when its
walls echoed the names of knights, barous aud
lords, the familiar guests of its colonial pro-
prictors
In the "Westover Manuscript" of which
a limited edition was, few years ago, publish
ed by subscription, Colonel Byrd says in refer
cncc TO the location of the cites of Richmond
and Petersburg:
After satisfying my curiosity | returned the
back again, and padded down the river to the
company. When we got home We laid the
foundation of two large cities-oue at Shacco's
Top, called Richmond, and the other at the
point of the Appomatruck river, to be called
Petersburg These Major Mayo offered to lay
out into lots, without fee or reward. The
truth Of it is these two places, being the upper
most landings OF the james and Appomattuck
rivers, are naturally intended for marts where
the traffic of the outer inhabitants must center.
Thus we did not build castles only, but also
cities in the air.
This written upon the return from visit to
The Land of Eden" as the writer styled his
possessions in tie neighborhood Of Edenton,
" c.. in the fall Of 1888. The plan of the
city Of Richmond was according y surveyed and
plotted, and lots were offered for sale in 1877.
This deserved compliment to the memory OF
the worthy gcutemau-pioneer has not spollt BY
keeping, and is none the less graceful from
having been so long delayed. Charleston
(I'c>t Virginia. Courier.
An INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR.-The Mar
tin,burg Union tells a curious story, the culml
nation of which is an Outrage" that was rather
funny than otherwise Four or five years ago
a Mr. Browncll, of New Y ork, purchased a tract
of land iu Berkeley county, West Virginia, near
Back Creek The land borders on the Poto-
mac River. the waters OF which washed around
a portion of the land soon after its purchase by
Mr. Brownell, and converted it into an island.
\ man named Kinsel, living in Washington
county, in this State, noted the fact, and con-
c.ulcd that as the island was on the Maryland
side of the high-water mark, Mr. BroWnell had
10 right TO it, or its productions; so he took it
up as vacant land belonging to the State OF
Maryland and obtained patent tor it. 1t is
TO be presumed that Mr.. Browuell was not
aware of this fact, as he continued to till the
soil and raise crops on the island, which the
shrcwd Mr.. KinseIl allowed him to do, and when
the crop had matured Mr.. K. would gather his
friends and his neighbors and carry it off
Browne was very much dissatisfied with these
proceedings, and had the Kinsells indicted in
Berkeley county, but the officers failed to catch
them; so the indictment was dropped and the
stern arbtrament of arms Tesorted to. Last
week the crop planted by Brownel being ripe
for the harvest, Kinsell and his friends came
after it, armed with dinner buckets and rifles.
Browncll heard them, took his musket' and
sailed forth to the conflict Arriving on the
island he fanked the party and came up in their
rear, passing, as he did so, their dinners and
guns, without disturbing them" Now that's
what Mr. Browne knows about war. How
could he expect victory to perch upon his ban
ncrS if he allowed the ordnance and commlssary
stores Of the enemy to slip through his fingers
in that manner? When he came up to the in
yadcrS he demanded to know what they were
DOING" Of course he didn't know. They
hadn been doing the same thing about this
time of the year, for several years back. His
warlike appearance and feroclous manner alarm
cd the intruders, and the Union tells us that
they scattered and ran, but, upon getting
possession of their arms, turned upon Brownell,
made him their prisoner, bound and placed
him upon their wagon, took him to Ciearsprlng
and from thence to Hagerstown, where he was
confined for three days Cumberland Ne,cs.
WASHINGTON ClTY.-The area of the city
Of Washington, d. g., in acres is 6,l 10 94- 100.
y report made to Congress by the commission
cr of public buildings some twenty or thirty
Years ago shows; that there were then twenty one
avenues and one hundred and sixteen streets
on the plan of the city, which covered an area
Of two thousand six hundred and htty-tour
acres while the public reservations, &c, COM
lrScd five hundred and forty-oue acres, one
rood and twenty-nine perches. 1t will be seen
from this that of the entire area OF the city
over one half is occupied by streets and public
reservations, the exact amount being 3,l95
acres leaving 2,9l5 acres for dwelling houses,
DC. Since the date of the report above re
icrrcd to several new streets have been opened,
and no calculation is made in the above OF the
area covered by alleys. 1t is probably safe to
say that considerably over one half Of the area
Of the city is taken up by streets, avenues and
alleys.
AMERICAN FARMERS The Artisan says:
We hazard the assertion that no class OF equal