Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-02-24
THE TVEATY-SEc0ND.
Its Celebration III Alexandria
4 Happy Day Imposing Pageant
Grand PrOccSsiOn-The Handsome
EsecorafionS-FhcM Military, Fire
men. Trades. ac.--Speeches,
Grafton. .Sc.-Sccncs. In
cidentS. DC, &C.

The celebration Of Washing,ons Birth
p.y in this city was grand aft ir and worthy
in every respect of those who originated the
ilea O.! rcyivin, the custom once universally
observed IN this city, and who SO successfully
carried it INFO TX cutpn. Before the war
every BODY in Alexandria celebrated the 22nd
Of February that day aud Christmas being
the two gclner2l holidays Of the Year. And 1t
was rig lo,ls cus'om for this was General
WASHINGTON ty tywo In Christ Church
he woysilipcl his God he attended the meet
ings of the \ exandria MaSouS his physicians
factors and !rid : p;ope lived here, and
in uany ii III: houses now s:a,ding he WAS
tie honorrd gus The citizens OF the town IN
addition to the respect aud admiration enter
,;i,Iou 10. him throughout the country, pos
scsscl that stronger feeling cngendered by per
Sonai intercourse, witch they bequeathed to
their children who took pride in celebrating
he anrua! recurrence OF bis natal day with
becoming ceremony. Business was entirely
suspended there was always civic aud mill
tary process. ion, his Farewell Address was read.
an Grafton on the If; and character of the illus.
,rious dead delivered, Il public dinner, and the
day clos i with u grand birth night ball. lie
war broke NJ all this, but on Saturday last the
old spiris UNFINISHED itself again, and Rip
Van Wi1klc would have hardly noticed a
change had it not been for the absence Of Al
eyaudria volunteer ldicrs from the line Of
the proc Il n, tho vacant chair on the plat
form once occupied by the old mau eloquent" "
GcorgcWa shingtoo Park Gusts, the adopted sou
oi WASHINGTON, and the omission Of the public
dinner and br;h night ball, bu' even that omlS-
sion might have bccn unohscrvcd, for the dinner
to tic Corcoran Juayes az the Mansion House
could have rcpr seated the old public dinner,
and The bail vi The iiylraulion, to be given to-
uig:.t, would have heeu held then, had the
night hot beou that Of Saturday.
The weather Of the preceding days had bccu
iuclemcut bat the SUP on Friday evening left
cloudless ky, the wind came out fresh from
tie NORTHWEST, and tn. stars twukled brightly
in the heavens, and these suspicious omens
were happily verified, t)r more delightful
February day than Saturday has been rarely
cyccllcd in tits latitude. 1t is true that for
short rimc, aborlt ten clock in the morning. the
sky was over cast and il was little chilly, but
the SUI 80 u came out again, and during the
rest Ci the day shore with bright and warm
rays
\! IN cary hour ia the morang the streets
began to present in UNUSUALLY animated APP
;,curaLce, numbers of strangers having arrived
from tie country BY the early traius; and every
boat and train that reached here from Wash
inston added to the Sz4 Of the crowd which
soon began t. tlrong King street. Crowds, too,
assembled at the h9u ,cS OF the FIRE engine com
panics. aud at the stores Of those whose bust
ness occupation was 10 be represented IN the
parade to look at tn" dc ,ratlons of the appa-
ratus md wagons.
In obedience to the pro, lamaion ofthe Mayor
the market and all the st res were closed from ii
Il. N. until p N, aud their occupants swelled
the plumbers, who soon alter the first mentioned
hour began to co"gr. gate on Washington
street. where Inc PRECISION commenced form
iLg al noon.