Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-08-18
Letter from Fairfax County.

Correspondence OF the Alexandria Gazette. |
FAIRFAX Court House. Aug. l4.-For the
past two or three weeks grand has been the
time here, made so by the visitors and boarders
from various places, and your city was not
wholly unrepresented.
We have been blessed in every way this sum-
mer Our crops Of wheat oats, corn, &c, are
better than they have been for years-ouI no.
tells are yet filled to OVERLOOKING with guests;
our private residences with visitors, and our
town being constantly enlarged by the erection
of numerous buildings
According to the advertisement heretofore
given the Free Masons OF this place had large
fair, festival and procession ON Wednesday last,
after which Mr.. Henry w. Thomas made an
eloquent speech on the origin OF treemasonry,
in the Episcopal Church, which was crowded.
After the speech the people repaired to the
Court House building, where a sumptuous din
ner was in waiting for them, prepared by the
| Young ladies of the village, and after refresh
Ing the iuner man the crowd passed into the
fair room, aud there amid the choicest OF vands
and the loving smile and lovely looks OF sweet
hearts, assisted by the lively tuues Of music,
ulayed by Prof. Cooks Band, OF Washington,
the crowd passed the day, and at night at the
sound of the Court House bell the crowd as
sembled iQ the jury room In the Court House,
and there amid the chattngs OF friends aud ac'
ouaintances ''lripped the fantastic toe TILL the
small hours of the morning. The next day
| (Ihursday) was the day set apart tor the tour
| nament but as the rain tell IN such torrents
that it was impossible for one to venture out
doors, the tournament could not possibly 90 o.
and was, in consequence thereof, postponed
until Tuesday, the 10Th inst, and we look for
ward to that day with great joy, for as 1t Is
court day we expect large concOurse OF peo-
pie. at which time the young ladies propose to
give another: fair and festival. On thursday
night kidwell & Baker gave as an entertain,
ment representation OF paradise Lost and
Regained' or the War of the Angels, which
was largely attended Half the proceeds were
donated to the Masons here. After the pan.
Drama the young men of the village procured
four or five fddles and an ACCORDION and COM
mcuced dancing, 1.-THE band having been sent
home that EVENING" which was kept up TIL
late hour. Many Alcxandrans were present.
During the dancing man rushed into the ball
room aud exclaimed "Dr. Fairfax, -come out
here quick, man has broken his neck - The
Doctor went out and found as represented, that
an old man named Harrison kidwell, better
known here as "Burde Andersou," had fallen
off the corner of the platform 10 front Of Dallas
Powell saloon and broke his neck. He was
examined by the Doctor, pronounced dead,
put in the undertakcr's shop here and kept
until next morning, when Justice Hawxhurst
acting coroner, held an inquest, and the &c els,
ion of the jury was that the deceased came to
his death by an accidental fall and disIocatlon
Of the neck. Friday nights programme Was
| abe same as Thursdays save 10 necks were
broken Now | have something to say about
beaux from neighboring cities; one OF them, |
wont give his name u great dancer, happened
to have on very tight boots, and not feeling
| door, pulled off his boots and socks, put the
latter in his pocket replaced his boots, and re-
commenced dancing Shortly after he was no.
supposed, drew out his handkerchief, but, in
stead, wiped his proboc;s with one of the socks !!
| Next time he comes up he bad better get his
| boots stretched.
Great excitement prevails here at present in
regard to the election this fall of member Of
the House of Delegates Tie following are
spoken Of for that position: Judges Cock erllle
and Sangster, James NJ. Love, r. L. hewitt,
H. NJ Lowe, Alfred Leigh, Capt john Pow
ell, H. R. Farr, NJ Fl. Wells, y. McChiches-
ter aud Others including Samuel j. Stone, AS
SCISSOR of Lee Township.
The reassessors have finished their work and
returned their books to the clerk, which has
created some dissatisfaction.
Judge R. Ii. Cockerille has sold avon, !"
his residence. to a northern man, for $l5,Oop.
Richard Murphy, a sailor, who has just re-
turned from the seas, and who has five fine silk
dresses with him, intends to present the sue
cesstul knight at the tournament on tuesday
with one of them, valued at $500. Over twenty
knights have been entered slucc he has an
nounced that fact. n.
DESTRUCTIVE Storm. The Port Tobacco,
Nd, Times of Friday last, says
Zone of the sevcrcst storms which has ever
visited Charles county, within our recollection,
came upon US at au early hour last Tuesday
morning Wind, rain and hail, accompanied
by the most terrific thunder and Tightening,
seemed to threaten every thing with destruc
ton. The storm appears to have moved with
special violence along the belt OF country bind
ing on the Potomac river, inh'cting great losses
upon those living within the sections where its
ravagcs were most dreadful. People were mo-
mentarily expecting the roofs Of their houses to
be blown over, a great deal of fencing was
thrown down, and acres Of corn and tobacco
were entirely destroyed, for whatever OF those
crops the rain and wind failed to beat down and
break off, the constant fall Of very large hail
tore and cut into shrcds. Some of our farm
ers, who few days before had most fatteriug
prospects for large crops Of corn and tobacco,
will now, under the most favorable crcumstan-
ces, scarcely make corn enough to serve them,
even under the most economical use, while of
the tobacco crop they now have really nothing
left worth cuItvating. During the storm TWO
children were struck and instantly killed by the
lightniug. The melancholy casualty occurred at
the house of Mr.. Barry, in Pomonkey District
The two children were walking up and down
the floor at the time they were stricken.
Masonic FESTIVAL AT FAIRF.X c. H
According TO the programme in the bills, on
Wednesday the Masons paradcd in full regalla
and with n hand of music they entered the i