Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-01-14

garity and called forth, such an expression. OF
low bred remarks, my respect for that body, ana
the respect which have ever strlven to man.-
fest for each member 10 his true counclimantc
relations, would, most asSuredty, inspired an
intervention to have prevented such a develop
ment of lowhung expressions aud lnslnuatlons
us nv guiltless act elected. The modest and
apologetic manner 10 which the bills Were pre-
sented, was enough, with a majority of the
noble minds of the Common Council, to ensure
them polite reception, but to the minority
of the occasion, which evidently drew It's lm-
pressions Of public transaction from It's own
low standard of the business relations OF lite.
modesty and apology offered no protecnon
against malicously Uursed feeling that only
sleeps until the sembEnce of an excuse wakes
it to an attenp, to SANDER and lnJure without
the poor plea Of doing service to It's poSl'lon TO
sustain it. One member, with an air OF luo-
berly pomposity and clumsy sell suflclcncy,
off red au aburtive motion to refer the bills Oach
to Mr. Rick; second, with pucrle essay al
maudin wit, asked if it would not he Well to
have it done 10y contract, third, with a mimic
concern that never truly maultesIs itself uuieSS
| in con ,ection with some subject of the Council
| directly or Indirectly Of interest to him. II me
| work had been au horizad by Council, and the
That DR.. johnson, who had ordered the well,
said he would pay for it out of his own pocket,
bur afterwards, he understood, made coIlec-
lion 10 the neighborhood. How much money
he got the speaker did not know The follow
ing affidavit will prove these assertions to be 4
wauton SANDER: ...
Personally appeared before me, a Justice OF
the Peace, Henry Johnson, and made oath that
DIR. j. B. johnson had Dothlng to do with the
collection of the Gig hit dollars from the residents
on Pitt street, for the we'll, aud that he, said
Hcury johnson, made the collection at his owG
motion. HENRY JOHNSON.
Subscribed and sworn to before me the 5tl OF
January, 1874: SAMUEL BEACH, }. F..
ut will be remembered that | said thatlt was
at my instance that the slaudercr had been APP
pointed on the Committee on Streets. The
member 10 question appealed to the President
of the Common Council to know If 1t were so.
The President is reported to have replied that
he was appointed at the solicitation or by the
influence of nobody whatever. l am coostraln-
ed to say that the reply OF the President OF the
Common Council is not true; and relterate,
with more emphasis than before, that 1t was
solely at my instance that he was appointed on
the Committee Oh Streets, and that If 1t had
not been for my suggestion be would not have
patry sum which the well cost that gives me
any coucern, but it was the obvious meannes>,
which, unler false show of care Tor the inter.
est of the city, that spur.ed out to visit upon
me ridicule, SANDER and contempt, and | have
items sufficient from the proceedings OF the
Common Council to prove, that in all human
probability, if the we'll had been dug to accom-
modate more wealthy and influential portion
Of the community, that these very members,
without pausug TO recognize an honorable and
intelligent principle, would have used their
places n Council to have Wed, one with the
other, 10 acts # huDkyism in order to ingratiate
that doubtful favor which follows fawuing to
fancied wealth and Influence, for such ludivldu-
ais are but the type OF that miserable class
which has Dot either the will, industry or in
telgcnce to originate anything worthy OF an
enlightened commentator, but possesses an
abundance of sordiduess aud envy to decry aud
misrepreseot anything that proposes to carry
them from the old beaten track OF coHmon-
place and mediocre. The act of digging tie
well was but an unconscious imitation OF what
had been repeatedly done, not only by the City
Council, but by cltlzeus tor the preservation OF
the streams of water III that vicinity. The Ceun-
ell at one time, at great expense aud care,
caused to be erected on that square, over one
of its streams, au appropriate brick building,
With suitable appurteDaoces to accommodate
the residents with water, and It was known at
the time as the celebrated "Stone Spring,
aud was visited by almost all the citizens for
the pleasure of drinking its pure wafer. At
another period Dr. Carson, when Superinten-
dent OF Police, expended various sums If money
to pres rye the springs of that region, not ou!y
for the Inhabitants of the peighborhood, but
for the people Of the city. RecolIcctions Ut
Cum Spring still lirgrr IN the minds OF our
old Inhabitants, ealing up memories OF young
lfe's most halcyon days; and it Is told OF re-
speced old resident, (Johu 5. Mills IN times
guue by, that be was one day found digging
with mis- employees, on the hill side OF the
same square, and when asked what he Was do.
ing, replied that he was hunting Tor the STUMP
ofthe tree that shaded the spring at which he
drank when boy He succeeded in finding the
stump, and also the long hidden stream, and
erected over it a shelter to protect It. There
are other ASSOCIATIONS connected with the vi
clui,y. The first Catholic chapel OF the city
was built upon that square amid these springs,
aud the grounds ar"uud aud about them were
the play places of Robert X. Lee, and the as
socae generation OF his boyhood hours, and
many time, 10 other days, the low, soft gurg-
ling of those streams kept cousonance VII the
sweet tales OF luLuIe uOpc auu JJy Lhat oFSi'
would tell when nestled by their banks to enjoy
their cooling flow.
The Board then adjourned.
COMMON COUNCIL.
The regular meeting Of this Board last night
was well attended by the members, but there
we're only six auditors without the bar
MIR. Mckenzie, in Introducing a resolution
directing the Board of Public Works TO loan
the Finance Committee the sum now undcr
their control, said there were some three or
four thousand dollars iu the hands OF the Treas
urer to the credit of the Board Of Public Works.
They would not have use for the money for
some mouths and there was urgent need for it
to pay the interest on the city debt. line III
nance Committee would be in funds and could
return the loan within sixty or uioety days.
MIR. Rishcil asked if the Finance Committee
would be willing to pay interest to the Board Of
Public Works for the money
MIR. Mckenzie responded that that was
question for the Council The money did DOT
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