Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-02-16
ARLINGTON.


, writer in the Washington Republican, iD
recommending Arlington as government ex-
detrimental farm, says:
"The property was abandoned by the Lee
family on the breaking out of the rebellion.
Subsequently the United States came IN pos
session Of it by virtue of tax sale. When,
during the war, in 1862, proclamation was is
snod from the President declaring slaves con-
,r.hands of war, this Arlington tarm was cOn-
verted into rendezvous tor these tugiuyes, as
also for white refugees escaping from the
States in rebellion. This 'coutraband camp
vas improved aud enlarged until made the
Freedman's Village, home for freedmen at
fer the act Of emaucipat ton. Upon the close
Of the war, and the establishment of the Blu.
reau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned
Lands, it was made an asylum for aged and In
firm freed people and hospital for inTahds.
The village contained large number of tene-
ment houses, hospital, church, several
school. houses, slorehouses, blacksmith and car
penters' shops, sc. All the inmates OF the asy-
lum, who were able to work at all, were al
lowed little plat of ground for a gardcn:.
There had congregated, also, number OF
families who we're selt-supporting, who rented
land each. A large portion Of the land on the
estate was cultivated by the superintendent of
the village for the benefit of the hospital and
asylum. This general operation was found to be
Improbable, and 10 1867 or 1868, by direction OF
the Commissioner of the Freeman'S Bureau,
under the charge of the superintendent, the
land on the estate, lying outside OF the natloual
cemetery, was surveyed and subdiyidcd into
lots of ten acres each, aud these lots we're rent
ed to the self-supporting freedmen living upon
the estate These lots are still rented and
worked by these people. In the fall of 1868
the asylum and hospital were broken up leav-
ing none but renters upon the estate, aud all
the buildings were sold. In closing up the es-
tablishment the superintendent toreseelng
that the renting of the property to colored men
could not be remuneratlVe to the Government,
in making up his report recommended that the
property be turned over to the Department Of
Agriculture. General Capron, then Commits
siouer of Agriculture, entered earnestly into
the plan, and for time it seemed to be on the
way to reach Congress. But for some reason,
best knowo to himself, Commissioner Capron
failed to ask Of Congress such a transfer, and
the subject has never been revived
THE Arlington estate contains about twelve
hundred and seventy five acres of land. The
aud fifty or seventy-fVe acres, 80 that there re-
main about pine hundred acres for the purpose
indicated. This lies along the Potomac river
for about mile The Georgetown and Alex
andria turnpike runs through the land nearly
due north and south, and parallel to the river,
and separates the bottom lands from the up
lands
Upon these nine hundred acres is found al
most all the varieties of soil found in Virginia
and Maryland, certainly all in this vicinity. On
the river front, for nearly the entire length of
the estate, are the Arlington marshes, now use
less, and cesspool of vegetable muck and
miasma. All this deposit is easily taken out,
and can be utilized for ertllizing the soil. Next
to this is strip of very rich iDtervae land,
which is occasionally flooded by the overflow OF
the Potomac. Above this, and reaching to tie
turnpike, is fne quality 0! al!uvlal soil, we'll
adapted to the propagatloo vi al sorts OF vege-
tables and cereals. Next to this are aterna-
tions of sandy and clay soils, just suited to the
growth Of fruits of ali kinds; and lastly, upon
the highest elevations are spots valuable for
the plaoting of grape and other vines. Moth
ing 10 the vicinity of Washington can be found
80 we'll calulated as is this estate for an expert
meuta farm.
The site is one of the most attractive around
Washington, sufficiently near to be easy of ac-
cess and it costs the government nothing to
use it for this purpose. No land Of so good
quality, so we'll situated, and so near the city
can be purchased for less sum than two or
three hundred dollars per acre. An excellent
road leads from the Long Bridge to it, and
another from the Aqucduct bridge aud Georg,-
town. If it were set apart for the use OF the
Agricultural Department there weuld very soon
be continuation of the Washington AID
Georgetown Railroad across the Aqueduct
bridge, along the turnpike, through the estate,
and come into the city again, by Long Bridge
and Fourteenth street to Pennsylvania Avenue,
Tor this railroad company would fud it to the
interest Of the company to construct such ex-
tension.
The present great want of the Agricultural
Department is an experimental farm for /! Q
propagation OF seeds, and no farm can be
found possessing so many important requisites
a. this.
"For purposes of adornmcnt its beauties
could be enhanced by Its connection with the
national cemetery. The marshes, now an an
nual sewer Of malarial Sickness to the inhabi
tants of Arlington as we'll as of Washington,
could be dyked so as to prevent any further
overflow; the peat or vegetable mold could be
taken out and spread upon the soil, thus en-
riching it beyond all precedent; the basin
could then be kept clean or filled up by BY cart
ing sand or gravel from the adjacent hills, and
the health OF the community thus Infinitely en-
hanced.
Besides these considerations of utility, there
would be added another suburban resort, Sec
ond 10 attractions only to the soldiers home.
There can be no valid objections raised to
this plan. There lies the farm, the property of
the United States, worth at least two hundred
thousand dollars, source of no revenue what.
ever: and the Agricultural Department suffer
Ing for the lack of just exactly such an extent
of land.
"All ths inhabitants Of the country aboutit
indeed Of all Alexandria county, would hail
such result with the greatest delight, for there
by their property would be greatly enhanced in