Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-18
Oft from the Indian hunters camp,
The maid and her ioTcr so true,
Are seen q! tho hour of the midi ignt ds
10 cross the lake by thoir fire fly lamp,
q nd roHd1n !, Il. L.

The maid and her lover 50 true,
Are seen q! tho hour of the midi ight damp,
10 cross the lake by thor fire fly lamp,
And paddle their white canoe"
The lake has no beach or shore, the sTsrp
encompasses it all arourd, with 10 outlet saw,
the two canals.
In the olden times the "Great Dismal IVES
never entered. It was to the people a land ~
the lost from the Plutonian shadow of which
once entered none ever returned. Dark tales
were told Of this horrible swamp, and the bod.
est sportsman only skirted the edce in pursuit
Of game. Ooe day keen, eager bu1tsmaD
followed deer he had wounded so far ip the
recesses Of the swamp that lie lost his clue and
wandered in tho labyrinth for three days, and
at last after giving up hope, faint, hungry,
wearied and despairiDg, he stumbled on the
lake, which lay before him radantIy lovely il
tho sunlight. Emboldencd and buoycd up be
continued his Wanderiugs and got Gu! and re-
ported the news Of the wonderful lake hid away
10 the morass, and the place vas called after
him, being one Of the instances where disc0v.
erer was ever known to leave his pame and rnr
der it famous
There is but one nous; near Lake Dfummnn.!
and that is Inhabited By two separate families
1t stands a few huojrcd yards from the lax.
and is built upon ground artiiclally coDsruc.ej
The people OF the house are OF that kind kuan:
as low doWners, and arc at0u! lie hlrGc.i
set L ever yet stumbled against. The "Nam
sion de Doree' was shanty like the Irishman
with three rooms IN one --parlor, bedroom AM
hall. Lotto this all crowded and s!am, at..
there were more pigs, cats alG babies ia 0a,
habtatlon than ever saw before. The pig
were the cleanest, the cats more aggressive, All
the babies tho dlrtcst ald loudest OF al; 10;
tunatclY / brought hammock and saunr il
outside, and Isylug III watched the domestic
concerns Of this happy family who had !i.r,.
all their lives in the swamp.
There were Ave women. ono boy sixteen ed.
dren Of all coors and siz,s, lhir:eoa suck:n%
pigs, tour cats, (threo Tables rad = tun) ly.,.
litters CT Kittens five dissipste>l looking duck.
sociable sow and Glrety million mosquitoes. b..
tween the fowl, the flesh and th3 family there
was perfect equality; thay q! mixed :oge.a;:
and seemed to enjoy each othcr's society am:
ingly.
boat, got them to serve up supper. il l,h' ~.
set under she'd There wero Only t@!1 k:li3o.
and one fork on the whole tlblp. Oug :.!i::.
was signal for an Incident brad no. rN..
of the largest Children watched ths table VITA
sticks-not TO keep away the iijas bat :, baAt III
tho rest Of the brute family. rAe li:cor! ~
a
babies yelled, cats fought, spit ali c.awal; "a:
uAitcd in one Internal upcoar thlt ra'oI5io
through thu swamp and mast hsca -asrD. may
8 boar from his lair.
When supphr Was finished tina Nigat -: " =.
advanced the great Southern Bear Ia! No.
high in the sky, still pointing t-ae to tqa p,.r
star. Tno varied noise Of tbs swamp WA cir.r
audible-the hoarse croaking Of tho frog; wa.'.r
seemed to have gubernatoral convent, -.
their own, judging trom tho up:oar thog tA.:.
the boding boot Of the owl, tho p!aintivo c7y =.
the whip poor-will, and the other naginsb..
sounds born of night, were IN perfect contrast:
the supreme quies of tho swamp in the day tim
The mosquitoes were in uncountel millions
they came armies Oh armies. waves on VA
clouds upon clouds, and threw them selves WI.
bloodthirsty vorscity upon every living thu
1t was useless to brush them olr-lko the liz.
cavalry of the Manloluke2 ~ Abouk.. wac.
they Were repulsed at one point they Wou.d 80.
form and charge again. 1t last the whole -"
ily beat retreat inside and closed the do: At:
the cry wont up to ''holl the for. " Inside 81.
hammock, with my i4ca covered With II liaa
dustar I laid as secure from their persistent: bill!
as a new bankrupt debtor is from the mportu-
mites Of his creditors. 's5eep. baimy ste?r
that knits up the ravelei sleeve Of care. mai
all sounds silent. was aroused hY ny glid,
II can't stand this" hs said.
"W hat do you mean | A!keI, rubbing M
eyes
n," hs said ''lha animals. the heat tina d,::
and thu mosquitoes are awful. l AN b't.+" /"
pieces.'
"Why don't YOU row into tho middle ~ I,:3e
Drummond aud sleep in the canoe'
"Because," he answered., ut look; - +! trs:.
was going to be Storm, ani don't wa; !.
drown; however, its near day, snd J will "a.;.
about until morning.
The hours passed on and tbs :l@ cams co..
and with it the inmates Of the cabin. I w&!cioi
no. oUl U n IF NJ 4 "A ~
morning additions, rs the canal WAS bat sing
step from the door; but water WAS 4 siipo:!:Hitr
with them. l determined that som elEing shou."
have bath and be clean, SO l pitched two PIG
and cat in the canal. and the way thoy pAd!e'
out showed it 10 be thor first experience VIZ
water.
Thero's coed that always come; on. VI Ns=s
reth and even this dirt encrusLel people, dc'l-'
ly ignorant and lazy, yet had two diverse -.
and honesty-whci srr. At
ell, the highest in the human calendar, an on
more than Diogonese possessed. After / Ie.t
one Of the women padded Esit - mile doya ti!a
lake to return mo pair Of shoes when h;
forgotten
Leaving Lake DrummonI just IS tnn sun r,,'
above the lofty trees that trimmed its boundaries
I turned for q last glance Tho waters lay nov
still, calm and peaceful rs they will res. forever
Tho rising sunbsams tinged the WATTS unit
hoy glowod like opal and opaz--a real gem As
It were in q jet setting. 1t wa; an cNquaitoif
touched picture, and ! WAS cnarnHi 70 ha'"
;eon il! ; but after seeing l was glad, oh 81 %is
10 get away.
Your correspondent takes this occasion l.
hank Mr.. j. L. Manning Of AccotiE!;, ln5p1r~
tor CT River and HsrbOr improvements, for h"
courtesy and existence CHhssEUE.
Tragedy.
New York, August lS.-A terrible tragedy
occurred early this morning. Thomas Harding,
forty-fve years Of age, shot his housckccper,
NJ WnnI ruhn l.. O. 1li CT h.