Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-21
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
Letter from Richmond.
lCorrespondence of the Alexandra Gazette. !
RICHMOND. February 20. 1878.

ate to. day gives great pleasure w VIZ 'S''J"
era Gov Holiday is how looked IT, by lie
other side, who hope that be will veto It, The
House has still to concur in the Senate amcud'
mepts, which are, however, unlmportant.-
Thcrs can be 20 doubt whatever that the House
will pass The bill. tits generally believed that
the Governor will approve, the bill. Ddrlng
The debate 10 the Senate large crowds have
haen in attendance and much interest has teen
manifested, Up to the time the vote was taken
both sides claimed the victory-lhat is one side
claimed that the bill would pass and the other
that il would not. And both sides mustered
topether all their forces. The readlusters OF
the House both To day and yesterday intimated
their belief that the bill would not pass the
Senate.
IF the House agrees 10 the amendments las
there can be little doubt they willy the sesslon
will soon draw to CLOSE. 1t wont do to talk
patriotism and that sort Of thing to this Leglsa
lure, When their per diem stops they will stop
too. They say they came here to settle this
debt question and when that IS settled they ln'
tend to 60 away.
The night sessions tell sadly on The younger
members and | fear some of them will break
down under them Then they stop fellow
from going to tho theatre.
There is much confusion as to who the Nc.
Cormick telescope belongs TO. The friends OF
the University Of Virginia havo letters from
Mr.. Mccormick 10 which it is plainly intimated
that the telescope is intended for that institu.
ton while the friends of Washington and Lee
have similar letters.
Tomorrow the matter again comes up 10 the
House.
The election Of the new Pope gives much
satisfaction among tho Richmond Catholics. A
majority of them preferred him to any OF the
other candidates, because be was The favorite
| of the late Pope, and was evidently his choice
| as bis successor.
Mrs. Oates played to splendid house TO-
night.
It has been your correspondents rare good
fortune to get from one of Virgnias racy his
torians a we'll dished up account of the
early days of Manchester and Chester,
| field county. It is given to the world
| through the columns Of the Gazette
The records of Chesterfield county date back
long anterior to the Revolutionary war, the
clerks Office containing original grants OF land
from sundry ''Most Excellent Msjestys.' who
Aourished 10 EogIand two huadrcd years ago.
Some Of these grants arc 10 latin, others IN the
quaint yernacular common to The period when
they were written. Manchester is a hamlet Of
some 900 souls. and was named after tho
great English manufacturing centre, bearing
the same patronymic. For many years it bore
the nick name of Rocky Ridge, because OF the
too abundant outcropplng OF geological strata
on its western confines. > Not lar from this
locale, and above the bridge of the Richmond
and Petersburg Railroad, is Belle Isle. where
the extensive works of tho Old Dominion Nal
Factory are situated. 1t is connected 90 both
the Richmond and Manchester side By bridge.
Belle Isle became famous Tor Infamous accord
log to tancy) az depot during the late war tor
the confinement of Uoion soldiers captured 10
battle. Without much experience 10 the mat
tar 7 should pronounce Belle Isle q more en-
paping summer resort than winter residence.
| The cold who'd comes down the. rocky gorge
forming the falls 10 frigid intensity and in volume
capable OF overwhelming the marrow bones oil
even the stoutest and best clothed Union hero.
| With small conveniences for raising fire and
| q deficient cuisine it is DO wonder that many
| deaths occurred. Years ago Bale Isle was the
centre OF an Indian prncipality, and the festive
Subjects of the King laved their linen and
limbs 10 the classic bed Of the ever murmurIng
James pounded their homioy 10 holes in the
rocks and lit Their council fires beneath the
outrageous foliage OF trees. whose descendants
still survive. Any extensive fresh in the
river is good for supply OF stone arrow heads
tomahawks, and battle axes. and they arc the
most unmistakable reminders We have that snch
outpe folks as Indians ever dominated this SEQ
ton of the Lords moral vineyard.
Speaking of Iodian princlpalitlcs | AIN ro
minded that the site of old st. Johns church
yard 10 Richmond once constituted the not lc.
considerable domain of an aboriginal monarch.
This was when the germ Of what Vas alter
wards Richmond was located at Parloa, In
Heurco, eight miles from here, long before
Byrd conceived the idea OF laying out yo town
at ye falls of ye river and century before
"the eagle orator" of the Revolution, 7. Hen
~, esq.,, made old St. Johns Church ring with
the inspiring remark, Give me liberty or give
me deaf" or words to that effect. La lIo2
| Manchester was rival OF Richmond; much
tobacco was shipped from this place, and con.
siderable quantity was manufactured. 1t had
weekly paper about eight by ten inches, some
numbers of which are yet extant. The original
settlers were mostly Scotch--a fact evident
| from the names of their descendants.
| ChesterGeldians are noted for their sturdy
| Independence, their love Of democracy, old
hares, States rights, persimmons and opossums,
and dislike of whiggery; also for using shuck
collars and ton lines or grape vine as horse
paraphernalia, not less than for their butter,
nut colored raiment, unkempt hirsuc adorn
ments and coal mines.
| Chesterfield fronts on the James river about
| 40 miles, and about 80 on the Appomattox. -
Excepting her coal mines the only thing she
has in the way of internal improvements are Il
miles of the r. Il P. Railway, and miles of
| the Glover Hill Railway, aud small section of
| tho re- D. skirtiug her outer border. A ju.
| dioious development Of her hidden wealth
would render the possibilities of Chesterfield
ooupty's future very brilliant. During the last
ten years number of Northern Immigrants of
character and standing have settled here. They
seem to coalesce with the original Inhabitants
With gratifying unanimity.
Manchester contains several of the largest
cotton and wooden mills in the South also one
or more Touring establishments whose products
are shipped wholly to Brazil, and that would be
conadered:respectable for size anywhere. Lead
ing 10 one Of the cotton mills, and parallel to
the James runs canal on whose banks Thomas
Richie, jr, of the Enquirer, and John lamp.
dan PIeasanfs of Tho Whir met in deadly com.