Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-30
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WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY So

| WhDN ESDA1 hF hNINS, JAN u AN ou
A WANDERER HEARD FRoM.-About the
commencement Of the autumn of 1850, Mr..
Edward T. Brown, a son of Thos Brown, e:q,
most respected citizen of Brunswick county,
who at that time resided in about one milo Of
Trotter's store, ordered bis horse for ride.
When the horse was brought out by ser
want, Mr.. Edward Brown, attired 10 his usual
clothes and without any extra baggage, stare
out from bis fathers home. As he was walk
ing out little niece of his. afterwards the
beautiful Miss Lucy Tucker. who became the
wife Of Merritt B. Miller, the gallant Major OF
the Washington Artillery, asked him where he
was going? He replied that he was simply
about to take ride; and mounting his stced
stuck spurs to its hanks and was soon out OF
sight.
Weeks, months and years rolled by and no
tidiugs came back to the father and mother Of
the missing boy. and in spite Of the most earn
est research nothing could bs heard. AS time
waned, the aged parents felt the blow more
of the missing boy helped to hasten their end
it bore upon them so heavily. 10 time they
died, and were laid away in the family buryiug
place, and still the relatives of the family heard
nothing from the wauderer, and ho for years
had been given up az lost, or else was for.
gotten.
A few weeks ago Col. w. L. Mason, post
master at Mill Store postof6ce in the imme.
date neighborhood in which the Brown family
once resided received letter from Edward i.
Brown, asking for news from home and family,
giving at the Same time such minute descrip.
ton of bis connection as to leave no doubt a.
to his identity.
The letter stated that since 1858 the writer
had been q resident of California and had
heard nothing from home; and enclosed stamps
for q reply.
There can be no doubt that this is the same
man who has 80 long teen unheard Of. and
who, perhaps, as he advanced in years, could
no longer repress bis anxiety to hear from his
family.
He is now 10 Kearn county, California, and
has been written to by friends. .-Rtersburg
hder
THE POETRY OF THE OLD PLANTATION
What nights (says Southern writer) were the
nights on the old plantation The mellow
light Of the harvest moon crept through tho
rustling leaves Of the tall oaks, fell softly upon
the open space beyond, and bathed the brown
old barn 10 food of golden glory, while tho
songs Of the negroes at tho corn pile-lusty
chorus and paintiye refrain-~shook tho silence
until it broke upon the air in far reaching waves
of melody.
But, alas, all these are gone. The moon
pursues her pathway as screnely as Of DID, but
she no longer looks down upon the scenes that
were familiar to your youth. The old homo
stead and the barn are given up to decay, and
the sougs Of the negroes have been hushed into
silence by the necessities of new dispensation.
The old plantation itself is gone. 1t has passed
away; but the hand cf time, inexorabe and yet
tender, has woven about it the sweet sugges'
tions Of poetry and romanoe-memorals that
neither death nor decay can destroy.
How RIVAL MINE OWNERS F1oHr.-The
Virginia (Nev.) Enterprise of January l9, says:
Among the Internal machines invented for
use in carrying on the underground war be-
tween the Justics and Alta was sort of sub
terranean monitor which was rigged up in the
Justice. 1t was kind of bullet proof car placed
on wheels. with port holes through which to
shoot. This was to contain two men with
been propelled from behind. In this way Mr..
Curtis expected to capture the entire drift, and
if necessary, the level AS its efficiency was
not tested, it is difficult to give any opinion ss
to it's probable workings. What Derby had in
the Alta to match this machine we do not posi-
lively know, but have heard it limited that
the ground on his side was mined, and that it
contained enough giant powder to blow up
everything 10 tho neighborhood to Davy Jones
ocker.
LAW AGAINST FLIRTING.-Bu in his
History Of Virginia, says: 81. find that the
Governor was obliged SOON after to issue
proclamation forbiddiug women to contract
themselves to two several men at one time.
For women being yet scarce, and much 10 re-
quest, this offence was become very common;
whereby great disquiet arose between parties
and no small trouble to the government. 1t
was therefore ordered, That every minister
should give notice in bis church that what
woman soever should use any word or speech,
tending to contract of marriage, to several
persons at one time, although not precise and
legal, yet so IS might entangle or breed scruple
10 their consciences, should, for such their Of
fence, either undergo corporeal correction, or
be punished by fine, or otherwise according to
the quality Of the person so offending.
nIssoLUTION-The copsrtnership hereto.
~ fore existing between THOS. V. RISH-
ELL and HENRY F. HODGE is this dsy
dissolved by mutual consent
Jan. 10. 1878. RISHEILL s. HOOGE