Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-07-29
q TRIP 70 Point lockout.


sharp wedge Of land luDnlng Gu: rem 81.
Mary's county, Nd, add dividing icr tic first
time the vsst volume Of waters q tic Potolaac
river aud chesapeake Bay. From pcla. Lock
out the opposite shore OF the Bay is % miles
off to the cast, and is Invisible, while ACROSS The
POTOMAC 10 the WIS. tic distance is a5cu: lG
miles TO where tho bills Of Virgisls show them
selves 10 their eternal robes OF blue. The d9rI
walton of tho local name is obvious, Tor here
one c1D stand and take 10 all points CT the con'
pass save to the north IN Oh unots.Iuc.cd view,
end the eye locks cut upon as glorious shcet
Of water as a1y nation may boast CT. Upon
the cast AID west shore OF this narrow finger oil
land the surf almost continuously breaks and
dashes, and across it through the din centuries
the waters of bay and river have fought their
Equid battles and piled up the barrier that dl
yldcs their fury. Close down to the point Is
stationed the lighthouse, whose steady beums
| have lighted up IN time Of s.oIm and peril tue
| hone OF many toll WON mariner, aud some
times, too, Mhen the vapory veil has obScured
this friendly Pnaros, the TOO veuturcsonle salicr
| has been hurled to destruction down among
| the coriurciiye waves that fret and sure over
| tho serpenlino reef. At Point Lockout long,
shcIviug, sandy shores reach d0Wn aud Into tho
water on either side, aud as the Polnt locks TO
| the south 90 almost never ceaslog SUIT Is dash
| ing upon tho east or west SIDE as the woo
| blows 10 from bay or river. Upon the north
about halt mile from the Puint romantic
lake, about Two mills lorg and q hail OF mile
wide, winds out its soliu1es ~ picturesque coz
trts: with the angry roar OF liz nel2nborlDg
elements. The waters ct ibc bay and river
abound 10 almost very variety OF salt water
| 6sh-rcck, trout, mackcrel, tailor AID black
| fish, ere among tho most desired, while the
waters Of the lake produce even q. this season
| OF lho year oysters superior 10 those ordnar!iy
brought to the Alexandria and Washington
markets during the wutcr, and these oysters, 1t
is said, arc then sold as Saddle Racks, Lyon
Haven Bays, &C., BY the DEALER. Mosquitoes
arc vegetable unknown at Point Lookout,
Tor by the dcllciously cool bretz's hist almost
continually blow they become like Captain
| Tresklc' sea horse. blown of their coast. U"
Bat in addition to lis pbysical and geographical,
Point Lookout has human history. Its sp!en'
did advantages as bathing resort attracted
the attention Of gentlemen composing the firm
of Smith, Fowler & Co., who 10 1859 erected
90 elegant hotel abcu! 200 yards uolth of the
lighthouse, and also lincd the by shGrc with
40 cottages Tor the accommodation OF iaml!
les. The place then went Toto regular opera.
| ton, GUd was extensively patron ed, etu was
| purchased with the $50 acres OF land, !ucud
iog the lake, by Mr. Il. g. w. Hall, 0! pfLcc
Georges county, Nd, just prior to the wa!
who ran il With success until the gCV!rGmeDt
| in 1862, by virtue Of eminent domsl0, took
possession. ard converted il into military hos
pilaI and prison. at one iimc the govtrameDt
had as many as % thonsaod Prisoners az the
Point, acd had erected there great LuuIb>r
OF buildings. Ffark Humcs cottage on tire
bay side Was The head qusrtcrs CT Gen. hlarSon
the commandant. rhe government gave up
the property 10 1868 10 a tolerabIy fir c)bdl-
TOO, when ii fell into lilig ltioa between Mr..
Hall, the owner, and Miss ID. L. Baker
| Hall, it Is said, being southern syDpathzar
mad conveyed tho lr)pcrty TO Miss Baker, G
| Union lady, u1ou a secret trust, so that rent
claim could lay against the government Tor
Halls bcnctl:. and Miss Baker then undertook
to iguCro Halls title, but a. all cveuts tho re-
suit Of the litigation was the sale Of tho prop
crly 10 Baltimore in 1876 by decree Ct )urt,
and Frank Hume, who had bought everything
else, unlike Alexander, dido't weep on that
account. but went over 10 Baltimore aGt 5.ught
it t5r about thirty thousand dollars in cash. a
few months afterwards lie sold 10 The ST.. Mary
Point Lookout Lsnd aud Improvement Com
psuy composed Of Phladelphans, for st, coo:
made cool SO. QUO by tho transaction, aod
also r3serVipg handsome cottage aud hail an
Gcre of ground at the most eligible situation.
| Shortly afterwards 10 March, 1876. the hotel
| aud portion Ct The cottages we're destroyed
| by br1, and some 0i the COTTAGES were u1d2r-
| mined by The SEQ and condemned, and the resi-
| due were taken down and used by the oGnl.
pany III constructing new buildings last Water.
| This company shortly cftcr its purchase ucder.
took TO complete railroad from Washington
city TO the Point, and did succeed 10 grading
i5 miles eff the road, but owing TO some mis-
understanding or trouble with the former pre-
| eldcn; Of the company, S. s. Smoot cf Wash'
| ngtO0. the iGr;hcr progress CT the work was
abandoned. n new company has been si1cc
orgaGz:d undGr the name OF tho Southern
| Maryland Railroad Company, who undertook,
| ii the bonds of the old company we're EutreI.
derod 10 the trustee, Frank Hume to complete
| the road 10 short time. Frank Hume, the
| trustee, has got 10 nearly al the bouds aDd
| the probability Is The road will be completed by
February, 1879. The present company has tor
| lis president j. II. LlnvilIe. Com. Wood, of
Vice President. DR.. Browo, Of St. Mays, is
ono Of tho Directors, as also Frauk Hume, OF
| Washington, the trustee. The members Of
this company arc all very wealthy, and are de.
tcrmiucd to complete the road speedily. They
propose crcc!iUg coaling station aud extensive
grain elevators % tho ST. Marys river lew
miles back of the Point, and will thereby gain
| q great advantage over tho present mode oil
shipment, as large vessel will doubtless proler
taking 10 their c.rgoes hero 10 the expense OF
piIotagc and towage and the loss Of time irc.
dent to the Alex lndria and Georgetown ports
ibis road will connect with the Is. l. j. road
at Washington, ID. y.
There is one historical circumstance connect
cd with Point Lookout not generally known,
aud ref let's honor upon the State oil Maryland,
which will last long after tho transitory glories
Of this world uro forgotten. Maryland was the
first State Inappropriate money f1ra monument
to the memory of Confederate dead, and just after
the war voted twenty thousand dollars for this
purpose at Point Lookup. Here sleep 500
Confcdcrates. mostly North Csroliaians, With
some VirSniaDs and Mis- ssippiaDs. and above
them Maryland's graceful tribute to their