Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-07-08
letter ErOna Falls Church.

FALLG CHUHCu, Va, July I, lSI9.-The town
council has organized FOR tho coming year With
T.. :. Abbott Mayor and Fomo change in tho
general character Of tho members with an inlu-
sion Of your@,r blood, which, fresh in the leld
OF municipal affairs and illed with ambitious no.
tons o! progress, may help The town out Of the
slough Of .espond in which it has boon laboring,
wa!or logged, for sorne limo. For town of lis
size it has suffered moro from tho imbocllity OF
Is municipal officers than would lie supposed.
Many Of lis most intelligent inhabitants being
connected with federal all.irs arc barred by
Grants executive order from holding municipal
positions and some others, gentlemen Ct means
nrl lei;urc arc SO thoroughly disgustod with
tho general company in which they would be
cast iy association. decline TO sorvc IN The coun>
Gil. Tho general condition of tho Affairs Of the
town grows wor1o year by year. There arc por-
tions Of tho roacs ard streets in tho town that
have not been placed in order smooth Q town was
originally organized, while tho whole effort OF
tho authorities soems to BIO to get llttlo pcco OF
good road in front Of tho door Of each member
OF council Tho bridges arc Of tho 'Choap john
order, put up IN the dmslest style anu sro con-
siantly out OF repsir. go much so IS to mako tho
town Continually Liable 10 damages from tray.
oilers whose vehicles and animals arc threatened
with injury. There portions CT the roE6s In 81
40 dangerous for travel in broad day light, and
aTo absolutely impossible Mt night, travellers bo-
ing compelled TO dodge Thorn snd g. long dis
tsncos round 10 svoid difficulty, and [ would
not have been surprised .! any timo within
the last two years 10 havo seen the town
authorities indicted for their neglect
Tho health Of tho section has boon exceptionally
good go far this seRson; tkoro has been some
sickness among tho children, and DR.. T. M.
Talbot buried his youngest child last Sunday,
after violent attack Of cholera morbus, attend
cd with spsame. The influx ofsummer b0srders
has been much moro limited than usual. The
cool weather has had 10 boar tho blame of that
moro of it than is probably fairly chargaabi e TO
it. The fact is. tho accommodation ana fair on
our railroad connections is an impairment that
is not sufficiently taken into consideration, eX.
cept by trsnsente, who haveto bear the burden,
and they find it 60 much cheaper to travel on
tho roads running cut of Washington TO the
North and West that, admitting tho localities
sro not otEerW;' IS pleasant, the matte: OF ocon.
omy drives great many thst Way: Tho Fourth
was not bc:Lerously celebrated tnis year, Tor
what reason does not clearly appear. There
was but limited displsy of fireworks, and they
somewhat scattered st individual houses with no
effort for eny general movement. The Congre.
eationalis had mo6ting st their church in tho
evening. but they did not attach any particular
Specification TO the occasion. We had come col.
ored visitors from Alexandria, but they did not
STGlVc until lhlC Ill luS OWluS W LuC
ing Of q bridge near Csrlin's Springs, on tho w.
& o. Il. K BY which the travel on the road
WAS impedcd TO somo extent. Tho railroad au.
thorities, understand, believe the fire originated
from tho carly train but tho fact that whom tho
colored people from Alexandria came up last
year there were threats made that if they at.
tempted TO como again this year tho bridge would
be burned down, added TO tho fact that it YVES
fired when they did attempt 10 come, cesls
shade Of suspicion OVER the circumstances that
makes il look as if there might have been in
csndiarsm ST tho bottom Of tho fire. If any Of
tho colorcd people engaged in making these
threats wore guilty Of firing the bridge, ihey
should, If discovered, BIO severely punished.
They arc very headEtroDg IN their vengeance
when aroused. and utterly reckless as 10 tho dam
ger involved in The obstruction OF travel on q
public highway, and had tho train been going
At full speed an accident would have boon al
most unavoidable. As il was, the bridge being
near q station, tto train cano upon it before it
had altsinod any speed, and any accident vas
ossily aYoidablo We arc suffering from tho
exceeding dry weather. and though The grain is
fair, The hay crop will be very much shortened.
The fields not yet cut arc burning up rapidly.
Tho corn is holding its own fairly, particularly
where constantly etirred. but the carly potstoes
want rain very soon or they are bound to ba
short. If Cur farmerz had been asked for On
opinion as to whether they should pillow their
crops whom tho ground was dry, the general oy-
preston wonld be tho dricr tho time. tho moro
10 plough. III.