Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-21

Old Times, Old Graveyards, and
Old People Of Alexan-
dria.
The Epitaph Writer Of Antiquity
Model Tomb. stone Poetry.
Habits and Peculiarities Of George
Washington and Robert z.
Lee.
my H. J. Dupre.i

ma buutN were stamped on ths Iigfis' nora
WIN hHnh Whlch our thgfs scarce can rcad
In 1903 John Smith, the very first
of The first families Of Virginin, was
The firat white man 10 ascend the Pc.
tonne ana look upon the sitc OF Alex
andria, No settlers came til 1915,
wnen the place was known as Bell
haven. IN colonial times II wns the
commercial capital Of the Northern
Neck. the district between The noun.
tains, the Potomac and the Rapuahnr.
mock. When George Washington md
Lord Fnirlnx snnntercd about The place
among It's tobacco and slave dealers,
scanning jntcnfly flags and outlines
of vessels slowly ascending the POI
tonne, Alexandria contained even
then ten thousand inhabitants. when
an English ship pnssed Mt. Vernon
Washington bnstcned on horseback to
the ilDurishing cgpitaI Of the district.
and European commercial and poliU.
cal news thirty days old waH deyoufed
with infinite cngoIness.
Just one hundred years ago Thongs
Jefferson, IN M elaborate paper nB-
serted the future commercial promi-
scnce OF alexandria. After dpscrib-
ing the rivers Of the northwest and
their relations to ono another and to
the great lakes, and the number and
length OF "portnges" connecting them,
nc gravely assured his country mon
thht Tho trade and products ol the
Rffnt northwest ana Of the hiisslaippt
valley would find exit 10 Eur1pc
through Alcxandria rather thnn Now
YORK. we eni only reflect apologpL-
ichlly, that Fulton. Clinton and Steph-
enson steamers, the Eric canal and
railways were unknown to fiime when
Thomas Jefferson was Atill drnnlnin0.
IN lS2s8, Of the surely coming splen-
dors ut Alexandria ON the pntow-
Ilhc," The lakes do not, but thc
hudson lrerIes wrote the philospph.
icnl aHthor of tho Declaration of Indr.
pendencc, Whereas the channel OF
the 'Pat0wmhc and ChoAapenk fbe
"mitH the terminal 'e') lead directly To
warmer climate
CHARMS on TtE pLACE.
AT q Inter period three rnilwuva from
Inc south and canal oonvrrood m
Alefandfih, and here tho wealth and
products of the Northern Neck were
concentrated. But the Potomac wna
hrdGed and these RAILWAYS having
termihi IN Washington and Balti-
more, the Neck was severed from Tho
body, aud Alexandria, M II CONNER.
eihl met, Is mo- more, But tasteful. In.
teiiigeni people have charming hornes
IN and about the place. Roses bloom
anhYrnsA grows nXurnntIy even in HE
streets, and when one would rscnpn
rom the hunts of politicians and
evnus ,nsks OF government. there
coilih he no more delightful retreat
man THIS romnoient little city. The
ora Town, us Il Is termed affection
ntciy by liz people, ~ destined 10 he.
come, because of the abundance and
purity Of its water supply and perfect
cleanliness, place Of refuge for Amer.
lcnn statesmen, and la dense shadows
on grand old onlts they may rest, lnhui-
ing delicious perfumes from rnr,leua ma
matehless ha those OF Ptpsttum and
Prencste.
-, SUNSHINE AND RosEa.
INC inspect oi Alexandria when M.
pronehod from Washington IL hy no
means pleasing. Along the whole
river mont rotling timhers, like n de-
anyihg forest, project above the winter
.nere constituted wharves in days of
nleNhndrlo's commercial prosperity.
,'o,e anu tller9 II dfowsy negro on n
broken plahk or half reclining Ia n
.uie ooS tllht serves as n canoe, was
nshihS llsttcssly and laaily, even ns
lhe SLOW waves beat monotonously
against the shelving shore. Along
tho main thoruughtaro, IA seen from,
lho ierrybuat, two or three luitrors
were slowly moving beneath Tia
swallows OF limc-worn huildlnps
statesmen, ~ we were going by .lennod
idly against burrels and desks loolslnp
cnrioualy nt strangers. aud when va,
ma crossed ak streets unrnll,l
with the river aud turned south.
wafuly among the pretty ivy-clnd
hoInes and churches of Alexandria
bright eyes poered forth from half
closed shutters and wondered why
strangers ut MONDAY went about tho
noleeleSs place A way iarer's foot.
ihllr nro rc-echued and borne about hy
sott winds and along silent streets ~
hter midnight In great cities. Green
grass creepA through the enclosure
anu rom between the nnvstouca.
anu bends over the eurhAtonc
ana moves daintily, modcstly picking
US way nnt into the street, and stiil
growing green and luxuriantiy. ia
rarely bruised 10y hurrying footstcps.
a silent, solemn old town of many
ehufcbes ~ Alexandria, resting. since
Hilways bridging tho Potomac went
by To Washington, moodlly and idly
In tlis gorgeous Vcrnal sunshine.
AN OLD ClIURCmTARn.
From the contemplation of u city
dying null OF yenrs and honors on.
tered tho gateway OF "Old Christ
Church graveyard Hero Que h re.
minded that they were mn uniuuo peo
pie Who lived, even one hundred Years
ago Ia Virginia, leaving ON ommbllna
stones assertions OF their pecuharitios.
II what we write and think aud our
modes of telling II be M strange aud
Wolniive of good taste century hence
az are these memorials of sorrow in.
scrlhcd ON grnve-Stonea IN Alexandria.
II were wise that we build no tomhs,
and 20 GOWN 10 Oblivion without a
grimace, or mn appeal for symnsthy or
immortality made for ia hy pocta and
Atonc-custerS. Tho oldest aacriptions
Of honor To departed greatness | could
discover were written eot more than a
hundred years ago The tomb,
about the church In which Washington
WAS won Z 10 hear tho gospel aro not
Older, aud queer people were they. ot
one OF whom II II said ON her criilnh.
ling headStone,
Here lieth domthy harper. uxor.
who departed this life after \ long I'm.