The critic., 1891-03-25
THE PLANT OF AN ALExANpRIAN.
The Boom In sight-Plausibilities, Pros
pects and Possibilities.

H'ttN hhh
Alexandria is booming. IL is boom
pure and simple, substantial and honest
in its every nature. Why? Alexandria
has long been injured by the close prox-
unity of Washington. Her business
interests have been paralyzed through
Washington's fast growth and by Alex
andrians going there for employment and
to make purchases.
The people are not lazy; she can't be
fast when she's so poor and so many OF
her people do their work and spend even
ten hours of the day away from her. She
is not asleep exactly. Take | 800 people
out of town of li,00O-her best almost
and you can't help but see its effect in
business matters.
Now that manufacturing sites and
wharf property in Washington is reach
ing q figure beyond reasonable and Just
dimensions, when the city is boiling oyer
and the waste places are nearly all filled
up, where railroad facilities are getting
cramped, and life too much of a board
ing-house'' nature for some people, ETC.,
etc, the people look over this way-all
kinds of people. IN
The postofice here can be reached from
the Washington City Postoilce in the
same time the postofiice in Georgetown
can be reached. Living here is cheaper
ana more satisfactory, and when the new
TuilIOuu anu ltW DOulS dIt Ol lillS
summer, Alexandria will be as near the
Departments us Georgetown almost. There
are some daily Washington gocrs who
work in the Navy Yard and in George
town. Many, in fact over 100
people go to Washington from here
every day, and William NJ. Rear
don of i. A. Reed & Co., A. 'G.
uhler Colonel ID. a. Windsor, Washing
ton Danenhower, Harry Standford, j. =.
Apnpw 10 IN. Gpprpp II HnnEinq l,1pnn
Brown, Frank Hume, X. s. Lacy, Colonel
J.. w. Reid, Charles Bendheim and others
are well known in Washington business
circles.
There are more in subordinate positions
| of the Government and business houses
of course. The Washington merchants,
| such as Mcssrs. Lisner, Iansburgh, Will
| liams, Moses. Shuster, Saks, Baum, Rob
| inson, Parker Il Co., Eiseman Bros,
Woodward Il Lothrop, Franc, and scores
| of others employing Alexandrians to
| draw Alexandria custom. Mr.. Milt.
| Buchanan started this for liable Bros.
| Carter's cash store has been long q resort
| for Alexandrians. Some of these adver-
tise in the Gazette from away back. They
send their delivery wagon over several
| times q week now and others ship express
Paid articles bought by Alexandrians.
| Thus Alexandria is and has for some time
been but suburb of Washington and
| even If she grows to Long Bridge and Ar
| lington she will doubtless be the same con-
servative old Democratic and Virginia
| town.
1t isa mistake to laugh at Alexandria as
| Washington does. n. w. Burchell, VIM.
Morrison, Robert Beall, A. Hancock S.
| j. Reed, II. o. Claughton, DIR. Bullock,
Judge Westel Willoughby, the late Judge
Wi'"', and scores and scores of others are
..ere eX-Alexandrians, and they ever
take or took interest in their old town and
its people.
Alexandria has borne the brunt of all
that has been mean.
She was cursed because of the failure OF
the coal shipping industry and the grain
shipping, and the Pocahontas boom, the
old Alexandra canal, the w. c. V. NJ. and
q. S. S. X. r., the Iron BOOM" savings
bank bust, ETC., etc. John p. Agnew sue.
cessfully made charcoal blooms and when
a Northern syndicate bought him out and
declared they'd make Alexandria Pitts
burg, they bought up the Pioneer Mills
property, ship yard and started tht
mace, and then discharged the men ant
only improved some Of the wharf prop
erty. The haven't paid their due tax bill!
YET.
The New York Herald killed the Poca
hontas, which Baltimore has taken to he
bosom and will profit by. Untolc
amounts were spent out of Alexandria
treasury for the Loudoun road and Mid
land and old Alexandria canal without {
cent coming back. Though her tw,
banks that went under paid back dolla
for dollar, one with all the interest due
she was cursed. Her people were not alon,
to blame for her street railway going un
der. Her coal trade went through M
fault of her own. She built good ship
and started right. She built the Portne
with her own. money and then gave he
toa Yankee skipper to run. He ran he
upon a foreign shore and telegraphet
back she'd gone down to see Dan McGint,
and the devil, though the crew which IN
shipped back on another vessel declare,
she was hardly scratched on the bottom
and it's still believed the Portner with he
name changed is still a good craft.
Alexandria is growing fast. Societ,
concerns and the negro, B. Shep. White
she don't get down OH her knees and beg
She is not city of boarding-houses
she feels herself equal to any; sh
responds when called upon, in war, il
peace, in business, in everything,
She can't do everything; she dom
claim anything impossible. Alexandri
but her people can appreciate this, though
She does more and has more than sh
gets credit for.
Washington should be more consistent
more liberal, and such papers like tn
Washington Star make fools Of them
selves by asserting they started the ne,
boom. The people started it--therefor
its foundation is firm. This paper woul
have Alexandrians go mile from tn
train to Pennsylvania Avenue, apparentl
for the sake Of pure and simple cussec
ness.
Alexandria is all right, sheis now goin
ahead. The {. Il O.'s new arrangement
soon the N. a. w. and s. V. cars comm
over via Front Royal, and the new sire,
and electric roads, and opening mp of Oh
Morefield coal regions, and the rebuildln
Of the old G. Il o. Canal, must be helpful
Indeed see Roanoke machine works !
that low country, on Cannon Run, in TIL
vicinity of the old dstillery, and co,
) dumped into the holds of vessels from Ill
, canal to Jones' Point The death rate he
! is smaller than any town of its populatio
in the east. The water Is pure, and in
) provements in the streets and so ON a.
being rapidly made, the old boulders I
: General Washington's day are beil
broken up and mud holes filled. The
are twenty odd trans up and down dai
between here and Washington, and tl
ferry runs hourly during the day. Bot
; the ferry and local road pay good div
dends. X. b.
MEN WIN WRITE INSURANCE