Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-25
orresrondence Of The Evening Star.

vi SAAh
Correspondents Of Tho Eveninr Star.
FAIRFAX CouEr HoUsE. Va, July %. 1891.
1t has been busy week at the court house
and the town is wild with excitement IL is
not that sort of excitement: that is TO be heard.
nor yet that which can easily be seen. but il is
OF that odd quiet sort that shows itself in the
gathering OF groups on the store steps and
around the porch of the "hotel" IL also
bursts forth occasionally in a wild. exultant
whoop as some inhabitant or other remembers
the various incidents that there are within a
weeks memory.
Monday. being the third day Of that name in
the month. was the day for the holding of the
county court. Fairfax lives to the full on
''cote day." II swells and expands and seems
TO take on a sernblance of that old glory that
once made the town the center OF the world for
the SIMPLE colonial farmers. who were wont TO
gather at this point occasionally 20 discuss
crops and politics. 1t feels it's own importance.
anu, Isolated As ii is from the direct contain
NATION OF railroad. II is the more quaint in its
solemn old-fashioned WAYS and notions.
but that is not all. The circus has come 10
town, ana for the first time in twenty years
there is a swelling canvas down in Jones field
ana an atmosphere Of sawdust all over. Little
hoards that have been accommodating since last
falr day are rnked out and counted. and ID is
win eiee that the owner finds enough to pro-
cure peep at the delightful mysteries Of the
great tent down the road. or with sorrow that
the sum falls short OF the requisite amount.
III is no wonder. then, that the town and the
surrounding country is in n state OF fcrment.
Inc excitement of cote day" has but just sub
sided and here Is the show, with the painted
wagons and the music and the PLAYERS Oh,
those players. was a guest at the hotel with
Inem and long shall carry them in nv mind.
ihey had their weight with the townsfolk,
Irtr a.
ana SO hide my head in shame and think of
them with wonder. They were a queer lot and
they seemed to realize it
THE DECLINE OF COURT DAT.
Court day i'll Fairfax, however. is not what il
used to be, FOR the inroads OF the railway lines
one within four miles and the other within five
OF the court house, have tended to detract from
the Importance of the town as a center of popu-
laton and intellect and learning and wealth.
Washington is so much nearer than il used 70
De that the court house as it stands today is
| fading away into mere country village, with
| monthly assembling Of sage men with green
bags. and then a hasty retreat
Inc railroads alone are not responsible for
the decrease of the glory of Fairfax's court
day, for there is another element perhaps,
more potent that has wrought a change. II is
the introduction Of that wonderful creature Of
modern legislation, a local option law and
Fairfax dry Is not the town that Fairfax wet
| used to be.
The contrast was drawn with pathetic
strength by an old gentleman with a white
beard, who came up to me as 1 stood on the
porch Of the ''hoter' and begged my pardon
| Tor not being able to see me better so that he
could recognize me. His eyesight was failing.
nc said, and realized what delicate compli-
ment he was paying me in his old-fashioned
virginia way. So we fell to talking about the
town and found him full of interest The
TACT that the town pays little heed TO his gar
ruious chatting and hints at a decline in his
once brilliant attainments came TO me some
time after this conversation and left a sore spot
In my memory, but could not but be loyal 70
him and believed him implicitly, even when
he forgot the calendar and dropped into per-
sonal "reminiscences Of the time Of the immortal
George.
MEMORIES OF THE COURT HOUSE.
'Yes, that is the cote house." he said, wiping
his glasses and replacing them on his nose
1T was built Of English bricks, and it was
built to stand forever, sir. 1t has been
changed some, though"-and here there was a
note Of sadness in his voice-"and it don't look
like the old house any more to me. There are
| some new bricks in it. 1t used TO have n gall
lery around inside that the people Of the
| county could sit and hear the proceedings of
the cote, sir, and there were two rows
OF windows. one above the other, sir,
and the building looked mighty like a cote
house. Now they have to on out the gallery.
| sir. and they have beaten out some of those old
English bricks and made those two windows
into one and ii looks, sir, more like a church,
sir, than cote house. am sorry to say. BY
CAD, sir, 1t was an outrage upon the principles
of law and architecture"
There have been stirring times here,
should think. that you can remember" sug-
gested this as an excuse for him to tell me what
could see he WAS waiting for q chance TO say.
''ies. but it is mighty degenerate nowadays,
sir. mighty degenerate now. / can remember
the time, sir, when half Of this whole county
would come here on cote day. II was q grand
sight. 1t was a crowd, too, and they would
come in all sorts of conveyances, and if they
had no other means they would walk here.
Walk on foot, sir. People could drink what
they pleased in those days, and they usually
drank all they wanted, and they usually wanted
a good deal on cote day. Some of the cases
they used TO try here were mighty dry, but
they were exceedingly interesting. sir. You
can imagine how the times have changed when
tell you. sir, that this place is now subject to
the rule of a local option law. just think OF it,
| sir, and in Virginia, too"
ELECTIONS IN OLD TIMES
My new friend stepped away from me pace
or two at this remark to view the process Of my
thought and, seemingly satisfied with the ex-
preston on my face-I could say nothing-he
resumed his talk: There was a time. away
back, when there was no other voting place in
here. This was the only place and, of course,
at every election it necessary for eyery-
body to come here, sir. You can imagine
what a grand sight it was, sir, when
these men-they all had to be free
holders. and they were q mighty fine lot of
men. too-when these men, / say, stepped up to
the polls and voted for representatives in the
house Of burgesses. That was in the colonial
times Many n time have / seen such a sight
1t WAS magnificent spectacle. But IL is gone
now. and they have voting places all over the
county, and there are no more of those grand
assemblies OF the sons Of the soil Of Virginia.
Il have seen some famous men here in NV
time, he went on after he had stopped to pat
an old hound fondly on the head that had come
up on the porch and was rubbing its nose
against my shoe. Il have seen some mighty
clever men here, and some that were Internal
rascals, sir. They have all had to come here.
some as judges and some as lawyers, and others
as prisoners at the bar. but they were mostly
Nirginians, sir. No. do not care to mention
names at such a time, sir, for most of these men
whom remember well have passed away,
and it would be indicate in me at this hour
in my life to speak i'll or well Of them. Their
names are borne on the rolls Of history and
some of them with honor, and can but think
Of them with pride.
II was very much gratified, sir, gratified and
pleased, and proud to in the Washington
STAR not long ago list Of the original voters
in this county, the men who voted for George
Washington" The old virginian drew his