Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-23
ALEXANDRIA.
TIE FATHERS OF coBBLr STONES.

THE fATHERS OF COBBLE eTONE&.
The immense boulders which still make part
Of the csrrisgeway on some of the Oldest streets
are gradually. when streets are repaired, taken
up and broken, and the last Of them. especially
those huge rounded rocks on Cameron street
near the Mansion House. will. il the Cameron
street paving plan be carried out. soon be
crushed and the town see the last OF its boulder
stones. In the last century big stones were
considered the perfection Of paving. and the
street commission, who could have gotten
smaller stones from Oronoko creek and White
Oak run (now Tan House drain. within the
limits Of the town. preferred big stone.
They advertised for it, and their advertise
ment is still to be found in the Columbian
Mirror. published by the grandfather Of Audi
tor Price, some files OF which are now in the
library Of Congress. The street commission
ers advertise in 1898 that "they will give half
dollar for every ton Of stone suitable for the
purpose delivered upon such wharf in the town
OF Alexandria as shall be directed when brought
into port. The stone best calculated for paw
ing is of an oval kind, weighing from fifteen
pounds to sixty or upwards. The money will
be paid as soon as landed. As they
propose to begin the business as soon as the
season will admit, persons acquainted with
paving may find il an object worthy of their
attention and an early application for employ
ment."
The big stone in many cases weighed over
100 pounds. The money for the street had been
raised by lottery and the city council having
appointed James Keith, Richard Conway and
George Gilpin commissioners directed them in
the spring Of 1898, ninety-nine years ago,
to have king street from Fairfax to Pitt
streets Fairfax from King to Prince street
and Prince street from Fairfax to Water
street paved. and across each Of said streets to
be leveled 80 rs to carry off the water in tho
most convenient manner" These commission
ers supervised the putting down of the big
stones, which they thought would never come up
till the day should come when all the rocks viii
be moved. But year by year their work has
been undone.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL PREPARATIONS.
The public schools will begin their session Of
1928 on the first Monday Of September and
will continue full ten months The Washing
ton and other school buildings have been ex-
amined in vacation and have been put in COM
plete repair, the water which was settling I'M
der Hallowell building, on Alfred street near
Oronoko. being drawn off into a new well. The
new furniture for the girls school at the Pea
body building will be supplied during the fall.
NOTES.
Intelligence has been received here Of the
death in Missouri of W. W. Zimmerman. son of
the late Reuben Zimmerman. who at the out
break Of the late war was carrying on the lum-
Der business at the foot Of Cameron street. The
deceased was adjutant of the seventeenth Vir-
ginia (Alexandria) regiment during the late
war.
The immense dies workshop and the basket
factory at New Alexandria will soon be ready
for occupation.
Some Alexandrians went off on the W. and O.
railroad this morning to attend the Loudoun
fair, which opened today at Leesburg.
The condition of Mr.. r. I. Lucas is improv-
ing.
Six Of the Sisters Of the Holy Cross have re-
turned from their vacation trip to Indiana to
their academy in this city.