Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-30
Old Customs in Virginia.

The genuine, untouched Firginian Ct
to-day has often been declared to be the
most complete survival of the 18th cen,
tury England now in existence. There
are certain 18th century customs and
phrases and manners in common use
here that have not been heard of in 1G0
years in England. One of the Quaintest
is custom of the road which died in
England when the postroad and the
travelling chariot went out of vogue.
In those days it was considered al
most an affront for one travelling in q
carriage to drive past another going the
same way The travelling class was
made up generally of the rich and leis-
urely, and as they bowled along in their
coaches, to have another coach dash by
and give back its dust, and perhaps in
cite the coachman to race, was con,
sidered highly indecorous. To take
ones dust" was common expression
of contempt. The custom was not
without its use in its day. But will it
be believed that at the close of the 10Th
century this etiquette of the road is rig
idly maintained and that among we'll
bred people each equipage has TO take
the gait of the slowest?
True it is, some iconoclasts and out
siders drive past their fellow travellers
without conjunction, but they, there
fore, prove their claim to be called icon
oclasts and outsiders. When it is a
very pressing case, an apology is called
out such as: Pray excuse me, but my
horse is restless or, II am in haste to
catch the boat" or something of the
kind. But to drive ruthlessly ahead
without a word of apology is considered
the acme of i'll. breeding.
The roads in this part of the world
are not interesting, except for their
natural beauty, as the people Of "ealth,
following their English ancestors in
practice sought proud seclusion for
their houses. Only the poorest people
built their homes on the main road, and
one may travel from one end OF this
fair country to the other and not find a
single handsome residence on the pub
tic highway. There was another and
very practical reason for abjuring
this public highway. Every mans
house was at the service of every man.
woman and child in the country.
An Arab hospitality obtained and was
enjoyed to the full. The people who
had undesirable homes were always
willing to bestow their company
upon more fortunate neighbors, so
that it wouldn't do to be too con
venient TO the main arteries Of
travel. Especially was this so when
visit from family meant the entertain
ing Of two coach horses, coachman
and maid for the negroes weIt
visiting with the white people and en-
joyed it just as much. Hospitality was
one of their great virtues, and is still !;
for these people excel in social virtues,
and this particular virtue costs little.
1t only meant the killing ofhalfa dozen
more chickens for dinner, when there
were hundreds, perhaps scratching
about in the poultry yard; and the
gardens were overgrown with vegeta-
bles, for which there was neither sale nor
consumption. There were icehouses
full of ice aud meadows full of cows,
and ice cream was manufactured in a
large tin bucket, turned about in a keg
OF ice and salt. 1t took two women
and man and boy to make ice
cream, but it took that many to do
everything.
The icehouses are among the most
picturesque features in the landscape
here. y great mound of earth so or 40
feet high, was thrown up around q
place that was bricked up and looked
like a gigantic well. This was fn-
ished at the top by a circular roof.
The sides of the mound were graded
and turfed and made a nice place for
boys and girls TO roll down when the
short, slippery grass was wet.-BoSton
Transcript.