Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-10

Some of the Historic Places on the
Kappa hancock.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

lGuppu nOnmOcks
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
FREDERICKSBURG. May TO- 1894.
Fredericksburg is entertaining the Pres
ident and his cabinet today for the second
time In her history. and Is proud accord
ingly. Fredericksburg was once the metrop-
oils Of Virginia and noted the world over
for her shipping business. Vessels were
loaded here with cotton and wool and to-
bacco for English ports in Washington $
time, and the boats lay so close in the river
that you could cross from one shore to
another by stepping On them and never wet
your feet. There are old men here who can
remember doing this. so 1t Is neither q fish
nor ahatchet story. The commercial glory
of the city has departed. but Fredericks-
burg Is a pretty town-very pretty. indeed.
environed valley. and her long, narrow
| streets almost overarched by century old
| trees. But the municipal Indebtedness of
the city has not been increased since the
death Of Washington, II absence of pave
| ments and sidewalks IL any indication
| There were cobble stone crossings when
| Washington used to roll through the streets
| in his gorgeous coach and four, and they are
| there yet, like the snags of old teeth, an
| noying unexpectly. and for that very rea-
son adding poignancy to the pain of the
meeting.
Because the town was old when Wash
| ington was born-it was founded early in
| 100. and named for Frederic, Prince OF
Wales. father of George U.-and because
the people cling to the colonial style of
architecture, caring more for "roomy''
roors. wide halls and big verandas than
style and gingerbread trimmings. the world
| at large imagines that Fredericksburg peo-
pie are asleep. A grave mi9take. They
don't do much hustling, but they seem TO
get there. There Is great deal OF wealth
for city Of 5000 people, and the money
was made right here, since the war
That period Of civil strife played a game
| OF battledore and shuttlecock with this de-
voted city, and hardly house among those
that were built before the war-and not
many have been built since till the last
year or two-but has its weather boarding
full of bullet holes and the bricks patched
where cannon balls ploughed through.
There WAS hardly enough left to eat, drink
or wear to supply a poor house when the
tide of battle receded; but with desperate
resolve those whom the war beggared set
to work to retrieve what they had lost
Now the people will tell you with pride
that there has not been a business failure
in the town In thirty years yet there are
here large shoe agricultural implement
wagon, bone, spoke. canning, WOODEN car
riage, pickle. ice and excelsior factories
employing thousands of people, and besides
railroad connections, there Is a line OF
steamers to Baltimore and to Norfolk
Fredericksburgs annals Of great days is
not voluminous document, in fact leav-
ing out the war period three fingers of one
hand suffice to number her gala occasions,
and the incidents connected with these she
has handed down from sire to son, from
mother to maid. so that there is always a
story ready for you If you happen to ask a
question about any of the dilapidated old
shells which line some of the streets be-
cause In some mysterious way the great
people who were here on those three great
occasions managed to hallow about half
the houses in the city.
WashinGton's Lodge Room.
Half way down one of her Rome-like hills
Is curious square English brick colonial
built structure. plain as tight board fence
and not half as pretty. 1t is so covered UP
with pictures of the immortal patriot, flags,
bunting, banners and Masonic emblems
that you have to lift fold to find the ma
terial of the structure 1t is the Masonic
Temple and the lodge room once frequented
by Washington, who was q way-up Mason
Up there in the little lodge ROOM gayly
decorated just now. the keeper of the treas
ures VIII take from the big iron safe an
old, old Bible, and tell you that Washington
kissed 1t when he took the Masonic oath
IN the old court house, between two
pieces OF glass framed in oak they will
show You the last will and testament Of
Mary Washington. 1t is worn, but not
much faded. 1t was not properly made OF
record until fifteen years after her death,
though the property was divided at once
;. another queer old building stands just as
has today coat of paint. which must have
surprised its grayness greatly This build
Ing stands on the main street and the Gu
rious story-and-a half frame house, set on
basement story of stone, was called the
Rising Sun Tavern" and Is called so vet
though 1t Is tenantless 1t is reached by n
wide flight of steps leading up from the
street. 1t was here that the dignitaries Of
the town gathered to meet the worthless who
were passing through From it's stems
whitfield. the great Methodist. was led to
jail; from II he took his departure when he
shook the dust of the town off Of his feet
ington met his convivial frienda and re-
corded In his diary: Come to FrederIcks-
burg, stopped at Rising Sun Tavern, lost
at cards, as usual"
One of the three great Incidents In Ered
ericksburg's existence was when LAFAYETTE
was here in 1924 and the city turned itself
loose to do him honor. Such eating and
sucn drinking as they will tell you about!
ana they Will point out the odd old house
that the banquet was held in, and then tell
you in whisper that on such q street IL
the house that was owned by the governor.
ana there 1t was that they carried Lafay-
cite when overcome by his attempts to sur
him:
Just opposite the city on Stafford Heights
stands chatham. a grand old house, built
OF pricks brought from England the home
Of the Fitz-Hughs, Coalters and Lacys.
where both Washington and Robert E. Lee
courted their wives, and beneath its his
&c ric trees John Randolph of Roanoke
roamed 1t was in this same house that
burnside had his headquarters, in Decen1-
per, 1868, and Lincoln paced. the floors Of
chatham when he came down to review
the Army of the Potomac. prior to its ION
to Richmond" move.
On the main street of the city Is an an
tiquated story and half frame building,
every window and door Of which framed a
pickannfny when l saw IL, which was the
property of President Monroe given him by
the city of Fredericksburg SO that he might
have vote there, there being a property
qualification attached to the franchise
Over on Marye's Heights stands the old
colonial mansion, the jags in its brick walls
made by cannon balls plugged up and the
trenches once filled with dead and dying
men overgrown with velvety grass. The
big. low-ceilinged rooms are filled with CEN
tury-old furniture, and century-old trees
shade the historic grounds. On one side lies
the national cemetery of Union dead, slop-
ing down to the bloody stone wall and sunk
en- road. where stands the monument to the
confederate general, Cobb. who met death
on the spot, and the other side, low
down in the valley. the small white head
stones cleaning through the trees, rest the
confederate dead.
fho~ 49, IL