Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-10-19
COUNTY NOTES.

The contractors who are repairing
the Aqueduct bridge have purchased
of Wheatley Bros, lumber dealers, in
Georgetown, D. c., one half million
feet of lumber. This lumber will be
used in building coffer-dam around
one of the piers of the bridge, when all
the water will be pumped out and the
pier repaired. This pier has been
greatly disentegrated and undermined
by the heavy flood that occurred few
years ago. The timber is nearly a foot
square and so or 60 feet long and when
it has served its purpose in building
the cofIer-dam will be put up and sold
to the highest bidder for whatever it
may bring. 1t is understood that one
of the railroad companies, now getting
ready to construct an electric road
through the county, will buy this
timber and have it sawed into railroad
ties aud used in the construction of the
road.
There will be meeting of the demo.
Gratis of the county on Tuesday evening
next at Columbia school house, near
Arlington, for the purpose of organic.
ing club to aid in the reelection of
Mr.. Meredith to Congress. 1t is con-
coded by all parties that Mr.. Meredith
worked diligently and effectually for
the county last session of Congress, and
he has made many strong friends
throughout the county, who will work
hard TO give him good majority at the
coming election.
There is brass band now stationed
at Fort Myer which makes the sur
rounding hills resound with its music
every night and morning. There will
be full regiment of cavalry
stationed here. 1t is understood the
United States intends to make Fort
Myer one of the finest military posts
in this country, and second to none in
foreign countries. 1t is said, by good
authority, that over one hundred thou
sand dollars will be expended during
the present fiscal year In the improve
ment of Fort Myer and the adjoining
national cemetery of Arlington. There
being over one thousand acres of land
in the Arlington estate, and only about
three hundred acres needed for the use
of Fort Myer and the national Gem
eterv, the other seven hundred acres
now running waste, the people of Al
eXandria county, next session OF Con-
eress, will petition that body to sell the
surplus seven hundred acres and apply
the proceeds to the construction of a
grand bridge from Arlington across the
Potomac to Washington city. This
surplus and now waste land IS
valued at one thousand dollars per
acre, and the amount derived
from its sale would, according to the
plans and specifications as submitted
few years ago to the U. S. Secretary of
War by Col. P. G. Haines, then U. S.
civil engineer stationed at Washington,
build and complete the Arlington
bridge without making any draft what
ever upon the treasury of the govern
ment. Such bridge so constructed as
to allow electric or cable cars to pass
oyer it would not only be of great BEN
eft to the United States, but would be
worth over one million of dollars to
the State of Virginia in less than five
years. 1t would undoubtedly make
Alexandria county the most accessible
and desirable suburb of the national
capital; and impr ents by way of
new buildings for residences of persons
employed in Washington would flow
into the county by the thousands of
dollars: