Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-25
THE NORTHERN NECK.
THE STORY or A VERY EARLY
PRIZE FIGHT.
victor Lived 20 he One Hundred and
Eleven Years Oid-Mission Sunday
schooI--Personai ana General Notes
OF Interest.
Of Interest.

CONFORM. KING GEORGE COUNTY.
April 2S.-(Spcciel)-Mr Thomas Lee, four
sore years of aee. who owns aud resides
40 "Omce Hail. the old King George
homestead OF Governor CExtra Bnlic'O
Smith. has just given. in course OF con-
vcrsatlon. some intensely interesting bits
OF UnwrittCn history relative to this sec
ton Of Virginia I'm old times" Mr.. Lee
is blessed with a remarkable memory.
end relates m charming detail many i'm
portant incidents told TO him by his an
ces.ors away back yondcr" This fine
old Virginia gentleman Informed the
present generation" the other day that
Klug George was once the home OF prize
fighters. and the scene Of prize-fghts. Just
prior TO the Revolution William Lee dhiS
NJ Thomas Lees grandfather. and Rich
Ard Alsop two Of King Georges big guns.
engaged IN the most noted pugilistic con-
test OF that day. and the contestants were
70 nearly equal In physical powers that
the two first fights were pronounced
"ucs" so that the judges required a
third. which resulted in William Lee win
ming the championship and prize (or
WAGER. which was the sum Of $0O-the
larcest amount "bet" on a prize-flght
then. This great event took place at
the county courthouse. which was then
located at our present Canning" the
MAGNIFICENT fertile plantation OF Mr..
Allen Smith, on the Rappahannock river
Size
AT that time King George consisted OF
narrow strip OF land extending from
AM including the town Of Falmouth.
opposite fredericksburg. 10 a point below
Leedsf0Wn. in Westmoreland. so that
Canning" the old courthouse site, was
ihc most central point. being some twenty
Or more miles from each end Of the coun-
" u appears that immense crowds
gathered az the county seat on all public
occasions IN those Old days. and that the
number who witnessed the noted contest
between Lee and Alsop was no exception
10 the general rule.
TO A GREAT AGE.
William Lee who won the championship
on the occasion in question, lived to be
III years old. and retained all his facul-
ties and powers TO wonderful degree
until no was 100 years OF age. when he
had a stroke OF paralysis, which i'm
paired his speech. This ancient King
George prizc-hghter was born in 1873. and
died in 1854. His son. James, died at the
age of 60. and Mr.. Thomas Lee. son OF
II
So now past a.. and works day by day in
repairing fences. etc, on his historic
"Oflce Hall' piantauOn-the scene Of
many sacred events connected with the
life and labOrs OF that beloved and hon
oTel Nlrginian. Extra Billie" Smith.
There were two very serious and eX-
citing runaways here several days ago.
The FIRST was the team Of Mr.. George r..
Bruce, or Hampstead. Mr. Bruce and a
young gentleman We're returning from
O. horses
became unmanageab-e and ran away
throwing the two men out Of the wagon,
painfully Druising and decorating them
about their heads and bodies.
ON the next day Captain Henry EndsoI
sent his wagon. drawn by two very fine
t-year-0ld colts, 20 this place The two
men in charge of the team left the wagon
and Went into the store. when the colts
became frightened and dashed frantically
pn over perpendicular bank feet high,
With no one to control them, they ran
20 Potomac church, a distance Of two
miles. when they cOllided with a large
tree. instantly killing one Of the horses
and considerably damaging the wagon.
Mrs. Sallie Muse. Of this county. left
some days aro for Washington. d. o..
ior The purpose OF having her eyes ope-
rated on by an oculist.
Mrs. Lucy ID. Pollock. Of Washington,
b visiting IN this neighbOrhOod
mr. c. -. Arnold. OF the Port Conway
aeshborhood. this county, is in Washing
.0u this week.
Sir. Wesley Butler, hospital steward for
The United States soldiers camped just
outside Of Washington, visited friends
here this week.
Mrs. William Rollins, Of Dogue, this
county. Is on d visit 10 friends in Mary
Mrs. George W. sorren. Of Washington.
s. here this week looking after her nice
summer home and visiting relatives.
MISSION SUNDAY SCHOOL.
A mission Sunday school was organized
at old Lambs Creek church last Sunday.
An effort IS on foot 10 raise sufficient
means 10 build a chapel in that immediate
vicinity for Sunday-school and prayer
meeting purposes.
week injured a good deal OF the fruit.
Late cherries and late STRAWBERRIES were
killed outright while the early fruit sur
wives. being too far advanced 10 be al
fected by frost and cold.
There are already three candidates for
the Office o. Supervisor IN Shiloh District,
Of this county. Two are Democrats. and
The other bis OF the POprhsuc persuasion.
The people OF the Northern Neck are
CelEAted 40 the decision OF State-Super-
irtouleut Massey 10 hold the summer
normal at lryineton this year AnQ the
people frcm distance VINO attend the
normal win bee just MS highly pleased with
lrvirgton and lrvington folks, as our
ma
One Of the most interesting relics in
The Northern Neck is old Christ church,
in Lancaster county. and one OF the most
pleasing news items OF the day is the
fact ttaf this old Colonial edifce is 10 be
repairel right away by the Society Tor
the Pr, evauon OF Virginia Antiquities.
IL Will Doe remembered that 500 was appro-
priated Tor this purpose.
Several shipments OF truck. such as as
parasus. lettuce, &c, have already been
niaae rom the Northern Neck.
Mr.. Herbert Taylor OF this neighbor-
hood. IS quite sick with Dalarial-fever,
contracted while fishing.