The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-01-11
WESTMORELAND.
Lecture and Supper Ice Harvest Noisy
Clock Bold Eagle-&c.


Correspondence of The Free Lance.
Montross, Va, Jan. Sth, 1900.
On Monday night last quite crowd
assembled in the Courthouse, not
wilhstandiug the cold nlght,to listen
to lecture by the Rev. d g. {.
Butts, of Gloucester circuit, NJ. +.
Church. Rev. Mr.. Butts was pastor
of this circuit - years ago, and was
very popular with all denominations.
He was warmly greeted by his old
friends, as well as many new ones
He sscended the platform st s o'clock
and was introduced by Rev. II. II.
Smith, of Montross circuit, who an
nounced as the subject of the lecture,
/" A Horse back Ride On the Summit
of the Blue Ridge" 1t will suffice to
say the lecture was characteristic Of
Mr.. Butts, and was a success. After
the lecture supper was served IN the
Court room by the ladies OF Lebanon
NJ. +. Church, where the crowd ling
cred until II o'clock, the occasion
proving an enjoyable one to all pres
ent. Mr.. Butts delivered the lecture
for the benefit Of the church, at tn
earnest request Of the ladies. y good
SUN was realized and = DEBT lifted
that has long worried the building
committee of the church.
The severe cold weather that com
menced December 9th resulted IN
testing the Industry and hustle that
Montross is capable Of exercising.
The ice harvest opened New Years
day. There are nine large ice houses
in this village and immediate neigh
borhood. All wished to Oil at the
same tima. There was talk Of hugh
wages by some who usually assist IN
the lee gathering, which resulted II
causing the owners OF ice houses,
with their boys, carts, wagons, &C.,
10 turn out with vim, and for three
DAYS the rattlr of moving wheels ard
trsmp OF the teams on toe smooth, hard
roads reminded one Of a moving army
train. la four days about two hun
dred and fifty ton Of ice was housed
The holidays were exceedingly
pleasant with all The young ladies
engaged in teaching in distant fields,
returned to their homes, adding life
aud pleasure to the young and old
Nmss services were held at night 10
the NJ. Z. Church. A large congro-
CATION assembled and listened stten
lively to an appropriate discourse by
Rev. h. II. Smith.
Some time since Mr.. +. purchased
a very loud alarm clock, something
never before used in the house. He
quietly stored it away in his wife's
bureau drawer and set the alarm at
7;30 p. m. A number Of friends were
spending the evening with Mrs. Z
and Mr.. p. anticipated much fun
when the clock would make itself
heard from it's hidden place. Finally
the hour arrived, and the clock COM
menced it's furious racket. On the
bureau were two large lighted lamps
Mrs, p, though very devout wo'
man, full of good works, forgot her
self, jumped from her arm chair with
a sudden exclamation, and thinking
the lamps were about to explode,
seized the larger one and started IN
double quick time for the outer door.
Mr.. p. had prepared himself for the
OCCASION, and arrested the lamp from
her grasp. When the clock had fin
ished its noisy work and quletude was
restored there were only two to be
found in the room, Mr.. and Mrs. T.,
surrounded by several upset chairs,
the rest Of tbe company having de-
parted without ceremony.
Mr.. NJ. l.. Hutt, deputy clerk, re.
ports an unusually active business at
his Office in issuing Licenses for those
st eeking mstrimony.
Ia the neighborhOod of Montross Is
a montrous bald esgle. 1t is said by
those who have long observed his
ca gleship that be has occupied his
present home over twenty-five years.
He is monarch of all he surveys in
the shape of feathers in the neighbor'
hood, and frequently he visits the
village to take hen or duck for a
meal. Some evenings since, In max
ing one Of his trips over the town, he
discovered large rooster outside the
ward fence at Mr.. Wm. NJ. Harris.
The rooster either took him to be a
buzz ard, or was unawares of his ap-
proach. The eagle contracted his
large wings and fixed his eye on his
prey, and making dive for the
rooster, picked him up as easily as II
be had been a sparrow. Mr.. James
F. jenkins, Sr., noticed him some
time since returning from an o'Pos-
sum hunt, crossing his farm with a
large o'possum.
We have had no Washington
steamers since the 3lst of December
the ice in the tributaries of the Poto.