Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-08-20
TUESDAY EVENING, AUG. 20, 1901.
o,n. Avn NEW ALEXANDRIA is often

neonle. some imagining old times are TO
be preferred TO the present order OF
things and others controverting the as
sertiob. While the woods are fuil oil
pessimisls, optimists are as scarce as
mermsids, but occasionally one OF
sapguine nature comes along and as
tonishes those who are always living on
the past BY proving to the satisfaction
OF reasonable people that the present
conditions are much better than those
In daysof yore and that people should
cease to feed upon "reminiscences Of
other days which they enormously sup
pose were superior to those now pre-.
yailing, 1t may be said without any
fear of contradiction that Alexandra
today is further ahead than at any time
In it's history. Ten years ago, wnen
every one supposed the city was near
ing the end Of its rope. an inventory
disclosed the fact that more business
was being transacted here than at any
other time since the place was incor-
porated. The last few years have ex-
handed the city's trade, while factories,
&C., not dreamed of decade ago have
sprung up and prospered. There is no
necessity to enter into details in order
TO prove this; hence mention of few
things only will be made. L. is true at
one time we had locomotive manu-
factory in Alexandra where compare
lively large number of men were en-
ployed, but today one railroad alone
which centres 10 this city employs
more people than were ever at the
Smith & Perkins works. When the
latter fourished the road referred to
was in its infancy and reeded but q cor
poral's guard of hands to what is re-
0uired now. Three other roads which
now centre here were not dreamed OF
at the tine the locomotive works were
10 operation. We boosted of cotton
factory then, but it passed away. In
ats stead, however, 8 colossal modern
brewery, employing more people than
the factory ever did, has taken its
place. In by-gone days vessels brought
sugar and molssses to Alexandria. The
Norfolk steamers sometimes put as
much Of these products on our wharves
in week as the vessels brought 10
months, while a train with thirteen
carloads of sugar has been seen
on Union street in one day. In the
olden time a large number OF sailing
craft was employed on the river bring
ing produce to this city. Today a
dozen steamboats, are engaged in the
trade and they can bring as much on
one trip as could the entire fleet in
week. In the days referred to Alexan'
dria was depot for the shipment OF
Peruvian guano and ships from The
Chiucha islands came here. That trade
passed away, but several large fertil-
izer manufactures, either of which EN-
ploys more men regularly than were
occasionally needed to unload guano
ship, are here 10 it's stead. There was
wholesale shoe house here then. There
is none now, but there are two pros
porous shoe manufactures, employing
p-0bably one hundred and fifty people,
ich is 3 much better feature. A few
per shops employing twenty five or
ty men existed at the time. They
g long since passed away, but four
y hing mills, taxed to their utmost
acity nave appeared in their stead,
cteer one Of which furnishes more PEG.
p.a employment than ell the defurct
COS er shops combined. The number
employed in the ice factories exceed
those who we're in the Milburn pottery
and Irwin and Martin breweres com.
oined. There are two glsss plants here
which more than make up for the loss
of our ship yards, while there are many
other institutions OF more or less mag
nitude employing from half dozen to
City people daily which ia the aggre.
gate would sstonish any one who
would take an Inventory of the city's
thrift and compare it with what are
enormously supposed to have been AL.
exandria's pslmiest days. Nearly every
one in the city desiring employment
can obtain it at one thing or another,
and with proper energy on the part of
all classes there is no reason why Alex
andria cannot thrive and grow as have
other cities which never enjoyed our
natural advantages. The fact that the
city is forging ahead Is demonstrated
every day. Union street and the
Strand are not "a crowded as In old
times from the fact that everything was
eentered in those localities years ago.
Trade is scattered now, but the bulk is
much larger in every way.
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WE HAVE received communication
from a correspondent who recently pub