The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-03-01
KING GEORGE.

The Old Subject Bobs Up Saw
mills Resume Work-A Famous
Mail Route Death OF an Aged Citi-
zen-To Build Parsonage, Etc.
King George Co, Va. Feb. ~, 1904
The depth OF mud has been measured
and the regular annual discussion oi the
good roads question has opened. ii
/ there II no interruption by another freeze
the debate will continue from day to day
with occasional night sessions. until
some time in April or May, according to
weather, aud then take recess till next
winter In the meantime Senator Ca
wood will press his bill before congress
TO deepen the head water channel OF
Machodoc creek and complete his geo.
detic survey for "a ship cahnal to connect
our two rivers by way OF lgo.
After silence of many weeks the merry
whistles of our saw mills are heard
again; and we hope to welcome in lew
days the early frog a. he iOyOusly chlrpS
the reyeille of spring.
The grain markets reports wheat
above the dollar mark, and those Of our
farmers who still hold their crops smile
aloud as they think OF il.
The prospect OF open weather gives
promises Of relief from the irregular mail
service which mas afflicted US this winter.
A pions parsOn once said that good
/ bread is a means Of grace We accept
/ this prescription. but claim that prompt
and regular delivery OF mails is also a
good antidote against the wiles Of Satan.
Speaking OF the mails reminds us that
your COmorn correspondent short
time ago deemed IL worth OF remark
that seven different drivers had been EN-
ployed on the route from fredericksburg
to this office during the past few yeare.
That's nothing compared with the route
from Shiloh TO King George {. Ii. where,
by actual official account, fOrty-three
different drivers have been employed IN
about the same length Of time, and this
number includes every variety "a to age,
sex. color. condition and occupation; men
! whose ancestors came ell the way from
Africa. and some hall way; one blind,
one legless and another with only one
arm, two Confederate captains, one oil
cavalry and the other OF infantry; one
clergy man on vacation from a distant
state and one L. ). department CLERK
! from Washington, two citizens OF Mary
land. one Of South Carolina and one OF
Alabama. The average weight OF the
mail is about twenty pounds and this IL
carried by every conceivable mode ol
CONVEYANCE. horseback, footback, dog
cart, bicycle, sleigh, and sometimes, when
the boss contractor takes hold, the mail
goes in a double buggy, behind two
brisk. high-stepping ponies. Has your
Comorn man anything further to say
about biz star rOute2
Mr.. Willie Hudson and his neighbor.
Mr.. Thomas Marshall. of Oifice Hall,
have failed to- fill their Ice houses THE
winter on account OF overproduction.
Their ice pond irOEe 10 the bottom 80
that they could not gather the crop.
Constable J. b. King yesterday arrest
ed James Ashton, a young colored man
residing near Shiloh, and took him TO
Colonial Beach upon a warrant issued
on complaint of colored woman named
Berry, OF that place.
MIR. Benjamin Marders, aged SO years,
died last week at the residence his son,
ObcdF MhTQeIt, near luutA' n icn NtDhH
ago Mr.. NJ. q dwelling was destroyed by
fire when be was confined to his bed by
sickness, and it is thought that the shock
OF this occurrence FASTENED his death.
The Baptist church at Shiloh has con.
tracted for the purchase Of the tract OF
80 acres Of la1d formerly occupied By
the late Oscar d. Johnson Upon this
tract, which lies directly In front OF the
church building, a handsome home will
he built for the church pastor.
A correspondent OF one OF the Northern
Neck papers. writing from Farnbsm, Va.
last week, reports that Billy Moore, OF
that place, has cut with scythe slnet
Christmas enough hay to make several
large stacks. The same writer adds
chat "a good citizen recently caught an
opossum with feet as large as a man E
haod. it's tail as long as troom hahdle,
measured Fix inches between its eyer and
three inches across it's nose" The au
thor Of these items smsshes all previous
records and has established his fitness a.
u member Of the national lodge Il the
Ancient Order Of AnaniRs.