The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-02

Ihe county was formed from Fairfax
county IN 1T47. Fairfax was formed from
Prince William in 1872; Prince William
from Stafford and King George from
Wcstnoreland in 1720; Westmoreland from
in 100, and Northumber-
'a L1Vt from the county OF York, one of tho
original six Virginia shircs, few years
prior to the erection OF Westmorerand.
Lccsburg people are proud Of the i'm
provements which the town has put ii, in
recent years. electric lights, gravity wa
ter gystcm, partial system OF sewera &c.
new buildings. etc, but confess to
DEEPER interest and possibly Il should
APOLOGIZE therefor, to tho reminders OF
the earlier days of the town. when his.
tory was III the making In America, and
a nation was being born in the New
World.
Nl.... w b BIZ MT III nm mn mmmm
love to lie on the grass in the shade
or the old trees in the grounds surround
Ing the courthouse, and dream Of tho davs
when this was Georgetown for that was
us name prior to 174s, when knee
Bbreeched, and bestocked and becued
citizens rode to town TO discuss bus-
T ness. and the prices Of produce, and
Indian troubles. for this wa not far from
the border then But the day was TOO
early for much political dlcussion. I
was SOME years after that before the
court green became the scene OF those
hot discussions which must have follow
ca &c the reception Of the news OF
~. .,c,. merry speeches made by Pat
rick Henry In the House Of
aburgesses. when the colpnists, under tho
leadership of Virginia, were about ia
proclaim the principles OF Magma Cha rita,
Tor which their forebears had fought
against English kings, MS reason for
resistance on this side OF the ocean 10
the tyranny Of George Ill.
me old records'of Loudoun are a mine
OF interesting information. One entry tells
Z OF now prisoner, charged with stealing,
was tried BY the court. without Jury,
ana ano,. como emned TO be hanged. and be-
headed, and another entry recites that
the order of the court was carried out.
There are sevealtc entries in the court
records OF over a hundred years ago, Of
sentences sending men to the stocks for
an hour or so, their ears to be nailed to
the side OF the yoke" and then a. be
cut on. In those days. II a man lost an
ear by accidental means. he had to go
into court and obtain certificate to
the erect that 1t was not cut off nss
punishment for crime. There arc cntr,oa,
In the court records OF the county SHOW
ing that certificates Of this character
were issued on several occasions.
ana there are entries moro than once
telling OF the Indictment Of the court.
Tor drunkenness. The court would pet
drunk one month. and the month follow
Ing would be indicted by the grand iury5
The case would come to trial. and tho
magistrates forming the court would
solemnlS hear the evidence against
them as individuals, and at the conclus-
q ION OF the testimony, impose fine. and.
then. at the next term. would order the
hne RENTED. We Of to-day can afford
to laugh at the old fellows, but amag-
Inc there We're some mutterings against
this method OF the administration or
Justice at the time when 1t was In vogue.
Still. it is said that the old county
courts, formed Of magistrates from the
various townships. as the districts were
then called. were the hest Virginia. has
ever had. This may be true or. II may
be that we have got into the habit OF
saying so, Just as is the custom to sigh
Tor tho return of the good old days.'
and forget that in the times for which We
long many of the large landholders of
Virginia had to make their sign man
ual when they came to deed away prop
erty OF thousands of acres Of extent: a
trip from Leesburg to Alexandra, forty
miles distant, was a matter OF a day
or more over roads that were fmpassa Bio
save in good wehther; when the tele-
phone and the telegraph were to he
conceived in the minds OF men not to be
born for several generations. to say Moth
Ing of cook-stoves, electric lights auto
mobiles, and steam heat, that were des-
tined to be conventlonallstic many years
later.
Across the street yonder from the
courthouse is an old frame building, its
I gabled shingle roof almost hidden be-
meath green moss, even the moss,turnlng
gray Tho building Is an eyesore to
those who do not know It's history,
though it was never anything much bet
ter than n shoe shop and Ordinary or
tavern. But It was originally kept by
Robert Hamilton, who, when the war
between England and the colonies came,
shouldered his flint-lock and marched
away to fight for liberty and independ-
ance. The cobbler gave his life for the
cause and the county court entered an
order that Jane. his widow, should have
an ordinary or tavern llcense, as LONG as
she lived, In recognition OF the services
her husband had rendered his country
A great grandson OF the old soldier
lives In Loudoun to-day.
Further away, tho tall cEimneys visible