Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-18
President of the Association.

President of the Association
and other organizatio large represen-
tatiou OF organizat tons of this city will APP
pear in the columns.
In the military division will march the
Brigade Band. the 1st Regiment and 1st
Battery of Field Artillery OF the National
Guard of the District of Columbia, the
regiment of Washington High School Ca
diets and a company of Uniformed Rank,
knights of MaccdbeeS. In the division made
up of the secret orders, a company of
mounted Redmen from the tribes in this
city will aid their Alexandria brethren to
make a fine display and in the division of
! fremen Chief Belt will have several APP
! paratUs and detail of sixty men to repre-
! sent the District Of Columbia fire depart
ment. Several of the large business houses
of this city viii have floats In the trades
display
While in other cities and towns the birth
day Of George Washington will be cele-
bTated. it is regarded as most fitting that
Alexandria should make the occasion the
principal day of the year in her calendar.
! George Washington citizen of Alex
andria, a distinction, II is asserted, that can
be claimed by no other city. His public
duties called him to other places where he
resided temporarily. but Alexandria was
his home town. He had his office and
headquarters there, and though living
at Mount Vernon, eight miles dis
tant. In letters and addresses he spoke
Of Alexandria as his home. In fact
Gen. Washington's relations with Alexan-
dria began with the laying out of the town,
for ms a boy of sixteen years, in 1T4S, he
assisted the surveyors who ran the lines
as his note books show. He was the com
mander of the Alexandria Independent Mil
| itary companies, and in 1874. while attend
| in gthe Continental Congress in Philadel-
phia he found time TO make a contract
with q Philadelphia firm to furnish uniforms
for these companies. Tradition has It that
pacing UP and down the green of Christ
Church yard one quiet Sabbath morning
Gen Washington made the decision 10 cast
his lot with the colonies, and after the serv-
Ices that day he announced his decision 10
his friends and relatives
At the close OF the revolutionary war
when Washington returned home covered
with houors. his arrival in Alexandria was
announced by the discharge of thirteen
guns and he was presented with a con-
gratulatoTN address signed by Richard
Conway. who was then mayor. on behalf
Of the people of Alexandra.
Washington's Reply.
Washington in his reply said: Nothing
could have contributed more essentially TO
increase the satisfaction ! experienced on
my return from a successful war 10 the
tranquility Of domestic life thnn your af
fecuouate congratulations While vour
friendly concern for my future welfare de-
mands my best acknowledgements. l beg
you 10 De pursuaded, gentlemen, that there
is a certain home-felt qualification I'm re-
CelviuE the good wishes and appreciat io,
or those with whom we have been lona r.
qu1iuted and whose friendship We value
Whlch can be more easily conceived than
described >''1'i'
il is this close and intimate association
with the father Of his country that makes
the nauve-born AleXandrlan proud of MS
city ana for this reason Alexandria for
century past has been Observing the birth
day Of Washington with a public function
of some kind.
While there have been long interreenums
between parades, hardly a year has passed
but that the day was observed by ban
quets. or some other form of Celebration
In 1876 the biggest parade and out-of-door
demonstration Alexandria had ever seen oc-
CURED, but 10 Is stated that the demonstra-
ton Planned for next Thursday Will sur
pass anything IN the line of a public parade
that has ever been attempted in the Viz
ginia city
For ten years prior to 1903 there had been
no outdoor demonstrations. In the fan of
1902 large number of pubic-sp spirited citi-
zens. rcgretting the omission of the parade
feature of the Washington's birthday cele-
brauons, organized the Washington's Birth
day Celebration Association with Mr. T. 1
Pan, now mayor Of Alexandria as its presi-
dent me movement started for the revival
OF the public pageants met with public APP
probation and February -, 1903 the asso-
citation conducted the first demonstration
under its management. and II was a notable
success. In 1894 there was another biy
parade and public celebration Of the day
In 1905. in consequence OF the approaching
presidential Inaugural ton, in which the ma
jority of the military and other organiza-
lions were preparing TO take part, no parade
was had but the Washington Birthday Gel
ebration Association, Alexandria Washing
ton Lodge OF Masons. the Knights of CO.
lumbus, the Friendship Veteran Fire Asso-
citation and other organizations had ban
Quets and other functions were held in hon
or of the day. The Washington Birthday
Celebration Association includes psactlcally
every business man in Alexandria. Its off,
GERS are enterprising, and to them much
of the success of the celebration is due
They follows: Albert u. Brockett
president; w. A. Smoot jr.. first vice presi-
dent: John II. Trimyer. second vice presi
dent; T. Clifton Howard. third vice presf-
dent; Robert NJ Graham, fourth vice presi-
dent: p v. d. Westelaken. fifth vice pres.-
dent: Harry Hammond, treasurer, Robert
F. Green, assistant treasurer. Julian Y.