The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-05-15
WASHINGTON RELICS
Our Correspondent Grows Eloquent on Virginia
Past.

punnsvillc. Va, May 10th. 1906.
To The Free Lance:
From now on during next year there
viii probably be- many visitors To West
nunrland seeking some relic ur historical
information associated with the child
Looloi Washington. There is scarcely a
-pot mn Eastern Virginia that Is not uch
u the early history Oi the irst colony oil
The English speaking people That was
established iu the New World Our
clerk = Offices are treasures Tor the his
torian cur court rooms arr galleries ol
f,u. and the few old time hOuOled. moss
yrowncol0nial buildings are archlloglcm
histories stronger than many written
history. Even the old yards and gardens
tell the story OF the past IN eteigreens
and rare flowers. The old parent low
ers arr long since deaf perhaps, but this
sin came from another slip, and that
from another aud sIOnuntll the genrlug-
i.al line is established To the very tap
root oi some choice plant or shrub
which was brought over from England
and set ont in the garden OF some noted
family ina Virginia Why. asan instance,
Mr.. Robert l.. Ware, OF Ware - Wharf,
has IL weeping willow growing n his
lawn whose pareutage can readily ur
traced back. ii tlc legend %" true, 10
those bending willows growing in that
beautiful valley boz the island Oi 81. liei
ena-that calm and sacred spot which
tle prrat NAPOLEON selected for hl, burial
nla,a and ~ here the ashes OF taat resi-
i..ss man rested for "A season. Bat these
willow. were brought o. Virginia before
Napoleon ever SAW ST Helena, and even
before he became the world-lcnOwned
that mad. the crowns of every monarch
tremllp For. rs the story goes, theN
wrr. brought here during the colonial
history of the state. one Wa- planted
at Wakefield and from it tie many
were grown. This one al War. Wharf
came from Cobham' p Park. and the one
there from "Nakeirld perhaps. The
I Balls were the owners OF Gotham > Park
and their relation with the Washington
family makes the story good. .. yes.
th,y,ry trees giycu- history ahd give u-
the theme for many "a song und story
n has been said that thr Aihrulan~
could not help from being orators. The
very soil with itsrlch gr0WthOi vine ana
nowcr tile splendid hills overlooking
thr ~.a. the Ih'utuEs aud the statuary
tbp constant training aAi the uplifting
of the mind todcalWith -uhl l'ct- >utim".
and the close relation between gods ana
earthly herocs-thcse things made ora
tor, natural growth. let this be- true
F or not. can not say. Bat it does seeiu
/ tu rur that every Nrgiuiau WHO knows
/ hi- states splendid history should be an
orator or "a poet He should be 80 filled
with it that 10 open his mouth would bt
to give "a great Oraturical shout iha'
might be heard from the Peaks oi otter
/ to The sea, and from the Dan 10 the 20
tomac-a shout that he j. glad that he
is a Nirginian and knows aud rcycrcs hel
/ history
/ / have sometimes thought that conlo
/ I select that which would be- most pleas
/ ing 10 me- 90 ipave To those 10 follow me-
/ would choose to write "a history of ole
Virginia. for regardless of the many thal
have been written not the hall has eyel
been told And ween thatere the grea
exposition yearpasses, there Will bes)In'
rich contributions made toihe history %
the grand old Commonwealth. IT,