Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-03-21
AULp LANG sYNE.

Picking up this sleety day an anuiver-
sary number Of The Alexandria Gazette,
/ was carried back many, many years,
when newspapers were not 50 volumlnous
as at The present day ard when each
mail brought to my fathers house the
Alexandria Gazette, the National In
telligercer, the Richmond Whlg, the
Genius of Liberty. the Spirit OF the
Times, and others, observed that all
present, whether bishop, judge, colonel
or private, each made for the Gazette
and first sought the column to show
"The age and body of the times, which
heading am sorry 10 see eliminated.
| became acquainted with Alexandria
when entered the Episcopal High
School 10 1889, taking the stage in Aide,
driven by the "King Of Whips" Bull
Whaley (Bill wss the eldest OF a good
many boys, all drivers, John, Bush,
Corbin and Others. We soon passed old
man Whaley then Cub Run. Chantilly,
CID man Ayer's--go 10 and ne VIII tell
Won call abou. ii" Did you ever see a
eobblcr fatleued on chestnuls and COOK
ed beautiful brown all over? Then
YOU have dined at the old gentlemsn's,
the cIearest house | ever saw In all my
life. Then uncle Charley Stewarts; then
by DIR. Jones, who brought me through
a bad illness when pupil at "Ossian
Hall" Mrs. Brent's) Then Fairfax q.
H.. and there was Moore, Powell,
Thomas, Gunnell, Pricfett. Nelson,
Conrsu and others. Passing on we came
to Uncle Billy GOodens, now 10 all these
1906 years was there ever such an unique
character as this old man
1t is said he made his fortune with
pigeons. They swarmed about the
wagons bearing grain to the city from
all the country west, extending even 10
the Ohio; there we're few railroads then
but much wheat aud corn. A fellow told
me he counted one night fifty W goDs
stopping with the old man, but | think
this slight eSaggeration. II was SAID
that when the atmosphere was favorable
Uncle Billy ould hear the steamboat
whistle from the Potomac, yet had never
seen a boat nor car in his life. He al
vays bad 'fust a leelle drap' that be had
been saving for you of the old Corn
wallis peach, but, am sure nave
tasted some there not quite so old. Go
ing on we soon passed Tennyson, the
famous game chicken man, then Anan-
dale postoffice and old Englishman
SCOTS. "a year or two before, when
pupil at "Ossian Hall" in passing this
place on our march to service at Leb-
anon Chspel, we observed number
of chains hung to a chimney OF his
house, supplemented by two immense
man traps he had brought from England
with him. He said ''You know we
had a terrible electric storm last evening
and when | saw the cloud had pre-
monition my house would be struck, 80 l
rigged up that conductor and it saved
the house. The bolt knocked out the
gable, as you see, and gave old He'sie,
who was milking the COW, a bad upset,
but that was all") Next, Aspen Hill,
and here about that time | saw beautiful
field OF barley, the only crop OF barley
| ever saw until | went TO Oregon Why
these people don't try barley | can I
understand; they can't raise wheat. And
now, we pass Bailey's toll gate. "a few
wears later as we approached this place,
ridin, on the box with Bill Whaley, he
handed me the reins and SAID, "Drive
piece" and began to rummage about
his mail sacks in the boot. After getting
little away be said, "When was passing
here the other day, the old man was
at the woodpile picking up chips, with
his back to me; he had on a pair of tight
nankeen trousers. | had just put on
this cracker, aud if was TO be shot ioT
it, | could't have helped it. l took him
on :he exact spot L put whip 10 The
horses and got down as low as | could,
but the rocks did Gy.) Next Lebanon,
and soon iu Alexandria. Passing old man
Cats, standing in his door, we en-
tered King street at the Virginia hotel.
King street was not paved with yitri
fed brick then. We pass Philip hoofi,
Gregg, Joseph Eaches, Harrison Bradley,
Muir, DR.. Powell, Gotleib APpicb, on
the north side. There is distinguished
looking man on the other side, walking
to and fro in front of Wm. Morgan S
shop. Why, it is the old man himself
and no man in all the land ever sent
out better boots. We all wore boots in
those days. Looking north you may see
Jim Chatham, lolliDg back by his stable
door, waiting for sucker. | forgo
who had the Marshall House at thi'
time; then some drygoods men, Hough
G. c. Berry, but l was not much inter
ested in this section, until l struci
David Appich, who kept goot
cakes and had very pretty children
especially the girls. Atwell, tn
tailor. was somewhere along here
ard. around the corner north was th'
genial Henry Simpson with his shoes
and at the next corner the City Hotel
George P. Wise, Frank Hall assistant
and across Cameron Jimmy English, WHIT
Starving TO Death.
Because her stomach was SO weakened b.