Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19

engaged in guarding the capital from in
vason from the south. and the name OF
| THE Fort" still clinss to long line Of
earthworks near the Episcopal High
School. in Fairfax county.
The home of Overton w. Price Of the
| bureau of forestry Is one Of the beauty
spots on the edge of Braddock Heights,
while less than a stones throw away
is the handsome new home of David n.
Rust. jr. Mr.. Rust is engaged at the pres
ent time in building another, house as an
investment opposite his own residence.
and in association with his father he has
also recently completed two other houses
on the hillside near the old Rust home
stead. Mr.. Rust. who Is engaged in the
real estate business in this city, with in
terests both in Washington and in Vir-
ginia. has succeeded in attracting many
investors and home seekers to easily &C
cessible land in Braddock Heights and
along the Braddock road.
While the town of Potomac and the
hills beyond are exclusively residential.
Alexandria county does not lack for in
dustrial development. and hundreds of
men engaged in the great Potomac yards
and in manufacturing plants which have
sprung up in that section So convenient
to transportation facilities to all parts
Of the county. have sought homes in the
vicinity of their places of employment.
The Potomac yards. as the freight termi-
nal of six railroads. is one of the most
important of it's kind in the country. be-
cause all cars of merchandise In transit
between the north and the south are there
made up into trains. and all other con-
signments in less than carload lots. are
unloaded and reloaded In the yards and
thence billed through to their destina-
lions.
From time to time runors have been
circulated that some of the railroads now
combined in the traffic arrangement OF
the Potomac yards intended to abandon
the yards. but 1t is authoritatively stated
that more than 500, 700 was spent since
last October in the enlargement of the
trackage facilities. and that all OF the
railroads are more closely bound to-
gether than ever before
Scenes of Busting Industry.
A new industry, which means great
deal to the material improvement of AL
exandria county, Is the repair shops Of
the Armour Company. In which all the
Armour refrigerator cars in service in the
east will be taken for periodical overhaul
ing. 1t is expected that this plant will
give employment to about $50 men. The
shops are just under roof and they will
be turned over by the builders in time for
use before the fruit hauling season
reaches its height. In the same vicinity
a new terra Gotta mandatory, with ex-
tensive kiln facilities. is being constructed.
and many men from this industry and
from the Armour shops. together with the
workers in the Alexandria Glass Works
and the Belle Pre- bottle factory, are join
ing in the search for homes in the nearby
town of Potomac. The Belle Pre- plant is
engaged exclusively In the manufacture
of milk bottles. and Is the largest estab-
lishment of its kind in the world. 1t Is
located at the south end Of the Potomac
yards. 80
Just as the development OF Virginia
property has extended south OF the High
way bridge. SO also has 1t extended into
the territory tributary to the other inlet
many settlements and subdivisions having
sprung up In the upper end of Alexandria
county and the contiguous country, as the
overflow of commuters from the Capital
city have sought homes close to nature.
The Old Dominion and the Great Falls
railways have offered them convenient
means of transit to and from Dominion
Heights. Fort Myer and the adjoining
territory. Livingstone Heights. Falls
Church and other suburbs more OF less
new in the development Of the environs of
the District of Columbia.
This part of Alexandria county was the
scene of many historical actions during
the late war. At the opening of hostilities
the Confederates controlled the southern
end of Chain bridge. and Federal troops
were at the northern end Of the bridge. SO
that 1t was the dividing line between the
opposing forces.
Gradually the Federal troops drove the
Confederates from the river and built on
the heights overlooking the valley Of the
Potomac a chain of forts surrounding
Washington. the first being Fort Ethan
Allen. This fort was followed by others,
until a complete chain had been con-
structed. protecting the National capital
from all advances from the south. Fort
Marcy. to the west Of Ethan Allen. was
the signal station for all of this section.
The life OF Gen. Washington is also
closely bound to the county. Most of his
life was spent In Fairfax county. Ofnwhich
Alexandria county was formerly a BART.
When Washington started on his SOUTH
ern expedition to meet CORVALLIS at
Yorktown. he crossed the Potomac at a.
point about one and One-analf miles below
Chain bridge. passing through the ravine
which is now called locally Swimming
Landing" From this point he marched
through Alexandria county to Yorktown.
communicating the most successful cam
paign of the war.
Alexandria county not only boasts OF
close association with Gen. Washington,
but also with the home for many years of
the great Confederate general. Robert E.
Lee. whose estate is now preserved as a
great national cemetery and the descend
ants of the great general now own large
estates in Fairfax county. which is ad-
joining the Alexandria county line.
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