Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-05-20
w. A. Snoot.

The SmOot family is prominent In
the business life Of Alexandria. The
ancestor of the Alexandria Smoots
was an Episcopal rector who came to
Maryland from England. The mem
Der Of the family whose name heads
this article was born in this city, but
drifted TO New York in his early man.
hood. where he was connected with
an importing and exporting house The
war brought him back to his State and
during the long struggle he was a
member of the famous Black Horse
Cavalry, in which he is proud to say
he was a private The close of the
war found him so poor that he did
not have money to pay his fare to New
York to look for a job, and he settled
down in Alexandria. To say that he
has prospered goes without saying. He
has never sought public office, but his
old comrades in arms have honored
him with the position of Commander
Of the State Encampment OF Confed-
crate Veterans. Mr.. Smoot can be
found early and late in his office on
the river front, looking after his coal
Interests. while his son, w. A. Smoot,
Jr., president of the Alexandria Cham
Der Of Commerce, will be found in his
office, 3l9 King street. taking care Of
an extensive lumber business. The
elder Smoot. noted for his directness
OF speech, grew eloquent in discussing
the past, present and future with a
representative of the Gazette.
Il was born 81 years ago, and mighty
changes have been wrought in Alex
andria in that period, and 1 expect to
stay right here and see still greater
improvements. From the days of John
Smith down to the Revolution and later.
English and Colonial officers met In
dian Sachems here and smoked in
council their pipes Of peace Beautiful
indeed must have been the scene here
abOuts to the old world Adventures
Gone are the canoes and batteaux from
the Potomac, River of Swans" and
instead the waters are beaten with
noisy paddle wheels and propellers. A
city now usurps, the place of cornfelds,
buildings of brick and stone supplant
the bark wigwam and tepee Of skins.
Clouds of smoke from steamers, loco
motives and factories replace the
struggling smudges from council fires,
and instead of signal warnings from
smokey flames, the mails, the teIe-
graphs, and the telephones handle mes
sages for busy people.
Alexandria has been a long time on
the maps. 1t has been the victim of
three wars. The civil war, however.
"ASStASd ~ Jhol elS IL was BelIlnR a
good start, and it has only been within
the last decade and a half that it has
been getting into line again Study
our situation. Its physical fitness for
the location of a great city, a work
shop, is attested by its topography, its
natural drainage and other advantages.
We already have two miles of wharf
age, deep enough to bring vessels to
our doors drawing 20 and more feet
Of water. This wharfage can be ex-
tended for miles both ways from the
city. We are right on the line, too, of
Southern travel, commercial extension,
agricultural development, and emigrant
settlement. Our city is natural CEN
tralization point, where cars from the
interior can be made to meet the ships
from foreign countries. The meetings.
however, are not frequent as they will
be little later. when we all get to-
gether and see that they do"