The Washington herald., 1909-03-14

United States IS Alexandria, Va, on the
Potomac. says Penn in the Philadelphia
Bulletin. Judge Kelley. of this city, when
he was a member Of Congress. once said
Of II that although 1t was only six miles
from washington, a Northern man who
went into 1t might have supposed that he
was down in Alabama Even now It IS
a habit Of visitors from this part of the
country to cast jests at It On the score
OF laziness. or sOmnOlence, or to affect
compassion for its backwardness.
These are often highly exaggerated. and.
probably. too. they have been inherited
TO a considerable extent through the
traditions and sayings that have come
down to us from the civil war. Many Of
the veterans of the Grand Army have
remembrances OF the times when they
saw or tramped through Alexandria, Of
the open-eyed wonder with which they
gazed at the slaves that were there or
in its vicinity, or their resentment when
they passed the Marshall House. where
young Ellsworth met his fate, and OF q
sort OF consciousness, after they had
gotten into Virginia over the Long
Bridge" and were approaching the little
old town. that "the North" was now far
behind them
They recall its dirty streets. the first
taste they had there Of the mlseries and
hardships that were ahead OF them. and
the scowls and muttered curses that often
were cast at them along the ancient side
walks. The most God-forsaken place
this side OF hell''-this was one OF the
favOrite phrases with which many a sol
der Of the Arlny of the Potomac I'm after
years would compress and express his
opinion OF Alexandria in telling a story
of some experience OF himself or his
regiment there in the days OF 81.
spent a little while the other day IN
going about the town. 1t is scarcely
larger than West Chester, although it
has few thousand more inhabitants.
and probably not far from nearly half Of
them all is made up Of negroes There
is a saying about Alexandra that Il
stopped growing 100 years ago" and 10
It the testers IN Washington sometimes
add that the people there would become
unhappy If they knew Il was growing.
But as a matter Of fact, Alexandria
has frightened up considerably in recent
years There has been some lifting OF
the atmosphere OF torpor that used 10
hang over it. II now has electric lights.
an electric railway runs through Il;
cleanliness almost everywhere Is more
IN evidence than Il was a dozen years
ago, and while the old cobblestone pave
ments are still 70 be seen on all sides.
King street now looks almost spick and
span with its highway OF vitrihed brick
There are some seemingly excellent
schools. and I am not certain that the
mills. machine shops. and other industrial
plants here and there are not, proper
tonately. more numerous than places OF
kindred usefulness in Washington. In
fact. every now and then one comes
across some sign Of activity that raises
the impression that young men OF push
are trying TO liven up the town
But Alexandria is still very much OF an
odd, quaint place, and yet not without its
pleasant aspect to those who are broad
enough TO look it over in the genial mood
L IS somewhat diverting now. for in
stance. 70 imagine that in its early days
It had its dreams Of commercial great
ness. and that men then thought that the
time might ultimately come when IL
would he worthy of comparison with the
Alexandra Of the Egyptians. For the
Potomac. at that point, is fully as wide as
the Delaware at Philadelphia; IL makes a
fine natural harbor. and even to this day
the town Is a port OF entry. AS such II
had its existence as far back as the mid
die Of the eighteenth century. II was a
place OF much Importance when the re-
public was established, and when the
proposition first came up to transfer the
National Capital from Philadelphia 20
mos cd nC mi NJ
available points at which the seat OF gov
ernment might be located In fact, when
Virginia made her share Of the cession OF
the land which came 70 be constituted as
the District Of Columbia. Alexandra was
included in II. and remained a part OF the
District for more than half a century. or
until, under Polks administration, ii was
ceded back 20 Virginia
At a much later time Il underwent an
other change in its relation 10 the Old
Dominion. During the civil war IL was
part Of those counties Of Virginia which
were within the Federal lines and where
there was some Union sentiment akin to
that which, in a larger degree elsewhere.
resulted in the creation Of West Virginia.
These counties adopted a sort of State
constitution; Alexandra became the capi-
tai. and the governor, who was there at
the close of the war, was recognized al
Washington as the governor OF Virginia
The fondest remembrance, however,
which Alexandria loves 20 cherish IS that
II was the favorite town Of Gen. Wash
ington. for he is apt now to be spoken
OF there by some OF its denizens as he
was when he was alive-not as Washing
ton. but as Gen. Washington. II was
there that he was known as farmer.
miller. fox hunter. fireman. and soldier In
his early manhood: it was there that he
made his start on the famous expendition
into what is now Western Pennsylvania
in the French and Indian war, and II was
there that he often went to church,
danced at balls, and attended the Masonic
Lodge.
In the Carlyle house, which is still
standing at the corner Of Cameron and
Fairfax streets, may be found the meet
ing place Of Gen. BraddOck and the
colonial governors, and II was thither that
Washington repaired when BraddOck sent
for him in order 20 give him command
in the British army.
Mount Vernon is only ten miles below
Alexandria, and until the end Of his life
Washington passed some of his happiest
DAYS IN the social diversions Of the town.
regarding its people as his fellow-towns-
mel. At one time he was a trustee OF
its corporation. as well as head Of the
local militia His diary contains many
references 70 his visits or sojourns there
and when he was a young man he was
one of the familiar figures of the market
house and the post-Ofice.
The most interesting place. perhaps,
= 81 nit
the town is the little Episcopalian Church
situated in the street which bears his
name. This church was built before the