Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-30

is Tour miles away. Centerville is on
the Warrenton turnpike and Chantilly
on the Little River turnpike. a billy
and stony road of great age and his
toric interest. which leads from Alex
.andria to Winchester in the valley of
Virginia
That old road passes through Fairfax
Court House. II is the main street of
that village. 1t runs as closely as the
Rambler could determine with his
pocket compass. due west from Fair
fax. crossing numerous low ridges.
broad valleys and little streams and
leading through that long symmetrical
mountain, called Bull Run mountain,
near it's north end. over pass in which
rests the quiet hamlet of Aldie-
From this road. at point about half
n mile west of Fairfax, another road,
-rougher and harder to travel strikes
off south of west and leads through
the village of Legato. the hamlet of
Centerville. across the tragic stream
known all over the world as Bull run.
through the battlefelds which take
their name from that little stream and
past Groveton and Gainesville to War
renton. For that reason it is called
the Warrenton pike Now. these two
historic roads. which diverge half
mile from Fairfax. at Centerville and
ther westward. are four miles apart.
The name Chantilly recalls one of the
battles or actions. and the closing one,
in the series of desperate engage
ments. lasting week. generally
called the second battle of Bull Run,
but properly the campaign of the
second Bull Run. 1t was the death
place of two brave and capable Union
generals killed nearly at the same
time and within about 200 yards of
each other. during a smashing fight,
while terrific thunderstorm. with tor
rents of rain. was raging and the dark
, ness of night was gathering. Those
generals We're Philip kearny, whom
all the world called Phil Kearny. and
Isaac |. Stevens.
When the Rambler was at Centerville.
the four miles in addition to the seven
miles back to the cars at Fairfax,
rough road and sultry afternoon seemed
too evil a combination to be lightly at
tackled and the trip to Chantilly was re-
served for another Sunday. The jour-
ney was begun at Fairfax. The road
was as stony, rutted and as hil1y as ever
lit was, but the views along the way
repay one for the effort of travelling that
way. You will meet trains of four
horse. big covered wagons owned and
driven by itinerant commission merchants
and men who scour the country near
TO. nut at the same time remote IrOIil
WASHINGTON. for country produce. They
are picturesque trains and are the
-!fneal descendants of the wagon trains
that travelled that old Winchester road
llong before the mind of any man con-
teived the idea that strange machines.
criven by steam. would glide along iron
rails faster than horse could run.
The road is fifty feet wide and straight
rs an arrow. but so wide a road bed is
not now needed for the traffic that
Passes over it. The result is that the
wa son trail twists along the old road
bed often leads along one side. and now
and then crosses from side to side. show
ing that horses, buggles. wagons and
their drivers have sought the line of
least resistance.
Long stretches of the road are Dor
'dered with classic worm rail fences,
and you are passing houses old and
new. mostly old. some thriftily kept
and some in advanced stages OF de-
'crepitude Some are close against the
roadside and others are retired TAR
from the road in fields, groves or or
chards Nearly all these homes have
fruit trees growing around them. and
the apple trees and grapevfnes are fuil
fruited, for this is an excellent fruit
country and this is a year of fruit
abundance.
Some distance out of Fairfax, as the
Rambler recalls it was about two
miles YOU cross big branch and a pic
turesque stone bridge. There was not