Evening star., 1914-09-27

IereQ historic CnaTdCteESs AluOA8 lASSo
old houses is one that has been known
for considerably more than century
as Mount Eagle. and 1t was to visit this
that the Rambler set out ON q Sunday
stroll.
Patrick street, in Alexandria, Is one
of the north and south ways OF that
ancient city, and you should follow this
You will pass beyond the cobble pave
ments and the rows of brick houses,
cross the tracks of one Of the steam
railways serving Alexandria. and you
will enter that part of Patrick street
where the roadbed is of dirt, where the
footpath is bordered by weeds and
where small frame houses stand far
apart in little gardens.
On both sides OF the road are wide
patches of land given over to the cultt-
walton of vegetables and fruit. Then
you come to section where acres are
covered with glass houses that glitter
in the sunlight and in which grow
roses and carnations which this winter
Will be made up into bouquets. In the
open land around these glass houses
are growing dahlias and chrysanthe-
NUNS.
Your road at this point Ia over high
land, and before you-still good way
visit Big stretches of these hills are
covered with woods that are being
softly tinted with the hrst touches OF
autumn color, and then there are wide
stretches of field that are turning from
green to brown and gray. In some Of
these fields grow SO many trees that
you may be at a loss to mark them
down in your notebook rs thin woods
or fields that are growing up in TIM
ber.---s. ..... : -----
In this distant landscape you can
pick out numerous houses and perhaps
as YOU walk along you may fall to
thinking how people over there feel In
living SO far away from the crowds,
the lights, the theaters and the, big
talk intimately with these people you
would find that they wonder why peo-
pie choose to. live amid noise and con-
fusion.
Coming to bend In the road, a. broad
view of Hunting creek is spread before
you. Your way now leads down a sharp
grade to the marsh lands that border
the creek You have passed beyond the
trlcts of Alexandra, and the dusty
road-or muddy road in wet weather.
Is frlnged with stunted trees whose
green is ashen under a heavy layer of
dust Straight down to the level of the
creek you go. and you will probably
make some mental comment on the
width of the water, for here Hunting
creek is half mile wide, and under
the bright September sun the water
appears steely blue and is chopped and
tossed by a brisk, cool wind.
The road Is slightly built up or filled
In through the marsh land bordering
the creek. and the shoal water for
probably 300 yards. This rather pic
turesQue dirt cauSeway is bounded on
either side by feeble post and rail
fence. there being a single rail nailed
near the tops of the posts. Small syca-
mores grow along the causeway and
in the very shallow parts Of the creek
are islands and fats of pickereI weed.
At the end Of this. causeway you
come to a bridge somewhat higher
than the hlled-in road. and on one side
of the road at the bridge head Is a
signboard painted green and inscribed
In red letters. painted there by no mas
ter hand at lettering:
NO load over s tons allowed over
this bridge. w. r. p. Reid. supervisor" !"
There is an excellent view from the
bridge. Up the creek-that is, toward
the west-stretch aqueous meadows
with a fine fall crop of marine vegeta-
tion- The ridges on the opposite eides
of the creek approach each other and
then merge in the blush distance,
where brown and black smoke drifts