Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-03-24
THE EDITORS LETTER.
Falls Church, Va.

Lear 1ISdu0ES
am spending a few days with my
family in "Old Virginia." the land of
''niggers" and red clay. before pro-
ceeding west. Falls Church is not
many miles from Washington across the
famous Potomac and near several !
battle fields Of the Civil war. The |
leading spirit in Falls Church for years |
has been a Vermonter and an Orleans !
countyite. Merton E. Church,, who
visited the editor last summer and is |
we'll known to a number of Orleans /
county people, is the leading light and
spirit here. Every progressive step
in this place and in fact in the county, |
has had his moral and financial assist |
ance. Strictly speaking, most of such
movements have been advanced and
fostered by him. He it was who gave
them the first local newspaper, and
named it after the Orleans County
Monitor. The Alexandria County
Monitor is still in existence. He it
was who developed the telephone bust
ness in the county and is today at the
head of an important system. His
influence and money brought trolley
service to Falls Church. 1t was M. E.
Church. who finally got electric current
for lighting the town and vicinity, who
organized the Masonic Lodge, estab-
lished the bank. started the drug store
here and Gifted" in numerous other
enterprises as only Yankee can lift
when he is mind to do so. "For sale
by M. E. Church." is very familiar
sign down here, as Mr.. Church deals
in real estate. but is rather startling
Zone man remarked the Methodist
church here must be rich) to strangers
until they learn that M. E. Church is a
man as we'll as religious denomina-
ton. But M. E. church, the religious
organization, finds in M. E. Church,
the man, one of its most loyal and
willing supporters and workers. While
acquiring wealth and influence and
fame, this worthy son of Orleans
blest homes. He was poor boy and
grew up without educational advan.
tages. In early manhood he gave
temperance lectures in southern Que
bee with one of the first stereoptican
lanterns brought to that part of the
country. He drove team all the way
to Virginia, selling medicines as a
means of livelihood. Should not such
true stories encourage our youth who
find poverty and encouragement in
their midst?
Of course you have suspected that
the town was named after M. E..
Church. But it is not so. Falls
Church takes its name from historic
church here in which George Washing
ton himself worshipped at times, and
in which Civil war staff headquarters
were established at one time during
the Rebellion. In early history this
church, being the nearest to the Great
Falls Of the Potomac. was called the
Falls Church. hence the name
Falls Church is type of progressive
southern town. But compared with
our towns of like size it is somewhat
''slow." There is no public water
system, and of course. no fire system
or protection. Everyone has his well
and pump and there is no system OF
sewers, yet the population of this town
is equal to that of Barton. Another
characteristic Of these Virginia towns
is the way IN which they are spread
out. Falls Church probably occupies
three times the acreage Of Barton.
Drive into the country and YOU
Immediately discover the roads are not
much like the Vermont rural high.
ways. There are main boulevards
which one can travel with comfort anc
safety. But not so all the roads where
small streams must often be forded =
and red clay mud. We don't know
what mud is. Give me Vermont.
/ cannot pass by, without mention
traces of the Civil war, found all abou
here. Only few miles from Fall:
Church. at Fairfax Court House, is the
spot where the first blood of the Civi
war was shed. A monument marks
the spot. Arlington cemetery is o.
course the greatest reminder of tina
struggle and here are markers t,
thousands of unknown dead. Sigh
,breastworks thrown up for protection
during battle. are pointed out here ant
there. We are told the trenches uset
so extensively in the present European
conflict. are a development of tn,
"breastworks" first thrown up b,
battle lines in our Civil war and founc
an effective protection. Little bitter
ness is found anywhere over the out
come of the war in which Virglni:
lost, although there is q spot in ths