Evening star., 1916-04-30

ginia land opposite. was the property
Of the father Of James Jackson. who who
pulled down a Confederate flag from
the roof of the Marshall House in AL
exandria- jackson was Immediately
shot and bayoneted by one Of Ellis
The tragedy occurred Friday morning,
May "a. 1851. 1t was one of the thrill
ing episodes of the opening period of
the civil war.
some of the buildings of the Jackson
farm. James Jackson was born there.
While young man he left the farm
and went to Kentucky. where he mar
ried. He returned to Virginia and con-
Quoted a hotel in Fairfax Court House.
a building which disappeared during
the war. Later he farmed the land
which came to be the property Of Sam
uel Cults. which lies close to SCOTS
run. Wearying of this, he took over
the conduct of the Marshall House. a
hotel on King street, Alexandria. jack
son was buried on the Cults place, and
his widow, who died at about the close
of the war, was buried in the garden
of the old home marked by the ruins
today. few years ago both graves
were opened and the ashes reinterred
in the cemetery at Fairfax village.
Jackson had three children-daughters.
They were Amelia, who never married;
Alice. who married a Mr.. Fitzhugh.
and Carrie. who became the wife of
George HELEN of Washington. Two of
the Jackson slaves. Henrietta and Ellen
Carter, sisters, are living within
mile or two of the jackson place.
to resume the trail which leads up the
timbered, rocky hill. 1t crosses a ridge
along the east base of which flows
SCOTS run, and along the west base.
Bull Neck run-one of the numerous
streams of this region where men still
dig and wash for gold-and find it in
sufficient quantities to provide fuel for
the fires of hope. Gold is there, and
some time some one may unlock a
treasurehouse, but this gold bearing
territory has not produced a bonanza
king as yet. On the top of the ridge
the trail passes a ruinous and aban-
doned house. Along the way a big
black patch on the ground shows
hard and long for a small return in
money. An old pear tree and an old
apple tree here and there show that an
orchard, and presumably home. stood
where now thickets OF jack pines are
growing.
Across Bull Neck run and up the
steep slope going west one passes
through a district turned topsy -turvy
by gold hunters, and many of the mines
or prospect holes show fresh earth and
newly broken rock These workings"
are on the lands of John G. Ratclif, J.
A. Call. J. r. Houtz and Mrs. L. G. Son.
tag. A branch path leading to the
north comes to an end at Prospect
rock. From this rock one gets a glor-
ious outlook upon the world. which ALL
seems to lie below. Every spring Prof.
Welles w. Cook led the Audubon So
ciety through the woods to this spot.
wanderlusters. He was willing to
teach all men who would learn the
wonders of the life of birds. 1t was a
good many years ago that the Rambler
met Prof Cook at this very place. Per-
haps he passes through those dim
woods today in spirit. AS nearly every
body in the United States who is in
terested in birds knows, and sorrow
ingly knows, Prof. Cook died early this
spring.
Nobody ever thinks OF inquiring as
to the ownership of this rock. favor
ite resort for the wood-wanderers of
Washington. No one lives within mile
OF Prospect except some summer camp
ers at the base of the Palisades near
the mouth of Prospect run, half a mile
west of the rock. The line of the
holdings of E. w. Linn and J. r. Houtz
joins in the neighborhood Of the rock
pinnacle, but on which side of the line
the rock stands the Rambler does not
know. From the rock down to the
margin of the river Is a stiff climb, but
it can be done. and is done by hundreds
of men and women. At the base of
Prospect rock the trail leads west
through woods principally of large
sycamores. and along this trail the
Rambler picked the best specimens OF
spring beauty which he has found this
season. The stamens were bright
golden and the anthers glowing red
There were stalks of Virginia cowsliE
or the bluebell, a grape hyacinth now
and then. white patches of the blood
root flower. graceful wood and rue
anemones, clusters of hepaticas, patch
es of the mandrake, the very useful
podophyllum, stalks of the curious