Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-06-09
The Rambler Writes Of Several Old Farms and Families Of Virginia

put up the building, for he was a celes
Drated carpenter and house builder in
those parts. His name was Alfred OdS
rick. He was born a slave and I'D to
the time Of emancipation was owned by
the Coleman family, which lived near
Dranesvilie. Some time after becoming
free he bought thirty acres of rough.
timbered land out Of the George West
Gunnell farm, built log cabin on 1t,
cleared and farmed the land and then
built himself a remarkable house, which
seia stands but 10 in decay. When the
house was in its prime 1t was one Of the
best In that part Of Virginia. There
Is a wide front door opening into q
broad vestibuie which runs through the
middle Of the house. Uncle Alfred" as
all the white people called him, has been
dead about twenty-five years and was
buried on bis place. His wife was Annie
belonged to the Todd family of the Diff
cult run neighborhood She, too, is dead.
When Uncle Alfred died members of the
Coleman family, which had owned him.
were among the mourners at the funeral,
and this was related with much appre-
citation by several colored persons with
whom the Rar,h!e- talked
Walking west from the junction Of
the roads and passing the decaying
home of Uncle Alfred. the Rambler
turned north into 4 long lane leading
to freshly painted farm house in a
and no one has been at home there
for some time. There was no mark Of
path between the house and the
deep well ut the rear. the ground
being covered with tall grass. The
long well chain was coated with iron
rust that had not been disturbed for
weeks. One Of the well buckets was
TANNED s0gainst the wheel and both
bucket and wheel were coated with
rust Passing through an orchard
and by some cherry trees laden with
ripe fruit, the Rambler came to a plot
of ground thickly covered with flag
lilies and out Of that tangle rose
several gravestones. From those
stones the Rambler copied the fol-
lowing:
TN memoir, Of Col. Ge.rs. West c..een
"Bie..ed are the aeaa which die in the
l.s s:s r y. s.a .ss s' sad
their works do fellow them
TN nsnsy Of Loeisn 1tse inseripsien is
ans.aR .ss aep.ss.d III. Re Jsss' q ISL ISL
in .ns ssth ys.r q her age.
He that b.aievetk Jesus csrist to 6e the Son
ia memory Of E.nsli.e. wife Of C. W.
"rreeisa. in the sight Of the Lard Is the
Dallas P. GsaneTi. died July Is. 1913. aged
'.Ids Klanehe. beloved wife Of D. P. Gun
nell. died Jsne "a. 1880. aged % years.
BE Of coed cheer, I have overcome the
world
&C. Eisic. aged 10 years ) months: J. Eme.
aEpd year 8 months; J. Dallas. aged .
nosshs, beloved ehildren Of Ida Blanche and
D. r. Gulneh.
'.AI his Jewels, precious Jewels,
His loved and His own"
Dallas Polk GunneIf, the last Of the
Gunnells of this farm, was married
thrice. The first wife was Miss Ida
Blanche Gibson of BerryviIle, whose
tomb stands among the flag lilies. Tho
second was Kate Young. a great
granddaughter Of that widely-known
Mrs. Young who for years kept the
toll gate on the Alexandria and Lees
burg pike not for from Ash Grove.
The dollhouse is standing and now
occupied by I'M. Gibson. Kate
Young GunnelI was not buried in the
private cemetery near the Gunnel
house, but was laid at rest in the
Young lot at Andrew Chapel. The
third wife of Dallas Polk Gunnell was
Miss Beck. a distant relative. She il
living and owns the home placa