Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-06-23
The Rambler Writes of the Peacock and Oliver Families of Fairfax

branch. which flows about 200 yards
north of the house.
Union cavalry sometimes visited
the oliver house and rested there,
breach of discipline a Union trooper
was tied up by his thumbs to the
limb of a tree in the yard, so that
his toes were barely touching the
ground. II can see that man just as
plainly as 1 can you" he said.
In fold of the land perhaps
100 yards north of the house is
famous spring. Immense oak trees
shade it, and they are as old as the
house. George Smith. the elder, had
a distillery there many years ago.
Whether there is any connection be-
tween that distiliery and the fire.
quent visits of cavalry to the Oliver
house. the Rambler does not know:
1t is not a long walk from the
Oliver House to the site of old Union
Church, but before going there the
Rambler must turn back to the story
of Arnor Chapel, which he mention
ed in connection with the narrative
of the Gunnell place near Great
Falls. That chapel was dedicated IN
1890. George S. Johnson, a large
for the site. There was no southern
Methodist Church in that neighbor-
hood at the time. and the need 1or
one was felt. The stone for the
foundation was hauled from DTanes-
Vile, which was originally the home
of the Dranes. Sam Drane, who was of
the younger generation of Dranes, ana
who was an actor, recently died in
New York city. The Johnson farm
and the old Robert Dickey farm ad.
joining were a part OF the sumner
tract George Johnson's son, c. J.
johnson of the st. James Hotel, Is one
of the Rambler's old friends, and all
the hotel people in Washington kno"
him.
When the Rambler cane to Arnon
Chapel he asked a young lady If the
name "Arnon" perpetuated some land
holder in that neighborhood. She gave
him a most unflatteEing smile ana
said: "Arnon Chapel was named after
the Arnon river in Canaan, which
was in the land allotted to Reuben
eldest son of JACOB. Arnon no"s inl"
the Dead sea-"
All the family names of upper FAR
fax county are carved on stone in Ar
non cemetery. The first grave there
was dug for John Ballenger. Some OF
the tombs of old people of Fairfax
county which stand in Arnon burial
ground are those of Greenberry T,
Grimes, died April %, 1908, aged eigh-
ty-fve; Margaret E., wife Of Elijah
Jewell: Ann E., wife of F. D. Tram
nell died May = T lslS as sied May e.
1896. aged eighty-one; Elizabeth A.
Veaie, his wife. died December II.
1893, aged eighty-one; Robert d.
Dickey. born March IS, 1924. died
September Is. 1905: Mary L., wife Of
Allen H. Goode. died March 8. 1917.
aged sixty-six: C. c. Turner. 1925.
1906; S. E Turner. 1S35-f906; Samuel
G. Daley, died August 16, 1909. aged
seyenty-nine: Susie W., wife OF Will
liam T. Walker. died February 4,
1915, aged seventy-one; William 7.
Walker, 1s37-1907; James W. barnes.
died May 9. 1891. aged seventy-seven;
Emily F. barnes. died october 2. 1898,
aged eighty-nine.
Some of the other names are George
T. Rollins, George L.. son of John S.
and Carrie Rollins; Robert Lee Wen
eel, Henry H. Henderson, Hazel. Will
lard and Ruth Henderson, John +.
Tucker, Fannie l.. daughter of T. M.
and E. M. McCutcheon; Lucy, Jessie.
Amy and MarcelIa Tucker; Ruth San
derson, Milton E. Thomas, Mary
Thomas, Robert E. Thomas. Edgar M.
Jackson, Ernest r. Jackson. George
W. Coleman, John T. Jackson. Mary F:
Ormsbee, Sarah H. Cummings, Samuel
M. Jenkins, William M Veale. w. A.
Grimes. Arthur and Hazel Grimes,
Aaron T. Daley, C. Vernon Presgrove.
Wilmer H. Presgrove, Presley l..
Poole, Louie D. Darne, N. ]. Tram
nell, Bertha, wife of William F. Bin
coe; Florence E. Gunnell, William F.
Rowzee and Mary c. Rowzee.