Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-19

tnou6u uN hNCeSu HO wv" ~
minder. that noon and the dinner hour
had come. He was on that road which
leads west from the Rockville pike
at Montrose into the hilly and wooded
region along Cabin John creek which
Is called Scotland.
Noting that the shadows pointed to
meal time. ne turned from this road
into the Old Georgetown road and
walked toward a long. low house Of
great age, with dormer windows and
overhanging caves. Beside the his
toric interest Of this venerable home
come upon at noon, because Mrs.
Amos Magruder. who was born Mollie
Wilson, is one of the best cooks in
the county, and because Amos Will
liam Magruder, whom all his school
mates called Willie Magruder, raises
excellent sugar corn. lima beans to-
matoes and all the other things that
go toward making up dinner in the
country. He knew also that the
Magruder girls, Misses Edith, Frances
and Naomi, would soon be home from
Pastor Rowland Wagner's church at
Rockville. and that altogether 1t
would be very happy place to stop
topped cedars and all the fence posts
were pointing to the north.
X X X
This Magruder house Is just a short
little walk north of the intersection Of
School House lane and the Old George
town road 1t was on School House
lane, three Sundays ago. that the
Rambler talked with Frank Maught
about John III. Surratt. who. for two
or three years. taught in little
frame schoolhouse on that lane.
Frank was one of John Surratts
pupils. and the teacher boarded with
Franks parents in the quiet home
which still stands in a shady garden
on the lane about 200 yards from
where the schoolhouse, now only a
memory. stood.
In connection with the ramble deal
ing with the site of the Surratt
School the Rambler received a very
pleasant letter making certain in
quiries from John II. Surratts SON.
William H. Surratt, lawyer. of Bal
timore. The Rambler also received a
letter from Charlie Tansir Of Brook
land, who was pupil at the old
school, telling him that the school
house stood not on the south but on
the north side of the lane.
When the Rambler came to the home
Of Amos Magruder he and Amos sort
OF naturally fell to talking OF the
great tragedy of 1855. Amos was
then a boy living with his father.
Samuel Wade Magruder, on the place
called Locust Grove. which lies be-
tween Cedar lane and the road from
Beane to Bells mill. and which is
now the property of Floyd f. Davis.
Dave Harold used to visit there 10
call on Amos sister, Miss Virginia or
"Pinky" Magruder. now Mrs. Riley
Landon, who lives part of the time
in Baltimore and part on the Landon
estate in Somerset county. Amos
brother. Winfield Scott Magrudar on
tho night of the assassination, vent
to Washington with two-horse load
OF kale and when news Of the murder
spread and Winfield did not return
home on time fears for him were felt
by his family. Oldtimers will renem
Dor how many innocent persons were
suspected of having some part in the
conspiracy" and how many Were put
under arrest by the military author
tiles But Winfield came home on a
PASS issued at the federal military
headquarters in Green's woods. That
tract Of woodland was on the farm
OF Dave and lola Green and years
Cleveland property of Red Top. The
house in which Dave and lola dwelt
was very near the site of the CleVe-
land house. Wisconsin avenue south
of WoOdley lane then bore little re-
semblance to its present state. Sew
eral slaughter houses stood along the
way Close upon the point where
Massachusetts avenue now cuts
across Wisconsin avenue was a
slaughter house conducted by Thomas
Varnell and nearby was the home
OF Louis Henley, whose son Lowe
married a daughter Of Thomas Var
nell, There were several Kerley
boys. The oldest was Jacob, and there
were Robert George. William and