The courier-index., 1921-06-03
LIVES IN HISTORY
City of Alexandria, Virginia,
 Is Immortal.
With Its Memories of the Greatest American, 1t Yields Place Only
 to the National Capital.

Economic clocks cease their ticking, industrial enterprises stop their whirr. and America celebrates each twenty second day of February in honor of George Washington.
 "Across the Potomac from the city which perhaps is the most elaborate and enduring monument that perpetu- ates the name of any human being is a smaller, older, but up-to-date city. which reyereLtly pays her tribute to the great man who surveyed it's town lots. He also commanded it's troops. sat in its historic Christ church while President of the United States. and tripped the stately minuet in it's par lors." says bulletin from the Wash. ingtOn D. C., headquarters of the Ma tional Geographic society
 Alexandria, Virginia, which was 80 promising at the close of the Rev0lu- tionary war that 1t was considered a ! possible seat for the infant national government, and which indeed might have had the honor. so the story goes. If the great man who lived within stones throw of its borders had thought it fair to use his influence in its behalf, is today an up-anddOing 1 city. A naval torpedo plant is being constructed there at the present time, snd during the World war it had fully equipped shipbuilding plant. "The first ship built at this plant was the Gunston Hall, named after the home of George Mason, father of | the Virginia declaration of rights, at that time probably the most complete statement of the rights of man.
 "This shipbuilding plant which now i staIds Idle awaiting the development of new plans concerning our merchant shipping covers 46 acres of land along a river which measures 40 feet in depth at the city pier. At no point in it's course to the ocean is the chan nel less than 30 feet in depth.
 ''The coal fields of the Cumberland are but 10 miles away, and the cheap ness of transportation to the city adds another commercial asset. The in habitants in the decade between 1850 and 1S40 foresaw the power which was coming into being to the west of them, and expended large amounts of money in building the Alexandria canal and in contributions to the Chesapeake and Ohio canal.
 "The Lee highway from New York to San Francisco, now being con structed. passes through Alexandria and westward through the beautiful | and historic Valley of Virginia. Very | aptly might Alexandria, from its geo. i graphical position, be given the sou briduet The Gateway to the South "Tourlsts to the Capital city-and everyone feels that sooner or later he must see the capitol, the White House and the MOnument-usually find few hours. if no more, to cross the Poto-
 mac and sit in the silence of the quaint little church in It's pretty green churchyard where Washington advo- cated before the towIspeople in 1714 resistance to Great Britain, and where Robert k. Lee agreed to take com
 mand of the Virginia troops at the beginning of the Civil war in 1881
 Washington's pew is marked today, but unfortunately the high backs of the seats. which in former days kept the President from seeing exactly
 what kinds of lace the bewigged gen. tlemen In front of him had at their throats, were cut down by subse- ouent rector who wanted his church to keep apace of the times. It is said
 that Washington and the famous and devoted Martha always rode from Mt
 Vernon in handsome cream-cOlored . coach to attend the services.
 "The seeker for excellent examples
 of Colonial architecture can heave 8 sigh of satisfaction wheE he catches , hls first glimpse of Carlyle house, as
 this home in which the illustrlous gen tIemeu and charming women Of old
 colony days discussed state questions
 and tripped a measure or two Is con : sidered one of the best specimens oi
 Eighteenth century architecture in ex
 istence. Maj John Carlyle, who buii' 1t in 1752, provided a meaLs Of escape
 for his family, in case of attack DS , ths Indians. in a subterranean pas sage that leads from the house . through the fort on which the houSs is located to the Potomac. Here the! could get into boats and sail town th' river to safety"