Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-11-23
WANTS PARADE
WASHINCTON'S
BIR 7 HDA Y
Representative Moore Says
Custom Originated
In 1900.
TELLS OF PROGRESS
Interesting Data Given On First Gel
ebration Held Here In Honor OF
Natal Day OF WashingtOn-Re-
ports Made BY Committees.

Representative r. Walton Moore de-
livered an able and eloquent address
before the Kiwanis Club following its
Luncheon in the Westminster building
this afternoon. After reviewing the
progress made by the city recently the
speaker devotd the remainder of his
talk on Alexandria's parade to be held
February 22 in honor Of Washington's
birthday.
Mr.. Moore said that as a neighbor of
Alexandria, to whose people he owed
so much, he felt deeply gratitied at the
progress the city had made is making
and the wide future that it faces.
Among the projects requiring Fed
eral legislation, and to which he is Civ
ing his most earnest efforts, Is the
proposed new Post Office Building
and the construction of an adequate
Boulevard between Washington and
Mt Vernon.
Outside of the field of COMPRESSION
al action, Mr.. Moore mentioned as evil
dence of the city's development, the
wonderful work the engineers and
architects are now doing on Shooters
Hill. which is to result in one OF the
most imposing and magnificent struc-
lures in the country; the 7. M. I. "A.
Building soon to be erected; recon-
struction of the Little River Turn
nike. which is destined to take care OF
a great and important volume OF tra1-
fic between Alexandria and the region
west, as well as the region east OF the
Blue Ridge Mountains. He said that
il would take more time than such an
occasion would permit to enumerate
all of the present and prospective ac-
tivities which are going to insure the
City's continued growth and prosper
ity. -, :,
Expressing his sympathy with the
plans to revive the custom OF celeorat-
ing Washington's birthday, which IS
peculiarly appropriate here, MI
Moore said ne finds that the custom
ORIGINATED on February 22, 1900, on
" a little more than three months
after General Washington's death. In
one of the newspapers published IN
Alexandria at that time (The Times
and District of Columbia Daily Ad-
vertiser) on February %, 1900, ap-
pears this. entry:
"This day being set apart to pay
a tribute of respect to the memory oil
General Washington we suspend our
labors, and the Times will not be pub
Tshed again until Tuesday next.
That notice appeared on Saturday,
February %, and although the news
paper was a daily, it extended It's hou-
dav through the following Monday.
The Alexandria Gazette was then
published as semi-weekly under the
name o fthe Columbian Mirror and
Alexandria Gazette, and was an older
newspaper than the other. In diary
lent bv a man named Canon, who held
a nosition at NJ. Vernon before and
after the death OF Washington, is an
entry under the date of February y,
1900, as follows:
"Fair and pleasant. After break
faet I went to Alexandria. found the
streets much crowded, it being the
BIRTHDAY of General Washingtor
which the inhabitants of the Clty anc
v;c;nitv marched to the Episcopa
cbrate The handsome procession
forr,ed of a Company Of Light In
fortrv and a Company of riiemer
ard The inhabitants of Alexandra anC
v;c;nity marche dto the Episcopa
Church. where (after some perform ppH
nee Of the worship of the dletyl
Superb Grafton was delivered Dy en-
ion Mercer, Esq, young gentleman, n
Mr. Mercer was a citizen OF Lou
DOM County who q little later oecam
the leader in the State Legisla'Iie |,
advocating system Of pubic sen1I,s ~;
and subsequently, he Represented 's, fn
section Of Virginia in Congress 10
twenty years. ,,b
In suggesting the propriety OF puG;
lie meetings on the recurring ann ann
versary Mr.. Moore expressed the Ioh
that it would be possible after a "n.,
to erect a hall sufficient 10 take car
cf the conventions and other gatnel
inos which are more and more ihcllI
ed TO hold their meetings in AieXar
dria. 40,
o5e on the 22nd ofFebruary had bee
renewed. in spite of the fact that IN
weather at that season is most vi
cartair. as we all know, and as
shown in some detail by report 9
tbs weather Bureau for the twent
|esrs from 1908 TO 1922. In eleve
of the twenty years there was elthe
rain or snow, or both, on the 22nd G