Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-03-08

I1
take pleasure i'm quoting his communication In 1uli'
1t follows:
1--WE both know that if California City had
one-tenth as much to talk about as Alexandra mas,
every person who could read in the civilized WOrid
would have heard the story by now. Since Degah
living in Alexandria | have had number OF the
merchants and other interested parties ask me
what thought could be done to assist IN telling
the rest of the world about Alexandria and bring
visitors to Alexandria, sghtseers from the rest U!
the country AS an advertising man, OF course,
thought first in those terms.
81 have ridden through Alexandria many times
lately and noticed innumerable ola houses which
knew must have had historical association OF ne
ceSsitv from their very age, and thought OF the
manv trips which | have taken and that other peo-
nile in Washington have taken too to an old house
in Georgetown with sign on it indicating that
George Washington resided there. 1mnk OF tne
many homes which have as historical interest III
Alexandria, | believe that the kiWams CluD tne
Chamber of Commerce, the Daughters OF tne
American Revolution, the Daughters OF the Con,
federacy and other public spirited bodies would
well afford to devote some time and money to marx
ing all of Alexandra's historical points There is
enough of interest alone in one OF the rooms OIL le
Chamber of Commerce to bring people over there
from Washington to see it, provided they knew Oh
its associations. -.
Washington Alexandria territory sign boards have
not been placed telling the rest OF the world the
reasons why Alexandria should be visited before
one gees home There should be at least two Doards
ON the Baltimore Pike, on the Leesburg Road, on
the Annapolis Road on the Rockville Road, on the
Tidewater Trail on the Roosevelt Highway, on the
Lee Highway on the Capital Highway, and along
the roadbeds of the railroads entering Washington
and Alexandria each telling OF the many thlngs 10
be seen in Alexandria and the reasons for stopping
there The Masonic collection alone is well worm
anybody's time for special trip to Alexandra yet
manv people who visit Washington know nothing
about it
1T might pay too to put up sign board or TWO
down i'm lower Georgia or upper Florida, urging
the tin-canners and other automobile sightseers to
route themselves home by Richmond and Alexan'
dria. Bluemont. West Virginia, and the terrlt0ry
contingious have just raised money to extend a
cement road fifty miles below them toward Bristol
TO divert northern and southern travel from Eir-
ginia up through West Virginia, and II they felt
this wise how much more profitable it would be II
Alexandria with real reasons for stop TO tell
about them. f.<efs.l ..5,ns ~
Thirty forty or fifty miles away 1T might be
well for the Alexandria garages, autOm0Dlie repair
shops, restaurants etc, to maintain cooperative
signs telling about the things which can De seen
there while a car was being repaired or MINOR ad'
iustments made or before or after luncheon or dim
ner in Alexandria There some crackerJack
garages there and many an automobile tourist could
be induced to stop and have his work done IN Alex
andria who now takes his car to Washington.
f., 81 wonder why a real automobile tourists camp
cannot be built in the city. If it could be prepared
in time for the Shrine Convention think OF the thou
sands of cars and the tens of thousand OF people
that could be induced to stop over. These people
make purchases which would cause benefit to ac-
crue to all. They shop at the various garages
restaurants, gasoline stations tailoring shops
cleaners, hardware stores, grocers, drug stores
fruit stores and other retailers, and every pur'
chase would indirectly benefit all of Alexandra.
4. Last but not least, Alexandria's newspaper,
the Oldest in America is well worth talking about
If any of these undertakings become reality they
should be the source Of a great deal OF newspaper