Manassas News: Investigation of Prince William Jail... (1912)

Alexandria Gazette
23 March 1912

MANASSAS NEWS ITEMS

Investigation of Prince William Jail
Enthusiastic Good-Roads Meeting at Nokesville

(Special to the Gazette)

Manassas, Va., March 23. -- The State Board of Charities and Corrections have called on the Prince William county committee for their annual report as to the conditions of the county jail and almshouse. This committee consists of Dr. H. M. Clarkston, of Haymarket and Mrs. Emily C. Round and Dr. J. Mayre Lewis, of Manassas. Information as to any case of indigent, crippled or deformed children needing hospital treatment is specially called for, by the secretary of the Commonwealth in order that the board may endeavor to have such subjects treated free of cost. The board urges that the county make better arrangements for its poor, and especially the feeble minded children and advises that the "Poor Farm" be sold and arrangements provided which will be more in accord with the present ideas of twentieth-century civilization.

At a meeting of the Manassas Rod and Gun Club a committee was appionted to petition Commonwealth's Attorney Thomas H. Lion, for an enforcement of the law with regard to the obstruction at Occoquan creek.  Last spring the board of supervisors of Prince William and Fairfax counties appointed committees to investigate and report upon such obstruction, which has done, but so far as ascertained no further action of the respective boards in relation to the matter has been taken.

There was a large and enthusiastic good roads meeting at Nokesville, Wednesday at which Melvin C. Hazen of Washington, presided. A committee was appointed to canvass Brentsville Magisterial district in the interest of a bond issue for public highway improvement. The committee will recommend a bond issue for the district of $36,000 to be apportioned as follows: $12,000 for the Quebec-Miami Highway; $9,000 for road from Nokesville to Greenwich; $8,000 for roadway from Nokesville to Aden; $7,000 for roadway from Brentsville to intersect with the proposed international highway.

The bi-county convention of the W.C.T.U. embracing the counties of Fauquier and Prince William were in session here yesterday with a large attendance of delegates. Mrs. Sarah Hoge, state president of the association, and noted for her ability as an oratorical and forceful speaker delivered a very interesting address in the Presbyterian Church last night to a large audience.

Governor Mann has appointed Mrs. Emily C. Round to represent Virginia at the Southern Sociological Congress to be held in Nashville, Tenn., on May 7-10.

A valuable horse belonging to Harry Tyler was killed by train No. 13 on the Manassas branch of the Southern, Thursday.  The animal was appraised at $230.

Church Record Sunday: Trials of Soul and Flesh in 1860's Revealed by Pastors

Richmond Times Dispatch
27 October 1937

Trials of the Soul and Flesh in 1860's Revealed by Pastors

Walking 10 miles to preach a sermon, falling into a creek, watching the flames of war ravage, a church -- all this seemed to be just part of the day's routine for hardy ministers of the Gospel in the 1860's.

Those, at least, are some of the experiences mentioned by preachers in a packet of unpublished letters recently deposited in Spence Library, Union Theological Seminary. The correspondence, most of which dealt with the Sustenation Fund for Impoverished Ministers, was written to the Rev. J. D. Mitchell of Lynchburg during 1866.

The Rev. Matthew W. Jackson of Rough Creek described some of his troubles: "I sometimes walk 10 miles to preach and then home again on the same day; and on the third sabbath in January I fell into a creek about two feet deep and walked several miles home with my clothes wet and freezing..."

Couldn't Raise a Dollar

"As religion seems almost extinct in Eastern Virginia, we must awake in earnest," was his solemn warning.

From Prince William County the Rev. A. M. Hershy of Nokesville wrote:  "The church building, which was nearly new, was burned to the ground, it is said, by Unioin soldier,s near the end of the war ... The congregation was scattered..."

Light on the financial difficulties is given by the Rev. R. L. Dabney, noted theologian; the Rev. Moses D. Hoge, founder of Union Seminary, and Dr. James Woodrow, uncle of President Woodrow Wilson.