ASSOCIATION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF VIRGINIA ANTIQUITIES.[92]
The Fredericksburg Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities is a small but active band. They have acquired the Mary Washington House and “Rising Sun Tavern.” The “Tavern” has been recently repaired, but retains in all respects its original style of architecture. Both buildings are furnished in “ye olden style,” and are centers of great interest to visitors. The officers of this branch are Mrs. Vivian M. Fleming, directress; Miss Rebecca C. Mander, secretary, and Mrs. Charles Wallace, treasurer.
THE CITY MISSION.
The City Mission was organized on the 14th of March, 1901, mainly through the efforts of Rev. W. D. Smith, rector of St. George’s church, and Mrs. J. B. Ficklen. It has been quite an active society and much good has resulted from its labors. The main object of the society is to afford relief to the destitute of the town, especially the sick, and as it is composed altogether of benevolent and kind hearted ladies, we know, from this and their splendid labors in the past, that their mission will be well performed. They do more than look after the sick. These ladies gather up secondhand clothing from those who can spare it and sell the same at a cheap rate to those able to purchase and give to the destitute. The society is composed of ladies from all religious denominations, and the city is laid out in districts, each of which is placed in charge of three ladies, to whom applications for assistance by parties living therein are referred. By this method impositions are rare and needy persons are not overlooked. The present officers of the society are Mrs. J. B. Ficklen, president; Mrs. B. B. Montgomery and Miss Jennie Hurkamp vice-presidents; Miss Rebecca C. Mander, secretary; Miss Annie Myer, treasurer, and Mrs. Isaac Hirsh, purchasing agent.
THE FREDERICKSBURG TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION.[93]
The faculty of the public schools of Fredericksburg met and organized the Fredericksburg Teachers’ Association in September, 1906. The officers elected at that meeting were as follows: Miss Kate James Mander, president; Miss Clarice Crittenden Davis, vice-president; Miss Jennie M. Goolrick, secretary, and Miss Maggie L. Honey, treasurer. The president of the School Board, Mr. A. B. Bowering, after the teachers were organized, was requested to outline a plan for a library, which he did, and the teachers commenced the work. After obstacles and delays, by solicitation, and dessert sales, a sufficient amount of money was raised to commence the purchase of books, and quite a nice collection of the best publications was secured. Since that additions have been made as the means of the association would justify, and now the library is an institution formed on a solid basis. It is popular with the children, and from it they derive much pleasure and instruction. The present officers are Miss Kate James Mander, president; Miss Mary Page Waller, vice-president; Miss Agnes P. Roach, secretary, and Miss Maggie L. Honey, treasurer.
FREDERICKSBURG AT PRESENT.
Fredericksburg is a healthy town—a true Virginia city—almost free from the fevers and diseases that visit other cities of the coast or even of tidewater. It is beautifully situated on the west bank of the Rappahannock river, at the head of tidewater, where its inhabitants escape the malaria of the lowlands and the fevers peculiar to the mountains. Therefore, when we compare the death rate of Fredericksburg, which is made every month by Dr. J. N. Barney, our health officer, with that of other neighboring cities, we find it quite favorable to our town.
PURE WATER SUPPLY.
Our main source of water supply, the Rappahannock river, has no city or town of any size above us, and for that reason the water is almost free from foreign substances, and as pure as are the mountain springs from which it flows. The analysis of this water, which has often been made in the years gone by, and repeatedly in the past few years, shows ninety-eight per cent., which probably more nearly approaches absolute purity than any other stream of its size in the country. Besides this aid to health, the sanitary condition of the town is carefully looked after by the Board of Health, and everything that threatens the introduction of disease is at once removed or reduced to a healthy condition. In addition to this, as a convenience for the citizens, and an aid to health conditions, the main part of the city has been sewered within the past four years, and laterals are in course of construction to reach those portions of the town not now sewered. With these aids to health and our lynx-eyed Board of Health, who are always on the alert, we may hope for and confidently expect, as we now have, an unusually healthy city.