National Republican., 1874-07-04
LETTER FROM PLNEY POINT
WHAT JOHN SIMPSON Jaw ON THE
LADY OF THE LAKE, II THE RIVER,
AND AT PINEY POINT.

] MAINLAND, July 2, lsf4.
! Ihave been for a number Of years urging our
reople to improve their health during the sum
mer months by giving up medicine eating and
taking to salt water. When say salt water, 1
mean 9 sail down the river such lovely moon
| light nights as these, and q plunge into the
salt water at Piney Point. For a short enjoy
able sail, we have one Of the finest rivers in the
world, and yet we do not appreciate II as we
should do. And we have fast, substantial and
commodious steamers, such as the Lady of the
Lake and the Georgianna, plying up and down
nearly every day. The former is one of the
most substantial as well as one of the best
boats of her class in the country, and has an
engine capable Of driving herup to sixteen knots
AZ hour. To steamboat men it is enough TO
say, that the Lady of the Lake was built for
Morgan, the great New Orleans steamboat
owner, who is known never to have had poor
or weak boat built for him.
II you want, my reader, to escape the swell
! tering heat, improve your digestion and give
tone to your system, pack your satchel and get
on board the Lady Of the Lake, and take your
ticket for Piney Point or old Georges island.
| She leaves precisely at p. m. Mondays and
Thursdays. There is brusque old George
Plant. He will meet you at the gangway.
There is not bit of sailor about "Old Uncle
| George" and you wonder what he is doing
| there, and why he is called captain. Captain
Plant is firm believer in the eternal virtue of
dollars and cents, and is on board to look after
| things generally. He will let you know, by
inference, as soon as the boat is underway that
| he owns fifteen siXteenths of her, and that she
| cost him ninety-two thousand dollars For the
past year Capt. Plant (by courtesy has been
puzzling his brain over the great principle Of
steam and engineering, and expects in a few
months to be competent to run the engine
himself, thereby saving the salary of an as
sistant engineer. Under that rough exterior,
| however, you will find good, square honest
heart, and an earnest intention to look after the
comfort of his passengers, with whom he is al
ways ready to engage at game of seven-up.
And there is Capt. Partridge, too, sailing-mas-
ter of the craft, and as courteous gentleman
as ever walked a deck or gave an order. And
| there is q tall, fair-haired young man of the
name of Fairburther, the most polite and
obliging clerk l have ever met with on a steam
boat, and am an old traveller.
The pleasant portion of this sail begins after
you have left the sleepy old town of Alexan-
dria. Down past Fort Foot, that mysterious
looking old pile of stone walls, called Fort
WASHINGTON, and Mount Vernon, and Marshall
Hall and Glymont, you find yourself gliding
swiftly, the quiet beauty of the scenery and
the fresh breeze created by the motion of the
OOaE, enhancing OF LU6 Still.
$50 o'clock you have sighted the Upper Cedar
light, and the smell Of salt water comes fresh
aRd invigoratng. You suddenly find yourself
prepared for good appetite, and always uncOu-
sc!Ously fad yourself inquiring what time din
ncr will be ready. Now, John Bowling is
steward Of the Lady Of the Lake, and John, in
a1diticn to being one of the politest colored
gentlemen within my knowledge, (Wormly not
excepted has a reputation for being one of
,-r-r. Iac oF caterers ,JDhu'E hell
what is called supper just as you are inquiring
what time dinner will be ready. John is a man
OF taste, too, and knows the value of flowers in
setting ont a table. This Supper" on board
OF the Lady of the Lake is becoming famous,
ard deservedly SO. Indeed, / will say here
that have never sat down to a meal better
cooked. better served, or more BEAUTIFULLY sup
piled on & steamboat, and all for seventy-fve
cents. I pa!d one dollar and eighty-tive cents
far nv supper on the Providence, of the famous
Fan River line, about six weeks ago. 1t did
not compare with what John Bowling set
before nI6 Cn the Lady Of the Lake.
But supper is over, and we are gliding swift
r past tie Lower Cedar light, the old keeper
giving u . salute Of three bells. The wafer
gets clearer, lresher and stronger, and the salt
Sir fairly ehsngss yoIs nature, The passengcr;
gather L sToups or the upper deck, ws'cl.iny
;Lg brilliant aud changing coior6 Of the c!a.J-
- rhe sun Gets, OF discourse on the poiL'$ We
are passing, made fau.ous during the var
noe g:oap has impro7Ised a concert; an
5IL = group Is watching ntently for the light
.,r EisCKstoae's is,and, ard making bets on
'fe sSact urs Ee vii get abreast Of it. We
50 lFEeding along a. the rate of Az knots
hap, and are Aoreast Of the tight at $50, ten
minutes ahead Of time. The man who bet
Against tie boat has lost, and invites the party
down to Mr.. William Browns department" y"
when refreshments are served. The next OBJ
ject watched for is Piney Point light, ffteSB
miles ahead, and various bets are made as to
the time We will reach It. At $50 we are
passing over the famous Kettle Bottom, and at
lOl5 we are admiring the light ard are at
Pincy Point.
John OLeary, Of the Senate, runs the old
plsce this year, and says bis guests shall 90
away satisfied, if he dies in the effort TO serve
them. John is a character worth studying.
His right-hand man is big Mike COnnely, who
has had some experience in running q hotel.
The crabs are very plenty and very fat this
year; the same is true Of Spanish msckerel and
sheepsbead. The cottages are remarkably
clean and airy, and the attendance good John
says he intends running the machine on the
basis of giving guests just what they want. !
If they want crabs, hard or soft, they shall !
have them, served up TO suit; if they want
oysters, they shall have oysters; if they want
Spanish mackerel, or sheepsheads, or spots, or
other fish, they shall them, if he has to go to
Norfolk for them. John says he is going to
make a speciality Of crabs, and it would amuse |
you hugely to hear him discourse on what he !
calls the idiosyncraCies of the critters. You
must first catch your crab, he says: then you
must be sure that Ee is not more than two
years old; three-year old critters are tough
and stringey, like Bill Copeland's jute-buts |
When crab comes TO the surface, turns side
ways and wi2ks at you, then's the time to 90
for him with your scoop-net. Some folks think
crabs don't know anything. That's mistake; |
John SAYS they are just the knowin'st critters
what sTims.
He is a submarine pugiiist, and will put him |
self on his muscle at sight. And the way be |
will strike out, now right, now left, from the |
claw is "amGzin." Toss him on the wharf, |
and see how soon he will put up his strikers |
and make for water. 1.-THE way to tell crabs !
age is this" says John: "Catch him by the |
tail fips and examine first his ears and then |
his tail. Some folks think crabs hain't got |
no ears. That shows they don't know a crabs |
physical construction. A year-old crab has
one wrinkle in his ear, two year old two,
and up to twenty, when he dies OF old age.
a good Judge can tell something of a crabs
age by the bone in his tail. A crab will fight
better and is more lively and healthy at two
years than at any other time. If your crab
frOths It is a sure sign that he is dyspeptic and
his stomach is out Of order. Don't cook him
or somebody will want doctor, and perhaps |
an undertaken. The female crabs are always |
the fattest and most delicate eating. Catch |
your crabs at night, and having selected them
carefully, boil them in the least possible guam
tity Of salt water and vinegar. Then put them
in and keep them there until the next day at |
12 O'Clock, when they will be in proper and
safe condition to eat. Your crab will protest |
vigorously against the boiling process, and dis
turb things generally. Never take milk or
lager beer with your crabs, or there'n be fight |
sure" It will be seen from this that John |
knows all about the physical condition, the |
habits and the art Of catching the critters.
If any Of my readers should 60 TO Piney |
Point this summer, let them not forget to make |
the acquaintance Of Joe Anderson, (no rels- |
tion to JOHN commonly called Daddy AnGer- |
son. Joe is q useful old darkey, full cf years, |
but of an original type and very ccmical. |
It is three years since this venerable old darkey,
at the suggestion Of the writer, packed up his |
duds and came all the way to Washington TO |
catch grasshoppers for the "Board of Works
and vote for the four-million loan, and all for |
Sl.50 day, which was great improvement
on Maryland wages. Joe says he '"woted fur
de foa-million loan, but dar Warn't no grass
boPpers to kotch." Joe had 10 sling the pick |
and the shovel until he got money enough to
get home. Joe was in q melancholy mood