Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-08

ahu tue torptd Liver NINt6cd by the
Notion Of the Horsr-The Charm
Ing Roads aud BrfdIe-path Around
Washington.
Surprise is frequently expressed by yis.t TORS
TO Washington that 80 little "A g is made az tho
surprisingly favorable conditions TO- eoueS
trian exercise in and around the city. The
line of public grounds extending from the
White House 10 the Capitol, south oi PcnnSyl.
vania avenue, afford some miles Of track In the
sinuous drives, and is always accessible. The
Soldiers Home supplies yet more extended
al varied course. Eut aside f"Om IA. - parks
the country in the viCini. y Of Washington IS
threaded with delightful ro. dS-CrosS roads,
10y roads, wood roads, and bride pathS-that
are more wildly picturesque, and more agree
able to both horse ard rider tnau the solid
hard-packed roads of the parks The adyan.
tage of the park roads is that they can be uSrd
IN wet weather and in the winter, when the
country roads are muddy: hut i'm dry Nclthr,-
they are FATHER hard Tor the feet of tne saddle
horse Ii is probable that in the future The parks
OF Washington will be supplied with soft side
uaCkS for equcStiianS, such aS are provided
now at Central Park, New York. and Prospect
Park, Brooklyn, but for the rSSent the charm
ing 1oreSt-Shaded dir, roads that skirt the
city IN so many directions answer every pur-
pose.
WHERE TO GO ON HORSEBACK
The circuit of hills that makes the rim of
the Washington basin aboundS i'm these roads
In fact there is such network of them that
the equestrian may ride on a new one every
day in the year, and still find that he has not
exhausted the stock. The IN ain roads leading
from Washington into both MARYLAND and EiT.
! Slnla are inlerSeCted 10y them with diStracting
| frequency. especially as there are no guide
| posts or next 10 none but the equestrian with
| an hour 10 spare may dash into any one oi
| Them UnheSnaiIngy sure 10 come out all right
msT rmnit. also ' UPON finding in almost every W
venture some scene of Wild, secluded beau. y.
such as Max Ncyl has shown to exist right In
our neighbOrhCud, to the aStuni~hment of
;hCSe who supposed il was necessary To 20
hundreds OF miles away from WaSllin gton ID
find anything worthy of the artists pencil
1hese by-TayS. winding through Old forests
down abrupt dtcilNilleN, and across unbridged
streams, are virtually impTacticIbe for ear
IlageS. and are ali tie more attractive TO the
equestrian on that account.
AN UNLIMITED RANGE.
These roads in connection with the main
roads furnish to al lntentS and purposes an
/ unlimited range for exploration OF the most
delightful and hcalth-ipSpiring ch lracter
! Even following the well travelled carriage
| reads, "A range of exceedingly diversified PIE
| tureSqUe and Interesting character can be
| readily reached. Let Us briefly indicate some
! Oi these attractive routes of road and by-rO. l.
| For instance, one may cross the Navy Yard
! bridge, turn 10 the right and pass straight up
| The hill past the Insane Asylum, or make a
! detOur in the same general direction through
! the picturesque FreedmanS Village Tor PotO-
| mac City, nestle i'm the valley or clnging
| like Swiss chalctS TO the hillSideS; Then turn
ing sharply TO the left south of the old National
! race course the route passes the interesting
| Hebrew Cemetery with its gilt Hebraic inScrip-
| lions upon the tomb stones; soon the high
! ridge OF Good Hope Hill is reached with its
| famous view of the city, and the Potomac and
| AnacOstia vallieS Here one may turn To the
light following the romantic hin and dale
road to SurratSvi!le, that has traSic inteTC *
as Tie route galloped over by Booth and
| Harold on that black night OF the aSslu =
nation uf Lincoln; or the equestrian may
turn to the east and take dash of
| few pleasant miles in the direction of the
quaint Old Maryland village of Marlboro. Or
| he may take his choice of three or four pic
turesque roads that will bring him TO Ben
| ning'S bridge and the new race course. Here
| he can cross the AnacOStia by the bridge and
| cauSeway leading through the marshes famous
| for reed birds and OrtOlan: or, remaining on
| The east side OF the river, he can follow il up
| to BladenSburg, getting every now and then
| views OF beautySpots in the way of green
| meadows and tranquil stretches Of water on
| the AnacoStia, or Eastern Branch a stream
| that once was nayigable for vessels of size all
| the way up to BiadenSburg, but which now
floats only tlatboatS. At Bladensburg the
! hOrSeman Will of course pause at the Spa
Spring and give the pitcher boys rooSting on
| the fence chance to earn a dime by supplying
! him With the prescribed two glasses OF mineral
| water. quite as nauSeouS and doubtless Just as
| efficaclOuS as the waters OF more famous
| springs.
Continuing the circuit from BIadensburg
there are three or four inviting roads; the
| direct turnpike to Washington, past the re
! nOWncd duellng ground, the RiyeS place aud
| Clark Mills ) studio and foundry; or the Old
Bladensburg road, leading in the direction ol
! GlenwoOd and the Soldiers Home; or an
! inner road, OVerthe commanding height Occu
pied by the residence of Col. DeNere Burr: oI
a chaImingly diversified circutOuS road en-
tered from BadenSburg at the front OF Mr.. X
X. ElliOtS handsome villa. The series of roads
| and by-rOadS open for the explorer as he
reaches the country north of Washington in
| his circuit Is too numerous for recapit itIIation
| They are al charming: and the Rock Greek
| Valley region presents views for the eques
uIan unsurpassed 10y ,ianything upon the
aha 1amed Missa9iGkon Creek Here yoa may
road, on through Magnolia Lane to Bright
WOOD; the shaded Piney Branch road
the Old military road making the
| road past Shepherds 10 Silver Spring: the
| parallel road out into Montgomery county,
past Bouclcaults, Rapleys and Hutch'n- On'S :
| past Bond mill and the picturesque stream
that turns that mill; the delightful by roads
and Drldle paths that will take you down Rock
| Greek from its forest wildneSs till il br0adens
and deepenS in the silvery bend round Oak
| Hill Cemetery and presently JOINS the Poto-
| mac. Then up the Potomac; what glorious
! rides! You may follow close to the stream
along that most picturesque four miles of its
course from Ge0I getOwn to the Little Falls or
take your choice OF two or three roads parallel
over the bluffs or table lands away from the
river: With the day before you. trip up to
the Great Falls, over the Aqueduct road
spending few hours there in loafing fishing
and eating chicken-fixing dinner, is very
much IN the line of invigOrating appetiZing
exercise. Or one can take the Yet pleaSanter
road on the Virginia side to the same point
But the rider who is out for two or three
hours only, VIII croSS the Chain bridge and
make his pleasant way down the Virginia
bank to the Aqueduct bridge, and thence
home; or, choosing little longer ride, Will
remain on the Virginia side and keep dow
past Arlington TO the Long bridge and so
home. Then, again. one can ride to AleXan-
drla, cross the river there by ferrybOat and
return to Washington by the road along the
high ground of the Maryland bank past the
Insane asylum. Or a day can be spent in the
most interesting way in a ride TO the old his
torical village OF Fairfax Court House. thence
by way of Centerylle to Bull Run, Manassas
and the battle grounds.
THOSE WHO RIDE.
While the saddle is not utilized to the extent
that might be expected, there are yet a good
many horSemen to be met in our parks and
country roads. Also few lady riders. Consid
ering the graceful figure good horsewomap
makes on the park roads il is odd that they do
not try saddle exercise more generally Per-
hapS one reason may be the fact that eQuestri-
anism is not taught in Washington. It would
seem that good teacher who would set up a
school OF riding would do well i'm this city of
one hundred and fifty thousand people, and
where so large proportion OF the population
follow sedentary pursuits, making horseback