Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-01
DAY At GREAT FALLS.

| been at Great Falls. had often heard OF them
as one hears of some famous beauty in his own
neighborhood, and which is neglected for the
reason that being able to be seen at all times 1t
| is therefore not seen or visited at all The
beauty that does not. pique our curiosity by
| mystery, or rouse desire by reason of distance,
or difficulty to be overcome, is not apt to draw.
| On the whole, 1t is just as well to leave some
| spots unvtsited except in Imagination. The
charm Of ideality, or, If you please of unreality
rude contact and actual observation. only
where the reality is itself great, where the liv-
Ing beauty surpasses even the creations OF
! dreaming fancy, and where both eye and ear
become aids to the Imagination which con-
| ceives beauty, is 1t desirable to know. Then
the day and the hour which brings us &C
| qua1nted with beauty, and introduces us
| to reality, Is day and hour to be remember
ed; its acquisitions are hencefOrth to be ranked
with knowledge OF the masterpieces Of litera,
joy forever" Now that " things seen are strong
er than rt things heard can testify after seeing
| of living in close walls, and In community can
| dull our perception of natural external beauty,
| may be shown by an instance nearer home.
| There is Rock Greek at our doors, yet compare
| lively how few Washingtonians know anything
| about it! They know the CorcOran Art Gallery.
but this perfect little gallery Of natural beauty
| and wonders is unknown to them. 1t is not yet
fashionable to go there. Some day, If it Is day
too late, the city W Il wake up to a realizing
| knowledge of the fact that here, iS-let 1t not
| say here was-the finest opportunity in the
world for
| NATURAL DRIVE AND PARK.
| For no other city in this broad land has nature
| done more, or offered greater capabilities for
| landscape art and adornment No European
capital can vie with ours when man shall have
met Nature half way in the exercise of taste and
| imagination, and for purposes of noble physical
| recreation and enjoyment. But till we have a
taste for natural beauty, and 1t Is a taste to be
cultivated, Nature will continue to waste her
resources upon an unappreciative people. And
| so with Great Falls, In most countries and GER
tainly in Yankee land-becauSe there is money
in it-Such an attraction so near to a great city
would long ere this have been connected by a
| horse railroad, or perhaps narrow guage road
for steam cars. But for lovers and hunters
| of the picturesque, for the artist, the poet,
! and the solitary, Great Falls Is better as it Is.
| am delighted at being able to find, so near the
| virgin, entirely unprofaned by human uses, and
wholly dedicate to that spirit of beauty which
| conceived and created it, The reason, doubtless
| why Great Falls has not attained to more than
| a mere local tame, why it has not become a
| great popular resort, nor been invaded by the
| mercantile or manufacturing spirit, is the want
| ton. The stage coach In this age of steam and
| electricity is pronounced slow. But there is not
| even a stage coach; and If the old coach was
''slow," what then is canal boat! With a
| smart horse it is good two hours drive from
| Washington to Great Falls 1t is too far to go
on foot and return the same day. The bicycle
| Npulu uU. NDuG tlldt, vi lively ttdui ID wv tA-
| pensive for the pockets of most people. And
on the canal boat, which is irregular, the day is
consumed In going and coming. A good horse
and buggy, viii companion Is at present to be
| recommended as the most suitable and enjoy
| able means of getting to Great Falls. You can
take rod and line If you want to go bass fishing,
| but the lunch basket is Indispensable Then
choose good day, and with fast horse and a
| lively agreeable companion set out. There IS
| no better season than this, and found no bet
ter day than Sunday. But the latter was not
l INV OH MI my IT
"only a clerk" my week days are owed to
Uncle Sam. The day, Sunday, truly was superb.
1t was bracing Octobsr weather, cold enough for
an overcoat and warm enough without one in
the sun. The heavy fog from the river In early
morning was pretty much dissipated by nine
O'Clock, and as we bowled along over the con
| duit road, the air to westward was perfectly
transparent But nothing surprised me SO
much-it was the last of October, remember
as the absence OF color in the woods, that most
characteristic sign OF autumn everywhere. The
wooded heights OF the Potomac on the
Virginia side still wore their mantles of summer
green. There was no color to speak Of in the
| great masses of forest foliage which overhung
the noble river. But in the dead or dying bios
SONS of the sumach by the wayside and in fhe
fields in the red leaves OF the scattered oaks
and in clumps of the scarlet maple, autumn Wis
IDLY hung out its colors. We stopped half an
hour at Cabin Johns Bridge and was as never
before impressed with the splendid proportions
from which the arch can be seen TO best advan
tage is at some distance below the bridge The
beholder should descend the steps and take tn
| river path as far as the turn, when the object at
proper distance will be seen by the eye. Leav
i ing here we drove on, and in another hour, OF
about Il a m, arrived at Great Falls. -, A
lock-a thing ! had never seen before
just after our arrival. Leaving the stone-house
we crossed the canal, and passing rude toll
gate, the keeper of which demanded a five cents
fare Of each of u.s. we struck into natural
winding path through the wood. 1 shall never
forget the JOY OF this rocky, wild and woodland
path as it lay under the beautiful morning and
the sunlight on the wood. Nor can l tell my de
light on coming out in presence Of the pure and
noble stream as yet unprOfaned and unpOl-
luted by the works Of man-no vile factory tC
disgust the eye Of taste and Imagination. moth.
ing to dishOnOr the landscape-but the wild pic
turesque Of nature is here. the pomps and puri
what splendor would be reflected on the mans
of the far-SighLed statesman, who, like the SeerS
and prophets OF old, should be at once poet
and a law-giver, might he but do something tC
rescue and save this piece of undadulterateG
nature, this GROWING glory OF landscape to the
future metropolis Of America! But this we know
is impossible. l foresee that this stream these
rocks will become the prey OF the tourist and the
| pleasure-Seeker who will flock htther in crowds
to admire, to deface and to soil these glories O.
primitive nature with the shallow devices OF
their weak w.t. and the vile remainders of their
appetites and passions; or worse will be used tC
promote the base ends of manufacturing OF
commercial greed, and so earn from all nature
lovers and persons Of taste, the righteous in
dignation poured out by Ruskin upon the head
| of those who have already corrupted the rivers
| and destroyed much of the rural and picturesque
beauty OF England and the continent. These
| OutrageS are just as certain to be committed
| here, as that human nature Is everywhere
| the same and the passions of men a constant
| quantity; nor is there any remedy at law or IL
| public sentiment. We are fortunate, at least
| In not living to witness this dissertation of Oul
noble river. If, as we know, Mr.. jefferson hello
| it worth voyage across the Atlantic to see the
| Potomac where it breaks through the BLU
Ridge, then, surely, it ought to be wortf
| going a dozen miles or more at any tint
| TO see the Potomac at Great Falls
They are hardly great In comparison
with Niagara, and other falls of great height ant
| magnitude But in other respects they justify
| their title. Ihave seen at Harper's Ferry, Mr.
Jefferson's pet admiration, and here record my
| opinion that while the passage Of the Potomac
| at the point above named certainly has the fea
| ture OF sublimity, wanting here, there is YET
nothing like the varied beauty and wild pictures
| queneSS to be seen at Great Falls. l may re
| mark in passing that the river at This time Is
extremely low. How these raplds-fOr they art
| rapids rather than fallS-wouid look in aspiring
| freShet or overflow, l can form no just idea Il
| is fact nevertheless, pointed out by my com
| panion, that beside the woodland path, [befOrt
referred to- a long ways from the shore, and al
height as 1 judge, of from 20 to 40 feet above
| the present water-level in the river-bed, there
were to be seen distinct traces OF inundatiOn ani
overflow, in the shape OF debris, dried roots anc
| soil brought down by the Potomac in The
l nd who nl,or rl,ato