Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-29
PADDING AND MAILING.
The Two Canoe Clubs and What They
are Doing.

PADDING AND SAILING.
The Two Canoe Clubs and what They
are Doing.
HOW CANOEING HAS BECOME POPULAR ON THE
PoToMAc-THE WASHINGTON AND POTOMAC
CLUBS AND THEIR MEMBERsHIP-A CRUISE
UP THE RIVER, ETC.
A few years ago a gentleman who loved
aquatic sports appeared on the river in q small
craft called a "sneak-box." It was nothing
more than cunning skiff decked over with a
small space left in the middle, where the navi-
gator sat while padding From such a begin
ming, canoeing on the Potomac has grown in
proportions, until it now has many devotees,
and there are two clubs located here, possessing
between them q very respectable fleet of canoes.
The canoeist claims to live in the highest plane
of aquatic Joy. To run a boat, he holds is sim.
ply to play at galley slave. To paddle or sail a
canoe is sport At for heroes and gods. Canoe
ing affords healthful exercise, and while it re-
Hnir,es skill it is no. subject to such narrow
whether sailing or padding. sits with his face
to the front and sees where he is going. He has
some choice in the manner of motion. If the
wind springs up he can hoist his little sail and
recline at ease in his canoe. The canoeists have
vocabulary OF their own quite appalling to the
landsman. There is q fine distinction made
between craft of different kinds. The knowing
canoe.st can refer at once any canoe to the gem
/
have constantly experimental on different
lines and models but, as a canoeist informed q
STAR reporter, have never been able to produce
anything better adapted to the purpose than
the Indian birch bark canoe.
There are now on the Potomac two clubs, the
Washington and the Potomac Canoe clubs.
THE WASHINGTON CLUB.
The Washington Canoe club was organized
June 26, 1884, with eight members, which
number was increased at the next meeting,
when the organization was perfected, to fifteen.
The officers for 1884 were Rev. Thos. s. Wyn.
koop. commodore; Harrison h. Dodge, vice
commodore; Henry H. Soule, secretary and
treasurer, and Arthur c. Brentano measurer.
The formation OF a club was almost entirely
due to the earnest efforts of MIR. Soule, an
ardent and enthusiastic devotee OF outdoor
life, whose writings, under the pseudonym of
Seneca" are widely known and familiarly
cherished wherever canoeing and single-hand
cruising have found followers, on both sides of
the Atlantic. Mr. Wynkoop was also an old
canoeist, having first taken up the sport when
missionary on the shores of the Gauges, and
Mr.. Dodge had also been the possessor OF q
canoe for several years, with which he had
upper waters of the Potomac, hut no effort was
made to form a club until MIR. Soule, then o
clerk In the State department, first by his facie
pen, and afterwards by his personal eXertions,
collected the scattered admirers of the new
sport together.
. For the years 1854 and Is the club occupied
warehouse at No. 314O Water street, George
town, which they fitted up with lockers, racks,
bathroom and other necessary features, and
extending from Harper's Ferry and Seneca
above to the mouth OF the river below, and
through every season Of the year; one enthusi-
astic member even taking trip by sail on the
Ice in the winter of 1884, going as far as the
Long bridge. AS he turned over on the home
ward run, spilling himself and lady in a harm
less but ungraceful manner, the attempt has
never been repeated.
In the fall of 1855 new house was deter
mined on. This was rather a risky venture for
a club not two years old, and as the sequel
proved not altogether fortunate, as the strenu-
GUS efforts required to make the attempt sue
ally to a division of the club into about equal
portions, one party retiring and forming q
new organization, while the others remained
i'll the old club. But little feeling was mani:
tested over the split the whole thing having
occurred and become thing of the past before
most OF the members on either side knew what
had been done.
THE CLUB HOUSE.
The remaining members then made arrange
ments for the erection Of less pretentious and
more inexpensive structure on the ground occu-
pied by Passenos boat-house, adjoining the
clubs old quarters, where they now COM
fortably located The entire upper or second
story OF the new house and about one-half of
the lower floor, which has been partitioned Off
for that purpose, is occupied by the Canoe club,
the remaining portion being occupied by Mr.
Passeno as a boat-house. This arrangement has
been found to work very satisfactorily, as Mr.
canoes on the river, is thus within immediate
call tor the purpose OF repairing and assisting
OF a janitor are dispensed with
The new house is 23 feet wide by about SO
feet deep. The lower floor has racks for sixteen
Canoes and room can be found Tor the stoWage
of q number more. A stairway in the front
and large hatchway In the rear lead to the
upper floor, the latter aifording ready means
OF passing up sail boats. dunnage, &c, to the
upper floor, where the lockers are and where
the drying OF sails, vanishing. and repair
OF boats and the thousand and one little
things that canoeists find to do in and
about their embryo ships are attended
to. There are no windows to the lower
hatchway affOrding all the light necessary,
as the effect OF sunlight on the boats when
stored tor any length OF time is damaging, par
ticularly TO the varnsh and the lighter craft,
which evince q tendency TO warp in such cases.
A wheeled truck and track running the length
OF the bOat-hOuse and incline afford an easy
mode of landing and housing the boats.
Up stairs a balcony about twelve feet wide
runs across the entire front of the house, with
glass doors leading to the ladies' and the main
or club rooms. In the rear, also extending
across the entire width OF the house. is the
locker-room, into which the hatchway leads
from below, and where also is located the bath
room. Gas and water are led throughout the
house, and tall Flagstaff rises from the front
Durgee with white disc, enclosing red w in
us center-can De seen any pleasant afternoon.
THE MEMBERSHIP.
The club now numbers thirteen active and
eight honorary members, and the desire OF
most OF the members is to restrict the active
mem DefSn1p 10 the lowest number compatible
With healthy organization and the incidental
expenses. This does not arise from any spirit
OF selhshness, but simply because canoeing
being In It's very nature social sport large
membership is difficult Undue with that
spirit OF confidence and friendship on which
depends SO much Of the pleasure Ut extended
cruises.
AS now constituted, the club may be consid-
cred mainly a sailing or cruising one. Its fleet,
Win one or Two exceptions, is composed OF
sailing canoes, and the members seem to de-
vote more attention to that branch OF the sport
then 10 padding. This does not make much
OF a show on the river near the city, as half a
dozen canoes may slip down the river in the
gray OF the morning or at dusk OF an evening
ana be gone a week or ten days on u cruise
Astounding in exciting adventure, delightful
experience, and some nard knocks i'll the bar
gam, and returning as quietly us they came, be
entirely unobserVed. But the fun they may
have had on that trip would perhaps I'LL vol
umes.
The club claims to have the fastest sailing
canoes on the river, but OF this, perhaps, one
may speak more confidently at the end OF the
season. AS 1t ls, however, the performances of
the Mermaid and the Meteor, the vice commo-
dore's and commOdOre's canoes, on the recent
trip TO Quantico, when seven jolly canoeists
spent u week on the lower Potomac (Which they
are anxious to repeat at the very first opportu-
nlty), opened the eyes OF many u skipper on
the various SchOOners and other craft they
passed, while the little feather weight Petrol
ana iAer heavier but smaller com panion the
Lola, demonstrated 70 their wondering gaze
how small a thing can live in blow on =
mighty wide river