Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-26

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OLD ST. MARY,s.
Glimpses Of Picturesque Southern
Maryland.
ALONG rHR PAfuxENT-HBroRrc HoNRsrxAps-Rx1Ics
OF ANTE-BELLux pAYs-RAnRoADISG IN sr.
NARY's-corNTY VILLAGES AND rHKn PKcuIIAR-
TnEs-HosPrTALrrY or THE PEOPLE.
Special Correspondence of The EVENING star:
MKcnANIcsvnLE, May 25. 1854
maryland, Ny Maryland!r has long been csle-
DRAFTED In song and story as well as history; and
yet think there is part Of it. and that the Oldest
part that Is almost lost sight OF This is st, Marys
county, lying between the Potomac on the west
and the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent on the
east. There is nothing very striking about st.
MaryA
1t was not brought before the public eye by the
war as was the northwestern part Of the state.
There are no large cities to draw attention to 1t
AZ In the northeastern part of the state. St
Mary's has, however, quiet quaint beauty OF it's
own, and there is much to interest the student OF
man and nature. There are two ways of reaching
ST Mary's, by steamer or by rail. The trip by
steamer Is more beautiful and picturesque, but
lne tr1p by rail has many charms for one who
desires novelty. To one accustomed to railroad
travel as 1t Is on most roads, a trip on the Mary
lAnd southern is new and strange experience.
vile, which is its present terminus It has been
surveyed and partly built to Point Lookout, and
only needs little energy and capital to complete
stock Of the road consists OF one locomotive, two
Dox freight cars, two fat cars and one passenger
car. The seats in the latter are narrow and hard;
the roof leaks like Sieve and some friends OF ours
to SIT with umbrellas up ali the way. The old pro-
seem to hold force at all in ST. Mary's as II there
rs any one tnlng which every one seems 70 have
In the midst OF his work and lean on his fence and
talk 10 you for an hour; the busiest housekeeper
always seems to have plenty OF time to stop and
lax, ana II time ever waits for any one anywhere
II certainly does on the Maryland southern Rail-
road.
AN ACCOMMODATING ROAD.
They stop and take in freight and put 1t on.
They stop II any one wants to get on or on any,
where. They stop If the engineer wants some
berries, or some persimmons. They start from q
place when they get ready, quite Independent Of
their advertised time 1t Is, however one OF the
most oblgng railroads that know Of Last fall q
gentleman came TO the train, bag in hand, to go
baltimore. The day had grown very warm, and
he remarked to the conductor, show warm 1t Is?
lwish had put on thinner suit"
"Well," calmly replied the conductor, "go home
and change your clothes. We win walt for you. ~
He went home and changed them, and the train
The cars land you at Mechanicsville in an open
Held, with nothing but the green grass and the
daisies under loot, and the bright blue sky over
| or SHOWS. St. Marys Is so beautiful now that
| often think how it must have looked when the
planters had money and slaves enough to keep up
all the land and work all the broad fields. Its
broad fields or corn and tobacco, It's beautiful
woods, nlled with the most exquisite wild flowers,
terms and moses, It's quaint Old farm-houses and
cabins, and above all the many Interesting people,
| both white and black, whom you meet make to me
quaint and charming place.
| 1T Is A PERFECT PARADISE FOR BIRDS
The mocking- bird, Baltimore Oriole, thrush bob
| oil ri 90 nj q
| few OF our birds Robins, blue-birds cardinal
| bird blue-jay, and some others stay with all
winter. can count at least twenty-five OF which
know the names, besides many Others that do
not know. There is very good hunting also. Quail,
duck, snipe, Indian hens, rabbits, squirrels,
| abound. Fox hunting, Also is quite largely en-
| in full Cry after large gray fox, followed by a
large party OF hunters, passed my door. In the
waters OF the Patuxent and st. Mary's are found
very fine oysters fish, crabs, and terrapin. The
Patuxent Is d lovely river, and many fine views
may be had of It. think the finest is from the
top OF what is called Chesley HILL standing
there you get a magnificent view for many miles
up and down; the river lies before you, with its
many creeks, It's curves and islands. When first
saw 1t it was summer Before me lay spread out
great fields OF corn, tobacco. and wheat, some
forest lands OF dark pine, and some orchards with
their lighter green. The dark green OF the pines
the golden hue OF the wheat the green fields OF
corn and tobacco, and through all running the
placid blue river, sending up Its creeks and Sepa-
rating these broad fields and on the other side the
picture never to be forgotten.
A HISTORIC MANSION.
At my feet lay "The Plains" a large old home
stead, belonging to the Sothoron family. Up this
river came the British In the war of 1872, when
they marched from Benedict, a few miles above
here, to Washington. The old house has still
many bulleJ-hOle in It; a mementO OF some
firing OF the British at that time a company Of
Maryland soldiers stationed there, who, though
few in number, tried to stop the ships On this
farm were stationed United States troops, during
the late wal, IRON Buffers command at Point
Lookout To guard this approach TO Washington,
so that this house has twice been swept by the
tide OF war; spirited daughter OF the family
told me how, in her childhood, she used to play
with pieces OF the old carved wainScoting, which
bad been cut and hacked to pieces by the British
and how, during the late war, she herself and
some friends had carried out. concealed under
| their skirts, Learly all the family silver, when
the house was nlled with Federal troops. She
also told Inc how, on one occasion, she was COM
PEELED to see a party OF soldiers calmly dividing
among them ali their old family china. Eat last,
she said, 'my feelings were too much for me, and
l seized pile or plates which were standing on
the table near me, which they were Just going to
divide and saying, III / cannot have them you
shall not threw them all on the floor and broke
them in pieces. And, do you know" she added,
with a merry twinkle OF ner eye, 81 have never
been sorry for it." This brave girl brought back
to the farm, after the Army had left it. the
| invalid mother with her little children, and
alone and unalded, for her father was in Canada
and her brothers In the southern Army, she took
upon herself the care OF the family and farm,
when, as she herself said, there was not pane OF
glass or piece OF furniture in the house. and the
only living thing left on the place was old gray
cat
This woman, accustomed all her life to luxury
and the constant help OF slaves alone took charge
OF this place and made 1t once more home and In
time prosperous one. am Northern born and
bred, but look with the greatest admiration upon
the women OF the South who have come forth so
nobly from adversely, and quietly and bravely
worked their way up again.
At The Plains you may see the portraits of the
father-cOlOnel and the mother in quaint dress
different FROM any had ever seen before.
Here also are the portraits OF ancestors OF
colonial times There are few rare pieces OF old
china saved from the general wreck at great risk,
and in the dining-roOm stands the old family
woman's care and ingenuity.
Farther down the. river is "Crennonay" the
residence OF the Thomas family, where there are
many interesting relics OF Olden times, and one OF
the quaintest sta1rwayS that have ever seen.
Then comes "De La Brook" the residence OF
another branch Of the same family, with many
traces Of ante bellum days. On the bank near
may he found relics OF still older times. Arrow
heads, tOmahawks and pottery, once belonging TO
the PatuXent Indians. Passing down the river the
traveller reaches Patuxent Beach, the residence OF
Judge Cram. SOlOmOnS Island, once nlled with
large canning houses, and then on down to the
mouth OF the river and round Cedar Point. ana
down the Chesapeake TO Point Lookout, he ascends
the Potomac as Tar as the st. Mary's River. Here
Is
ST. MARY'S CITY,
| founded by Lord Baltimore in 1884 It never full
filled the expectations OF the founder. It is now
onlv a very small nlace with one Or tvvo houso.