Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-22

erai Casey's."
That was q pretty good guess at the identity
and duties OF the Rock Creek Park commission.
Ihere are lots of people in town who DOM
! park now being mapped out and the Geological
Park. which will be further down stream.
THE START.
The members OF the commission and Capt
Rossell arrived this morning on time-10
| o'clock-but there was little business to be
transacted before start could be
made on the exploring trip. For half
an hour there was general discussion
and much consultation of maps and
| of tho day. Capt. Rossell had his usual COM
plement of documents. Mr.. Ross Perry was
| armed with = field glass. Gen. Boyn-
ton and Prof. Langley were empty
handed, but Gen. Casey carried from his house
to his carriage very suspicious looking paper
box which he carefully slowed away beneath Q
scat Presumably to protect his chief from
any such canine attacks as threatened Gen.
Boynton on Saturday Mr.. Il. j. Nynne of the
Commercial Gazette bureau accompanied the
party on horseback. The STAR reporter was
also there.
OUT FOURTEENTH STREET ROAD.
At 1890 tho cavalcade turned out into 14th
street and moved with q good deal Of rapidity
up the hill and through Mount Pleasant. II
the designer and builder of Airy Castle Park
had been on his perch he would have had an
opportunity 10 tell the world what the travel
ing commission looks like to a man up tree
The drive was continued without Interrupt
ton or inciuent to the Van Riswick place, but
n short distance of the 7th street road There
was halt at the house and then, for tho
first time, it was discovered that Prof.
Langley had turned up missing. This
was moro or less serious matter-just as you
looked at it-for no one knew what might or
might not have happened to the distinguished
scientist
WAITING For PROF. LANGLEY
driver was sent back to the gate with in
structions to post sentry there to prevent the
secretary from driving past the
private road Meanwhile tho other
members of the party waited and
filled Ill their time by chatting of the earlier
were then admiring. At IL 20 the cry went up
Here he comes" 1t was the professor
who had had to drive down to the
Smithsonian after the other commissioners had
started north. He alighted and his horse was
given chance 10 perspire-somethIng he
hadn't had time to do while endeavoring to
catch the rest OF the excursion.
AN AUTUMN SCENE
The scenery from the hill at the rear of tho
Van Riswick house was magnificent; every
member of the commission was unanimously
enthusiastic on that point All the
hues Of autumn were lavishly dis
played, from tho deep sage green OF
the bottom lands through the various tints
of emerald on the knobs to tho blood red leaf
of the frost-painted maple. Such q pleasing
diversity of landscape cannot DO duplicated in
any park in tho world
AFEAsT OF PERsIMMoSs
On the Fenwick place the commission began
to feel the pinchings of hunger. so several
members Of the party INDUCED in
persimmons. A huge tree was full of
the fruit, and although there were
no poles handy everybody got all they wanted
OF the peculiar product; at least ono man got
more than he wanted, but that was his own
fault He is old enough to know the difference
between ripe persimmon and one that
Is as yet young In the world. Besides it is not
customary to swallow persimmons as though
they were pills. If i. should turn out that any
OF the commissioners have contracted views,
have developed unsupported narrowness, the
change MAY safely be ascrbcd to the astrin-
gent qualities OF the too-previously- plucked
persimmon.
HUNTING FoR THE CORNER.
While Gen. Casey and Prof. Langley re-
manned in the vicinity of the Fenwick house
the other members of the party tramped of to
the northward in search of the northern corner
stone Of the District of Columbia. Ii
was, pretty well hidden and good
before it was found. So long was the walk
that Capt Rossell. when the stone had been
located. laid claim to feelings closely akin to
those enjoyed by one C. Columbus when he
first saw land on this hemisphere.
THE BOUNDARY STONE.
On the stone, which is a somewhat dilapi-
dated and disreputable-appearng affair, the
, lines dividing Maryland and the District arc
still visible aEd 30 is the date of its erection
1872
Perhaps it was lost for o good MANY wears.
for on one eide Of it is the name of Douglas j.
Fenwicl and the date, 1878, when he rediscov-
cred it.
ALAKE TALKED Of
1t is not improbable that the valley immedi-
ately around the Fenwick house may disapp ear
from view before the park is completed. One
of the things which Gen. Casey wants
to see in the park is a huge
lake. and as nature failed to put ono there the
general will make one, and, perhaps, half a
dozen. Gao of these will be much
larger than any of the others
and in this particular place there
seem to be natural advantages which will leave
but little for the lake manufacturers to do A
few dams will do the business in little while
NO IMMEDIATE EVICTION.
Some OF the people who live within the
limits Of the park are considerably exercised
pccause tey Iear immaculate eviction.
They can rest easy. But few if
any Of the human inhabitants will
be disturbed until the park il nearing
completion 10 force the tenants out would
be to leave tho timber unprotected unless the
authorities employ an army of watchmen, and
that would be expensive. Tho occupants
would do watchman's duty in an unofficial knd
of way and would be able to afford ample
protection. Almost any one OF the people
who now reside in the park is possessed
OF force Of dogs sufficient to repel serious in
vaslon. The commission proposes to deal very
gently with those whom the law has or will dis
| possess. No one will have occasion to COM
| plain Of harsh treatment
THE TREES OF ROCK CREEK.
What wonderful variety Of trees grow In
the valley Of Rock creek. Until today the
commission had paid no particular attention TO
that matter but this morning the attention of
| the members was directed thitherward
| Gen. Boynton knows probably more about
trees than almost any other man in the city, not
\ oven excepting the ''tImber-sharps" attached
to the Agricultural Department He notod
the different kinds seen today and the result
10 the following list: Oak (several varietes),
beech, wild cherry. dogwood, Indian arrow,
white and yellow pine, hickory, peFsimmon,
cedar, butternut, poplar, American tulip,
BIRCH sassafras, chestnut, laurel oak Every rare
in this latitude), maple (two varioties) and
black walnut
| GEN BoYSToX's oYYENsE.
Gen. Boynton blossomed out as punster to-
day. Commissioner Ross Perry was remarkine
on the tine appearance Of flock of turkey