Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-16
in the negative. az to both baggage and

The act Of the Maryland assembly which
| provided Tor the laying out OF Georgetown
was passed In December Of the year 1851;
1t recites that several Inhabitants had rep
resented to the legislature that there was
a convenient place for town on the Po-
tomac river, above the mouth Of Rock
creek and adjacent to the inspection
house."
AS early as the year 1910 the colony had
by its legislation provided for the inspec-
ton OF tobacco and forbidden Its export
until 1t had been viewed and inspected;
the vestries of the different parishes were
authorized to appoint the inspectors and
numerous warehouses were erected by in
dividuals near navigation, at which the to-
bacco was collected and the inspections
made
On October 4. 174s, the vestry of Prince
Georges parish appointed Capt Alexander
Magruder, Messrs. Josiah Beall. John
spectors for George Gordons warehouse
| at the mouth of Rock creek" Georgetown
was laid out around this warehouse; lts
Site was known as the warehouse lot,
and upon 1t now stand the buildings OF
the Capital Traction Company, formerly
the Washington and Georgetown city rail-
road. which front on the south side OF
| Bridge street near High street. These in
| spection houses, at or near shipping points,
became centers of trade. and the principal
roads in their vicinity led to them and to
| the landing Places
West of the Creek.
In 1851 the main roads leading to the site
of the town and Gordon's warehouse were
the road to Frederick and the road to Bla-
densburg, the latter Of which crossed Rock
creek at the ford and just beyond the pres
ent street bridge. The road to Frederick
| followed the river for some distance above
the town, and vestiges Of 1t seem still to re-
main along the canal, near the present
Cabin John bridge.
The objective point being Frederick, 1t
was along this road that the forty-eighth
regiment Of Foot marched; 1t could not be
reached by any road from THE Key of all
Keys without ferriage over Rock creek, or
| by circuitous route by way of the ford
1t must, therefore, be assumed that the
regiment crossed the river west Of the
creek.
Since 1851 great space has been reclaim
ed from the water on the Georgetown side
or the creek, but when the town was laid
out IN that year its southeastern corner or
boundary was very near the creek. and at a
| place called Saw Pit Landing" In 1855:
When Braddock's regiment passed, this land
| ing was still in existence.
The map of Jefferson and Fry published
| IN l'T, was based on surveys made between
HAS and 1853; it shows Rock creek and
place on the Maryland side, about opposite
the western end Of Analostan Island
which bears the name Of 'Magee's Ferry"
All indications point to the road to the fer
ry landing on the Virginia side as the one
travelled by the regiment in its march from
<nie Noiiuiid, from Wnlcn transportation d.
rectly across the river alone was needed to
| reach the road to Frederick; this road no
| DOUBT extended easterly to Saw Pit landing
which point would have been the most con-
| Venlent one for the landing of the baggage
ana Tor this reason it may have been used
| Tor that purpose.
| Washington Landed There.
| 1t Is quite likely that Washington used
this rock as landing place while pursuing
the occupation of his youth. in making sur
| Veys or lands along the Potomac for Lord
| Fairfax and others. or upon the occasion of
a friendly visit to a Maryland neighbor
| during the early days of his residence at
| Mount Vernon, but The Key of all KEYS
! mad no association with Braddock's eXpe-
| dition beyond that of propinquity to one
| OF Its lines of march.
| Independently of this. however, the an
Gent rock was historic spot for the rea-
| sons which have been stated, and for the
| iurther reason that 1t became one of the
| boundary marks of town laid out in l767
| by Jacob Funk. under the name of Ham
| burg. but which was more generally known
as jamestown, and which lost its identity
! "4cn the federal capital was established
| within whose limits the town was included
Although in the work of retaining the
| hats the shore has been pushed far away
from its former location at this point A
| pond has formed in a depression along the
| ledge of rocks, which constitute all that re-
mains of The Key Of all Keys" the pond
is mostly given over to such uses as frogs
| ana small boys can find for it, the writer
| recently observed one of the latter launch
! a toy boat into this pond from one of the
| remnants of the rock; the boat moved over
| the surface of the water in the most ap-
| proved propeller fashion. Closer examina
| ton OF the boat showed 1t to be about
twenty-five inches in length of graceful
outline, and that 1t was provided with a
rGdder and screw, which latter was worked
| by machinery: and inquiry developed the
fact that the small boy Master Willie Srib-
ner. who owned IT, was an exceedingly
| bright and intelligent specimen of his class
| and that he was withal of an ingenious
| turn OF mind: that he had cut the boat out
| or solid block Of wood, and supplied it
with rudder and screw, also of his. own
| manufacture. and that it's motive power
was due to the works of clock, which he
mad adapted to the purpose and introduced
INTO Its hold. The observer could not help
making a mental contrast between the
| pastime of this boy and that Of his pre-
| decessor, the Indian small boy of the re-
mote past, whose lessons in the art of nav
lgation began and ended with his bark
canoe; and cogent reason for the failure
of the latter to maintain himself in the
struggle for existence, which was precipi-
tated upon him by his white brother was
apparent.
1t is thought that the foregoing furnishes
considerations of sufficient importan.e
even in this unitarian age, to require that
the destructive hand of man be stayed
and that the remnants Of the ancient and
historic rock should be rescued from the
oblivion with which they are threatened
| and their existence perpetuated as a me-
mortal Of the past. and it Is to be hoped
that the city fathers may take this view
and at once adopt such measures as may
be necessary In the premises. If anything
Is to be done circumstances demand that It
be done quickly, in order to save from an
ashy grave what remains Of 1.-The Key Of
all Keys" HUGH T. TAGGART