Evening star., 1901-05-18
BIRTH OF CANAL
General Washington Was Founder
of G. and 0. Waterway.
POTOMAC NAVIGATION COMPANY
Early Surveys Suggest Plan of
Internal Improvements.
THE EARLY STRUGGLES
THE EARLY STRUGGLES

Written for The Evening Star.
Trailing like silver thread over cloth
Of green. like gleam of sunshine along
mountains side, the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal twists and winds its way, in tortu-
Gus course, through the fertile valleys of
Maryland until it meets her great noun
tains Side by side with the quiverng Po-
towmack, 'the river of burning torches
through a country which has made many
pages of our history, the canals sluggish
and indolent waters dreamily flow on to
the heart of the sea
Up 1t goes now by a series of short levels,
now by long ones; now penetrating an op-
posing mountain; now crossing an lmped-
ing river until it has reached the fast
nesses of the Alleghanies, 600 feet above the
point whence il started, 1S4 miles distant
In no light does the character of Cen
eraI Washington show more accurately
or clearly than in that of originator and
promoter of the Potowmack company.
whence sprang the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal.
washingtOn's Survey.
The possessions belonging to Lord Fair
fax in Virginia which lay beyond the Blue
Ridge mountains, had never been regularly
settled or surveyed. In consequence of
which lawless intruders and squatters had
been for some time taking possession of the
richest valleys and planting themselves
along the fairest streams, making him nat
urally anxious to have these properties
partitioned into lots, so that when that was
accomplished he could proceed to eject
these squatters or compel them to COM
pensate him in reasonable terms for the re-
tentiOn of their holGrngs. Though at that
period Washington was nothing but a
youth, he had recommended himself
strongly to Lord FairfaXs favor by his
aptness and exactness in every process he
executed, as we'll as by his vigor, activity,
courage and hardihood to cope with the
rough country to be surveyed and it's still
rOugher inhabitants. that he determined to
fntruSt him with this surveying expedition
into this wilderness.
Washington set out upon this expedition
in March of the year 1I4S, just after he had
completed his sixteenth year, in company
with George Fairfax. Their route lay
through Ashby's gap into the valley of
Virginia. and the fertile country along the
Shenandoah, which Is described by Wash
ingtOn Irving Is, THAT bright and abound
ing river, which on account of its surpass-
ing beauty, was named by the Indians the
Shenandoah-that is to say, The Daughter
of the Stars" Proceeding down the river
they commenced their surveys in the lower
part Of the valley, some distance above
where the Shenandoah joins the Potomac,
and then extending along the latter river,
they ran for many miles westward. Again
quoting Washington Irving, who, in de-
sCribing their hardships and their methods
OF life during the trip. says: After watch
ing in vain for the river to subside they
the Maryland side. swimming their horses
A weary days ride of forty miles up the
left side of the river, in a continual rain
and over what Washington pronounces the
worst road ever trOd by man or beast,
brought them to the house of Col. Cressep,
opposite the south branch of the Poto-
mac, where they put up for the night
More than two weeks was passed by them
In the wild mountainous region of Freder-
lex county, and about the South branch of
the Potomac, surveying lands and laying
out lots; camped out the greater part of
the time and subsisting on wild turkey
and other game. Each one was his own
cook. FOrked sticks served for spits and
chips of wood for dishes. At one time
their tent was blown down; at another
they were driven out of ii by the smoke
now they were drenched with rain, and
now the straw on which Washington was
sleeping caught on fire and he was awak-
ened by companion just in time to escape
a scOrching' In a letter which he wrote
at that time to a boy friend. Washington
said: II have not slept above three or four
nights in a bed. but after walking a great
deal all day, l have lain down before the
hre upon little straw fodder or bear
skin, whichever was to be had. with man.
wife and children like dogs and cats and
happy is he who gets the berth nearest
the fire" In a diary which he kept with
great minuteness, We can see that with him
the real business Of life was at hand.
Practical Observations.
His eye seemed to be wandering around
in search of the profitable rather than the
poetical which encompassed him on every
side This diary is not filed with the fan
ciful figments of the fantastical imageries
Of youth, but, on the contrary, everything
shows most decided tendency toward the
practical and sensible side of life, even in
clintng to a seriousness much beyond the
normal Of his years His habits of OBJ
servation. cultivated by his exercises In
surveying, made him most proficient in
noting qualities Of soil, relative values of
sites. etc, all Of which we find faithfully
recorded. and which must have been of in
estimable value 10 him in after years