Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-23

How the beer key got there nobody seems
to know. because the old man insists that
he has nothing but soft drinks to dis
pose of. Many crew stops at the half
way household and pleads with the genial
boss for something stronger To one
and all the old man replies with laugh:
There's nothin' dom in that line, boys
A small float is attached to the main resi-
dence, which induces the swimmers to use
the place for a rendezvous Here they
gather and dive from the float. or the roof
of the hOuseboat. splashing water through
the windows, all over the table and moor
and other furniture. When everything mas
been thoroughly soaked with water, OF
course), the swimmers buy ffve-cent bot
tie Of ginger ale and bid the old man adieu
The boss smiles, and responds, just as IL
he had the best of the bargain.
There Is one crew on the river. however.
which fails to get the requisite amount OF
excitement out of the more prosaic pad
ding. In their bathing suits. and with
their canoe stripped of every vestige OF
furniture, these two young men are wont
to shoot out into the river, just as one OF
the big tugs Is passing by on Its way up
to the quarries. Bending over their paddles,
they force their canoe alongside the vessel.
or one of the barges it may be towing ana
in a second they are caught In the sue
ton. Another dexterous turn OF the paddle,
and the crew Is directly behind the larger
craft, bobb!ng serenely the top of the
turbulent water. and being carried up the
river at the rate Of ten miles an hour rms
same performance Is repeated when thlS
crew is away up the river and has be-
come weary of the paddles. The canoe
is showed into the wake of the returning
tug, and the trip home made in almost
no time at all.
"Took Out the Rock"
But even the canoeists have their troubles
and they are knocking the spots out of the
threadbare theory that 1t is good to pour
oil upon water" In fact, they have come
to the conclusion that Oil and gas tar, when
poured upon the restless waves OF the
grand old Potomac, has anything but a
soothing influence. That is, 1t may soothe
the waves to some extent, but 1t coinct-
dentally stirs up quite storm of indigna-
ton among the dear people who are wont
to paddle ''in the evening, by the moon
light" The pretty canoes are discolored,
nice new outing suits are ruined, and the
odor is anything but exhilarating. This IS
perhaps the only complaint the boatmen
have to make, but the nuisance has reached
such an extreme, below the Aqueduct
bridge, that a protest, signed by leading
yachtsmen. canoeists and others interested
in Potomac aquatics, has been filed with
the District Commissioners. The matter
has been investigated. and the municipal
officers have ordered that no more oil.
gas tar or other polluting substances be
dumped into the river. When this order
will be free from worry and care, and with
pure water and purer air the sport VIII
be doubly enjoyable.
There are perhaps only two dangerous
spots On the river between the AQueduct
bridge and the Chain bridge. Fortunately
these are right together, about half mile
above the lower bridge. One is 'Nigger
Head Rock" hundred yards above the
last Of the Three Sisters islands. The other
rock is about fifty feet from the Virginia
shore. and about fifty yards north OF
Niger Head rock. When the tide is out.
Niger Head rock shows above the surface
three feet or more. but the smaller rock
is just about even with the river surface.
Several canoes, while going up or down
stream, have scraped on this smaller rock,
and in some instances holes have been
made through the frai1 shells. Most of
the canoes are Of wood, with strong canvas
covering. which will Withstand considerable
shock. but a rock. In a swift current, is a
bad obstacle for any sort Of craft.