Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-06

otherwise paid by the Potomac company,
which company constructed them.
''In work published by D. B. Warden in
Edinburgh in 1910 he says that the Great
Falls canal was one mile In length, 6 feet
deep and % feet WIDE descending IS feet
by means of six locks. each 100 feet long
and u feet wide. On re-entering the Poto-
mac its course leads to another canal at the
Little Falls of the same size, two and half
miles in length, furnished with three other
locks, of which the descent is 81 feet to
tide water. The last two locks at the Great
Falls are each 100 feet in length, Is feet
wide and ~ feet deep and were cut out OF
solid rock. The work was executed in two
years by 100 workmen (mostly slaves. The
at the Little Falls are of wood. There are
plenty of evidences still in existence at the
Great Falls showing the bed of the canal
and the sites of the locks, though time has
obliterated to a great extent most of the
evidences of the falls at the Little Falls.
There sufficient, however. to repay any
one for the trouble of making the inves-
tigaton.
"Of course the construction of the Ches-
apeake and Ohio canal. which was author
lied by the Maryland legislature In 1874,
though not completed for many years after
ward, and the building of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad some years after, did away
entirely with the necessity of the two canals
formerly mentioned. These canals did
very large business. though so far l am not
able to make any estimate of the total value
sitions as far as incomes were concered.
though they did all that was demanded of
them and at time when it could not be
done in any other way. They reduced the
cost of freight transportation as compared
to land transportation by more than one
half.
MIR. Warden, in the same work, hints of
the manners of our people as follows:
The inhabitants of the District of Column
bia are social and hospitable. At Washing
ton respectable strangers after the slight
est introduction, are invited to dinner, tea,
balls and evening parties Tea parties have
become very expensive, as not only tea,
but coffee, neguS, cakes, SWeetmeatS, ice
creams, wines and liquors are often pre-
scented, and in sultry summer evening are
found too palatable to be refused. In Win
ter there is a succession of family balls,
where all this species of luxury is ex-
hibited.
:" Both sexes, whether on horseback or on
foot. wear an umbrella in all seasons; in
summer to keep off the sunbeams: in WIN
ter a shelter from the rain and snow; in
spring and autumn to intercept the dews of
the evening. Persons of all ranks canters
their horses, which movement fatigues the
animal, and the gentlemen wear their hats
when in carriages with ladies as in Eng
landau ungraceful appearance. In
almost all houses toddy is offered to guests
a few minutes before dinner. BoarderS In
boarding houses, or in tavernS, sometimes
throw off the coat during the heat of sum-
mer, and in winter the shoes, for the pur-
pose or warming the feet at the IRE, Gus
toms which the climate only can excuse In
summer invitation to tea parties is made
verbally by servant the same day the party
is given: in winter the invitation is more
ceremonious The barber arrives on horse
back to shave you. and here, as in Europe,
he is the organ of all news and scandal. y
Mr.. Noonan spoke of a visit to the Great
Falls in confirmation of the paper where
the fourth generation of Dickeys still re-
side.
Dr. G. T. Howard described the canal
within the city limits, and also the Wash
ington city canal, and incidentally the
swimming places in the canal and in the
old Tiber near the government printing Of
flee; also those back of the monument, the
Point and the sycamores.
A copy of Craigs Baltimore Business
Directory of 1912 from J. L. Sergeant, was
presented and accepted with thanks.