Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-29
will be those vessels upon whose decks they
will, go down to the seas

will be those vessels upon whose decks they
viii, go down to the seas.
We have heard great deal about 1.-The
men behind the guns, and about the guns
themselves. A few weeks ago the bureau
of navigation of the Navy Department is
sued a statement showing the very excel
lent records made by the marksmen on the
warships of the United States in annual
target practice competition. Much stress
was laid upon the skill OF the gunners and
the accuracy Of the guns. and justly so.
But seldom do we hear of the period of
pr obation through which all of the arms
and ammunition of the navy passes before
being pronounced good and true and fit to
take it's place and serve its purposes in that
tunultuous world for which it is intended.
Seldom is thought given to according the
proving grounds share of credit for that
accuracy of action of the complement of
our warships which has made the new
United States navy the envy of peace-de
string civilized nations
Indian Head is in one of the widest while
most picturesque sections of the country
Situated in Charles county. Maryland only
twenty-eight nautical miles from Washing
ton, 1t has practically nothing In common
with the busting civilization that surrounds
II but few miles distant on every side
The river boats seldom make a landing
there. and the daily trips of the govern
ment's tugs to and from the navy yard at
Washington. hauling great barges. heavily
laden with the munitions OF war. constitute
the sole regular traffic between this point
and the outside world.
Four miles up the river at Glymont there
is a daily steamboat service, and from that
place is brought the bulk of supplies for the
denzens of the little community that has
grown just outside the government reserva-
ton. Country store wagons, horse mule
or ox-drawn, make the trip from Gymont
to the settlement after each boat with their
90 ,t,,a, Ifsa Zoe. ,,s,x
occasional passenger who may have
been able to persuade the teamsters that
1t was to their advantage to take him along
and that he was innocent of any desire or
intention to spy upon the modes and meth
DDS OF Uncle Sam.
The nearest railroad to Indian Head is
across the river In the wilds of Prince VIII
liam county, Virginia, and the little Indian
Headians who venture forth on a clear day
can peep from their wooded cliffs and see
the smoke curling up above the trees away
of there to the west and sometimes hear
the faintest sound of the whistles of the
locomotives on that road. But the nearest
station that line is Quantico. which, d.
rect as the crow flies. is twenty miles dis
tant.
The nearest accessible railroad is at La
Plata, the county seat of Charles county
some fifteen or more miles away, and
reached By rather poor and little travelled
highways. But il Indian Head is away
from the world it is world to itself. with
it's own peculiarities. customs and manners,
social functions and lines of thought, which
differ In greater or less extent with kin
bred traits in the surrounding country 1t
is in a quaint. rugged section, Astounding
In names linking it with the past and re-
calling the days when the red man held
supreme sway In this region. One mile
below the Indian Head wharf is the mouth
Of the Mattawoman river. commonly refer
red TO 1.-The creek" by the natives The
Piscataway empties into the Potomac
few miles above, while directly opposite