The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-11-28

navigation VI lile NAVY Depdrb'
ment issued a statement showing
the very exc client records made
by the marksmen on the war.
ships of the United States IN an.
nual target practice competition.
Much stress was laid upon the
skill o. the gunners and the ac-
curacy of the guns, and justly
so. But seldom do we hear OF
the period of probation through
which all of thearms and ammuni
tion of the navy p.sses before
being prom )unced good and true
and hit to take its place and serve
It's purposes IN that tumultuous
world for hich it is intended.
Seldom is thought gwen to &C.
cordipg the proving grounds a
share Of credit tor that accuracy
of action of the complement of
our warships which has made
the new United States Navy the
envy of peace desiring civilized
nations.
Indian Head is one OF the wild
est aud most picturesque sections
Of the country. Situated in
Charles county, Maryland. only
2S nautical miles from Washing
ton, it has practically nothing IN
common with the bustling civil
zatlon that surrounds it but a
few miles distant on every side.
The river boats seldom make a
landing and the daily trips of the
Government 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 out
side world.
Four miles up the river, at
Glymont, there is a daily steam.
boat service, and from that place
is brought the bulk of supplies
for the denizens of the little com.
munlty that has grown up just
outside the Government reserva-
ton. Country store wagons,
horse, mule or OK drawn, make
the trip from Glymont to the
settlement after each boat with
their cargoes of merchandise or
loodstuffs and an occasional pass.
enger, who may have been able
to persuade the teamsters that 1t
was to their advantage to take
him along and that he was lnno
cent of any desire or intention to
spy upon the modes aud methods
of Uncle Sam.
The nearest railroad to Indian
Head Is across the river in the
wilds of Prince William 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
off there to the west and some
times hear the faintest sound of
the Whistles of the locomo olives
on that road. But the nearest
station on that line is Quantico,
which, direct as 5he crow flies,
is 20 miles distant.
FIFTEEN MILES To LA ILATA
The nearest accessible railroad
is at La Plata, the county sea- of
Charles, some Is or more miles
away, and reached by rather pc or
and little travelled hla hways. But
If Indian Head is away from the
world, 1t is world 10 itself, with
ITS own peculiarities, customs
and manners, social functions
aud lines of thought, which differ
in greater or less extent from
kindred traits in the surround
ing country. 1T is in a quaint,
rugged section, abounding in
names linking it with the past
and recalling the days when the
red man held upremesway in this
region. One mile below the In
dian Head wharf is the mouth of
the Mattawoman river, comm
ly referred 10 as "the creek" by
the natives. The Piscataway
empties iuto the Potomac a few
miles above, while directly oppo.
site the proving grounds is Oc-
cuquan bay, into which flows DC
cuquan creek, or Bull run, tanned
In Civll War history. Acqua