Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-13

memory remarked one of the Oldest in
hab!tants. will soon be a thing of the past.
Under the systematic march of improve
mcnts inaucuratcd by Col. Bromwell and
Mai Cosby. the army engineers having
dual turisdi ttiou over Potomac Park the
canal is being filed UP and 4 caUseway
built cross it's mouth. The canal is about
half a mile In length ana runs from point
near the Intersection Of nth and y streets
IN a SoUtlweSterly direction to the river.
In the old DAYS Ii was an important auXll-
larry 70 the sewer system of the District,
but it il no longer used for that or any
other useful purpose. Although ugly in
Itself. being covered with slime, It's shores
are lined with beautiful willow tres, which
Will probably be utilized in the permanent
Improvement Of the reclaimed area. one
Of the objects of fl ling up the canal Is to
permit the construction of a macadamiZed
driveway along the entire river front from
the west side of the inlet to the tidal basin
to the extreme western end OF fotomac
Park at 2bth street. near the Old o5serva-
tory grounds Persons who have not Wis
tied this section of the reclaimed area of
the old Potomac flats can scarcely realize
how completely transformed it has been
into beautiful park. with driveWays foot
paths. gardens ami splendid trees.
= X *
Some Q-ee- customers call at the lodging
house conducted by the Homeward Bound
Mission and beg for free quarters, accord
ing 10 Capt. Theodore Valiant. the evan
gelist of that institution. The other day
frowsy specimen of humanity dropped in
on the captain and began to talk about
wars of the past. He said he had fit and
bIed" in every contest from the Crimea
to the scaling of the walls OF Picking by the
khaki-clad troops of Uncle Sans Fighting
9th Infantry.
who are you, anyway, Stranger" asked
Capt. Valiant.
Me? Why l am son of Queen Eliza
\eth."
'Ah. 1 see" rejo,ned the captain. by
he way, there's big hotel over yonder
beyond AuaCOstia named in honor of your
distinguished mOther-the st. Eliza beth,
sometimes called st. Lizzies' for short.
You Will not have the least trouble in Sc
curing free room and board over there.
In fact they will welcome you with open
arms il were
Capt. Valiant then directed the haZy
stranger to a little red brick building
around on New Jersey avenue" familiar
ly known as the sixth police precinct sta
ton, which he explained was a sort of
bureau of information, and added that the
man in charge would no doubt give the
stranger a free ride across the river to the
st Lizzie"
II will tell ma how kind you was to her
son when l see her again." said the
fighter of many wars. as he departed TO
work his way into the foolish house on
the big hill.
In spite of the watchfulness of the en-
ployes of the Library of Congress book
sCribblers are said to have become a com
mon nuisance In Uncle Sans large and ar
tistlc reading .ooms Up on Capitol HILL 1t
is also said they have made their marks
volumes in the Public Library. A
librarian of experience in discussing this
subject. said the men or women who in
duige in book scribbling are usually cyclists
who think hook is VaitiplpSS they
have read it. Sometimes they strike out
the passages they do not like. while those
that appeal To them are heavily under
scored or placed in brackets.
1t is said considerable time is expended
by attaches OF libraries in erasing the
work OF the sCrbblers. including criticisms
or suggestions written on the margins of
the pages.
In many cases the officers OF the libraries
learn who defaces the books, but in al
most every instance the perpetrator denies
the deed. lie Is evidently ashamed of the
thoughts he was 50 proud of when he
wrote them in the margin of the book.
Seldom a day passes that several minor
accidents do not occur on the lines of the
local street car companies and seIdom a
day passes that some victim does not file
claim against the roads for damages; 1t is
recorded upon the books of the police de-
partment that many of the accidents occur
because people in a hurry. Some of
them do not wait for the cars to stop before
they attempt to get Off and others show an
anxiety to board the car before it stops
"A great many women have caught the
habit of stepping on and off cars that are
In motion. of the conductors re-
marked to group of passengers one night
last week. when woman tried such d
stunt and rolled over the ground. There
is one woman living on my line the con-
ductor added. who never was known to
wait for a ear to stop, and strange to say
she has never received an injury. Women
however, frequently step before looking
and they frequently find themselves meas
uring their length upon the pavement The
great trouble with many of the women Is
that they insist upon stepping from the car
the wrong way, never reading the rules OF
the road"
When accidents happen TO passengers or
others the conductor is obliged 10 interview
the victim. Il is his duty to ascertain the
name and address OF the victim. the char
arlrr Of The Injury sustained. and some
thing OF the circumstances under which II
occurred. The conductor also obtains the
names OF witnesses and turns them in with
his report II is not unusual thing for
victims Of accidents % refuse to give their
names. bat II Is rather unusual FOR them to
admit they have not been injured when
they fall or are knocked down many OF
them thinking OF the claim they are going
to make for damages.
There was Ols woman who came In con-
tat with d car few days ago however