Evening star., 1909-04-25

SOME OF THE BEAUTY SPOTS v

as II this is a place for people and for
life
Creek park II one really wishes to know
lust how beautiful it is. There are plenty
Of roads leading into the park; you may
GO to the Rock Creek loop and walk up
the creek through the Zoo. or go @ in.o .he .,,e
zoo by the Quarry road. or come INTO the
park itself by Park road. or take a
Chevy Chase car to Tiiden street and go
down the hill to Pierce's mill. There are
other ways. but these are the nanus .,ss
and the nearest to the city. once IN tne
park one may stroll along the roads OF
climp over the hills by way OF brldie
paths or footways, or strike OUT Ior one
self across woods and open siaaes-'here here
to hinder. IL one enjoys climbing and
exploring this is the way In which 10 see
Rock Creek Park: very great part oI
the park beauty lies on the roaos. Back III
woods you will find just now hundreds ana
hundreds of dog-tooth violets. Whlch are
the snowy white blossoms of the blood
root, which the botany books can oan
ueinaria canadensis. The pepper-and-sai.
blooms Of turkey peas are here' 100 IL
one knows where to look for them; while
bluets, anemones, spring beauties sahu
violets and johnny-jump-ups peep up q.
the passerby. and tender vivid green Ht'le
ferns are ready at hand to lend tne heGes rs
sary touch OF feathery green to the wild
wood bouquet. One may pluck the now
ers here, too: there are plenty OF tneni'
and the wild naturalneSs OF the "ho,e
place is a guard against their eSternh-
nation.
But it is down along the creek itself
that one finds the real beauty spots OF
the park. From Pierce's mill on up the
creek it seems that every turn ana pend
of the stream hides a view more pictur-
esaue than the ones that calle before.
The dam and pond at the old mill. Where
the swans. wild geese and ducks noat or
swim about, or stand one-legged on the
banks. is beautiful enough to form the
subject Of any landscape painters art
Lately a gayly-colored wood drake and
his two sober-robed little brown wives
have haunted the old mill pond. A niue
flock of greenheads has been there Tor
some time.
Above the pond where the swaying
footbridge crosses the creek. is the ford
where autos and carriages splash through
the crystal water, and where. once IN
a while, an auto sticks in midstream
Then there Is much cogitation. many sus-
gestions. and, finally, considerable bad ian-
guage when the chauffeur has to climb
out into the water. midieg deep 70 s',ndan ordn
up the balky machine. Easter SUNDAY
afternoon the procession Of carriages ana
machines across the ford was seemingly
endless one. and frequently string OF
half dozen or more vehicles were MAX
ing the passage at the same time.
Above the ford the water Hes In ions:
deep, quiet stretch. mirroring trees ana
hills and drifting white clouds In its
placid surface Around the first bend the
water Is rougher. swirling about the pase
of an ancient stone abutment. where years
ago q bridge spanned the stream PARTNER
up the creek swiris and foams IN its pas
sage among rocks and over gravel reefs:
then one comes to the boulder pridge ina!
spans the stream-in Itself beautlrul ana
fitting structure. On the left banlH above
the bridge. rises a sheer wall of black
granite. scanned and broken over Its
whole surface with broad or narrow
cracks wherein grow TUFTS or grass. nerns
and the like: while trees. big ana little,
have clutched footholds Tor themselves IN
the disintegrating rock.
Past the bluffs here one comes 10 the
masses OF tumbied stone and huge gray
and black boulders that gave the creek
its name. Here one will. find stretches
that in themselves are every whit as wild
and naturally beautiful as can be found
anywhere in the Adirondacks or the Cats
kills indeed. II 1t were not for the white
ribbon of roadway winding along the
bank of the creek 1t would not be dlficu
to imagine ones self in the depths or
some mountain Wilderness Fretting over
its rocky bed. tumbling In CLASSY froth-
footed cascades over and between water
worn boulders, roaring down rapids.
living quiet for a moment in CLASSY green
we have just emerged. soaked to the
marrow with almost constant rain. Of
the thirty days twenty-six days were
rainy and the sun was visible during
fiffy-Seyon hours,