The Washington times., 1911-08-26
Money Raised to Extend Car
Line and Generate
Electricity.
FIGURES IN HISTORY
OF THE REVOLUTION
Was Captured by British in 1912,
and Has Been Idle for
Eight Years.

The old grist mill at the junction Of
the Bladensburg pike and Brentwood
road, just east of the District line,
which helped to feed the Revolutionary
army and was captured when the
British seized Bladensburg in the War
of 1872 is to be put to a new use.
Idle for only eight years 1t will now
be put into shape to turn out electric
current instead of flour and meal. The
current will be used to charge the new
Edison batteries which will be the mo-
tive power of the Bladensburg cars
when that line is extended to Berwyn.
A bond issue of $4,000 has just been
sold, the proceeds of which will be
sufficient to extend the lire which now
runs from Fifteenth and H streets
northeast to BIadensburg and to Ber-
wyn. The company also intends to
double track the line along the Bladens-
burg pike, take down the overhead
equipment and substitute new Edison
storage battery cars for tie present
trolley cars. The old mill will be
charging station for these batteries.
Wheels to Turn Again.
Water will again be turned into the
bed of the old mill race and the wheels,
(there are two of them) made to turn.
II is estimated that thirty-five horse
power can be generated in this manner.
known as the Carleton mill, 1t is a
picturesque old frame structure on
stone foundation, standing on the east
ern edge of the Meyers tract of seventy
six acres, which Is now under option
and will be purchased by the Lakeside
Park and Amusement Company, and
improved for a modern amusement re-
sort. The tract runs from the Bladens-
burg road alongside and north of the
Brentwood road to the little town OF
Brentwood. 1t is reached by three trans
Portation lires, the Washington and
Bladensburg electric line, the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad. whose station is
at the western end of the property, and
the City and Suburban line of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Co. The
last line runs along the northern side
of the park and plans have been made
to run a branch under the steam rail-
road tracks into the property itself.
Just Beyond District.
Contrary to the first reports given out
IN regard to the purchase Of the Moy-
ers tract by the park company, the
property upon which the old mill stands
and which will be turned into a pleas
ure resort, is not inside the District,
George county, Md.
1t is secluded spot and few people
in Washington know that back of the
mill, which is in plain view from the
Bladensburg pike. one Of the most elab-
orate country estates in this section
existed and still retains much Of its
former beauty.
The property has changed hands about
seven times in the past two centuries.
but not until it was purchased about
thirty wears ago by Col. Gilbert Meyers
a prominent Washington lawyer. who
died eight years ago. was ii put to any
use save that of farm and mill. Col
onel Meyers purchased IT for a country
residence and spent many thousands of
dollars in its improvement, laying out
lakes and islands, walks through ne
trees, and in planting shrubs and trees.
He made an elaborate country villa.
First a Family Mill
The old mill he preserved. and used to
grind grist for his family. He lived in
the old frame house which stands just
back of the MILL now nearly hidden by
the shade trees which tower about 1t
and droop their branches over its roof.
Back of the house is a broad meadow
where horses pasture, and down it's CEN
ter there is a straight line of fine old
Cedars. The meadow is surrounded by
trees of various kinds.
The rest of the property is laid out
in grounds surrounding two lakes
which Colonel Meyers mad made. One
is a pool about 100 yards long, in the
center of which is a small island so
thick with foliage that it has the ap-
pearanCe of a bed OF huge palms anu
ferns. The west lake is about quarter
of a mile long. Trees of a great variety
surround both bodies of water, and
their branches are mirrored in the
placid surfaces. The lakes are fed by
several springs. Colonel Meyers stocked
the lakes with black bass. which he
obtained from the Fish Commission, and
IL is said that some of the largest bass
In Southern waters were caught here.
Those who latterly have fished the lakes
say that the growth or water plants
has become so rank and the occupants
of the nearby house nave thrown so
much food into the water, that the fish
are too we'll fed to bother about biting
for a fly.
All about the lakes are pleasant walks,
and the whole grounds about them are
densely shaded. The springs here and
there which bubble up nave been care
fully bricked and piped, so that the
water is always clear and ready to
drink. The mill race, 100, runs the
length of the property.
Beauty Is Restored.
The former fresh beauty of the pri-
vate park is TO be restored by the COM
pany which has optIoned the property
and will purchase 1t. The underbrush
and weeds will be cleared out, the lake
bottoms cleaned, strings of electric
lights run about the lake walks and the
whole place rejuVenated.
The great white way is to run along
the mill race, which is Just above the
bank of the west lake, and will lead
down to the dancing pavilion, restaur-
ant and cafe, where refreshments of all