Evening star., 1912-11-03

:: ! ; ! : !: !: !: : :
HM | <l0ES2 street trees, spec
MHS Af VI "i trail in the early
MR evH, lh M morning dimness
1VEM TOtS B2 take on their ia
MEN ~ MGl mliar form. Street
NNMf4 VEN cars with lights
1 &sRXN8 still glowing are
s-->'---~---s>'s's--- running, making
much more. noise in the stiffness of the
young day than at noon or evening.
White fog is rising in masses. thick here
and thin there. from the river. and the
long line of willows on the flats, the
wharves and Shipping and the many lit
tie boats riding at anchor outside the
fairway gradually become distinct One
hears many calves lowing, plaintively
calling for their mothers. A great many
chickens are waking up and the chanti-
cleers are calling on the sun to rise
Wagons piled with boxes and barrels
rumble across the old black-planked
wharf dripping with the moisture of
morn.
Other wagons come to take away boxes
and barrels. \ great many empty boxes,
crates and barrels are heaped up near the
wharfhouse. There is d smell of river
and wharf, oysters, chickens and fish in
the misty autumn air. \ small white
\
is coming hazily and lazily from her tall
stack River men in blue uniforms with
gold braid on cap and sleeve are passing
to and fro. There is q hollow sound of
footballs on the decks above and around
you Trucks with little iron wheels,
pushed by very dark and frowZy rousta-
bouts. are rolling and rumbling and
humping over the gangplank with its
iron shoes" at the dock and deck ends.
:. I;
Passengers begin to arrive. They come
sngly in pairs. in groups. The first is a
young man Fastening home from fruit
less attack ON the city.
'.The weather down here is a heap bet
ter than it is UP in Philadelphia. Yep. /
was up there. 1t was too cold up there
for me. There amt any jobs there.
They was all talking of going on strike
when 1 come away and they was turn
ing street cars right over In the street
Yep. I'm gon' home. Something about
the young man prompted the thought
inefficient
Two ladies. not old, but past the
primping, grooming age, come on board
Each carries suit case and a basket full
of things wrapped in newspaper. They
are dressed in black. They We're cOmely
A few years ago. but they are married
and mothers. Like the usual women of
make their children happy and are think
ing very little of themselves.
An old colOred woman escorted by three
or four friends kim all bearing boxes
and packages. halts at the gangplank
There is much laughing and talking and
Sesticulation There are loud admonj-
tfons to be remembered to Sallie Tom
Jim and Lyzer. The old woman and her
boxes and packages come aboard. and
taking a place near the rail she resumes
With her friends i kin o;,,;,, 4,
wharf the animated conversation
Farmers and farmers sons come on
board. Young ladies' from boarding
school or the shops making a short trip
home get on. There is a great deal of
settling down in the cabin and around the
decks.
The whistle blows three blasts There
is a slightly faster movement of the
trucks with the little iron wheels, and an
Increase of haste among the passengers
who are struggling on board BY this
time the tafdy sun is throwing golden
light over the city and the river The.
draperies of mist vanish and tae quiet
river shines. a few sailing boats float
by, their dew-Wet sails sparkling in the
sunlight. The jarring of the trucks
across the gangplank becomes nearly en-
dWindle until only few empty calf
crates, chicken crates and oyster bar
rels going back to shippers are being
brought aboard.
The gangp.ank is hauled in. the head
line, the spring line and the pocket line
are lifted clear of the piles, and some
deckhands and a late passenger jump
aboard. The man on the upper deck has
pulled Wire connecting with bell in
the engine room. the gong olangs twice,
the engine is slowly reversed water be-
gins to bubble and foam and eddy away
from the paddles of the heavily turning
sidewheelS. and the little river boat is
backing into the stream
Across the channel she goes stern fore
most until almost touching the flats
wall, and the gong strikes one to stop.
Some more gong signals and slowly turn
ing down stream she takes up her long
trip. Mist still overhangs the made
land of Potomac Park, and the willows
bend under their weight of dew Passing
the tip of the park the river view widens
and the smoke and purple haze hanging
low over the Virginia side wells the shore
and gives one the impression of being far
from land.
When the boat is made fast at -AleXan-
dria there begins the real work of TAX
ing on freight \ large tonnage origi-
mates there, but Baltimore. despite Wash
ington and Alexandria, makes the great
freight shipments that supply the people
along the Potomac river and the many
creeks and rivers pouring into that great
stream. Alexandria is the chief place for
the transshipment of freight from Bal
timore for Potomac landings, such as
Bryans Point Marshall Hall, Glymont.
Grinders, Winthrop. Liverpool Point,
Dents wharf Smiths wharf. Somerset
Beach Stuart's wharf, Riverside. Ma
thias Point Chapel Point, Brents wharf,
Dill's wharf Brick House Landing, Ber- ,
rvs wharf. Little Ferry, Wilkinson's
wharf, Colonial Beach Chaptico, Bush
wood Rock Point. Wirts wharf. Massey |
wharf, Coltons, Mount Holly, Nomini and
other down-river landings which are the
receiving and distributing points for the
back country.
The freight is remarkably varied. 1t
embraces about everything that Maryland |
and Virginia people use. Here is a |
stream of goods that goes to line the |
shelves and cases and counters of the |
country general stores in Prince Georges, |
Charles and st. Marys counties in Mary /
land and Fairfax. Prince William. Stat
ford King George. Westmorela-d ana |
northumberland counties in Virginia /
Fertilizer, baled hay. groceries, dry goods,
hardware small orders Of lumber. laths,
lime, brick, boots. shoes, con-