The Washington times., 1912-08-23
What is a "feeder?"

What Is a FEEDER
webster's Unabridged says, zone who
gives food and entertainment" Various
other appliances of the word are found
in mechanics, electricity, and printing,
but q rather novel adaptation Of that
noun was introduced to two Washing
ton newspaper men who. after having
turned In their late reports to the city
editor, betook themselves to the bosom
of the upper Potomac, there to spend
the waning hours of the day in the
pastime Of canoeing.
When these particular two newspaper
men returned to Washington that night
they rushed to their office, and open
ing said Webster's Unabridged, found,
under a subhead, an additional defini-
ton of feeder"
To wit: A fountain, stream, or chan
mel which supplies a canal. lake; or
reservoir with water. Neither of them
had ever heard OF such a thing before
that day, but both will remember 1t for
ever, for their ignorance on the occcas-
ion which is about to be described cost
them the startling sum of SO cents, and
a newspaper man has often been known
to exist as long as two days on that
amount.
Scene of Disaster.
Broadwater, in the vicinity Of Syca-
more Island. is the approproximate To-
cation of the following event and the
lower end of the feeder" where 1t
Joins the Chesapeake and Ohio canal at
Kings Lock. is the exact geographical
situation of the "hold-up."
Launching their canoe in Broadwater
the pleasure-bent newsmen padded in
among the rocks and islands and down
along the big stone abutment which has
~f 4 IlnVNn
Approaching the shore they saw a
channel leading off from the end OF the
dam, and still having the desire for
exploring, naturally enough guided
went. and seeing no sign forbidd!ng
trespass they let the canoe drift until
It hove into sight of big open gate.
The desire for discovering something
died all the harder. The banks were
ten feet above them, and they slid 81
lently past the gate. No less than a
100 yards below the gate the canoe, In
its Careless drifting with the current
glided softly and gracefully into the
canal proper.
Lock Keeper Is Peeved.
They were surprised when they found
themselves out in the open canal, and
were more surprised when their prog
ress was stopped by the gruff reprimand
of a painting, exhausted lock keeper
who came running down the towpatn
demanding the reason for their presence
in the canal. =.
why, we came down from the river
said the less timid occupant of the
canoe, the while pointing in the direc-
tion Of the feeder"
But you have no business coming
through the feeder without paying at
the gate" urged the keeper of the lock.
"Itll cost yu % cents fr passin'
through that there gate into this canal, y
he added, "and after this yell before you
pass through, so / won't have to come
runnin' after y'u."
But we don't want to stay in the
canal. We didn't mean to come into 1t.
and we want to go back into the river
protested the scribes; thinking that by
retraCing their course they might undo
wall. If ye want to go back up tn
river it'll cost yu' so cents; 25 cents for
comm down the feeder and twenty-five
for goin' back"
Heads l win. tails you lose" re-
marked the talkative scribe to his part
ner, in an undertone. This looks like
hold up game that equals the method
adopted by Jesse James. Wonder how
much il will cost to stay right where
we aren'
Don't ask him or he will add another
two bits" replied the reticent one, and
added, let's beat 1t on down the canal
the old chap can't make us pay 1t and
we can paddle faster than he can run
anyhow"
Fine idea-Much business of spoonine
the water away from the sides of the
lockkeeper which attracted the attention