Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-23

Washington is the area of waste land
In some districts YOU will pass through
wide tracts of cleared land given over
to crops and grazing, but in other dis
tricts your road will lead through woods,
the timber generally being too small and
light for mill purposes. Much of this
wooded territory is in pine. just the ordi-
nary jack pine. which for generations has
been, and still is. being cut into cord
wood and brought to the city on long
boats, scows, sloops and schooners, and
which from nearby places is hauled to
town over the roads. This wood Is now
being used both for fuel and paper pulp
A few years ago if you had Travelled
over that line of railroad which runs
south from Bowie, and for the most par
along the low ridge which divides TIL,
valleys of the Potomac and the PatuX-
ent, but which has it's south terminus on
the shore of the Potomac at Popes creek.
you would have seen at every little sid
ing cords upon cords of round logs, and
with the bark off. In the early stages
of the cutting this wood was yellow
poplar Later the piles were Of gum.
Gum is the tree with the palmate leai
and which furnishes autumn leaves o.
scarlet, crimson and wine color. 1t has
been common and familiar tree in the
lowlands around Washington, and q
number OF them are growing in the
public parks of the capital. 1t is easy
to believe that in the woods south of
Washington the gum trees of commercial
size and suitable for paper making have
been pretty Well thinned out.
Ii you travel over that line of railroad
today you will still see cords and cords
of logs with the bark of and piled close
beside the railroad tracks at every point
along the way where is siding, and
such places are more numerous than is
usual on lines of such mileage. AS has
already been said, Popes creek is the
south terminus OF that branch of the
Pennsylvania road which runs down
through two of the countries of southern
Maryland-Prince Georges and Charles.
There are two PopeS creeks in the region
south of and tributary to Washington.
One is on the Virginia side of the river
in WeStmoreland county. 1t is the next
creek below Bridges creek, which is the
next below Maddox creek, and the mouth
of Maddox creek is directly below Co
lonaI Beach. 1t was on a piece Of high
land rising above this Popes creek that
the house stood in which George Wash
ington was born, and the tall shaft which
now marks InaI spot looks down on
Popes creek and far out across the Po-
tomac river.
The other Popes creek is little stream
in Maryland which comes through steep
valley west of Allen Fresh, and Allen
Fresh is body of shallow water and
swamp into which the waters of Zachiah
swamp and Gilbert swamp drain and all
of which form the headwaters of the
Wicomico river. The mouth of the Mary
land Popes creek is about twelve miles
north of Colonial Beach and four miles
above Lower Cedar point. Being the
terminus of a railroad. one would be in
clined to think that Popes creek might be
also a village. Where the steel track
ends close to the river shore Is a small
frame station and ticket office
on the other side of the track is
the ruin OF a lime kiln, where no doubt
many. many years ago oyster shells