Evening star., 1914-07-19

lard and tins Of substitutes for lard pack
ing cases Of cigars. boxes Of soap. ginger
snaps. dry goods ard notions. boots and
shoes. barrels OF moiasses and sirup. bar
rels and bags of -four barrels of salt
meat. sacks of lime and starch and rice
barrels Of beer. kegs of nails and misce-
laneous hardware. barrels OF sugar and
candy. reels OF barhed wire. reefs OF
chicken fence. bundles of laths piles OF
lumber. cases of OIL packages Of shingles.
iron pining. bundles OF broors. cases OF
empty tin cans for the canneries. various
lengths OF stove pipe. barrel staYes sew
ing machines window frames window
shutters. cases OF canned pork and beans.
matches. barrels OF vinegar and hundreds
OF packages containing things you do not
know.
At certain times Of the year the bulk or
the freight is fertilizer Sometimes YOU
will see many barrels OF brick taken on
board at Alexandria and probably destined
for use as tho foundation of a house
&&
For hours the trucks and the deck
hands We're busy loading the boat Take
the catalogue of some great mail order
store and very nearly every article
named In such a list could probably he
found on the decks Of this Potomac river
steamboat. Though the work of bring
ing on the barrels and boxes and cases
at the Washington wharf was rather
listless and irregular. at Alexandria the
work goes forward steadily and sturdily
The deckhands have warmed to their
work. and they hustle as though fame
and fortune depended on transferring
the freight from wharf to deck in as lit
tie time possible. Many times when
The Star man has left Washington early
In the morning 1t was past noon when
the boat got away from Alexandria. and
leaving Washington in the afternoon IL
was after dark wnen Alexandria was left
behind. There has been plenty of time
to stroll abou; the ancient town.
But at length the old craft for most
of the Potomac boats are old craft is
loosened from the wharf. her nose is
pointed down stream. she vibrates as
her engine turns the paddlewheels and
you hear in any part of the boat the
humping and the churning OF the pad
dleboxes. Night advances and SO does
the night may be too black for the
eye to pick out even the outline OF the
shore on either side Of the river.
You see many lights. lighthouses.
beacons and those lights carried by
other craft. After you have left be-
hind the red light on Jones point and
the Fort Washington light. which ~
also red. YOU Will see the Maryland
point light, which is whit. ana waicL
flashes every five seconds. Nrxt yDu
will see the Upper Cedar point light.
red and white sector IlEhi anu IN. o4c-
est light on the Potomac river. having
been established in l.2l-
when You pass the TEtF tbaf
point light you come in .l,~ "i tne
Matthias point shoal light and n"St
you see the white fixed lishi on Ll~'i
Cedar point. Then follow thu llshts
on the south side OF Elakistone istsn4.
Ragged point aud PIney point. f"a
have passed many ourrins eas hoUss
and other lighted b.acons.
Midnight finds everybody on the boat
,.-ifb
the craft The Potomac people are carl.
and sound sleepers. and thus perha.s
healthy and wise. AT any rate. ever,
stateroom is occupied and men and wom-
en- have extended themselves on IN" red
plush-cushioned bench that runs along the
sides Of the cabin. Some men and chii-
dren are sleeping on the old red carpet
that covers the cabin floor and many OF
then, are using valises for pillows These
boats cannot maintain r. schedule hke the
average we'll managed railroad lnss
have to take on and put on fr"isht' sh.
it's volume and weight vary greafiN ana
freight il the main thing, the stan OF
life with these boats. II is freieh, thse
keeps these boats running
If YOU are making the trip by day the
grandeur of the lower Potomac IL .
reyelation to persons who know only
the upper reaches Of the stream. Inc
vistas are wide and long There are
colors in the water which one does not
see around the harbor of Washington.
and there is the grateful salty. some
what fshy smell. whicn tells OF 2reae
deep stretches of salt water. There
are MANY persons who feel the fascina-
tion of the river. Its great eXphnse OF
water. dark. dull or shining. depend
ing on the weather. and the pahks
green in summer and gorgeous WIN
reds yellows and russets in the Iai-
make a series of impressive pictures
inf nrimlflVenfsS OF
many of the landing places sometimes
strike one as curiously out "f step win
the modern world. Throughout the trip
You are running in and out OF broad
shallow rivers. which are generally
called creeks down that way, ana for-
ever coming upon place naH,es .hhL
tend to stir ones memory OF Amerlcsl 4
history. In the upper reaches OF ,.''
river there are Mount Vernon. the
woods of Belvoir and the grounds
around Gunston Hall For back from the
river you may see Woodawn manor.
There are Occoquan. Maryland point
and Matthias point the names of when
one often meets with I'm the annals
of the civil war. You pass Colonial
Beach. a city which few years ago
was fishing shore. The Beach was
laid out in building lots In 1885. Prior
to that time IL WdS NaiCu 'ihtNo RS-~-
The record in the clerks office OF the
county of westmoreiand shows that
Light Horse Harry Lee was in pre-revolu-
tionary times the owner OF the land. ana
the Washington and Writ and Lee lanos
extend between MattoN creek and Nom
ini creek in Westmoreland southwark
from Colonial Beach.
Below the Beach you see vast tracks OF
the Washington lands. where many OF the
collateral kindred of George Washington
are still living, and in clear weather you
will see the tall white granite monument
which stands on the site OF the house in
which George Washington was born. Not
far below are the Nomini cliffs and
Stratford Hall. the ancestral home OF the
American Lees, and as you pass the
shores Of Nomini you will perhaps recall
some Of the legends Of King Carter.
Still farther down you will see little
sandpile in the river which Is all that Is
left Of Heron Island. the first land
ing place OF the Maryland pilgrims.
and you will perhaps also make
landings in the St. Marys river and
step ashore at the site OF the City
of St Mary, where the Calvert pill
grirns built the first capita! OF Maryland.
If you go ashore you will climb a shady.
picturesque road ,eaG.ng 10 the top OF the
wooded bluff, and will stand by the side
of a tall granite shaft which marks the
site Of the first sta;ehouse. the founda-
ton of which is outlined with small