Evening star., 1914-11-22

under trees and shrubs. lie
along its wild and thicket-
tangled banks. WAS the subject
of recent ramblc. 1t was walk
that led from the village of Sligo,
across the valley ot that little stream,
passed Burnt Mills. out of the valley
of Northwest branch to Pleasant View.
and then bv way of White Oak east
ward TO the roaring, rock-strewn
water course called by white men ever
since they settled in that part Of
Maryland and by the Indians before
them Paint branch.
1t was one of those little journeys
which, If made afoot. will incline one
to think of il a big journey. The
miles are many, the hills steep, the
going rough and the exploration of
the upper valley of the stream demands
a reasonable. az some persons might
think. an unreasonable. amount OF toll
But the Rambler covered the route ana
told his readers all that he had seen,
and what is perhaps contrary to the
narratives of some who ramble. not
more than he had seen.
* <
There were two matters i'll connection
with that trip which the Rambler did
not solve and the solution of which
was postponed until another day. one
of these was the history OF the powder
mill a few traces of which you may
lind, beneath a mat of vines where the
road leads from Beltsville to Riggs
mill or TO Burnt Mills. crosses Big
Paint branch. The other question left
unsettled was why this stream. tum-
- bling and rushing over bed of boWld-
ders and along channel decp-washed
through dense woods. was called Paint
branch.
Information as to the origin of the
name came over the telephone the day
following The publication of the ram
bile. 70. IT came from - lady whose name
is well known i'm Washington and eSpe-
Cially in the Columbian Historical So
Ciety. and whose eirlhood was passed
at White oak, a fine old home i'll a
grove OF venerable white oaks aJ the
junction of two roads. one of which
is the ColesNiile-Ashton pike, about a
mile above Burnt Mills. She said that
Paint branch was so called because of
deposits of red and blue clay along its
course which. by the Indians as well as
by. the early settlers ana even recently,
was used as paint
On the first JourneI through that re-
Gion. where, few, OF y Washing ton people
stray. the Rambler failed TO set much
data about The pwde' mill and its ruin.
because TWO mcu-tit Gallant boys
who know all that is known about ii,
and who live aboGt quarter OF 4 mile
from the mill see. Wer" not at home.
A neighbor saiL that Benny Gallant and
his brother .%-te Gallant, had gone to
Beltsville
And t>sN far is Beitsviiic ." asked
the RSmDler.
Oh, about a nils
The Rambler jotted down IN his mena-
DRY that Beltsville was about Il mile
eastward of the Gallarts' home, but he
has since learned that the Gallants'
home is something more than II mile
westward frora Beitsrille. But sad re
fiectiouS upon that discovery will come
later in this narrative.
sg---r-r -Ii.. = j.
writing OF the first visit to the pow
der mill and The GaIiant.s' home, and
being told that the Christian raInes of
those gentlemen were BENNY and Pete,
she Balnblesr- not theA -knowing them
and not feeling at liberty to write OF
81 them as Teter and Benjamin. tfAf-
g-ut The guess as to Pctea' was all
t'i'-ut bat in translating BcEn:- ;nto
Ecnjamin the Rambler committed one
of those Intellectual or non-inteilcctIal
stumbIes that come even to the worst
Of US. For Benny in this case is short
for Benedict, a popular baptismal name
in Maryland in those families which
trace their ancestors back to those re-
aiote and happy times when all values
We're measured in tobacco.
1t was especially humiliating to the
Rambler after calling Benedict Ben
jamin to learn that Benedict Gallant
ia one of the'promiHent politicians and
publirss naSnI sjns both the Big Paint
ranefnpd she Little, Raint. branch re
slonxsds sEsftpst tiscrg gss ssounty. .E.' But
Andssz sfrae mo. Mlliea me Ratn-
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