Evening star., 1914-07-12

field in which various farm products were
cultivated before the creation Of the
park. Woods inclose it on three sides,
and on the west the wooded hillside
slants deeply into Broad Branch valley.
Along the easterly side a park roadway.
used mainly by automobiles. pursues its
winding course around the head Of
wooded ravine. which leads down to
Rock creek.
In entering tire field from the south by
way of the bride path that leads up the
hill in the northwest angle of the juno
ton of Broad branch and Rock creek
there is brush jump which you are eX-
pected to take. but well beaten horse
path around 1t shows that not everybody
Jumps there. Straight across the length
of this field from the first jump are two
lower brush jumps and a set of bars
On the right of the field is line or three
low brush jumps over which many norses
and many riders have been schooled TO
take the sitter jumps. Between the CEN
trail line and the right line of jumps are
a set of bars and a turf-topped stone
wall, and in the westerly part OF the
field Is moderate brush hurdle.
When you cross the set or pafs near
the north end of the field you will see
that two rustic benches have been set
out there by the park people. and the
tree that shelters these benches Is an
apple. Perhaps YOU will observe tnat
j.. there Is a row of apple trees growing
road. Not far away toward the Broao
branch side is a deep and wide mat OF
honeysuckle and a patch of rose ousnes
which bore excellent flowers this season.
This was once a home site
Enter the woods to the north Of the
field and travel through a length of
grateful shade and your way will skirt
another clearing, in which stands, close
by the roadside. an old and greatly
weatherbeaten and warped house. There
is a woodpile at the rear. some new
washed clothes are hanging on line
chickens are grubbing. here and there
a few Towering plants are growing. and
perhaps a very old colored man is seat
ed close by the door of the house.
The Rambler stopped there to make a
few inquiries as to whose home it was
that stood down in the jumping field
A colored woman gave him the informa-
ton. Before these picturesque hills and
valley became national playground
Jane Dickson. her husband and the rest
of her family. lived there Sometimes
they worked for Pierce Shoemaker, who
owned that land, and sometimes James
husband worked the country roads.
They also raised crops in what has be-
come the hurdle field. They had lived
there for a great many years. but as
the development of the park progressed
their house was razed and its site Is
now marked only by the tangle of honey
suckle vines and flowers The husband
died several years ago. but Jane. the
Rambler was told. is living with rela-
tives in Washington. The colored wom-
an who told the Rambler this and who
lives in the little old weatherbeaten and
warped house by the side of the auto
mobile drive is daughter of Jane
Dickson If the Rambler got her name
right it is Mary Dunless.
1t is between the jumping field and the
clearing in which Jane Dicksons daugh-
ter lives that the Ross road. one of the
shadiest and least frequented drives of
the park. branches off to follow roman
tic course through fine woods over a
dark and fern-grown gulch and with
deep ra2ines on one side and high hills
on the other. It is little freouented be-
cause it is intended for horse-drawn We
hicIes and only few of the carriages
and buggies that roll slowly through the
park seem to find this broad and soft dirt
road If YOU will leave the Ridge road
where autos pass in long procession and
strike off into the Ross road you will
go gently down hill.
A deep ravine. which opens into Rock
Creek is on the right and a grassy slope
on the left quarter of mile or so