Evening star., 1914-07-19

n w washington,
80 ~ angling reaches of
the stream in its
rocky parts above the city and the short
stretch of water leading to and from the
nearby summer excursion resorts To
the work and regular traffic of the great
river too many of the people of Wash
ington are strangers. 1t Is an object les
son to make a trip to the lower river on
one of those working steamboats, tina,
ply throughout the winter as well as
the summer.
If you conclude to make such a trip
you will probably find yourself at the
river front earlier than you usually re,
out of bed. You will be lettering abou,
the dock or the decks or the cabin al
the time your hired girl at home is
taking In the milk or starting the
kitchen fire.
The Washington dock. or the Wash
ngton docks, with the warehouses will
perhaps not impress you as being up-to-
date and prosperous in appearance, but
nobody is TO be blamed for this The
business of Potomac navigation is not
one of the richest or most lucrative
lines of trade The wharfhouse may
be somewhat out of plumb and the
ridge-pole OF the roof has something
resembling curvature OF the spine. or
perhaps it is only sway-backed in some
parts and hump-backed In other parts,
but the roof does not leak when it rains
ana that is great consolation.
As the hour draws near for the sailing
time-for Potomac steamboats, still Sail
the little trucks handled by stevedores
nr dsaoly
labor and their mode of life. begin to
rumble and the old wharf vibrates AS
they roll over the coal-blacked timbers
ana the steamboat itself shakes as they
Jolt over the gangplank. The gangplank
Is grirned by escaped coal dust, for the
shlps coal is brought aboard in iron
wheeibarrows. and picked with years of
drippings from the countless barrels of
tsh and oysters and crabs that have been
Wheeled across it.
1t Is an hour before leaving time and
the cabins are yet without passengers
save for one faded countrywoman in new
bought city clothes, with a baby on her
I zap and two other children: all very happy
over starting for home. While there are
30 1ew passengers to observe il is interest
ing to watch the freight being brought on
board Some OF this is artificial ice in big
slabs wrapped In jute bageing. There are
Dig freezers of ice cream. big boxes of
beer bottles. some barrels of beer and
many wooden boxes filled with bakers.
bread destined for many country stores
and hundreds OF country tables
On the dock are piles of crates and
boxes and barrels that are empty. The
crates had contained poultry or calves,
the boxes fish and the barrels crabs or
oysters or clans. They have brought
their burden to the city markets and are
now being sent back to their shippers
Fhey are now being transferred to the
man DECK OF the steamboat-if the deck
nearest the water is the main deck-and
many OF the empty barrels are being piled
hlga on the upper deck in front OF the
passenger cabin.
COW is led toward the gangplank.
nut she does not like the prospect Sne
declines to go forward a small crou-d
clusters around her. but there is only a
trlf1ing amount of excitement mate
tugs hard at the rope that Is iooped
around her horns. and several deckhands
push. The still resisting COW skates stiff
ieseed down the gangplank and is
aboard Nobody makes any comment
and 1t is clear that the crew has handled
many similar cases of COWS that did not
want to come on board.
After the COW good many boxes of
tobacco are brought on. Now. a horse is
being led toward the ganspIank He
does not hesitate. He plants his feet
souarely and comes on like a seasoned
steamboat traveller. He seems SO per-
fectly at home that it would not be sur
prising to see him walk over to the pur-
ser's office and ask for stateroom.
A little bunch Of secondhand furniture
IS now being brought on. Perhaps 1t is
that Of some country people who have
not been successful in the city. and are
moving back TO the old home. Perhaps
some unsuccessful city people are max
ing back-to-the land movement. Most
likely. though this old furniture is some
bargain which has been found in an auc-
ton room and is now destined to do duty
in a small and quiet farmhouse far from
the city's noise and distractions.
One cannot help thinking that the old
furniture is lettering its condition. 1t
seems to have had a hard struggle and
an unprosperous life. Perhaps 1t as been
abused. Perhaps 1t has been broken In
domestic rows. Perhaps it has seen
service in an alley home. Perhaps 1t
may have been set out on the sidewalk
for non-payment of rent. Perhaps its
owners. once no doubt proud OF 1t, hav-
ing nearly worn 1t out. have cast 1t of
and replaced 1t with new and brighter
stuff.
BY the time you have completed these
observations passengers are struggling
on one at time or in small groups As
might be inferred passenger travel Is not
heavy In the late fall and winter. but at
this season many city people are going
to and coming from the lower counties
of Maryland ard Virginia bordering on
the Potomac and its tributaries. In the
season of cold the passengers one sees
are permanent residents of the lower
river country and usually natives OF those
parts. They have been up to the city on
business or to pay a call on kindred In
Washington.
In summer there is a large interchange
Of visits between Washingtonians and
their down-country kindred. A large part
of the population OF Washington seems
to be blood kin to the people Of the Po.
tomac, Patuxent and Kappa: re-
Kions of Maryland and --.... = q
bulletin OF the thirteenth census of the
United States on the composition and
characteristics of the population OF the
District OF Columbia there is a table
which shows that in 1910 out of the tota
population of 500. 167 the number Of ma.
tives of the District was 1S9 351. and
that of the 166.s16 inhabitants Of the Dis.
trict born elsewhere. 52.714 were born ir
Virginia and Al, ,a23 were born in Mary
land.
The figures do not show the number OF
natives of the District whose fathers OF
mothers and grandfathsrs and grand.
mothers were born in Maryland or Vir-