Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-16

O@1HE Indian arsenal, or the Indian
armory, or the Indian workshop
Of Piney branch, as the inter-
4 esting place is variously called.
came in for larger measure of no'o-
riety or popular notice during the Pan
American Congress than it has ever
had before. The stony little tract has
been the subject of official reports, but.
unless those reports happen to be re-
printed in newspapers and translated
into United States. very few persons
learn of them, even though, as
sometimes happens, really interesting
facts are concealed in them. So, it is
proba BILE that not many persons have
ever heard of or learned much about
the Indian workshop on Piney branch
through the reading of government re-
ports.
In the chronological exhibit in the Ma
tional Museum is group of American
Indians engaged in the work of making
stone arrowheadS, and the various
processes of this work are Illustrated.
As the Rambler recalls this exhibit. there
are five Indians in the group, and the
descriptive card on the big glass case in
which the Indians are represented as at
work gives the information that the scene
is supposed to be on Piney branch. at
point about where 18th street, If eX-
tended. would cross the valley through
which Piney branch flows. or through
which Piney branch did flow until
great sewer was built along most OF Its
course.
That exhibit has been in the National
Museum for several years. and vast
number of Americans from outside of
Washington have stood before the pic
turesque group, studied the art of MAX
ing arrowheads and have read the de-
scriptive card. Some Washingtonians
have seen the group. and all of them
might if they cared enough about the
wonderful things on view IN the
museum to make trip through the old
and new buildings. Perhaps 1t is 100
much to expect that Washington people
should go sightseeing in the capital of
the United States, especially as they
must conserve their energies for sight
seeing during vacation time at Allan
tic City. Chesapeake Beach, Colonial
Beach or other wonder-towns which
make the great museums, libraries ana
galleries at Washington seem so dull.
A few days before the assembling of
the Pan-American Congress there was
printed in the news columns OF Inc
Star this: plans for the entertainment
and enlightenment of visiting scien-
fists who are to attend the coming Pan
American Scientific Congress here were
altered today when DR.. William n.
Holmes, head curator of the Smith
sonian Institution. announced that the
original intention to show the scien-
fists the remains of great quarry
within three miles of the White House
had been abandoned. This quarry.
which is situated on Piney branch, an
outlet of Rock creek, near their juno
ton. is said to have been worked py
prehistoric stone masons of America
before the pyramids of Egypt were
built. Beside the branch there is an
extensive area filled with the refuse OF
aboriginal workshops. chips of quartz
broken and partially shaped imple-
merits. hammer stones and anvils, TO
depth of ten feet in places. The winter
weather will cause the abandonment
of the original plan to show the visit
ing scientists deposits which perhaps
few Washingtonians know are so near
their homes"
In that news story there was some
poetic license. reportorial license. geo
graphic license or something euphe-
mistic for bad break" in the state
ment that this quarry is situated ION
Piney branch. an outlet of Rock creek.
near their junction" Everybody ac-
duainted with Piney branch and most
of those persons familiar with Rock
creek know that Piney branch is not
an outlet of Rock creex. However.
no harm has been done to Piney branch
or Rock creek.
With wooded and rocky ravine.
having its general direction from
northeast 10 southwest, extending from
the District line near Takoma to Rock
creek a little north of the Geological
grounds and bisecting the northern
part of Washington. which has had such
a remarkable growth within a few
years. it should not be difficult for any
body to find. way into this territory.
A large proportion of Washington peo-
pie must already be familiar with it,
While the valley of the branch is quite
wide as it winds southeast of Bright
wood and to the north of Petworth. it
expands considerably as il approaches
the point where 18th street has been
filled over and extended across IL. and
its widest section is that between 18th
street and Rock creek. with a closely
built-u part of Mount Pleasant on the
southerIy side and the woods of the
Blagden property on the northerly side.
The scenery of this section of Piney
branch is. perhaps, no finer than was
the scenery of the more easterly sec
tions. but the lower part has been add
ed to Rock Creek Park, while the upper
part. unhappily not so preserved, has
suffered from the upbuilding of the
city \ great sewer was constructed
along much of the course of Piney
branch. and the creek was turned into
this and much of the splendor of the
scenery of the vale was destroyed. The
sewer has it's portal little way below
the 10Th street fill. and the creek water
which now flows in much diminished
volume over the stones and around the
powders OF the creek bed is mixed
with sewage. 1t might be better to
say that il is sewage which now flows