The Washington herald., 1916-06-26
VIRGINIA SWAMP
CLEANUP ASKED
Quagmire in Prince William
County Costs City Thou
sands Every Year.
BY WILLIAM CLLMAN.

Lying within thirty miles Of the Ma
tional Capital is q brief stretch Of coun-
| try that is a veritable bog OF gold. Not
only is 1t the hiding place Of a huge guam
| tity of trade dollars but 1t is the rest
| ing place of the hopes Of scores of motor
| wayfarers who have unsuspectingly at
tempted to traverse its length. 1t also Is
| barrier to the southern entrance to
Washington by motor. It is the Chopa-
wamsic Swamp.
Just what proportion OF washington's
population would profit through the con-
| struction of a roadway through this
| swamp, is not known, but there are
| enough persons in line for the benefits
to expedite its construction with but lit
tie individual expense.
Chopa wamsic Swamp Is a small sea of
mud. situated wholly within Prince Will
lam Countrp, Va. 1t Is an impossible
quagmire except after a long period Of
hot, dry weather. And then with its
deep, irregular ditches 1t threatens the
destruction of the cars stanchest parts.
10000 Avoided Warrington.
During the 1915 touring season, more
| than 1900 persons. travelling by motor
I car between the North and the South,
| deliberately avoided the National Capital
= because of the Chopawamsic Swamp.
Approximately 1900 others, similarly
bound. did come to Washington; but each
| of these had the extra time and money
needed to make detour of some 200
miles. Figures supplied by the Aneri-
can Automobile Association, indicate
that during the 1916 season. 1900 auto
mobilists will not make the detour.
Are 10000 additional visitors worth any
thing to commercial Washington? The
answer to this question should furnish
the motive prompting every business
I~1ta
! to a fund for the regeneration Of the
swampland. II 5000 visitors came to
Washington. and each stayed here only
one day, their hotel expenses alone-con-
servatively estimated-would be $4,000, or
| 50 per day. 1t would seem safe to esti-
mate that these 10000 visitors would re-
main at least two days, at IS per day, or
at a total cost Of 10000.
II the hotel expenses alone of these 90
| 900 tourists total 500 900. It is reasonable
to assume that they should spend $4,000
additional for tires, gasoline, oils, car
accessories, clothing. maps, postal cards.
| cigars. garaging, newspapers, magazines,
shaves, shampoos haircuts, drugs SOU
venirs, tips and the like.
Everybody Would share.
Who will get the bulk Of this now
snug sum? The hotels, of course.
But, hold on! Don't quit now. because
you are not a hotel owner. Perhaps the
hotels won't keep It all; some of what
they get may be for you.
Where will the hotels buy the things
needed for these extra visitors? The
sugar, coffee, milk, meat, vegetables, etc.
\ Extra help will be needed to serve addi-
| tional guests. and this would mean work
for someone needing work. Try and fig
| ure how you would benefit II $4,000 were
dumped in Washington in trade for what
Washington has to sell.
Under the auspices OF the American
Automobile Associations District of Co.
lumbia Club. efforts are being made in
| this city to secure the construction OF the
road. Richmond Is raising 5000. Freder
icksburg and Alexandria are raising a
similar sum, and A,S0 is sought in Wash
| ington. To date the motor club has Sc
cured about 1900. OF this sum, the club
subscribed 800. while the Philadelphia
Automobile Club took up a collection at
| its headquarters and sent along check
| for 81. The Washington Hotel Mems
Association comprising practically all Of
Washfngton's leading hotels, also sub
scribed 800, and the balance came from
various public-spirited persons and busi-
ness houses of this city.
Virginia Knows Value.
Giving some idea Of the value most no.
into their city. 1t Is said that the Jeffer-
son Hotel, Richmond, gave 5000 to the
original project for a Richmond-Washing-
ton highway, while two other hotels in
| that city gave $500 each.
In its regular phase, the regeneration
| OF the swampland would mean the open
| ing of a fine highway extending from
Quebec to Miami, thus bringing into Rich
mond and the National Capital the thou
| sands who annually travel north and
south in the Eastern States, and who, in
stead of coming here. take up the Shen-
andoah Valley pike at Hagerstown and
continue south via Staunton and Char
lotte, n. c.
For those local motorists who seek
pleasant weekend jaunts, and who have
worn Maryland routes threadbare. a good
road through Prince William would mear
new touring place, with Richmond. an
intensely interesting city, the chief
center of interest. For those who would
care to go a bit farther. a fine road leads
from Richmond to Asheville, N. c.
If all of those motorists who have been
stuck in the Chopawamsic Swamp would
have given to a road-building fund one