The Topeka state journal., 1918-09-07
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BURE AU \
OUTDOORS AROUND WASHINGTON
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Dire
Washington, D. C.

OUTDOORS AROUND WASHINGTON
Washington, D. C., Sept. 4.-Never
before have the woods and marshes.
] the rivers and hills about Washington
known such throngs of cutters as have
visited them during the summer now
| drawing to close.
Ordinarily, the capital in the sum-
mer time is a place of many closed
houses. of long quiet shady streets;
everyone is gone that does not have to
stay. This latter rule applies to the
present year as well, but there are
now more than a hundred thousand
newcomers alone whom the duties of
war work have held in Washington
thruout summer which included the
hottest spell since the establishment
of the weather bureau.
In this emergency. the Virginia and
Maryland countrysides suddenly as
sumed a new importance. Little coun-
try inns that had never entertained
more than three guests at a time be-
fore this summer. have suddenly bios
somed into busy hotels, and farm
houses have been converted into inns
At Cabin John, a hotel that was ia
nous fifty years ago and has been de-
caying for the past quarter of a GEN.
tury, has been gladdened with a New
York orchestra, a French chef and a
new name, and is entertaining some of
the most famous people in the world.
All along the ribt ons Of macadam
that wind over the truly beautiful
country about Washington have
sprung up road houses, cafes and tea
looms fifty and sixty miles out in
the backwoods, the motorist is cheer
ed by the sight of signs offering him
a chicken dinner on short notice, a
basket of peaches, q tomato or a glass
| of buttermilk. Whoever has enter
. tainment to offer or anything to sell
, paints a crude sign and puts it up be-
side the road which, during week.
ends, becomes a river of city money
! flowing into the rural districts. Near
Chain Bridge there is an enterprising
: old blind colored man who makes
living by standing at the roadside and
holding UP his hat for aims. Two
, years ago, he might have starved to
death in the same place, even If every
passing motorist had made a contri-
button.
t The Sunday exodus has now been
stopped, of course, by the fuel admin
. istration, but it still continues on
> Saturday afternoons. Most Of the out
ers go either north, along the Upper
Potomac, or south toward Chesapeake
Bay.
! Washington is situated just where
|. the great river reaches the tidewater
e level. Go up the Potomac twelve
stream, often breaking into rifles
running between high wooded banks
An equal distance to the south. it has
become a tidal estuary q mile wide,
{ inviting to motor boats and even small
sailing craft. The up-river waters are
famous for the snal1-mouth bass that
inhahit them, and are the lure thai
u brings thousands of weekend fisher.
q men to the lighthouses between Wash
: | ington and Harper's Ferry. There are
r half dozen well known places where
: one may get bed, country meals al6
g a boat, and may hear legend an6
= "reminiscences of famous anglers whc
have fished these same reaches-oi
Daniel Webster, who used to mediate
:, his speeches over road in the vicfn
= ity of Chain Bridge, and of Grover
:. Cleveland whose boatman still lives a
u Pennyfields.
n To the south, not only the Poto
a mac but the Patuxent and the Wi
= cornico reach long arms of blue tide
water up from the bay into the hear
n of the old Maryland tobacco country
j. This is a low, flat region of rich fields
7, old groves, colonial homesteads show
ing glimpses of white pillars up lonl
e shaded drives. At Benedict on th
s. Patuxent and at Rock Point on tn
IS Wicomico are little fishing village
! with heavy timbered wharves built be
fore the Civil war, oyster shell roads
10 old frame houses shaded by ancien
" locust trees, hound dogs asleep in TIL
N sun. They are pervaded by an air o
infinite restfulness and a powerful
odor of fish.
re This region has in the highest de
d gree that picturesque flavor of an
other age which SO delights the cit
:" tourist. 1t shas also wonderful
IS abundance of the finest fish and oys
re- ters, and nearly all of the houses alon
Ia the rivers are hotels, at least owe
- Saturday and Sunday. During the pas
II summer these little villages have bee
lie literally thronged for the first tim
f. in their nearly two centuries of ex
istence. The visitors come for a di
= in the river, a dinner of fish, oyster,
crokers, which will obliging1y bite 70
:, even the most fnexpert of fishermen.
:" One of the most popular roads ou
IN of Washington is that to the ives
ty which reaches the Allegheny noun
"a tains by way Of Rockville. Fred
- erick and Hagerstown. Except for
IN few short stretches, this road is well
d. nigh perfect, and on week-ends it
ce as crowded as city stI Get, Will
- every one of the oak groves that al
%. scattered along its course shelters
e. few picnic parties. The mountain
k are fairly reached at Hagerstown, an
in a few miles beyond, in the vicinity
Blue Ridge summit, there are 11ote
u | winch even the S1lded Pnll1Stine fr01
ty New York would not despise.
IL Thurmont, Md, there are less prefer
e tious places, much patronized by trol
ay fishermen, who come to cast a fly O
mt the clear mountain streams in ths
en- vicinity.
To the east of Washington is Chess
d; peake Bay and the beach of the san
a. name, which makes the boast that
:. is Washington's only salt water resor
SO This is the nearest thing to q Gone
ms Island-a popular watering place
of which the staid capital possesses.
,st A description of Washingtoh's su
IL mention of the wiae ynarsbes ON Ess
We ern Branch and behind Ana1ostan /
ed land. which lie at the door of the ci