Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-08-11

nealy always red. that being the pre-
gailing color of the soA Of the coun-
try-for this region is appropriately
called "the redlands Of virginia"-the
soil being derived from weathered or
decomposed triassic sandstone. Cabin
branch tumbles its turgid current into
Broad run. mile and q half to the
northwest. and Broad run, Joined by
Beavefdam run. flows away to the Pc.
tomac, crossing beneath the Leesburg
pike two miles west Of Daysville and
three miles east Of Mahala, and enter.
Ing the great river two miles north
OF the pike and opposite that long bit
Of lowland called Selden Island.
~
Just beyond where 1t crosses, near
the head OF Cabin branch, the red road
which the Rambler Is travelling, forks.
one fork continuing east in jagged
course and entering very old road
by which one may cross Sugarland
run and journey to Dranesville. The
other, or the left-hand fork, turns
northerly and leads up gentle hill.
Near the forks is benchmark which
gives the elevation of that point as
271 feet. but the road in climbing the
gentle hill crosses the 8 o-foot con-
tour and then goes on over a wide ex-
tent OF level land. having that height
merous hillocks that rise from twenty
to fifty feet higher. Where the old
road turns to the left and climbs the
hill there is great stretch of cleared
land on the left, but 1t is not under
cultivation. Goldenrod. wild carrot
or Queen Anne's lace" yearling pines
and various weeds and grasses pos
sess it merely. On the right the land
is clothed in tall and solemn pines.
ON to the west. twelve, fifteen and
twenty miles away, and then farther
than that. rise the Catoctin mountains
walton west and south of Leesburg
which unpoetic humans long ago nam
ed Hog Back mountain. The Ram
bier believed that he could make out
through the haze the high and misty
crest Of the Blue Ridge. about twelve
miles beyond the crest of the Catoc-
tins. But sometimes haze, mist, sky,
mountains and Imagination play one
tricks and the Rambler gives no
guarantee. that standing in the red
road, with the weedy fields On the left
and the solemn pines on the right. he
was looking at the beautiful Blue
Ridge.
Further along to the right the pine
woods merge into oak lands. and this
tract Of country into cut-over lands
thickly incurbered with brush. The
weedy fields on the left come to an
end and are succeeded by highly cul-
tivated farmland-an orchard and
venerable and picturesque frame
house powered in trees at some dis
lance back from the road, with big
garden of cabbage, potatoes. sweet
corn. tomatoes. beets and the like ex-
tending from the house to the public
way. On the right the cut-over land
gives place to pasture land encom-
passed by worm rail fences, gray and
warped. but still sound and service
able. Far OF across this pasture land
a long row of cedar trees stands
against the skyline. and far Off and
to the left Of that cedar wind-break
screen Of foliage Of a fresh painted
white house.
Then the red road dips and at the
bottom Of depression 1t crosses the
head of another little stream which
flows west to join Cabin branch. nearly
rocky and oak trees shade this part
Of the way. 1t Is q cool and moist
place and invites one to rest on a
long march on hot day You climb
out Of this depression and 200 yards
beyond pass a new frame house on the
LEFT. For some distance the road is
edged with tall and symmetrical
cedars. whose long shadows slant
across the way, giving one bits of
sunshine and shadow in quick success
sion.
!! Nv
Not quite half mile from the crossing
Of the last stream the road over which
the Rambler is walking intersects an
other road at right angles. There is a
frame house In the northwest angle,
and one OF the rural letter boxes at
this crossroads is inscribed II. Fl.
Bridges" The red road goes straight
ahead, and the crossroad to the left
a mere wheel trace. so little is 1t used
--goes west and north, reaching the
Leesburg pike at the stone bridge over
Broad run, trifie more than two
miles away To the right, this cross
road has the appearance of farm
Jane and 1t leads to the fresh-painted
white house which the Rambler
glimpsed far-off through the screen of
foliage. This crossroad. now some
times called a private road and some