Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-07

At the Capital
BY Frederic ]. Haskin

marshes, the rivers and hIlls about Wash
| ington known such throngs Of cutters IA
| have visited them during the summer now
| drawing to close.
Ordinarily the capital in the summer
time is place Of many closed houses, OF
long quiet shady streets; everyone s gone
| thnt does not have TO stay This latter
rule applies 10 the present year rs we'll
but there are now more than "A hundred
thousand newcomers alone whom the
duties of war work have held in Wash
| lnRton through out summer which in
cluded the hottest spell since tho cstab
lishmcnt Of the weather bureau
In this emergency. the Virginia and
Maryland countrysides suddenly assumed
ncw Importance Little country inns
that had never entertained more than
three guests at time before this summer,
have suddenly bloasomed into busy
hotels, and farm houses have been con
verted into inns. At Cabin John hotel
TINT was famous 30 years ago and has
been dccayinR for the past quarter Of p
| century, has been gladdencd with a New
| York orchestra a French chef and q new
name and Ia entertaining some uf the
most famous people IN the world
PLENTY op REsr PLACES
All along the ribbons Of macndam hat
wind over the truly beautiful country
about Washington have sprung up road
| houses cafes and tea-ro0ns Fifty and
| sixty miles out in the backwoods. the
| nutorist ls cheered by the sight Of signs
offering hirn a chicken dinner on short
notice, basket az peaches q tomato or
glass of buttcrnik Whoever hns en-
tertainnent To offer or anything 10 sell
paints crude sign and puts it up beside
the road, which, during wcek-cnds he-
comes a river Of CItv money flowing INTO
the rural districts Npar ham Bridge
there IS an cnterprIsing old blind rojored
man who makes a living by standing at
the roadside and holding up his hat for
aims Two years ago he might have starv-
cd to death in the Same place, even if
every passing motOrist had madc a con
trIbution
The sunday exodus has now bccn stop
yed of course bv the Fuel administration
but il still continues on Saturday after
Moons Most of the outcrs 70 either north,
along the upper Potomac, or south
toward Chesapeake Bay
Washington is situated just whore the
great river reaches the tIdeWater level
Go up the Potomac 2 miles and you find
II a swift clear stream. often breaking into
rifles. running between high wooded
banks an equal distance to the south. il
has become . tidal estuary mile wide
inviting 10 motor boats and even small
sailing craft
UP RIVER "a NOUS
The up-rlver waters are famous for the
small-nouth lass that Inhabt them and
are the lure that brings thousands Of
weekend fishermen 70 the lighthouses
between Washington and Harper Ferry
There are half dozen well-known places
where one may get a bed country meals
and boat and may hear legend and
reT1inisccncc Of famous anglers who have
fished these same reaches OF Daniel
Webster. who used to mediate his speech
rs over rod m the vicinity 81 ham
Bridge. and 81 Grover Cleveland whose
boatman still lives at Pennyfelds
To tho south, not only the Potomac
bat the Patuxent and the Wicomion reach
long arms Of blue tldeUater uD from the
bay INTO the heart of the old Maryland
tobacco country This IS a low fiat region
Of rch fields, old groves. Colonial home
steads showing glimDses of white pillars
mp long shaded drives st Benedict on
the Patuxent and at Rock POINT on the
Wicomlco are little fishing villages with
heavy timbered wharves built before the
Civil War oyster she'll roads old frame
houses shaded by ancient locust trees.
hound dogs asleep IN the sun. They are
pervaded bv An air of infinite restfUlness
and powerful odor Of FISH
This region has IN the highest degree
that picturesque favor Of another age
which 50 delights the city tourist Ii has
also a wonderful abundan . of the finest
FISH and oysters. and nearly All of the
houses along the rivers are hotels al
least over SATURDAY. and SUNDAY During
the past summer these little villages have
been literally thronged for the FIRST time
in their nearly two centuries Of existence.
The visitors come for dip in rhe river.
dinner OF FISH. oysters. crabs and chicken
and 10 catch the croakers. winch viii
ohhginglv bite for even the most mex
pert Of fishermen
THE HAGEKsrowN ROAD
One OF the most popular roads out Of
" ashingtOn i mat 10 the west. which
reaches the Alleghany mountains by
WAY OF Rockville. Frederick and Hagers-
town Except for q few short stretches.
this road is well-nigh perfect, and on week
ends it is as crowded is a city street.
while everyone Of the oak groves that are
scattered along It's course, shelters q few
picnic parties The mountains are falrly
reached at Hagerstown, and few miles
beyond, in the vicinity Of Blue Ridge
Summit. there are hotels which even the
gilded Philistine from New York would
not despise 1t Thurmont, Maryland
there are less pretentous places. much
patronlzed by trout fishermen who come
to east fiv on the clear mountain streams
in that vicinity.
TO the east Of Washington is CheSa-
peakc Bay and the beach of the same name /
which makes the boast that IL Is Wash
ington 5 only salt water resort This j. the /
nearest thing to q Coney Island popu-
lar watering place which the staid T.
capital possesses