Evening star., 1919-11-09
The Rambler Writes Of the diversified Home

stands ON that ridge, for the
most part wooded and now
gay With tho colors that the leaves
at autumn take on. which Is the west
ern van Of tho valley Of Indian
creek II instead Of 'the valley of
Indian creek" the Rambler should
write ''ths upper valley OF the East
rn branch" he believes that ho
would be better understood by the
majority Of Washington people whose
eyes are now following these lines.
but he also believes tho phrase wal
ley Of Indian creek to be topo-
graphically correct. Indian creek is
not more deserving OF that name than
Pimmit run and other streams nearby,
because there Ii NO evidence that In
dams were moro numerous along its
course than along tho courses Of
other large branches in this locality.
Perhaps 1t has not nearly so straight
title to the name as Piney branch,
because along that stream from
where the old llth street road crossed
1t to Its junction with Rock creek. In
dians had workshops or workplaces
where they roughly fashioned arrow
heads. spearheads and stone axes.
4 +
The stream which dows along the
valley. which tho Rambler now sees
In his minds eye. Is laid down on
the maps as Indian creek, and some
where near Hyattsville its name
changes to Eastern branch. The
larger streams that pour their waters
into this creek are Beaverdam branch,
Paint branch and Northwest branch,
the latter bringing along with 1t the
waters Of Sligo branch. 1t is merely
an opinion. but the Rambler believes
It to be \ fair opinion. that the East
ern branch begins where Northwest
branch and Indian creek form their
function, At Hyattsville, but that
opinion will not be subscribed to or
underwritten by all the people who
dwell In tho green and lovely valley
Of Indian creek or the upper Eastern
branch or on the lofty wooded ridges.
now gorgeous with red. gold and rus
set trees. and which look down into
tho valley from the east and west.
Across the northern end of Prince
Georges county runs an old highway
which bears { he name, tthe Furnace
road. because 1t passes through q
region whore iron smelling was once
. great and profitable industry. No
doubt II led to one or more of those
ancient furnaces which smoked and
ho
Iron Aine." robin Hoods forest"
and "GodwelL" The Furnace road
seems to be the eastern. or the Prince
Georges continuation. Of the Sandy
Spring road. which. starting from
the Colesvine pike. ono mile south Of
Ednor, leads east by q little south
past Spencerville and Burtonsville.
Where 1t crosses the Prince Georges
county boundary, ono and . quarter
miles east of Burtonsville, several
roads fork from It. One leads north
and ono loads south, connecting with
the Powder Mil road, which leads
west from Vansville, passes by the
farm on which the ashes of Meshach,
Abednego and Shadrach Beall rest,
past the home Of Benny Gallant, past
the site Of the revolutionary powder
mill. over Paint branch. acress the
Montgomery county line. across the
Columbia road and to the Colesville
pike at Colesville. Another road runs
nearly due east by way of Willis
School house and strikes the WASH
ington and Baltimore boulevard close
to the point where Bear branch
crosses it. about q mile this side of
Laurel ""
The name Of that road Is Cherry
lana. Leading of to the southeast is
the Furnace road. which crosses the
electric line to Laurel, the Wash
boulevard and the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad at Con-
tee. skirts the hill on which the Snow
den -Hoon mansion of Oakland
stands and enters the ancient road
from Laurel to Bowie near the manor
house Of Montpelier. The general
course of the Furnace road is along
the watershed between the Patuxent
and the Potomac, and it is in that
neighborhood that network of
branches, ripping southwark from
the head Of Indian creek.
Big Paint branch and Little Paint
branch. coming down from the north