Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-02
HE space of last Sundays mar
rative was spent on the sub
Ject of Persimmon Tree lane,

Ject or Persimmon Tree lane,
an old Montgomery county
road. with rail fences. cedars, pines,
oakA gum trees and brambles along
Ats Mo-. No persimmon trees were
there, bat then roads are as often
inappreDHately named as persons. A
girl VIII the name of Katie. Maggie,
Fanny - ousie may be quite as state
ly, ro0Antlc and dramatic as Ger
aldtnA 8ottense or Gwendolyn, and
according TO the Rambler's small ex-
periencs IN such affairs, is usually as
pretty The Rambler once knew a
boy. named by his parents Percy who
could put UP as interesting and con-
vincing fight as any boy by the name
Of Buck" or Bull" Jerry, Mike or
Pat. OF course. such things are I'M
usual, but they do sometimes happen.
But in the matter of Persimmon
Tree lane 1t Is probably true that at
some time persimmon tree grew
along the way. 1t was perhaps not
a flne specimen of the tree, because
Montgomery county Is not in the per-
simmon belt. A Montgomery county
persimmon tree would make slim
and meager showing by the side of
the noble persimmon trees that spring
from, the historic soil of Prince
Georges, Charles or st. Marys coun-
ties. The Rambler confesses to
liking for the name "Persinmon Tree
lane" There is tang and flavor to
It, 1t smacks of the country In which
we live. 1t Is not high-sounding and
pretentious.
n \
Some people have no more dis
erection In naming roads than in NAM
ing babies, and Persimmon Tree
1are has an honest, homelike ana
companionable sound. Some Infer
tutin' fellow or busy real estate sales
man might have named 1t Pomegran-
ate avenue, Orange Blossom tran or
Lilac lane. 1t Is not to be expected
that the Rambler could walk several
miles along Persimmon Tree lane
without thinking of perslmmons, ana
he recalls that the perslmmon at
tracted the attention OF many Oh the
early European immigrants 10 tne
Potomac country. capt, J9nh smitmi
In his description of Virginia, printed
In 1912, made the following refer
ence to a wild native fruit which he
called. after the sound of the name
as given by the Indians, "putcham
ins': 'In some parts were touhu
some cneStnutS Whoss " az
eaualize the best in Spain, France,
Germany or Italy and to their tastes
that had tasted them all. Plums
there are of three sorts. The RED
and white are like our hedge plums'
but the other, which they call put
chamins. grow as high as paie.a.
The fruit is like a medler; 1t Is hrst
Green, then yellow and red when IT
Is ripe; If it be not ripe 1t Will draw
= mans mouth awrie with much Tor
ment. but when it is ripe II Is as
delicious as an apricock.'
Where the Rambler LEFT on ias.
Sunday he had knocked at the door
AZ a strange house. A pretty girl
with dark hair and eyes and an out
door color answered the rapping, ana
this colloquy took place:
what your name" asked the n Ra%o1 sni
DE answered "Antiseii strange son nn' said
he Rambler, and then he asked Are you re.
hated 10 a Or. Antisell who came to washington
a. the time Of the e ey war anot dna nesr Airing
ton ct the junction Of the Columbia and Aie i..
sndria roads,, He was my srandtasner .ss she
che replied. "Dad and live in the far wesam
.'Weli. what are YOU doing :" nav Ave - are
Just stopping with Miss rs. hsen IN charge Of
The gold mine In this neighborhocd, Here is
Dad now" His name is Toner Antiseii, ana AM
he went TO Japan with his father while little
hoy. Returning to Washington. Toner attended
the Washington High School away back ~ the
T0's and then went west he rancheu ana
mined and took the course of mining engineer
inr at the University Of Utah. He was en-
fsged by one Of the companies operating goiu-
bearing lands near Great Falls,
The Rambler's memory was false on
one point, DIR. Antisell came to WASH
ington before the civil war. In the LII
brary of Congress are number OF DOCKS
and addresses by DR.. Thomas Anusell.
who was born In 1917 and died in 1898:
One of these works Is Handbook OF
the Useful Arts, Including Agriculture
Architecture, Domestic Economy, En-
kineering, Machinery, Manutactnre,
Mining and Photogenic and Telcgraphlc
Art, Being an Exposition OF Their Pr'n-
ciples and Practice and Compend OF
American and European Invention 1t
was published in 1852. Another musty
old book contained an introductory
Address Delivered Before the Medical
Department of Georgetown College. SEES
sioh Of 1S65-1S66." 1t was printed by
McCiil 81 Witherow of Washington in
1855. Another book. is 1.-THE Manufac-
ture OF Photogenic/ and Hydro Carbon
bills from Coal and Other Bituminous
Substances Capable OF Supplying Burn
ing Fluids, by DR.. Thomas Antiseil.,
Stiil another book Is Biographical
Sketch Of DR.. Joseph NJ Toner--lS7S--
being a reprint from memorial VOL
ume of the Rocky Mountain Medical
Association, printed at Lancaster,