Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-26


few deviations from O straight line
compelled by the topography OF the
country, which In some parts Is hilIy
and cut through by deep and crooked
ravines. About three quarters OF a
mile west Of the western boundary OF
the District 1t crosses Little Fans
branch, whose waters were the hrst
to come into Washington through the
conduit or "aQueduct." which now
brings and for many years mas
the Potomac river taken in at Great
Falls. A trifie more than four miles
west Of Little Falls branch the ola
road crosses Cabin John run. when
in the Oldest chronicles containing
reference to 1t is called Capt johns
run or Capt Johns creek:
This is a romantic and picturesque
stream turning and twisting through
q deep channel which for countless
centuries it has been securing for IT.
long in a straight line. but It does not
now in straight line. Its actuai
length. taking into account Its bends
and loops. is twice seven.
All Washington people and many
miliar with this stream near Its
mouth, especially where 1t passes I'M
der the imposing stone arch which we
call Cabin John bridge. But very Few
Washington people know the stream
III lis OIACE paris AIS bCdAW 0SSA 49,
at Rockville. Thence 1t flows south
to the Potomac and along the way
taking unto itself a great number OF
small branches. among them being
Bogley branch. Snakeden branch,
Thomas branch and Booze creek. a
creek which must soon go dry or
change its name If the present wave
Of virtue keeps surging on. Why 1t
Is called Booze creek the Rambler
does not know. 1t does not deserve
70 Thn po,, Law froN WI al %
one cold day to drink from this creek
and was disappointed. Its water was
no more exhilarating than that OF
other creeks.
Before crossing Cabin John creek
the River road runs beside 1t for
about half a mile; more properly put,
the creek runs beside the road for
that distance. The beginning of this
parallelism between creek and road Is
a point calld Emery Corners on the
map, because several members of the
Embrey family live there. On one
corner of the Corners" is q stone
house. which was standing there
hundred and fifty years ago For
time out of mind it was called Walter
Magruder's blacksmith shop but Wal
ter Magruder was not the blacksmith.
All that section was Magruder land
under an original grant from the
Proprietary of Maryland and the
"smithy'' was the blacksmith shop of
the Magruder plantation, and no
doubt, being on such a famous high
way as the River road. it also took in
much merchant work from the wagon
trains, stage coaches, post chaises and
cavaliers and their retinues travelling
that way between the Ohio and the
Potomac.
The Rambler is sure that the black
smith shop was there ITO years ago,
because there is a record Of the APP
pointment, In 174S, of overseers of that
part Of the River road and there is
nothing to indicate that these were
the first overseers appointed to look
after that road. 1t may have been
there long before that. because that
property was owned by Samuel Brew
gruder, and he. Samuel Brewer Magru-
der, took 1t under descent from his
father, who, the Rambler believes,
but is not sure. was Samuel Magruder.
who died in I'LL. Samuel Brewer Ma
gruder built big stone house on the
hill Just above and north of the black
smith shop. The site of that house is
now occupied by fine stone dwelling.
which Is the home Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank Pelham Stone.
ING ktduplCT WIOlo VI that hVAC
about two years ago in the course of
q series of rambles on the Seven Locks
road, Cedar lane and the road which
leads from Beane on the old George
town Rockville road to Bells mill on
Cabin John run-a mill which, before
1t took the name Of Bell, was William
Orndorffs mill, and for many years
before that was Magruder's mill.
Frank Pelham stones father was
Philip Stone. who married olivia Dun
bar Magruder, daughter Of Lloyd Ma
gruder Of Locust Grove. and who lived
at Stonington, house still standing
on the road which leads from the Con-
duit road to the village of Potomac.
Stonington was built In 1920 by Mrs.
Anna Garrett Stone, an English won-
an, who came to Washington in the
early part OF the nineteenth century
and taught school here. Where the
River road crosses Cabin John on an
old bridge is a big frame building on
thick stone foundations. 1t Is now
a barn. Once it was a paper mill which
belonged to and was operated by Pat
rick Magruder, son of Samuel Wade
Magruder, and who was representa-
tive from Maryland in the Second
Congress and was also clerk of the
House of Representatives and the sec
ond librarian Of Congress from 1907
to 1916.
A mile from where the River road
crosses Cabin John it Is crossed by
the Washington and Great Falls cleo