Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-11


> Few squares of the Potomac or the
eastern branch and steamboat whis-
ties were familiar sounds. Men who
were connected with steamboats, or
whose places Of business were along
the water front formed a large. and
influential part of the population.
Steamboat names were household
words and steamboat captains were
a. well known as the eminent bank
ers and merchants are today. The
steamboat WAS topic in the conver-
sation OF all classes.
Many of the old families OF the
city still live in Southwest and South
east Washington. and it is not easy
10 name a member of an old Wash
ington family whose grandfather or
grandmother did not live between
the Avenue and the two rivers Thou
sands OF men and women, whose eyes
are now on these lineS and who are
living north Of the Boundary will
east their thoughts back to the old
family home on the navy yard" or
'the island" People with homes on
Massachusetts, avenue. Connecticut
avenue. 18th street or in Mount Pleas
ant. Cleveland Park. Chevy Chase,
Friendship, Somerset. Drummond,
Brookland, Mount Rainier and all the
sparks" and heights" and terraces"
Will think back to the plain but COM
Portable home of their parents or
grandparents that stood. and perhaps
still stands. far south on New Jersey
avenue or far down 11th or 8th street
east or 4 ", 9Th or 18th street west
1t may be that the old family home
was on Maryland or Virginia avenue
or M or street. The Rambler is
not sure just where the old home
stood. but he is sure that it was down
In that part of the city. 1t was not
many years ago that Northwest
Washington was commons, pasture,
bog. forest, rugged hill and steep
ravine. What is now South Wash
ington was then all Washington,
with the exception of a narrow fringe
Of settlement north of the Avenue.
Our ancestors took their outings
on the steamboats, and spent their
vacations at the numerous summer
resorts" down the Potomac A few
went to the springs or watering
places in the Piedmont, the Blue
Ridge or the Shenandoah; but by far
the greater number spent the heated
term"-if they went away at all-at
the riverside hotels. Slowly and then
rapidly Washington grew away from
the river. Railroads wove their web
over the face of the country, and fast
trains took our citizens to distant
places in the mountains or along the
seashore. The trolley car came in,
and population spread quickly into
parts Of the country which before
had been days Journey from the
city. Then the motor car came in.
and roads were smoothed, and more
and more people were wooed away
from steamboats, and the majestic Po-
tomac. The river seemed to lose
something Of its vogue except with
the very old-fashioned Washington
folk. River excursions still survive
and prosper. but the Rambler be-
lieves that the great mass Of the
people Of Washington today know
the Potomac only by seeing it from
the speedway, the bridges and the
trolley cars.
Steamboating on the Potomac de-
clined, but 1t also has declined on all
other American rivers. The Hudson.
Mississippi and Delaware have be-
come lonely rivers except in those
reaches near the sea. A man may
travel by rail from Albany to New
York without seeing a steamboat
until he nears the greatest city. The
Ohio and the Missouri have been al
most deserted by the steamboat. Ell
forts are making to restore river
trafilc by means Of giant barges, and
these efforts seem promising of sue
cess. The Ohio became the first great
steamboat river. which fact was due
in part to the construction by Robert
Fulton of a steamboat building plant
at Pittsburgh.
The steamboat then took possession
of the Mississippi river. and the
wheels Of more steamboats, have
turned on that river than on any
other in the new world. In out
nearby country the Patuxent and the
James have become lonely rivers. The
Rambler has lOitered IN In ma af n WIN