Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-24
Where the Fairfaxes Came
From-Various Branches
of the Family-The Set
Element at Freestone Point.
Indian Names and a Little
Lesson in Speaking Real
O1d-fashioned "Indian."

Much as he would like to honestly trans
late the notwithstanding Indian word
"Neabsco.' he cannot do it. No eX-
PLANTATION is to be found in THE Origin
of Certain Place Names in the United
States,' compiled in 1905 by Henry Gan
nett and issued by the geological sur
vey. 1t follows that "Neabsco' is not
mentioned in any of the Indian books or
books about Indians which came into
Prof. Gannetts hands, and among those
relating to Indians in our part of the
country, and which Prof Gannett con-
suited, were John Garland Pollards
'Pamunkey Indians of Virginia ana
is. G. Boyd's Indian Local Names. with
Their Interpretation The Rambler
has turned to Capt John Smiths De
scrlption of Virginia and ProceedlngS OF
the Colonie,' printed at Oxford in 1917.
| for in that work is chapter under TINS
heading: Because many doe desire to
knoWe the maner of their language
have inserted these few words
There is quite list of words and
phrases which Capt. Smith set down IN
English as they were pronounced by
Potomac Indians. or as his ear caught
the sound of them. Neabsco does not
appear in the book. Should you read
that chapter, the same thought when
came to the Rambler might come 10
YOU. 1t was that though our INDIANS
may have been men. and even women,
of few words they were people OF nara
words and, perhaps, they were taclturn
and laconic. because it was hard LOT
them to talk For example, if you
wished to ask Potomac Indian, What
do you cali this?' you would say, or
try it. "ka ka torawincs yowo' and
if YOU would say in Indiarese. Il am
what shall | eater YOU
would be expected to render the sent-
mont thus: "Mowch:ck wayawgh tawgh
noeragh kaqucre mecher': and II you
wanted to ask: In how many dalss
will there come neither any more Eng
fish ships" you would say, If you
could, "Casacunnakack paya quagh ac-
ouintan uttasantasough.' But. after all.
! this may not have been a very difficult
| language to speak because 1t does not
| sound unlike a great deal of the Eng
! lish that one hears in the street cars,
| cafes and even more exclusive places
and without doubt there is more mean
! ing in it.
! Neabsco is not a new name. On
to the original grant to the land
between Powell and Neabsco creeks.
! the Potomac end of which land is
called Freestone Point. Gervas Dod-
son was the patentee. The creek
! is called Neapsco-not wide Varla-
ition from the present spelling. But
the very early history of this tract.
which many years after the grant
tof it to Dodson and years before 1t
came into possession of the Fairfax
| family, was the Lee tract of Lee
sylvania," is story which the Ram
/ bier, for the sake of conserving
his time, labor and material and with
the hope of keeping you in state
tof suspended animation. or expect
ancy, means to tell in future
t"rambles."
| When the local train rushes at per-
haps twenty miles an hour along the
F., high and splendid fill which was
! built across the lowlands. marshes
and shoal water on the north SIDE OF
| Neabsco creek and roars across the
grim and grimy timber bridge it
comes. after a few hundred yards
, more along a I'LL on the south side
| of the creek. to Neabsco station.
/ There is a little waiting shelter bear
! ing blue sign, freshly lettered in
! gilt "Neabsco" The railroad station
used to be called Freestone. No
dwelling is there.
| Years ago the railroad crossed the
creek few hundred yards upstream,
| or west. from the present crossing.
| turned east toward the Potomac and
then turned south, passing through a
deep cut across the ridge of sand and
sandstone which lies east and west
along the neck" and terminates at
the Potomac in a high stone cliff
which for centuries has been called
(! Freestone Point. The present line of
track is straight and, passing off the
bridge, crosses at considerably
higher grade the line of the old track.
To reach our object we will climb
down set of decayed and broken
wooden steps all tangled with wild
vines, from the new railroad grade to
the old track. Within a few yards
wire fence tries to halt you and
railroad bed clings feebly to two
gaunt gray posts.
On one of the posts is this invita-
ton: Posted: No Hunting, fishing or
trespasSing without written permits
sion. Reward for information leading
Intren, f. T. Kelley. Quantico.' Ac-
cepting the invitation. the Rambler
passed in, and he sends his compli
ments and his best wishes to the
gentlemen at Quantico and promises
that before he goes again to Free
stone he will write to them for a note
of admittance. And he believes it'll
be forthcoming.
The old railroad bed, black with the
cinders of generations of trains, is
Z
| in place, and though feeble and de-
caying, would still serve we'll as fire.
wood The rails have been taken up,
i but the spikes that held them down
are still sticking in the ties-a rich
! prize probably for dealer in old
| iron. On the left is a narrow strip of
i lower land. where tulip poplars or
| liriodendrons grow thick and tall. Just
beyond the trees is the creek which
! you glimpse through openings in the
! heavy foliage, and beyond is Occoquan
/ bay, two and half miles wide. The
abandoned way swings to the right
and away from the creek. and is
| about to enter a really and truly i'm
mense cut through the sand and sand
! stone backbone of the neck" Years
| ago that cut was made by men with
| blows and hand shovels, and the ex-
| cayated material was hauled away in
| horse-drawn carts. If blasting was
| necessary, the holes were bored with
hand drills. That was before the time
| Of steam shovels. pneumatic drills and
! trains of dump cars drawn by locomo-
| tives. 1t was really a stupendous
| work.
You see ahead of you this cut with
| trees growing in it and on it's tow
ering backs, but you also see a busby
-, path which leaves the raiload bed
at the left and climbs uphill through
woods. There is ruin of an ancient
| gate, deep gully and tumble of
rotting timbers and planking, and
| this shows that not SO many years
ago a bridge spanned the gully. You
! follow the path. A mans foot sell
dom presses it. but strolling cows
seem sometimes to follow it. The
path is closely grown in by woods
|