Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-07

named after the creek. AT
the base of the high and steep en-
bankment along which the railroad
runs are fishermen's homes in little
houses which on land serve the pur-
pose of cabins and on water serve
the purpose of Households or "arks."
The word lark" has come into cur
rent everyday use on the Potomac
river and "houseboat" seems to be
fading from our language. ARK" was
first used in an American sense as
descriptive of large. slow-moving
boat to carry produce to market. Cen
turtles before that 1t was applied to a
cheSt-ike vessel or ship. as Noah
Ark, and it was also an ark that was
proof by a coating of bitumen. into
which Moses as an infant was COM
mitted to the Nile. Further back in
the ages and before ark was ap-
piled to boats. it meant chest, a
box or a Golfer with a lid.
The NeabSco ark which the Rambler
carries in his memory rests on the
narrow strip of land between the foot
Of the railroad embankment and the
sandy shore of the creek. and it would
seem that at times of high tide the
creek must splash and spread itself
around this little land and water
home. The creek is the front yard of
the home and there little boats bob
and sway. The side yard is garden
OF hshnets hung up to dry. On some
slanting ground nearby is a tiny gar
den, where cabbage and tomatoes
grow. The man who lives there
Capt. Fisher. as the Rambler caught
the name-is a friend of many fisher
men and hunters. and his advice on
catching bass and shooting ducks is
sought with as much gravity and SOL
emnity as men employ in consulting
a lawyer or doctor. The surname
Fisher" is name of occupation, but
this man runs true to his name only
in part. When the fishing season is
over it would be appropriate were he
to change his name to Capt. Hunter.
II you sit with physician and let
him give rein to his thoughts and
tongue you will perhaps think that there
Is little else in the world than sick
ness, disease. remedies. clinics. opera
tons and prescriptions. In the office
OF a lawyer you will get the feeling
that litigation fills the world and that
! life is but mass or maze Of briefs
and pleas. dOckets cases and decisions.
demurrers and appeals and that the
earth is peopled with juries, judges.
bailiffs and attorneys. When you sit
with the company in this Neabsco ark
you will certainly believe that the great
aim of life is to catch bass and
that the highest, purest wisdom is that
relating to bait, hooks. flies and casting,
and that though a man be skilled in
banking, baking and misunderstanding,
Sanscrit, sanitation and Sapphic verse,
yet is he ignorant and a cumberer of
earth unless he be able to speak learn
edly on large-mouth bass. small-mouth
bass striped bass. wall-eyed pike, silver
gar, pigfsh, angiefish, toadish. crap
Dfa &NRYlA.AyAs warmOnth nd GOA rob
bins. And if mans education has
been carried to supreme or post-grad
uate heights he may also deliver mono
iogues or maintain combats on the
theme Of wood ducks. canvasbacks. red
heads. teals. mallard. sprig-tails and
scooters.
After lingering in the goodly COM
pany that gathers by the sandy shore
of where Neabsco's silver ripples play
their tinkling tunes from moon to moon
wonder why great universities do not
establish fishing and ducking classes
and conversation courses in bait and
tackle. But happy as it is to linger by
the bright drift-wood fire in fishers
cot. SO filed with sweet and fragrant
pipesmoke that the fellow opposite you
seems wrapped in fog, we must our
way be on-or perhaps you would
rather have it written, we must be on
our way.
Wnen you come TO the station now
called Neabsco, but which used to be
called Freestone. you will mark a
narrow road that leads west by
little north Following it, you have
on the right a strip of lowland
closely grown with trees and but
slightly higher than the creek. On
the left are long racks or tiers of
pulpwood, generally tulip and gum,
cut from the forests that border or
lie not far from your course. 1t is
to be shipped avail for transmuta-
ton int paper. Perhaps the bill
you are sending out tic some poor
debtor, or receiving from some per-
sistent creditor; perhaps the note you
are sending to Miss Juliet Capulet or
Dulcenea del Tobosco asking If you
may call. with taxi. to take her to
the theater and supper later. was once
tree that joyously and contentedly
grew where old Neabsco mirrors the
sun, moon. stars and clouds.
Passing the long wood piles on the
left. you come to a little gray frame
dwelling, which stands on the right
tells that it is Neabsco post office.
Look we'll at it, for it is the last
house. save one, that you will see
until you emerge from the region of
creek and forest and come out upon
the great hard road that leads from
w
trains of autos rush and along whose
sides a thousand homes are scattered.
X 4
On the right hand is wide border
Of pin oaks, sweet gum, sour gum
dogwood and dwarf sumac, bright
with all the colors that come to leaves
in autumn. On the left is woodland
Out of dense underground tall trees
reach up as though they would catch
the earliest and latest sunbeams. The
wooded land slopes sharply to the
and west between Neabsco and Powell
creeks and comes to a bluff end at the
Potomac. The contour intervals on
the map before the Rambler show
that the average height of this ridge
is 100 feet. but along its backbone
are numerous knobs or hillocks that
rise fifty feet higher. The bed of the
road for a long distance is ''cordu-
roy" that wheels may not sink.
If you are city-bred and have only
seen the country through the window
of chair car or your limousine. you
may not know what corduroy road
is 1t is a road formed of poles OIL
logs Laid transversely and in contac,
as mud bridge in swampy places
Perhaps the "ribbing" of that cotton
fustian called corduroy-corde du 70
or 1.-The kings cord'-suggested the
name. thin layer of dirt covers the
poles. and over this the sour gum
sweet gum and dogwood had sprin-
Killed. their red leaves. The way look.
ed like rough rag carpet made OF
bits Of brilliant red. deep crimson
and wine purple. That which thu
Rambler calls sour gum to distinguish
from sweet gum. whose bright star
l shaped leaves you must know. is oft
On called black gum or "nysSa syl
yatica."
Tn Tho Flora of the District o.