Evening star., 1920-05-23
THE RAMBLER WRITES OF THE POTOMAC
STEAMER MATTANO, ONE OF EARLY BOATS
Probable Origin Of the
Name-Figure of An In
dian on the Pilot House.
An Interesting Letter Re-
garding the Mattano-The
Officers.

N N ENTION Of the Mattano has
I" been made in preceding mar
ratives, but it is not the pur-
pose of the Rambler that
such a worthy steamboat shall be
passed by with bare reference. 1t
would be ungracious in the Rambler
not to give her more publicity In
this age of notoriety when many per-
sons demand a column in the public
print because they had friend to
dinner, or because they made a con-
tribution to a charity, or because
tney read a paper to parlor full of
people on The Influence of Grecia n
Costumes. Roman Waterworks and
tne Renaissance on Banana Culture in
virginia" the Rambler is not going
10 let the Mattano get by with just a
mention. A record of her life and
works would fill a page.
me Mattano was not one of the
snow boats of the Potomac river. 1t
was not her mission to cater to the
amusement-loving public. She did not
travel all decked out in waving flags
nor did she carry a band playing
merry music as she made her way
up and down the river. No walters
IN Wnlte coats and aprons served
trays OF lemonade and ice cream on
ner decks. nor did they deliver unto
gay ana Joyous groups of people tall
glasses from whose tops protruded
Dunches of green and fragrant mint
ine Mattano was not an excursion
ooat- So far as the Rambler knows.
Sne never went on an excursion in her
of mind
The Mattano was a business boat
ana worked industriously in winter
anu IN summer. She was a cotem-
porary OF the Mary Washington, but
her aim in life was different. 1t may
Ne mat far greater number of
washington people cherish the mem
ory OF the Mary than hold in fond
regard the Matte, but the Mattano
mad host of substantial friends. Her
dcQualntance was as extensive as the
Fotomac river. She had friends and
mlghty stream and along all its
creeks from Washington to Point
Lookout and they placed great reli-
ance on this wonderful boat.
The Matte was a "rerular" steam
boat, even though she was a small
one. and she came up to Washington
three times a week with all the
freight and food that she could car
~. ana IT was Maryland and Virginia
1000 at that! The Rambler feels that
if the Matte were still in the land
or steamboats-or in the river of
steam mboats-she would not permit
washington to suffer from a food
shortage; 81 While her little timbers
lasted she labored day and night.
Der and biting January, as well as in
blossoming May and sunny June, that
no cupboard in Washington might be
bare. I'll bet that the spirit of the
Mattano. floating about the river. is
disturbed by the present condition of
anairs and that the shade of the good
little craft. looking down on some Of
the big modern steamboats,. is say
ing: "Loafer boats and laggards that
you are! The prices of chicken never
scared as high as eagles fly when
was freighting Maryland and Vir-
ginia produce to Washington! 1 did
my part to keep Washington happy
and we'll fed! And yet. after working
hard for the people Of the capital for
twenty years or more, 1 dare say
many of them have forgotten me.
Perhaps when the Rambler writes my
story many readers of The Sunday
Star will give a listless glance at the
big headlines. yawn. and say as they
turn aside. Who the dickens was the
Mattano?'"
Mattano is an Indian word. It is said
along the Potomac river that the Mat
tano was named after an Indian chief.
And it is worthy of remark that all
the Indians who lived in this region
were either chiefs or princesses. Any
how. on the pilot house Of the Mat
tano was wooden Indian in war
paint and feathers and with a toma-
hawk in one uplifted hand. No, he
did not have bundle of cigars in the
other. Although he was of wood, he
was not related. so far as known,
to the cigar-store Indian. 1t is be-
1ieved that this was the statue Of the
Indian chief Mattano, after whom
the Matte was named. This chief is
now one of the ornaments. or at least
one of the relics. at the headquarters
of the Washington harbor police. and
Lieut. Russell Dean, commanding.
was once an officer on the Mattano in
that remote time before he became
member of the Washington police
force.
Chief Mattano may have been a
New Jersey Indian. because the
steamboat Mattano was built at Key