Evening star., 1920-02-29
HE Rambler owes his constitu-
ents a story on Paint Branch
Chapel and its neighborhood.


subject and promised to follow It with
another. but before turning his hand
to that delightful duty he side
stepped the matter for several weeks
while writing the series on w. w.
Corcoran and the Louise Home. He
introduced his first Paint Branch
Chapel narrative in this way: six
miles northeast OF the District
boundary the survey line which
divides the Maryland counties OF
Montgomery and Prince Georges pass
es through q stretch of woodland In
which stood Paint Branch Chapel,
pioneer and plain little Episcopal
fame whose foundation was laid by
pious and serious men a century be-
fore the corner stones were set in
most Of the splendid tall-spired
churches of Washington. 1t is very
likely that when men went TO wor-
ship In Paint Branch Chapel there
were gray wolves in that tree-grown
section, which is now called Chapel
woods. II bear. wildcat. beaver and
puma had not then passed out of the
forests just north of the city they
had not been gone long"
Starting from Beltsville and walk
ing northwest. the Rambler soon en-
tered the old road which leads west
from Evansville and other places in
Prince Georges county to Colesville
and other places in Mont gomery. The
road has trimming Of gray rail
fences and a double row OF cedars
that are many years senior to the
oldest man who walks beneath them.
1t passes through thickets OF pine
and bits of vine-tangled woodland.
Along much OF the way bare fields
slope from adjacent hills down to
the side of the old road and here and
there cottage has been set up. or set
down. close beside 1t. When the
Rambler passed that way the only
greenery in the landscape was that
painted by pines. cedars and holly
trees. The hollies not only lent the
green Of their fantastic prickly-
pointed leaves. but frightened up the
rather bleak scene with the light OF
their ruby berries. There were thick
and matted masses Of honeysuckle,
green to varying shades of claret.
port. burgundy and purple by the
chemistry of frost.
Much of this country In Of that
geological character called "Patux-
ent," which is one Of the Potomac
group OF mesozoic and tertiary forma-
tions. It is marked by interbedded
sand. clay and gravel. and, in the
words OF William Bullock Clark, state
of clay near base, occupying q quar-
ter Of the total thickness of tho
formation: thin sand at base locally
indurated." Or. Clark has pointed
out that tho Potomac group Of the
coastal plain consists of highly col
ored gravels. sands and clays which
outcrop along q sinuous limo from
Pennsylvania to Richmond. passing
near the cities Of Philadelphia, Will
mington: Baltimore and Warrington.
Tho Potomac deposits are Of great
value because Of the excellent brick
clays they contain. All Of the forma-
ti0ns which are now recognized as
composing this group-Raritan. Pa
tapsco, Arundel ana Patuxent-are
represented within Prince Georges
county.
Dr.. Clark writes that tho Patuxent
formation received its name from the
Patuxsnt river, In the basin Of which
the deposits Of this horizon were first
recognised a. an Independent forma-
tion ana systematically studied. Care
ful work showed that the deposits
formerly included in the Potomac
formation were readily ssparable into
distinct formations on the basis Of
unconformitiss and fossil content.
The area Of outcrop Of the Patuxsnt
formation extends from the mouth
OF Piscataway creek up the shore
of the Petomsc river to and beyond
ths AnAcostia, which. with its tribu-
tary, Indian creek. constitutes for the
most part the eastern boundary of
this formation. 1t underltes tho
greater portion Of the city Of Wash
inGton and extends as almost con-
tihuous outcroppinG beds 10 Laurel.
Organic remains In this formation are
comparatively few. 1t is said that
no animal remains have thus far been