Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-25
Old Pleasure Boat Was
Sometimes Called "Our
Mary"-Her Trips Up
and Down the Potomac
Stops at the Various
River Resorts.
Some Facts About the Poto-
mac Fruit Growers As
ISOLATION, Which Was Or
ganized in 1869 The
Popularity of Glymont in
Other Days.

Il MS HISt narrative of old POto-
mac steamboats, the Rambler
made mention Of the Mary Wash
ington and promised to return to
the subject of that famous boat at
another time. 1t was not because of
her greatness that the Mary earned
all the wreaths memory twines
around her. Her name is held in pop
ular affection not because of her
speed, her grace Of outline and the
richness OF her furnishings, nor yet
because of her commercial impor-
lance.
The Mary had so many traits that
endear her to bald-headed men and
gray-bearded men and sweet-faced,
silver-hafred women that the Ram
bier need not seek to endow her with
virtues and graces that were not hers
He wants to be fair to all our old
boats whose skeletons of pine and
oak lie under the majestic river that
flows past our homes or which rest
forever at the bottom of distant
rivers. So many of our old boats
merit praise that the Rambler would
not give it all to the Mary Washing
ton, even though for many years she
was Our Mary" He means to try
to be fair historian. He knows that
there are historians whose fame is
more lustrous than his. who fill
larger place in the world Of letters
and whose works take up more space
on the shelves of libraries, but he in
sists that Gibbon, Guizot, Carlyle,
a n mi low pra1
Motley. Parkman and others among
his rivals could not treat Potomac
river steamboats, with more impair
TALLY than he. Fairness in history
is a magnificent thing to strive for
and a most difficult thing to attain.
cursed with the vices and the preju-
dices of their sex. Perhaps II woman
were to take over the job of writing
history 1t could be done with a nearer
approach to perfection, The historian
who is merely a recorder gets no
torian who sets down his opinions
starts a. riot because the world is
full of men who insist that every
other mans opinion is wrong and that
the only perfect opinions are his own.
** + 4
In the matter of the old steamboats,
the Rambler means to keep an even
keel. He will not list to this side or
to that in favor of any old boat whose
paddles ever threshed the blue and
silver waters of the Potomac. He
boats haunt the river. and that in
some way, though we cannot know
how. they are conscious that these
lines are being written. and the Ram
bier does not want to give offense to
any man in this world. or any steam
boat in the other.
The old steamboats, have their advo-
Gates. their champions. their admirers,
and those Of the Mary Washington
are numerous. In their recollection
the Mary is something of fairy
steamboat. In their memory her black
smokestack CLOVIS as though it were
Of gold. the ribbon Of smoke that
trailed behind her has a rosy hue. and
the throbbing Of her engines and the
splashing OF her wheels are music. No
orchestra ever played the lancers or
a waltz as the orchestra on the broad,
The Rambler regrets that he does not
recall what orchestra or whose or
chestra that was. 1t might have been
Cardella's Band, Donch's Band. We.
ber's. Eibner's. Immich's. Chase's. or
some other. 1t is a strange thing
that, Notwithstanding the happy in
fluence musicians have upon our lives.
we seldom learn their names. In that
old Mary Washington band were men
who lived long among US, and when
the moon hung over the river they
blew their horns and sawed their
fiddles and beat their drums. while
we danced with the prettiest girl in
the world. We applauded them. we
reveled in the melodies they made, and
yet the Rambler cannot set down the
names Of those old players. He would
like to do it. Some Of them no doubt
are still living among US. and many
of them, though 1t is sad to write it,
are playing golden harps instead Of
beating drums and cymbals and blow
ing horns and clarinets. If some Of
these old musicians who played dance
music for us when we were young are
playing in the realms above. that is
another Of the many arguments that
should make US mend our ways. Per-
haps Arditis kiss Waltz" king
Pippin Polka" climbing Up the
Golden Stairs and Pop! Goes the
weazel," are not in their celestial
repertoire, but who knows to the con-
trary?
The Mary Washington was pleas
ure boat. She was built for serious
business, but she was a failure In
cold and prosaic trade. Her talents
lay not in the line of hauling freight.
Hers was a picnic and frolic spirit.
She was never so happy as when
CARRYING loads of little children. loads
Of youths and maidens and loads OF