Evening star., 1920-05-23

| chief was built at a New Jersey
shipyard in 1857. and was brought to
Washington by the late Samuel Polk
inhorn in 1876. After extensive re-
pairs equaling her purchase price. she
| was sold to the late George l.. Sheriff,
a prominent coal dealer, when she
began her eventful career of twenty
| years on the Potomac river. She was
| comparatively small craft. side
| wheeler, measuring 157 feet in length
| by 26 feet beam. Her first commander
| here was the late Capt. William II.
Byles. He was very popular with all
, classes and this won for his craft
and it's owner an immediate and luca-
| tive business. Capt. Byles was chief
officer until his death several years
the officers who manned the Mattano
during the twenty years that she
piled the Potomac that made her a
general favorite. and the care with
which she was handled gave her a
was illustrated in her only serious
mishap While vending her way
through the shadows of Chicamuxen
creek she struck an obstruction ano
on reaching Posey's wharf sank me
Washington and G. w. Ridley. the
manager of the competing line, on
being told it, remarked. She is' likely
! to be in Washington within tWenIy-
four hours if she is in less than nj
teen fathoms of water Sure enough
the sonorous whistle of the Little
Mattie' as her owner was wont 10
call her. was heard at her dock IN
Washington as she approached Alex
andria-"
The letter of this correspondent
proceeds:
No sinsle interest controlled the shipping on
tho Potomac route during those years Ihere
was sufBcient volume Of trade for two steam
ers. which ran alternate days ana COM
petition was healthy and to the best ln.eres'
NJ the public third competitor. however
aIways entailed a financial loss to all snfee
interests and invariably engendered bad nlooo
and a fighting spirit. which continued ua'i, se ~e
of the interests succumbed On the pilot mouse
Of the Mattano figure carved OF wooa
Of an Indian chief with tomahawk IN hano
given the chief and he kept fresh until
the scalp of the intruding enemy was piaceo
safely in his belt and peace was .estofe9 oncs
with less speed than her competitors. laoored
under seeming disadvantages but her popuar-
ity as well as regularity IN service; won .,,..I
times Of excessive competition. This was il
Iustrated in amusing incident which oc-
Cured at Chapel Point wharf. in Port Tobacco
creek, on one Of her homeward bound trips The
opposition had leased the wharf to the exciu-
sion of the Mattano, that had for long time
furnished the only means of travel and ship
ping by water to the surrounding country. A
prominent shipper, moved with Indignation at
the seeming injustice, wrote tne Whsningtou
agent that il he would have the Mattano land
at Chapel Point wharf on a certain day he
would have a number Of cattle there to ship
On the appointed day the shipper was there
with his stock. In due time the Mattano ap-
preached the landing. when robust old lady,
in charge of the wharf, called out to the cap
tain that he would not be permitted to land.
AS the wharf was at the end Of public
highway the right to land was justified and the
captain proceeded in the discharge of his du-
ties. When the deckhands with gangplank
were ready to throw it on to the wharf the
with her limbs dangling over the front and
moving herself to and fro in direct line with with
thrown on the wharf The gallant commander,
questioning his right to use force, finally with
drew but not until the shipper told the cap
tain that he would drive his stock eight or ten
miles across country to Glymont where they
would be waiting for him later in the day. SO
that after the hasty retreat Of the Mattano
she won after all.