Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-06
THE RAMBLER TELLS STORY OF AN OLD
POTOMAC RIVER STEAMER, THE PILOT BOY
Various Kinds of River Busi-
ness Taken Up by This
Early Boat The Arme-
MIA and Her Reputation
for Speed Travelling by
Steamer in Other Days.
HERE was a time in your life
and there was in mine when
steamboat seemed a more

and there was in mine when
steamboat seemed a more
romantic thing than now A
ride on a steamboat was an event
There were thrills and adventure in
It. A steamboat trip in prospect was
thing to think about for days, and
steamboat trip in retrospect was
subject Of thought and talk for
several other days. That was when
you and l were young. The paint on
a steamboat seemed brighter and
fresher. the gilt work on the wheel
houses and the pilot house was more
lustrous. the little lay figure which
usually stood or perched on top of
the pilot house was more interesting
and the man at the wheel and the
impressive and important than now.
The dinner bell had merr:er tone
and the flavor of the food was better.
The whistle blew a good deal louder
and the paddle wheels turned faster.
The boat was swifter, bigger and
more luxurious than now. Even the
river seemed to be wider and 1T was
SO deep that we talked in awe OF
parts of it where there was no bot
tom. Don't you recall those thoughts:
Now, it is very likely that the
steamboat impresses you as dlngy
thing which struggles along through
a monotonous life. You only travel
on it if you must. and the wide river.
glittering in the sun or shining I'M
der the moon. begins to bore you be-
fore you have Travelled far. The
green banks mean nothing to you
longer people them with Indians
and fairies The dinner bell lacks
melody and you are critical II not
finicky about the food. John and
Mary. you are no longer young. put
the state into which you have fallen
to the outlook on life which you have
come to take on. You like - be
bored. You wouldn't feel quite easy
if you allowed yourself to be amused;
You have come to consider 1t bad
form to take lively interest In all
Of mind that is putting lines into
your face and streakinH your hair
with gray.
The next time you travel on an old
Potomac steamboat and you see child
pointing to this or that and calling out
with enthusiasm. Look at that" and
What is that" you must not rumple
and tumble your newspaper with i'm
patience. Please do not feel disturbed
and inwardly say. 'Confound the young
one. what a pest he is"' Think Of those
golden days when the steamboat seemed
to you a gorgeous and mysterious thing,
when the pilot and the engineer were
greater men than presidents and am
bassadors. when the river was wide and
deep and when your young rich fancy
peopled the green shores with InJuns.
In the narrative about the Mattano
the Rambler referred to \ little red book
published in 1882 by the owner and
agent Of that busy boat. Four pages of
the booklet are taken up with a list of
wharves and wharf agents and mer-
chants using those warves in the re-
ceipt and shipment of freight The
names Of these people ought to make
pleasant reading to the many thousands
Of Washingtonians who come or whose
came from the lower Potomac
Many of these old wharf
agents and shippers look down on US
from the skies and it may be that some
Of them are looking over. the Ram
bler's shoulder and urging him jot down
their names and spell them right The
agent at Pye's wharf and Glyinont was
G. R. ]. Hunt: at Grinders wharf E. M.
Grinder: at Posey's wharf. A. B. Posey:
at Smiths Point wharf. S. W. Adams
at Tolson's wharf. S. T. Tolson: at DilI's
WudFls y. 1HOHIdS I1cTOcFE, at stuart 3
wharf. A. J. Pemberton: at Matthias
Point. B. r. Grymes: Wilkerson's wharf,
w. S. Wilkerson: Massey's wharf, T. II.
Massey: Beale's wharf, r. Mcclure;
Mount Holly wharf. F. E. Turban: Nom
mi wharf, F. L. Unruh: Prospect Hill
wharf. C. w. HUT. Tho list of mer-
chants in that country in 1882 the
Rambler will preserve until another
time.
A fair part Of the space Of last Sum
days "ramble" was given over to the
old Washington and Alexandria ferry
boats, the Fulton, Winnisimmit. Man
haitian, City of Alexandra, City of
Columbia, Callahan and
Woodruff being mentioned. The Ram
bier also mentioned the old Potomac
steamer George Law. which retired
from the regular river freighting
trade and became a ferry to A1exan-
dr4a. making stops at City View.
which was one Of the new names
given to Giesboro point. The Star
carried this advertisement during the
of 1888: "Five-Cent Ferry
New Ferry to Alexandria-Steame
George Law leaves Washington daily