Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-06

She served long and faithfully as
boat Of business and in the mld-elghtleS
became an excursion boat Among the
scores of advertisements and news no
tees containing her name and recording
her activities the Rambler takes the fol-
lowing from The Star of June %. 1887:
There was n very interesting and enjoyable
entertainment at Marshall Hall Yesterday by
the Metropolitan NJ. +. Church and the Sunday
school. The Pilot Boy carried down 6OO ana
$50 more went by the W. W. CorcOran. There
, was kite flying by the Chinese boys OF the Sun
day school. speeches and singing by an Indian
in native costume. and other musical exercises.
One event that was quite new with river ex-
cursions was the baptism by DR.. John P. New
man of a little daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. H. y.
Keene. A really happier crowd Is rarely seen
upon occasions Of this kind. -t.
A little later in the SOS the Pilot Boy.
getting somewhat aged but by no means
decrepit, tried it's hand. or its wheels, IN
the excursion trade for colored people
and it seemed to find the occupation
profitable. In May. 1888. The Star car
ried the following advertisement:
Collingwood Beach. well known as Johnsons
Springs.-This excursion resort has been fitted
up with everything new-large pavilion dining
| room. etc. We have a fine spring of cool. run
ming water. the largest on the Potomac: plenty
Of shade on the grounds, etc.
The Pilot Boy. under command Of Capt. NJ.
White. late Of the steamer Henry E. Bishop.
has been expressly fitted up and equipped in
hrst-class order to run to Collingwood Beach
L. ]. WOODEN CO..
Care Of Cresswell's Drug Store. corner
Of 18th and F SITS.
Here Is another advertisement printed
in July. 1888:
Colingwood.-Family Day at Collingwood
Beach. 10 am. returning at pm. Gravity
railroad. flying horses. shooting and fishing
Take your children for a pleasant outing. 1t
will do them good and give them q change Of
air and scene. Tickets only 10 cents. For char
ter apply to Capt. WHITE Of the steamer
PHO. Boy. or F. Mcc. cRIsWEIL. Agent. cor
ner 11th and +.
| Coming to think It over and reading
these notices. the Rambler believes 1888
| is too early to set the Pilot Boys en-
| trance into the excursion business for
colored people. Johnsons Springs, later
Collingwood, was a picnic ground for
colored merrymakers in the early sos,
but it was probably a resort for white
people at one time. Collngwood is on
the Virginia shore, about a mile up
stream from the River View wharf The
Mary Washington used to land colored
excursions there and the Mary in her
old age also carried colored excursionists
to Motley Hall, resort which was set
up in the hills above the little bay. di-
rectly this side OF Roziers Bluff. on
which Fort Foote stands. Retiring from
the excursion business. the Pilot Boy
went into the ferry business between
Washington and Alexandria While thus
occupied she was renovated and named
the Belle Haven. in memory of the an
cient settlement on the site Of Alexan-
dria- Like so many other old Potomac
boats, the spirit Of the Belle Haven as
cended to the Valhalla of steamboats, on
clouds of smoke and pillars of flame.
Another steamboat to be mentioned
honorably in these annals is the Ar
menia- She was burned at Alexandria,
according to the Rambler's Information,
in the fall Of 1885 In the early sos
she travelled in the best society among
Potomac steamboats,. She was very
fast. But for the pace she set she might
be in steamboatland today. The Ar