The Colorado statesman., 1922-06-17

There is Little stout-roofed
stout-slded, one-ronmed cabin on the
top of rocky hill overlooking the
Potomac river for many miles from
| Washington. 1t is fine place to
go when the senate is discussing
the tariff. because the change gives
one full opportunity to learn that
there is something interesting and
beautiful left in this world of ours.
The soil of the island hill on which
the cabin stands seemingly is poor, but
from it the wild flowers spring readily
and the trees rise sturllly, finding
foothOld and suStennnce where both
seem impossible. The birds and sew.
eral species of mammals have claimed
the place for their own. but they have
shown no resentment of the intrusion
of the few persons who on occasion
seek out the spot, for the human visi'
tors are kindly disposed toward all
forms of the wild life.
You tramp along smooth highway
to reach the base of the hill on which
the cabin stands. 1t is IL fine walk.
bordered with the things which nature
gives to man in the hope that he will
show appreciation and she gives Them
year after year. nothing discounte-
nanced by the fact that only one man
in fifty gives a nod of recognition for
her bounty.
The locusts and the tulip trees,
heavy with flowers and almost roo
heavy with perfume. line part of the
way Then there are cednrs and dog
wood and sycamores and plane trees
and naples The redbirds and the
Knockers and the cntbirds and the
brown thrashers and the Carolina
wrens and the occasional meadow
larks. to say nothing Of the humber
s'ngess in homespun. find things 10
their liking by the roadside.
Birds All Along the Way.
one traveller along the way who had
thought that the bird life of the Dis
trict was not so abundant ms the bird
life of other places, found himself IN
gross ornithological error. Perhaps
there was a congregation of the song
sters especially assembled TO drive
home knowledge of the mistake. but
he this us it may, the birds were there
in hundreds and every bird had tune
in its throat.
Almost at the outset of the walk
along the road robins note was
heard in Il plane tree. Only the casual
eye was turned to the robin, for robins
and their notes are as plentlful in the
District of Columbia us they are in
northern Illinois, but it was not n
robin it was mocking bird. which
somewhere had caught the "cheer-up'
note of our red-breasted friend. and
was trying it for himself.
He tried it three times and then
stopped TO begin again. with the un
mistakable querulous, half-snarine
note that the catbird occasionally
throws into the midst of its music
The mocker was dissatisfied, perhaps
with his cutblrd performance. for he
stopped that as he had his robin song
and then refused fatty to sing amy
more.
The trail from the meadow to the
cabin on the hilltop mounts W and III
rocky climbing way, but it is over
cast with shade. and there is no law
To forbid resting on every inviting
stone that marks the path. The last
of the wild flowers just now are bloom.
ing. The blue spiderworts are every
where The name is not attractive. but
the flower is.
Thick Moss and Ancient Trees.
The moss grows thick in places, a
protective mat for much that seeming
ly needs no protection for how can
wes ther hurt a rock or Il tree trunk
that has stood the shocks of centuriesi
Some of these trees were here when
John Smith sailed up the Potomac in
the year of grace 1908. The big trees
stand ut distance one from another
and there are little trees and rather
open underbrush in between
Where the trail starts its mounting
the ground is damp. There We're the
Canadian warblers with their gold
fronts and their necklaces of hlHck
beads With them were the masked
Maryland yellowthroats. calling weird.
ly from the thicketS: "Witchety
witchety, witchety." The Maryland
yellowthroat is one of the gems OF
birdland. 1t is exquisite in its color
ing and as exquisite in its manner and
vet this bird for some reason lodged
well within its own breast, frequently
builds its summer home in the heart
of the despised skunk cabbage.
From the cabin on the hill one looks
off across the country upon primitive
forest There are trees in it worth |
while. 1t is one patch of woodland |
that has escaped the saw and the
AK. and If the temper of its present
owner holds, and If the temper of his |
descendants are us his, it will escape !
come.
Learning Architecture.