Evening star., 1926-05-16
Water Sports on the Potomac Gain Increased Impor

backs" is the familiar term given this
ran of herring by the anglers.
The Potomac fishing season affords
three runs of herring. The second
run brings the "glut' herring. and
the tide" herring, the small variety,
is known as the third run. The tide"
herring gets it's name from go
ing up with the tide and then falling
back with 1t.
Rockfish may be found in the river
at this season. The white meat of the
rocks" makes a delectable morsel.
Then there is the aristocratic Shad
in the river at this time. And there
is nothing so pleasing to the palate
as the baked roe of a shad.
The catfish may be found in the
water of the Potomac all year. The
cats run wildly through the river,
refusing to join the other fish when
they leave the fresh water for the
salt during the spawning season.
No glorification of activities in the
Potomac would be complete without
some reference TO the romantic mis-.
tory of the river itself.
The story of the Potomac River,
in common with the stories OF most
great rivers, begins where the river
leaves off. 1t begins not at it's source,
but at it's mouth.
The name is derived from an Indian
word which has passed through the
mutations of three centuries of varied
| spelling. 1t first appeared in John
Smiths narrative of his voyage in the
Chesapeake and its tributaries. and
on his admirabl map of tidewater
| Virginia.
On this map it is spelled Pat
awomeck, according to the reproduc-
ton of the original. In the text the
variation begins at once and persists
with abandon. other writer's of
grants, deeds, wills. and letters. as
we'll as of reports and narratives"
and histories-took up the game of
varying the spelling with amusing
results, until about 100 years ago,
when. apparently by general consent :
the present fam liar form was finally
/ accepted.
It is a nice question whether the
name Potomac, or Patawomeck, as it
| first appears, was given to the river
by reason of the powerful band of
Indians on it's shores who bore the
same name, or whether these aborig
ines took their name from the river
they dominated. Inquiry into the
meaning of the word inclines to the
belief that the river was named after
the Indians.
Some one shifted the original spell
ing slightly into a word meaning
they are coming to water, drawing
| near in craft and canoes" Father
| Jacker. a Jesuit student, derives the
word from the Ojibwa word "Boto-
mey," which specifically means
swarms of newly Matched fish. which
he freely adapts in this connection.
river full of swarms of small fry
where fish spawn in shoals" Other
| interpretations are "river of swans"
and the burning pine, resembling a
council fire"
These interpretations pale, how
ever, before the more recent and
searching studies of Tooker, who. in
his studies in Indian names. identi-
| fies the word as an Algonquin term,
| "Patow-om-eke," meaning Ito bring
again. they go and come" or. by
freer rendering, travelling traders. or
peddlers." To the obvious question.
traders and peddlers of what?" he
answers with strong support that
they mined the steatite deposits up
OccoQuon Creek and bartered this val
liable mineral up and down the river.
Hence it would appear that the Po-
tomac was named after a particular
band of Indian traders on its shores.