Evening star., 1926-08-22

" HE George Washington Wake
field Memorial toll bridge,
which it is confidently hoped
i will in the next five years
span the Potomac River at
Barnesfield. near the United States
naval base at Dahlgren, In King
George County. Va, at a narrow
point south of Pope's Creek In
Charles County, Nd, will be part OF
great patriotic movement to con-
meet more closely the birthplace of
Washington, at Wakefield Manor,
with the other Washington shrines
bridge will also realize the motorists
dream of having a bridge which
would connect Virginia with Mary
land about 60 miles south of Wash
ington, at approximately the mar
rowest part of the river south of
Pope's Creek. At present it Is neces-
sary for motorists travelling from the
southern part of Maryland to Vir-
ginia, or Virginia to Maryland, to
come to Washington and reverse
their steps southwark on the op-
posite side, going about 120 miles
out of their way on roads which are
far from 1.-The Great White Way"
incidentally it may be stated that
Representative Robert Walton Moore
has been the stanch advocate of
this measure. and it was mainly
through his efforts that Congress on
May 5, 1926. passed the act consenting
to the construction of this memorial
bridge by a private corporation of
which rumor has it that Henry Ford
is the leading spirit. Representative
Moore is one of the regents of the
Smithsonian Institution, and he is
consistently friend o. all that re-
lates to patriotic and historic move
ments centered in Virginia.
The Secretary of the Navy was
also strong supporter of the SPAN
ming of the river at the proposed
points. For. since the establishment
of Dahlgren, the officials of the
Navy have found it a very great
delay and expense to connect Nor
folk and Dahlgren with Indian Head,
which lies diametrically across the
Potomac on the Maryland side. AL
though the motoring public. while
approving of this proposed shorten
ing of journey by so miles on either
side of the river would appreciate
the bridge More thoroughly If it
were not of the toll variety. still all
concerned in the matter are agreed
that for a time. at least. this trifling
expense must be added to the cost Of
pilgrimage to the Washington
country, which begins within a few
miles from the Virginia abutments of
the bridge, where the traveller will
strike the great Memorial road to
Wakefield Manor Park. now being
constructed, at governmental expense.
Much history has been written at
the exact point where this bridge is
to span the Potomac. The abutments
on the Maryland side will mark the
end Of the Algonquin trail on that
side of the river, for in the migra.
ton of that tribe from the north At
lantic region the river was ferried at
this point In the wanderings toward
the Land of Perpetual Flowers"
Thomas Nelson Page has written en-
tertainingly of this region in his
sketches of John Smith and Poca-
hontas. The old Indian ferry has
been the theme of writer's of The Poto-
mac for 200 years.
X X X X
nNE important incident recorded in
~ the proceedings of the Provincial
Court of Maryland throws an anus
ing light on legal acts in Virginia and
Maryland in the year 1859. On Sep
tember 20 of that year the court Off
cial, sent by Gov. Josias Fendall from