Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21


crises of great events mingled will
breath.taking, awe-inspirng atmos
phere of the upernatural-such Il
the mental picture the term ghost!
coniures.
One Of the great charms Of thu
Capital City lies in the wealth o
romantic legend and weird tradition
that clings so tenaCiously TO 1t:
famous houses and buildings and en-
shrouds some of it's most beautiful
spots in the mystery of ghostly fan
tasy.
1t is doubtful if any other city of it
size is so stepped in superstitious
beliefs and uncanny theories drawn
from so many sources. This Is due
TO its evolution through SO MANY
stages to it's present fame and beauty
as the Wonder City of the world
Some of 1t is due TO the fact that each
OF the Nations wars has marked ar
epoch in the life of the Capital ano
each has brought about decided
change in the population and develop
ment
The patient seeker for Washington
most fascinating story OF its GROWTH
and it's history must wander through
out its length and breadth of avenues
and tree. shaded streets. through its
s,
freduented sections, and pursue its
oldest citizens for "reminiscences OF
hysone days, folks and ways. May
hap will come, as to the writer, a
rich harvest of legend woven upon
fragments of facts. emhellished with
superstition and fancy, punctuated
with ghostly performances, much OF
which has become part of the tradition
of the national seat of Government.
First known as an Indian settle
ment, a favored hunting and fishing
ground for mighty Powhatan's painted
warriors, the scene of many bloody
tribal wars, it came under white oc-
cupation already replete with Indian
imagery and symbolic myth, and
struggling village rose from the en-
hers of council fires. where tepee and
wigwam had left their mark upon the
beaten turf.
Every bend and curve of the his
toric Potomac River. from the thun-
dering torrent at Great Falls TO its
peaceful union with Chesapeake, has
Its song. story or haunted spot.
Just below Chain Bridge there are
three rocks that hold up threatening
heads close together in midstream.
and are the terror of canoelSts and
swimmers, because. around their hid
den feet, swirl fierce and treacherous
currents against which even the most
expert often fail.
THE Three Sisters" as Fthey are
called. are the monuments Of love and
war in the days of Indian supremacy.
when the bold Capt. John Smith and
his white-winged ships inspired the
sturdy protection of little Pocahontas.
In a tribal battle three young braves,
brothers, sons of the great chief of
the Powtowmacks, were tomahawked
and scalped after being tortured, in
full view Of the wigwam of their peo-
pie on the Virginia shore. Their
father had led his tribesmen on a
great hunt, their boats were also gone,
and the three young braves were sur
prised and captured while fishing.
There was none OF their own tribe to
help, and the swiftest arrows, sent
across by some of the woma7, failed
of their mark in time to prev nt the
slaughter.
THREE young maids. sisters, be-
trothed to these unfortunate lads,
watching their lovers die and power
less TO aid them, resolved to avenge
their deaths and then die themselves.
Quickly they dashed together log
raft and started across the river; but
the river spirits, angry at the melee
which had brought no victims to as
suage their rage, whipped into fury
by the buffeting of the wind, so tossed
the frail raft with it's cargo of sorrow
ing girls that they could not make the
shore where their enemies were en-
cGmped. For they had determined to
demand revenge by asking that the
three braves who killed their lovers be
given to them for husba nds. Once in
their power. they had resolved upon
slow torture safe from interference.
When the three sisters saw their
effort was hopeless, they clasped their
arms about one another and sent forth
q long, wailing curse that ended in a
death cry, and then together they
jumped into the seething water. All
night long the storm ragged, uprooting
trees and lashing the water to wild,
roaring flood; but at sunrise it's sur
face was calm. and there slowly rose
to view the three granite boulders
above the spot where the Indian maids
had found their death.
Since that day each year the wicked
currents around the Three Sisters, -
as these rocks are called, claim the
toll of those who venture too near
them. Old ritermen say that the
curse of the three Indian sisters re-
mains potent until the waters of the
Potomac shall recede and show the
feet of the rocks imbedded in the river
bottom. They also believe that both
wind and river give forth the Wailing
cry of the girls in storm before each
case of drowning adds another victim
10 the ancient curse.
As more settlers planted little towns
-, &c, .;,,I,1 1I AIx,oc
through the forests the Indians,
though bitterly resistent, were eventu
ally crowded out by the white people.
With the passing of the years came
the British and the French. later the
conflict that drew Braddock and his
men to land upon the famous rock OF
Georgetown that has since borne his
name and around which old chron
1clers have woven a story that brings
TO Georgetown the annual visitation
of ghostly company of horsemen and
soldiers.
Debarking from phantom ships, they
Chamber up the rock midst the clank
ing Of spectral chains and swords
rattle Of guns and the heavy, rhyth
mic tramp Of many feet This con
tinues until the receding hoofbeats OF
many horses. resounding family
through the darkness. announce t.
those who have heard it so many
years that they know the signs that
once again Braddock's forces have ar
rived and are on their way through
Georgetown
Through the tangle Of forest and
swamp came also young Col Washing
ton. his heart on fire with patriotic
zeal to add his military proweSs and
woOdcraft TO the defense Of the Brit
1sh forces. Stanch and loyal Tory
though he was ut that time it's sal
some prophecy of the future stayed
his hurrying steps and that as his
trained surveyors appraisinc eye took
81 the beauty of the winding river al
his feet Ranked by Maryland and Vir