Evening star., 1928-06-02
c. & 0. WATERWAY
HISTORY REVIEWED
Centenary of Famous Canal
Being Celebrated Today
With Picturesque Display.

Shifting scenes Of a century will pass
In review this afternoon and this eve
ming, starting at $3.50 O'Clock at Wis
consin avenue and K street, and lasting
well into the night. in the celebration
arranged to mark the centenary Of the
starting Of the historic Chesapeake &
Ohio Canal.
Under the guiding hand Of the Pro-
gressive Citizens Association of George
town. aided by the Community Center
Department Of the District public
schools and other organizations, COL
orful and Kaleidoscope sight will be
presented. In the review will pass fig
ures in the costumes of 1923, many of
the women arranging to wear the raj
ment Of their grandmothers; the canal
boats that piled between. Georgetown
and Cumberland. Md, in their hey
day; President John Quincy Adams
turning anew the first sod of the great
inland waterway enterprise; the Ma
rine Corps Band, community picnic
supper. display Of airplanes to show
the strides that transportation has
made In the past hundred years, a fire.
works celebration, and in the evening.
at the old Aqueduct Bridge in George
town, large community chorus seated
In canal barges, singing the old-time
songs.
Chief Event at Chain Bridge.
The hub Of the celebration will take
place above Chain Bridge and this side
Of the District line on the banks of the
canal about 4:40 O'Clock, with President
Adams, impersonated by Rev. DR.. Earle
NJ "a
Christian Church. turning the soil.
AS vital link with July 4. 1928, the
date the ceremony was actually held,
descendants of persons who had part
In the historic happening will be pres
ent today. Representing the tow boys
who trudged with the mules along the
tow path, Georgetown bound or toward
Cumberland adown the years, Will be
william Earnest Grimshaw of 1923
North Capitol street. Charles Ruby
will appear as his ancestor, Judge
Henry Ruby, prominent official OF the
canal company at the time OF Its or
ganization, and DR.. Andrew Stewart
will represent his forebear. Representa-
tive Andrew Stewart Of Pennsylvania,
one of the canals founders. Mrs.
Clement w. Sheriff, whose great-uncle,
Col. John Stewart Skinner. was men,
in 1928, will likewise participate In to-
days ceremonies as the representative
OF several patriotic societies.
Feature OF Music Program.
The Palisades Chorus, organized for
the occasion by Miss Mary K. Lazenby.
chairman of the committee on recre-
alton OF the Progressive Citizens AS
aociation, will be directed by Mrs. Ruth
Fuller McCloskey. The chours. which
Is composed OF 60 selected voices, wiii
render Moore's Meeting Of the Waters.
which was sung at the ceremony lOo
years ago. and other songs OF the
period.
The chorus will be taken to the scene
of the soii-turning In canal boat, the
original plan TO have the Marine Corps
Band so taken having been altered.
The band will be at the scene when
the pageant arrives. under revised plans
made public today.
At the turning of-the-soil ceremony,
a gilded spade. such as was used at the
original ceremony. will be utilized. The
general committee for the pageant. OF
which Mrs. Fred r. Dubois, president
of the Progressive Citizens Association
of Georgetown. Is chairman. said that
no implements used at the original
ceremony are available for use today,
Mrs. Marie Moore Forrest. chairman
of the executive committee for the
pageant, said today the celebration will
20 forward as scheduled, unless rain
makes II physically impossible TO hold
il, Mere showers. she explained, will
not halt the progress of the pageant.