The Washington times., 1929-08-24
Timee staff Phote


particularly to have him turn them
around IL he wants to see some
fancy driving.
OF recent years the Maryland TO-
bacco crop has been steadily gaining
in favor. Until short time ago
virtually the entire crop was ex-
ported to France, and the French
merchants, having monopoly. paid
what they liked for the product. Sut
recently the crop has become ia
nous as blending agent for other
tobaccos. the market has widened.
and the Southern Maryland farmers
are enjoying increased prosperity.
Still they stick to their oxen.
To give one an idea of the age
of the settlements through which
one passed. it should be mentioned
that Calvert county was erected
in 1854, more than century
before the War of the Revolution
was fought.
On through several small towns
the tourist passes, and. if he has
been able to Withstand the side
trip lure, he reaches Prince
Frederick, county seat of Calvert.
The county seat was established
here in 1925, and the town still
abounds in old homes and mansions.
Where Warships CIashed
Near Prince Frederick, a truly
sleepy town, runs Battle Creek.
fierce of name, but mild of man.
ner. Here, during the war Of 1912,
British and American warships
clashed and many cannon balls usei
in the battle have recently been
lifted from the bottom by oyster
tongers. Within a short distance
of Battle Creek is the estate ON
which Roger Brooke Taney, former
chief justice of the United States,
was born.
Resisting side trip to Plum
Point, on the left, and another to
Broome Island on the right, the
tourist swings along over fine
roads through Port Republic and
Rollin to st. Leonard. Calvert
Beach and Kenwood Beach could be
made by short trips, but a one.day
trip restricts the tourist to the
straight and narrow.
Close by st. Leonard runs st.
Leonard Creek, another little stream
which in the war of 1912 was the
scene of a battle between a British
flotilla and American boats com.
manded by Commodore Barney. Near
st. Leonard, too, Is another place of
great interest, Preston-on-P Patuxent,
or Charlesgift, which was the first
Protestant capital Of Maryland. ser.
wing in that capacity from 1853 until
1853.
But the tourist must get on after
merely a cursory examination. ami,
while all along the route he has been
driving between a river and bay,
he soon comes in sight of water for
the first time as he approaches
Solomons Island. The first signal
that he is nearing the island is a
distant view of the smokestacks OF
two German ships interned during
the war, and now moored and left
to rot in the waters of the Patuxent.
The native water-going men can't
seem to understand why the ships
are. left there to perish instead ct
being utilized. The Kaiser's suite
aboard one Of them is the object OF
awe among the inhabitants Of the
little fishing town.
While to most Washingtonians
fishing at Solomon's Island is
simply a pleasant diversion or
sport, to the natives it is a means
of livelihood. 1t is necessary TO
cross bridge from the mainland
to reach the island, but it is pleas
ant driving. and soon one is in the
center of the fishing community.
Fish and oyster houses dot the
'shoreline. and the narrow confines
Of the island give habitatfon to the
few hundred permanent residents
and the thousand or more tourists
and visitors.
Food for Gourmets
1t is suggested on this trip that
the tourist stop for luncheon at
Solomons Island. Many of the
houses offer meals and there are
several small hotels. AT any one
of these places the motorist viii be
served a lunch which would make
a days food for any man. Great
heaping platters of fish, smoking
hot, will follow the delicious crab
soup. ~
The fish, however, is merely an
every-meal incidental in this Sec
ton, although its freshness would
make it delicacy. anywhere else.
II. H..