Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
GAIN we have before US the sad
spectacle, the annual spectacle,
\ of good seaworthy boats being
laid ,iy, for q Winter that fs far

n Of good seaworthy boats being
laid up for Winter that is far
distant. Already motors are being
drained and seacocks shut on, batteries
lugged home to the cellar and covers be-
ing draped over cockpits. The fair
weather yachtsman withdraws into his
hole and hibernates.
Not that this is at all irritating to the
true boatiac, however. He rejoices. He
is able to- drop the hook in creek or
cove with the certainty that his slum-
bers will not be disturbed with radio
or photograph and enjoy an afternoons
fishing without having sand chucked
into his hair and ears by gamboling
children Clarge and smalD. He worries
not when the wind shifts around to
nor'west with howl and thump at 2
o'clock in the mroning, for he is sure
that any other craft in the vicinity are
well anchored and manned. Mote
The fair-weather yachtsman seems to
be entirely incapable of using. big
enough hook or dropping 1t property
There are number Of satisfactions
derived from late boating. The boatiac
may pass great RATS of wild fowl
ducks, geese, swans-and enjoy their
skittering take-offs and formation
flights with satisfaction and Joy, for
there will be no casual fair weather
yachtSman present to dash below and
emerge with little Juniors twenty-five"
for the purpose of attempted damage
of these feathered folk. Only too often
We find (and see the deed accom-
plishedl a wounded or dead gull or
duck, the target of some BOBBY shoot
ing just for the fun of it." During this
season the great herons have come in
for considerable share of this target
practice" and many Of us have come
to wonder what sort of man it is that
shoots, shouts gleefully as the feathers
ny, and passes on, leaving the victim
either to die miserably or limp away
with crippled leg or pinion.
Just few weeks ago Commodore
johnson Of the Washington Club arrived
back at the club float in a bitter rage.
after trip down river, displaying the
great wing of fine blue heron that
he had removed from a still bleeding
bird found floating on the surface. Two
craft had but recently passed and the
evidence, though purely circumstantial,
was conclusive. 1t Is regrettable that
open and closed seasons do not apply to
hunters OF this type as they do to the
heron, duck and goose. There are MANY
boatmen at present unarmed that would
immediately procure the largest and
most powerful scattergun obtainable.
What fun it would be to pick of the
offender from his own afterdeck!
+ +
The red triangle on q white field of
the youngest of our local clubs the
Columbia. is much in evidence these
br1sky days down river. Last week end
we saw Commodore Bakers new flag
ship, Vemo, at anchor behind Deep
Point, along with Polly Wog (Cap'n
McLaughlin) and Adrian Steers Adonis.
For once the Leathernecks failed to
nave the situation well in hand. Two
retired "Gyrenes"-Col. H. G. SNYDER
and Capt. McCaughtry-were held in
Mattawoman Saturday morning in
Semper Fidelis by the stiff Nor-wester.
The going was too rough to be COM
Portable. Baked, but not defeated.
tney returned to anchorage and made
great mroads upon the fish and crab
supply behind the Point, continuing on
Sunday for Cobb Island and a try for
blues.
Yes, we have radio, though we do
campaign against them. We are not in
the class with those who vote dry and
drink wet, however, though the
metaphor is bit distant. Ours comes
on occasionally for time signals and
weather reports and Frank Crumit and
Julia Sanderson.
But what we intended to bring out
If we could make our meaning at all
clear was that after a prolonged con-
temptation of wind-swept and moonlit
waters with the sound in ones ears of
waves on q gravelly beach and wind in
swaying trees it is folly, rank folly to
snick on the little button and expect
anything other than fioorwalker-typ
voice intoning South leads the four
OF spades, East taking the trick with
the king" Or that's the way it always
happens with us.
\ 4 4
Good old civilization. Smudgy, dirty.
gassy civilizationl How surprising 1t Is