Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10

~ERTAIN members of the Metro
politan Police force are wonders
~ at catching criminals, but
when it comes to catching fish,
well. the less said the better. District
Attorney Leo A. Rover, Harry Deitz-
baugh, clerk of the Criminal Court,
Lieut.. Charles J. P. Weber, Detective
George Weber, detailed to the District
attorneys office and Detective Howard
Ogle recently visited Point Lookout on
a fishing trip. These anglers landed
20 hardheads, 90 trout. some Norfolk
spots and a big founder. After the
party had been fishing for some time,
Detective Ogle remarked: This is too
slow for me" and thereupon started
to pull in his line Much to his sur
prise he found he had fish on 1t. said
fish being a trout which turned out
to the largest landed by any of the
party. Some people are just lucky.
Donald N. Carpenter, local fishing
enthusiast, told us of a trip he made
last Sunday down the river to Piscata-
way Creek. He said he had the time
Of his life landing rock weighing about
pound each with fly rod. Car
penter said these fish weer caught in
water about three or four feet deep and
the battle they put up using ny rod
was really great sport.
GRABS have been caught in local
~ waters for the last three years.
Last Summer some were caught in
the Tidal Basin, but this year reports
reaching us say that they are being
caught on a commercial basis within
20 miles of Washington. Salt water
fish are also being caught in the Po-
tomac around Fort Humphreys. Owing
to the lack of rain there is practically
no current in the Potomac below Wash
ington, and in consequence the tides
have backed up the salt water much
farther than usual.
And the salt water Is not the only
thing that has backed up toward Wash
ington. The city's sewer system flows
into the Potomac this side of Alexan-
dria, and when there Is good breeze
from the southwest each incoming tide
brings some of this waste material
right back to Hams Point. This is very
unpleasant to the many thousands of
motorists who flock to this attractive
place these hot days and nights. espec-
tally when ones sense of smell is least
bit sensitive.
WASHINGTON is going to be In a
w few years the most beautiful city
In the world. Why not turn the
historic Potomac into one of the clean
est rivers in the world and allow 1t TO
be one Of Washington's recreational
centers, for bathers, canoeing parties,
anglers and whatever other sports 1t
can be used. Why not cut down the
sea grass along the Seawall which at
low tide Is not only an unpleasant sight
but adds materially to the odors which
continually offend motorists.
A motorist on a recent visit to ROCK
Greek Park where he intended TO spend
a few hours with his wife and small
children and eat his supper was forced
to move owing to the odor arising from
the waters of this beautiful creek. And
in this same water on any afternoon
early evening may be seen hundreds
of children wading and SplaShing water
all over them. Last year the children
were warned not to wade In Rock Creek.
Nothing has been done so far to correct
this evil, yet three times as many are
using the waters of Rocl; Greek this
year to keep cool than in past years.
THE health authorities of Fairfax
i County have warned all residents
not to use the waters of the Poto-
mac for swimming. They know how
polluted it is. Some time, somehow
something will be done to correct this
growing evil, but why wait? Must we
wait until there is a disease epidemic?
A GREAT many of US remember the
IA days when we could sit on rock
along the Potomac between George
town and the Chain Bridge and catch
all the white perch We wanted. re-
member when I could get a market
hasketfM In little or no time. Now one