The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-02-04

ing ten miles beyond the river was
more billy and of a second quality, but
Strong and very productive" The
remaining three miles to the river
was good soil"
The next day, about sunrise, Wash.
ington and the directors rode from
Harper's Ferry to Keeptryst (nOw
Sandy Hook, where canoes were pro.
vided, in which they Investigated the
river until breakfast time, when they
returned to the ferry. A little later,
having then but one available canoe,
Washington, Colonel Gilpin and Mr..
Rumsey set forth with the intention
Of running through "the Spout" (ths
rapids just below Harper's Ferry,
but were dissauded because of the
frailty of their craft. Two days later,
however, in suitable boat, Washing
ton, Colonel Gilpin and Colonel Fitz-
gerald triumphantly made their way
over the Spout and the other falls and
rapids and breakfasted on the Mary
land side at Captain Smiths, where
their horses had been sent the even
ing before.
Captain Smith, whose first name
one is hardly surprised to learn was
John, lived near what is now the town
of Brunswick, formerly called Berlin,
which in 1887 was laid out by his
father, Leonard Smith, on part of q
tract of land delightfully."- called Merry
Poop-o-Day. Capt. John Smith had
been an officer in the Revolutionary
Army and was one of the original
members Of the Society of the Cincin-
natl, of which Washington was presi-
dent. After leaving Capt. Smiths the
party dined at hollands Ferry and
lodged that night at a Mr.. Taylor's
house, about three miles above the
mouth of Goose Creek and approx
mately ten miles below hollands.
On August 10, while again sailing
the Potomac, they arrived at Smiths
Ferry (now Knoxville). From there
to Lucket's Ferry the water was of
sufficient depth for boats and smooth,
except at one ripple near Lucket's
that was caused by a fish dam. Be-
tween this place and the Catoctin
ridge in Virginia, where the river pas
ses through the mountains, they navi-
gated Hooks Falls, which were not
difficult to cross except for the shall
lowness of the water and the crooked
ness of the channel, both of which
Washington declared could be inn
proved. From these falls to Noland's
Ferry, about four miles away, the
navigation, leaving Trammel's Island
on the left and Peach Island on the
right, was easy and pleasant, with on
ly shoal water in one or two places,
which the directors decided could be
improved without much expense.
The Potomac Navigation Company
was not financial success and this
particular project was abandoned, but
after the War of 1912 the policy that
Washington had sponsored a genera
ton earlier was taken up by the Ches-
apeake and Ohio Canal Company, by
which ultimately the canal was COM
pleted to Cumberland. Almost along
side rose the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road, which ultimately served the pur-
poses of the canal, but served it more
efficiently and the canal fell to disuse.
In a letter to Thomas Jefferson, of
date February 10, 1889, Washington
wrote: "a factory of glass is estab-
lished upon a large scale on Monocacy
river, near Fredericktown, in Mary
land. 1 am informed it will this year
produce glass of various kinds nearly
to the amount Of ten thousand pounds
in value"
In this same year President WASH
ington was presented with lot of the