Evening star., 1932-04-17

early Washjngtonian holds a more
fervent and fond recollection than the
old Arsenal grounds, where is now the
Army War College, and where has been
stationed for some years q contingent OF tne
United States Engineer Corps.
Expecjally does It appeal to those who spent
their childhood days around washington ana
who can recall the old excursion days OF tneir
Youth when they went down the river on tne
Lady Of the Lake, the Arrowsmith, the
Jane Moseley, the Excelsior, George Lea.y'
W. W. Corcoran, Armenia and the neVer-to-pe
forgotten Mary Washington, of the older vessels,
and the st. John, Charles Manchester, River
Queen and Samuel j. PentZ, OF the later coners
to these waters and Of course, a number OF
others which took in all the excursion resorts
along the river almost to the bay, and some
even continued on as far as Fort Monroe
and Norfolk.
Happy DAYS? Yes, they were our real happy
DAYS when others bore the burdens and cares
later TO be placed upon our own shoulders
Our griefs were few then and soon forgotten;
but not so as we grew older, when the splash
ing of waves along the Arsenal wall had lost
much of the earlier charm and attraction;
when the steamers searchlight did not seem
to be quite SO brilliant and penetrating as
formerly in helping the pilot find his marx 10
keep in the channel, as we neared home late
at night; nor were the willow trees that lined
the harbor nearby as green and picturesque rs
Few families, today, are intact and have not
suffered the inroads of the inevitable, for time
and tide as has been said. wait for no man.
and the evolution of time cannot be stayed for
the great or the humble
Recently the writer had nice talk with
distinguished lady whose father moved here
nearly so years ago to fill one Of the highest
positions in the gift of the Government. He
always occupied a large residence, because his
family consisted of wife and eight daughters
and in course of the talk, the daughter with
whom the writer was conversing, was asked
what became of her fathers large family OF
girls She said that six Of the eight had passed
away And so 1t has been with many Of the
old washington families We once knew, whose
members are gradually becoming fewer and
fewer, leaving the present generation Of their
children and grandchildren to carry on the
good work left undone
DUT thousands are still with US who recall
- the old Arsenal. its buildings, its stone
wan and it's trees which lined the river front.
The marsh to the west of the Washington
channel is no longer, for ii has been converted
into a beautiful speedway lined with the
famous japanese cherry blossom trees and
here too are golf courses, pony polo grounds
fields for other outdoor sports and memorial
in form of a bandstand, erected by the people
of the District in honor of its World War
dead. Some few of the willow trees grew on this
side of the river and others have been planted
in more recent years. Ducks and other birds
frequent the place with perfect freedom. for
no longer Is cunning permitted here, where
for years 1t was even recklessly indulged in.
Many changes have taken place in the river
front since Edward Hanlan, the single sculler,
beat Charles e. Courtney that balmy May day
So years ago, during which period the crews
OF the Analostans %the Potomacs and the
fight 1t out for supremacy whereas now we have
motor boat and airplane races to amuse the
1overs of sport who restlessly await the time
when we shall at least travel at the rate Of a
thousand miles an hour-1nore or less. However,
many members of the old crews are still with
us and still love to chat of the old boat club
days.
For many years the writer has known
Isadore S. Dyre, one of the star performers Of
the Potomac Club crew back in the eighties.
For long while he has been employed in the
National Museum. He is a sx-footer or more,
patriotic and obliging and as the writer recalls
it, It was due to his fine physique and his good
nature that he was induced to carry the main
flag for the Smithsonian contingent in the
Preparedness parade Of June IA, 1915 when
we all turned out to show the folks on the
other side of the water that we really meant
business.
Mr. Dyre had rowed many sculling matches;
had even rowed himself into insensibility but
he had never carried large flag a windy
Gay. After the parade had started he realized
the labor attached to the job that had been
assigned him largely because he was big and
strong but he gamely struggled along to the
end However, never before had he so fully
realized the number of years that had elapsed
since he padded his own canoe along the
river front, or played ball with the Holy Hill
boys Of Georgetown and yet he did little
no complaining; but it is a general under
standing among his friends that it would
require more than ordinary persuading to
induce him to carry a large flag up the
Avenue again-war no war.