The Washington times., 1935-06-29
Picture of
Sylvan
Peace
By ELIZABETH oLDF1ELD

tow-path, now almost over
grown with grass and foliage.
Honeysuckle, shedding its
sweet perfume, twines itself
around tree trunks or creeps
to the very waters edge.
Blackberry bushes, heavily
laden with luscious fruit, reach
out thOrny fingers to clutch
and scratch the unwary.
Only the croak of the bull
frog as he dives into the safety
of the reeds and the occasional
elucking of hens and the bark
ing Of dogs break the stiffness.
This, today, is the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal, once de-
signed to connect the Potomac
and Ohio Rivers and for nearly
a century used as a CONNER
cial waterway between Cum
berland and Washington.
From the District line to Cum
berland, Md, only about three
feet of water remains Of the
fifteen once necessary to carry
the cumbersome canal boats
loaded to the gunwhales with
wheat, coal, fertilizer, mules and
entire families.
Sometimes a canoeiSt will pad
die la3ily along the quiet waters,
but not often, because the little
foot bridges dotting the waterway
make canoeing more perllouS
than profitable.
Locks Are Rusty
Locks have grown rusty from
lack of use and moss climbs the
high stone walls. However, the
little whitewashed brick houses
are still occupied by the oldt.Jck-
tenders who "look after things"
for SO q month. They live peace
fully in their sparsely furnished
little homes with their rough
board floors and smoke blackened
walls smelling slightly Of kero-
sene.
The company" does not supply
either gas or electricity and kero-
sene lamps, and lanterns, are used
as casually as they were SO years
ago. AS one old man who has
lived on the canal since infancy
put it:
IT amt got no use for such
modern cOntraptionS."
There are no wells in the back
yards because nobody ever
thought of digging any and it
Is not unusual to see a white
haired, overalled locktender, his
frail back bending under the bur
den, carrying trimming pals OF
water from a nearby spring.
In addition to his house, each
1ocktender is allowed enough
land to raise chickens, hogs, and
vegetables. AS the old ones are
now too feeble to tend hogs and
the young ones don't want to be
bothered, the pens are empty
save for a few dried corn husks
once a titbit priced by Mr.. and
MRS. Porker.
Naturally there's a woodpile.
And it's a woodpile to be proud
Of. None of your messy SaWduSt
and scattered logs. Each log fits
neatly into place. And the pile
is big, too. The Company" sup
plies the wood and a gasoline
saw. A man can cut enough in
one day to last him all winter.
Hand-Hewn Table
The main room in the house
takes one back a hundred years.
It is used as combination living
room, kitchen and bedroom. An
old-faShioned iron cookstove has
replaced the fireplace and the
shabby narrow cot has springs
instead Of being made of wood.
But the rough wooden benches
are there against the wall, the
table is obviously hand-hewn, and
the walls are black with the smoke
OF generations. Neatly stacked
back Of the stove are small chunks
Of woodbury., seasoned wood that
crackles delightfully."- when tossed
into the stove.
Winter winds may howl and the
rain beat steady staccato on the
roof, but the locktenders are as
snug in their little two-room
shackS as we in our Steam-heated
apartments.
Bachelors most Of them, they
seem to get along very we'll, in
deed, without feminine influence.
They cook. bake, wash and clean
and though a safety pin may re-
place that Grant button and the
house lack the womanly touch,
they are comfortable and satisfied.
One OF the canals oldest inhabi-
tantS is Charles Stewart, who first
viewed its muddy waters as
mere fodder Of two. Born in
Pittsburgh, his parents died be-
fore he was out of romperS, so he
was adopted by his aunt and un-
Gle who owned one of the most
prosperous boats on the canal.
They made regular trips from
Washington to Cumberland haul
ing hay, wheat, coal or fertilizer,
in fact anything that was Saleable
cargo.
Thriving Business
During the Civil War, when the
Union armies camped along its
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