Evening star., 1938-04-03
By John Clagat Proctor.

NHE report that plans have beer
completed by the National
Park Service for acquiring the
entire 1874 miles of the Ole
Chesapeake g. Ohio Canal from Wash
ington to Cumberland, Nd, certainly
sounds like good news, for this water
way passes through one of the pretti-
est sections of territory in this part
of the country. and whether it is
retained in part or in whole as a
canal, or is partly or entirely turned
into a fine boulevard, will not ma
terially alter the situation. However
the tentative scheme, as outlined in
the press for a Washington-Lincoln
Memorial Gettysburg boulevard, con-
meeting the historic Harpers Ferry
and Antietam Battlefield with Gettys-
burg, and partial restoration OF
the canal in certain stretches, cannot
help but appeal to the lovers of beau
tiful scenery and outdoor recreation,
as it will to those who have known
this old watercourse for many years.
Indeed, in days gone by it was one
Of the main arteries of travel for those
living in the general territory through
which it courses, and even for places
far beyond, including Ohio and other
parts of the Middle West, and many
an ancestor of the present generation
OF Washingtonians first came to the
District of Columbia in one of the
canal boats that also brought COM
moditieS to this city, and to many an
elderly or near-elderly resident, these
boats are still fondly recalled for an
occasional ride taken in one of them
to Cabin John Bridge or to Great
Falls in the balmy summer season
during their childhood days.
THESE boats were not all drawn by
mule power, as one might suppose,
for some were driven by steam power,
and it was in one of the latter kind
that the writer recalls having made
q voyage" to Dickey's and to the
surrounding country for one brief
days recreation. How amusing it was
then to enter the locks and wait until
they were filled with sufficient water
to raise the boat to the level of the
canal on the upward journey and to
enjoy the reverse operation on our
way home.
Unquestionably, the present mode
Of travel is great improvement over
what it was so years ago, but after
all, taking an excursion on a canal
boat is we'll worth remembering, and
1t had its good points, too. for today
we lose much of the beautiful scenery
of the country through which we pass
because of the high rate of speed we
ordinarily travel.
The custom of giving excursions up
the canal evidently began at an early
date-perhaps when our grandparents
or great grandparents were children
for we find recorded in the National
1ntelligencer that line of passenger
boats began running on this canal as
far back as 1881, and a special event,
heralded by the Metropolitan as being
of much Importance, took place on
July 4. 1885, when President jackson
and his cabinet, the foreign Ministers
and about SO invited guests, took an
outing in a canal boat-described as
an "all-day trip"-up to miles above
Great Falls. The Marine Band was
taken along ito enliven the OCCASION"
and it is quite likely that Peggy ONeal
went along, too, to grace the occasion
and that Gen. Eaton assisted the
President in entertaining the crowd,
although their names are not spe-
cifically mentioned
THIS event is well covered by the
- Metropolitan on July IL, 1885, in
the following account:
"The president and directors of the
canal company invited the President
Of the United States and a number
OF ladies and gentlemen to take an
excursion up this canal on Thurs
day last. The party consisted of
about so persons, among whom were
the Vice President, members of the
cabinet, foreign Ministers and other
gentlemen of distinction. We left
Georgetown at half-past eight in the
morning in handsome style the ex-
cellent Marine Band of music playing
various delightful airs as we quickly
glided along.
"Our attention was soon attracted
by the bold enterprise of constructing
= canal upon the side of a long range
Of high, steep cliffs of rock forming
the north Of the Potomac River. The
stupendous stone wall embankment, 40