davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1938-04-24

ings made the place look like little
Western mining town. Today Silver
Spring has all the earmarks of a city.
It is city, with its Seco Theater.
And that very busy intersection where
the Seventh Street Pike and Colesville
Pike join hands has the same traffic
problems they handle at Fourteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue and
Forty second street and Fifth Avenue.
Here is where two cities start reach
ing for each other-and some day
you're going to see them joined. No
foolin'. Old Seventh street pike-or,
if you will, Georgia avenue pike-and
Columbia pike are really just getting
the first whiffs of glory that is to
come. At the moment, excavation is
going on there for the building of a
beautiful picture theater, shopping
center and parking space. It marks
another pioneer movement destined
to make that point the gateway to
the newer Washington-Baltimore de-
velopments seen on hand. You can
hear the rumbles Of new day dawn
ing in the song Of the steam shovels
To-day, to the left Of that busy in
tersection stands the building that
houses the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission Of Montgomery
County. When you want to visualize
what's coming in the way of great
things ahead just stand there some
day and look out. You'll note that
this busy intersection is direct
starting point for Bethesda, Md, the
main highway to the West-that it
swings you over the beautiful East
West Highway, where Johnny Gheen
has his famous riding academy, the
Meadowbrook Saddle Club. That's
where all the great horse and dog
shows are held each year. That East
West Highway, by the bye, makes for
one Of the grandest drives in this part
of the country-and 1t starts at the
intersection Of George avenue ex-
tended and the old Colesville pike"
4 s A PIONEER, Mr.. Cochran can
4 not keep his eyes of the Coles
vile pike. All down that long lane
he sees what has been done by
persons who, like himself, were imbued
with. the pioneer spirit. There Is, for
instance on the right Of the pike Mrs
KS Toll House Tavern. A few years
Evening star., 1938-04-24
Bv John JQv D0Iv.

w YHEN they start passing
\A/ around medals for pioneer
w ing, S. E. Cochran, for
wears manager of the Ma.
Evening star., 1938-04-24
Famous Names of Stage Associated With
Founder in Strong Bid for Lead
in Popular Entertainment.
country-especially summer theater."

country-especially summer theater."
What are they?" he was asked
First of all. the plays the thing"
he quoted. The theater to house it
should be as artistic as its settings,
rooted in its entirety. with a honey
porch around the whole affair. That
will have adjustable glass windows to
serve as protection against too cold
or inclement weather You see, we
hope to run this theater-when we get
started on regular schedule-from
spring to Indian summer.
Then there must be q restaurant.
In that we are fortunate, since a build
ing on the site has already been oper-
ated in this capacity. It will be en-
larged. naturally. Lunch and dinner
will be served, for all hands; tourists
as we'll as theater patrons.
Formerly known as Woodlawn
Lodge, there is enough housing room
on the grounds to take care Of all
those who will be associated with the
theater. In fact, we can have every
thing We want, once we get started
and that won't be long"
Along with Ethel Barrymore, also
associated with Mr.. Cochran in this,
his latest theatrical venture. is Harold
c. Smith, attorney and Judge Of the
Police Court at Rockville. Md, who
realizes that this pioneer Washington
theaterman is absolutely right in going
out to Montgomery County with his
project.
II am not only pleased but I am
honored to act as president of the
Olney Theater Corp" Judge Smith
says.
A IL sorts Of possibilities lend them
selves to this venture, as Mr..
Cochran explains-and he mentions.
with enthusiasm, stunt attractions" E"
BY that he means revivals of old op-
erettas, and some of the better known
musicals-such as the Victor Herbert
operettas, using the best voices Of
Baltimore and Washington music stu
dents with important stars in the
leading roles
Il could talk about it all night, Of
course" Mr. Cochran admits, But all
I want to say now is that one of the
great dreams Of my lifetime is about
to come true"
Just an old pioneer pioneering again.
Evening star., 1938-04-24
qtdh he oil Ohio nCond
CANAL TO PAY AT LAST IN RECREATI
First Presidents Dream Long Ago Overwhelmed by Rivalry
New Chesapeake Ohio
Cancels sand

songs Of birds, the distant roar Of
water through the gorges Of the Po-
tomac, broad stretches Of shady, lush
grass, wide sweeps Of still water, COL
orful structures Of another less ef-
f1cient age. The area includes rural
villages. scraps of old-time farms and
orchards. wild, almost primeval forest,
quiet leas and charmed bowers.
And through the whole, still stretch,
stand the ghostly sentinels Of long
dead engineers and artisans. 1t is
to the successors of these men that
the project probably holds the greatest
interest. A layman can enjoy the
form OF the locks and their tenders
cottages, an artist can see the chang
ing tones Of century Of seasons
IN the old stone walls and the long
still gates. But an engineer will fully
appreciate the skill of the men who
cut their way through a wilderness
to erect those massive masonry locks,
aqueducts and tunnels.
This is one phase which will be
preserved largely as museum of
engineering history. Above Seneca
and its massive three-arch aqueduct
there will be little restoration. Only
the outstanding structures will be re-
newed and preserved But some of
these are engineering masterpieces.
There is the great aqueduct Of seven
huge masonry arches which carries
the canal across the mouth OF the
Monocacy River. And the tunnel near
Paw Paw, between Hancock and Cum
berland. This is more than half
mile long. perfectly straight and lined
with dressed stone masonry which
is in perfect state of preservation,
Evening star., 1938-04-24

away from the heat of the city. where
they could go for relief from business
worries. where they could relax.
To this end, the true pioneer Sc
lected a site that would have been
passed over by the ordinary man bent
on giving the public what it wants.
Steve Cochran selected a gorgeous
plot of ground just halfway between
Washington and Baltimore-two cities
that are rapidly growing together; old
towns which are fast becoming twin
cities, somewhat like st. Paul and
Minneapolis.
That Steve Cochran has the vision
Of the pioneer is proved by his past
ventures, but when he went out toward
Olney and took over the tract of land
there that will eventually house his
summer theater he did nothing more
nor less than bear out the experiences
of his boyhood.
Born in Brightwood, Steve Cochran
has seen the northern part of Wash
ington-and the eastern part, too
grow at an enormous rate. So fast II
is almost amazing.
In those days, when young Cochran
was knocking apples off trees ou,
Georgia avenue way, Brightwood was
the end of the earth.
As the caravan rolled THROUGH
Brightwood the other day, taking the
inquisitive to the site of the new
theater, Steve sat back in the ton
neau Of big automobile and recalled
that shuttle-car line ran from
Brightwood to Silver Spring. The
roadway adjacent to the shuttle-ca,
line was q dirt road and many time.
Steve Cochran kicked up the dust on
that road with an air rifle. As he re-
called 1t, for the edification Of many
newcomers to Washington, he shot
birds on the site Of Walter Reed Hos
pital, played Indian out where the
Sheridan Theater entertains movie
fans, and where apartment houses now
line old Georgia avenue Steve went
hunting for quail.
SILVER SPRING in those days was
trading post" Mr.. Cochran re-
calls-"a trading post for farmers who
came from distant parts of good old
Montgomery County to swap wares
with buyers from Warrington.
Where nothing but wooden build.
Evening star., 1938-04-24

as not to interfere with restoration
of the canal and towpath as they
were originally Certainly the Great
Falls Tavern, famous as a spot of
beauty and notable point his
torically. will be repaired and used
once more as tavern. Whether or
not it will be equipped to handle
overnight guests is another of the
decisions which must wait while.
IN ALL, the % miles of restoration
will offer a magnificent escape for
those who would like to forget their
machine-age limitations.
If one has never explored the canal,
even in it's present dilapidated condi-
ton. he cannot fully appreciate the
wealth of beauty offered along the
old route. There are hills, rocks. huge
trees, banks Of wildflowers, the gay
Evening star., 1938-04-24

New Cochran Pioneering Venture, Midway
Between Washington and Baltimore,
to Include Dramatic School,.

what promises to be a grand pioneer
ing venture on the part of Steve
Cochran
AS the caravan passed through
Northwest Washington on the way to
Montgomery County, Md, talk turned
naturally to Steve and his pioneering
days of old-when he was the pioneer
bat boy for the Washington baseball
club, at the ripe old age of g.; when
he was pioneer ticket seller in the
National Theater, 81 years ago: when
he was the boy manager of the same
theater. some years later, and when
he pioneered what Washingtonians
remember as the grandest summer
stock company that ever performed on
street.-The National Theater Play
ers, from whose ranks came Broadway
and Hollywood stars.
That's not the half of it," George
Vivian recalled, for he had heard
stories of Steve Cochran as a bare
foot bay trying to get into the notion
picture business.
CURE enough, it developed that lit
tie Steve Cochran was a Snowman
from the time he began to toddle.
When he was only IS years of age he
tried to promote motion pictures, but
because of his youth experienced men,
in the theatrical world would not
listen to him.
Motion pictures?" they laughed.
"Only a novelty. They can't posi-
bly, last" Today they come very near
being one of the largest industries in
the world.
And to prove that he was right in
at the birth of the industry-and right
when he said the pictures would go
PLACES. E. Cochran has a permit,
issued by the late Fire Chief Wagner
and countersigned by Henry Litch-
field West as Commissioner of the
District of Columbia, giving the boy
the right to operate q motion-picture
machine. That permit bears the date
October 20, 1909. A pioneer? He was
the old mole himself, looking-not SO
blindly, either-for new earth to
excavate.
It won't be long-certainly by the
1st of June-before Steve Cochran
breaks ground for his latest pioneering
pre-: set, that summer theater out near
Olney. It will be known as the Olney
Theater.
For three solid years, the former
manager of the National Theater has
visualized, dreamed about high-class
professional summer theater, where
plays may be tried out, with stars In
the lead roles-stars at work in their
leisure moments. Also dramatic
school, in connection with the theater,
where children who aspire to the stage,
radio or motion pictures, can be
trained properly-under competent
professional direction.
This latter part Of the project should
prove "a natural; for ever since leav-
ing. the management. Of the National
Theater Mr.. Cochran has been actively
engaged in running his own National
Academy of Stage Training-where
George Vivian, one Of the real Shake
spearean stars, is director. He has
portrayed % Of the bard's characters.
WHEN the pioneer theaterman be-
w gan mulling over thoughts of a
professional summer theater he saw
IL not only a. . theater in itself. but
cultural center WHARF people could get
Evening star., 1938-04-24

with the present Mount Vernon boule-
ward on the Virginia side of the river.
There are ways to reach the canal
by automobile, however. OF course. it
is crossed many times in Georgetown,
the most northerly point being Key
Bridge. Great Falls gives another
point of contact; road from Rock
vile connects with Seneca, and there
are numerous points along Conduit
road from which the canal is but a
short walk. Chain Bridge road paral-
lels the canal.
PLANS for terminus In Washing
ton are still in q formative state
and very sketchy. There will be some
provision for s boathouse and other
facilities at some point close to trans
portation to make access easy. There
probably will not be provision for a
large automobile parking area, but all
Evening star., 1938-04-24

ago that was supposed to be far out
in the country. Today 1t has all the
aspects Of a town house, set in a
beautiful Handicapped garden - and
women who once went downtown to
play bridge and have luncheon now
60 instead to the Toll House Tavern,
because it's nearer to the homes
Of Chevy Chase and Bethesda, and
those points to the north and east
Of Silver Springs fascinating center
Of activity-the intersection of the
Georgia Avenue-Seventh Street pike
and the Colesville pike.
That road. too, was a dirt road
when was one Of the first members
Of Tom Moore's Indian Spring Coun-
try Club" Mr.. Cochran recalled, as
his gaze ambled down the old Coles
vile pike.
Nowadays, Colesville pike-at the
aforementioned intersection-k a 100
foot-wide cement highway. It's the
country come again to the city.
Down the road bit, after leaving
the Toll House Tavern, the Common
wealth Farms come to view-where
chicken dinners were famous years
ago. And out in that neighborhood
too. Sam Rice, the old ball player
has got himself one Of the finest
farms in the countryside. Nearby are
the Pheasant Farms Restaurant. and
q little farther on is Sandy Spring
home OF Jack Bentley. the great Giant
pitcher. who broke into baseball when
Steve Cochran was bat boy. Later
Steve saw Jack come back to pitch
against the Washington baseball team
in 1924, as a member of the Giants
with Walter johnson as his opponent
and the two men today are the best
of friends.
IT REMEMBER the day I first saw
Walter Johnson" Steve Cochran
recalls. He joined the team at Green's
Hotel in Philadelphia-and you talk
about your gangling youths. Boy, he
was 1t. Sir Walter at that time looked
like real rube. Fresh in from the
sticks, he wore big, black sombrero-
like the old Texas sheriffs used to
wear. His pants were baggy at the
knees and hit him high above laced
top shoes. High-water pants we used
to call them, and his little black tie
looked like glorif1ed shoestring
Washington was finishing its series
Of games at old Shibe baseball park
against the Athletics, and Billy Leh-
man-William A. Lehman who Is now
in the Record Once at the Capitol
was assistant to Billy Fowler, who
combined the treasurership of the
National Theater with the treasurer
ship Of the Washington baseball park
Billy Lehman always Travelled with
the team-and this day in Philadel-
phia Billy, who probably saw me smil-
ing at Walter johnson said, Boy,
there's going to be the greatest pitcher
that ever broke into baseball"
"Oh, yeah?" I said. or words to that
effect. I've heard that before. You
see, was q smart kid. Well, a few
days later Walter johnson stood up in
front Of Detroit and lost his first
game, 81, being relieved by Long Tom
Hughes"
COMEBODY asked Mr.. Cochran, care
you going to have baseball dia-
mond back Of your theater?"
Mr.. Cochrane smiled: "rd like to
have . race track there, too, If ]
could; but I believe we'd better stick
to the theater and all the adjuncts
that make for good theater In the
Evening star., 1938-04-24

HEN tney start passing
AA/ around medals for pioneer
wv ing, S. E. Cochran, for
years manager of the Ma
tlonal Theater, will probably get one
OF the biggest in the collection.
Ever since he was boy Steve Coch-
ran has been a pioneer. So inti-
mately is he connected with the
science of pioneering that the other
day. when he announced the project
OF his new summer theater, George
Vivian, the Shakespearean actor, threw
back the lapels Of his coat and de-
claimed:
well done, old mole!
Canst work i the earth so fast?
A worthy pioneer!"
Though Shakespeare placed the
words in Hamlet's mouth vars and
vars ago, and George Vivian when
he played Hamlet spoke them in the
ghost scene-Act 2, Scene they are
highly appropriate for the man who
is out on the pioneer trail again.
"You just cannot keep a good pio-
neer STILL" Mr.. Vivian recalled, as he
looked over the prospectus of the
Olney Theater Corp, a sizable tract
that sets forth Steve Cochran's latest
ideals and ambitions-a summer thea
ter on the Columbia pike exactly mid
way between Washington and Balti-
more.
Steve hopes.to get them coming
and going" concluded Mr.. Vivian
coming from Baltimore and going
to Washington or going from Wash
ington to Baltimore"
IT ANY rate Washington and Bal
timore-between them-are to en-
Joy something new in a theatrical
enterprise. It will be the first and
only professional summer theater of
its kind in this vicinity. When you
know, as you must know, that the
great Ethel Barrymore is to have a
hand in the venture, then it's worth
contemplating.
So bunch Of the boys, theatrical
men and women, newspaper scribes,
photographers, went out that way the
other day to look over the site of
Evening star., 1938-04-24
BY Ralbh McCabe.

TINE dream of the city dwellel
for place of sanctuary from
the summers heat, gasoline
u fumes, the roar of motors ano
the screech of brakes is within the
grasp of Washington
The rehabilit itation of the old Chesa-
peake &, Ohio Canal as great recrea.
tional project has aspects which can.
not but appeal to lovers of rural
beauty.
In the first place, engineers and
planners of the National Parks Serv.
ice are careful to point out that the
project is not to be considered as a
parkway There Is to be nothing
''parkiied" about it. The project
primarily. will be to restore the Sec
ton of the canal between George
town and Seneca, Md, as it was the
day it was completed.
There will be no gravel walks, au-
tomobile drives or modern benches.
The tow path will be repaired as if it
were to be used once more by mules
tugging rounded-end boats along the
leisurely way. In the years since the
canal was abandoned some lovely trees
and bushes, as well as much brush and
weed growth, have sprung up on the
narrow strip between the path and
the canal. The better plants will be
preserved unless the path is to be
actually used again by the mules, in
which case they will have to go to
allow the passage of tow lines.
Final decision on the matter of the
mules still remains for the future, as,
indeed, do many other decisions con-
cerning the details of the plan There
undoubtedly will be one or two excur-
sion boats operated along the % miles
OF the restored waterway. These may
be actually towed as they were IS
years ago, or they may be equipped
with some type of slow motor.
At SENECA, just below the old
aqueduct by which the canal
crosses the mouth of Seneca Greek, is
q dam which raises the level of the
Potomac enough to supply the canal
with water A feeder lock and a grade
lock are situated just south of the
adueduct. These will be altered in
such manner that canoes may leave
the canal and go out into the wide
water of the river. This opens up
many miles Of smooth water and
gorgeous scenery, as we'll as giving the
travellers a more picturesque view of
the aqueduct, one of the finer scenic
assets of the canal.
Ihe locks, OF course, must be re-
stored to maintain the water levels.
The lockhouses, those dramatic little
stone structures so popular with land
scape painters and amateur photog-
raphers, also will be put in their
original condition.
Whether the locks will be manned
or not is one of the questions still
to be decided. Many of the old-time
lock tenders still live in the vicinity
OF the canal, and it is very likely they
will be given their old jobs back, at
least on part-time basis. One plan
being considered is to man the locks
on Saturdays and Sundays and at
other times when traffic may be heavy
but to keep them closed when only q
few canoeists may be out. In this
case small crane probably may be
mounted on the stone pier Of each
JOCK, making it easy for a person to
life his craft to the higher level with
out bothering to unload and portage
Some OF the old Lighthouses will be
used as refreshment stations, with
picnic grounds laid out in such a way
Evening star., 1938-04-24

RUT the restoration of the full
length of the canal is beyond pos
sibility in this age. For one thing, the
cost would be enormous. And the
constant danger of floods would make
maintenance a terrific burden on the
Governments budget. At the present
Evening star., 1938-04-24

time enormous tree trunks are rest
ing athwart the sides of the Monocacy
aqueduct. high above the normal level
Of the river.
This is the very reason that there
Is no possibility Of highway being
built along the canal from Seneca to
Imperial Valley press., 1938-02-02
Editorials and Comment
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 193s
News Behind the News
- Steel Prices and WAGES

WASHINGTON question whether the
price of steel be made to go down without
an accompanying reduction in wages OF steel
workers has become a crucial issue inside the
New Deal
The antimonopoly crusaders have that as
their aim, and believe that the answer will de
termine whether their recent campaign has
meant anything not. The situation Is no
end involved in a maze of preSsureS and coun-
ter -preSSureS. both in Washington and in the
higher councils of industry and labor But no
matter how involved it may be. it's something
TO watch
The issue has been tossed to the New Dealers
by President Benjamin F. FairleSS of the U. S
Steel Corporation, who has said:
IT is clear that prices cannot be reduced
without a corresponding reduction in costs, of
which wages are the most important part
This followed appearance of Tom Lamont
member of the Morgan firm, and John L. Lewis
generalisSimo of organized steel workers at the
White House. Lewis is supposed to have Joined
in a warning that agitation against high steel
prices drove off buyers. who believed prices
might drop Lamont is supposed to have said
that prices might be cut cautiously if enough
demand could be stimulated.
New Dealers shooting at steel prices insist
those prices are way out OF line; that the in
dustry priced itself cut OF the market; that
steel labor represents only 229 per cent OF the
finished product
Lewis, meanwhile is seeking to negotiate
renewal of his union contract with U. S. Steel
which will involve no wage cut
The price of steel you may be sure is def
initely involved in the political future of Assis-
tant Attorney General Robert H Jackson. 1t
is he who has led the administrators furious
charge on monopoly and monopoly prices and
it is he who would get the credit for the first
big break in the enemy lines.
jackson, abIest figure in the New Deal ranks
according to Roosevelt. other New Dealers and
many Sideline obServers-haS been built up by
his friends and supporters-including F.DR-
as the 1888 candidate for governor of New York
a key post in the forthcoming elections. Not to
mention his appointment solicitor general
Naturally he became out-in-front target
for the united fire and undercover work OF
numerous other unannocnced candidates and
the politicians who support their aspirations
As the report spread about that he also
Roosevelts choice to succeed himself in the
White House the lineup against him became
even stronger, since there are many conserva-
tives sworn to fight any effort by Roosevelt to
influence nomination OF his successor. The
presidential report is based only on RooSeVets
friendship for Jackson and his desire to see
him become New Yorks governor