Evening star., 1940-10-13
(Tpo pages of photographs in
today's RotograUure Section)
BY RUDOLPH KAUFFMANN III.

today's RotograUure Section)
BY RUDOLPH KAUFFMANN III.
If you don't like to carry a cano
about as we'll as to paddle it, you't
better confine your canoeing to leve
sections of the c. q o. Cana
where there are few locks. At leas
until the Office of National Capita
Parks figures out some way to hell
the poor, tired canoeist around th
18 locks which exist between Ke,
Bridge and Seneca, Nd.
Also you might try to outgues
the weatherman and hit sum.
weather instead of a cloudburst.
A canoe trip from Seneca Il
Georgetown over that section of th'
canal which has been reconstructed
and filled with water since 193
had been planned since last spring
After several postponementS, brough
on by leaks and breaks in tn,
newly rebuilt canal banks, We
started on our trip-the writer
Elwood Baker, Evening Star pho
tographer; Don Strausbaugh. Sta
messenger; Donald E. McHenry
park naturalist. and Abbie Rowe
park employe and canoeist eXtraor.
dinary.
Started at Rushville.
We had two canoes, couple oi
tents, food, cooking utensils anc
the usual camping paraphernalia
We also had a special permit from
the parks office to build fires, cut
flrewood, etc. No permit is needed
to canoe, but to camp, yes.
We launched the canoes at lock
% where Rushville, a canal COM
pany settlement, once stood. AL
traces of Rushville are practically
gone. A canal company tavern and
other buildings once stood there
From 1880 until 1888 Rushville was
the upper terminus of the cana
and a bustling community. 1t was
named in honor of Richard Rush
who in 1881 negotiated loan from
Crommelin Brothers. Netherlands
banking concern whereby the cities
of the District of Columbia-Wash-
ington, Georgetown and Alexandra
were able to subscribe to $1.500,-
900 worth of canal company stock
The first section of the canal COM
pleted was from Little Falls to Rush
vile.
Thrice during the Civil War Col
John S. Mosby of Partisan
Rangers" fame, crossed the Poto-
mac in the vicinity of Violet's lock
and raided Union positions. The
third raid, on July II, 1864, was in
cooperation with Gen. Jubal A
Early's attack on Washington.
Pass Game Refuge.
Leaving RuShville We padded
through one of the most beautiful
stretches of the canal. On one side
the Potomac dashes over rocks ano
around a hundred and one small
islands while on the other rise the
sheer cliffs of Blockhouse Point
where a Union blockhouse to protect
Washington against raids stood FOL
many years.
Huge sycamores. oaks and elms
tower over quiet canal waters, the
latter trailing their branches only
few feet above the surface
Herons, wild ducks and other wild
life fed as the Maryland State game
refuge below Blockhouse Point was
passed.
Mr.. McHenry estimated that SOM
of the sycamores we're over l5O year
old and were healthy youngster
when workmen built the canal III
years ago with the slogan pitts
burgh or bust lending extra punch
to picks and shovels.
The canal, due to irresistible com
petition from the newly born Baltl
more 81 Ohio Railroad, never wen
beyond Cumberland, but old map
show how scores of locks were t.
have lifted the waterway over tn
backbone of the Appalachians AM
down the Youghaheny and Monon
gahela Rivers to connect with tn
Mississippi River system.
Travellers of the 1905 preferred
when going from Georgetown t
Leesburg, Va, to take the packe
boat. Charles Fenton Mercer. whicl
in the early years Of the canal pile
from Georgetown to Rushvill'
transferring there by ferry acros
the river to the Leesburg coach.
Ad In 1881 Paper.
The Mercer, according to an ad
vertisement in an 1881 copy of tn
Globe of Washington, left at 7 an
from Georgetown and returned t
Georgetown at sunset. Fare to Grea
Falls was 37l2 cents, to RushVlll'
SO cents, and to Leesburg, 81. Break
fast was 3114 cents, dinner, SO cent
and supper, 25 cents. Wine ran fror
so cents to $150 bottle.
The packet boat advertisement
fanked by one placed in the Gloh
by the Washington-LeeSburg Coac
Co. This is embellished by a lin
drawing of coach drawn at break
neck speed by four snorting horse
But to get back to our own tri
our troubles began at lock %, Penni
fields Lock, as it is called Sine
Congress failed to appropriate
penny for maintenance and opers