Evening star., 1942-08-16
BY John Clagett Proctor.

BY John Clagett Proctor.
what fine afternoon it would be to
take dip in Rock Creek" thought the
writer to himself the other day, when
the weather was up in the nineties and
he watched a crowd of colored urchins
splashing, diving and swimming in the
fountain in Franklin Park, and his m,nd
wandered back to his own good youthful
days when he thought nothing OF walk
ing mile or more most any Gay in
summer for a refreshing swim in the
creek.
OF course, this delightful stream is not
the same as it was so years and more
ago, for the volume Of water that once
flowed along its course has long since
decreased, as much of the rain that
once fell in the surrounding territory
now finds its way into sewers, and many
OF the springs that once added to its VOL
ume are now dried up and no longer
discernible.
All, yes. 1t does take a great deal OF
courage, after many years OF absence
from some particular locality. to try to
pick out the same old swimming hole
where you early began your swimming
days by first learning to swim dog fash
ion. But this is what the writer did one
afternoon more than decade ago. When
he sought the location OF Big Rock in
Rock Greek. OF course, he found it.
1t was in an obscure and isolated place
on the east side of the creek. perhaps
not over thousand feet south of the
old stone quarry, and the old Quarry
road. 1t protruded from one to three
feet out OF the water, depending upon
the height Of the stream at the particu-
lar time. and it measured on the surface
about by s feet.
However. as it usually stood little too
high out of the water to grasp and to
raise ones self up. recourse for the pur-
pose was made to a smaller rock only
short distance north of the larger one,
which no doubt many of the boys of the
late '70s and 'S0s will readily recall.
To get to Big Rock was not an easy
thing then, but, on the contrary, 1t was
quite difiicult, and especially so for the
smaller boys. The path leading to this
famous swimming place-where, by the
way. every one wore the same kind Of
bathing suit he was born in-was around
a series OF steep hills, separated by little
valleys over which 1t was difficult to
climb, usually requiring the grasping of
heavy vines or tree roots for assistance
in gaining the other side.
Upon one occasion the writer had the
painful experience of being jostled by a
larger boy at one of these points, which
caused him to fall some Is to 20 feet
down an incline to the bottom of
ravine, receiving in the many revolu-
tions he made a cash in his forehead
which resulted in scar he carried for
many years afterward. 1t so happened
his senior, was with the crowd upon this
particular OCCASION and 1t took consid-
cradle apologizing upon the part of the
larger boy who caused the accident to
keep him from getting good thrashing.
Reaching Big Rock
There were two ways of getting to
Dag 1tOSAs OAAO wdc Ny way Va ~AoAAJ
road. and the other through Milk House
lane. The former is partly still on the
map, though separated by Lanier place,
where the old road is abruptly cut of
and its continuation gained only by way
OF . long cement stairway. But Milk
House lane is practically lost, though it
quite likely followed the course OF what
is now Ontario road, which runs from
Columbia road to near the creek.
Its significant name no doubt. had its
origin from the fact that along about
where Adams Mill road intercepts On
tario road--or rather, about where On
tario road reaches the Geological Park
there was an old but unpretentious
house, in which family lived and kept
cows-and dogs and other things. In
order to get to Big Rock by this road
1t was necessary to pass close to the
house and dairy buildings, and because
the cattle and dogs always looked sort
OF offended at intruders the boys ordi-
narily avoided this route and only used
it when there was quite a number OF
lads In the party. Before and during
the early sos there was no other house