Evening star., 1951-10-21
Recalling the Side-WheeIer
"reminiscences Of Early Steamboats, ond Excursions
To Picnic Areas Along the Potomac
By John CIoqett Proctor

At the Fort at this time were some
cherry trees. quite high ones. and
the sergeant in charge of the grounds
gave permission to the boys to help
themselves" Forthwith we proceeded
to do so. One of my Sunday school
companions; one who will never be
in George Washington'S class for
truthfulneSs, agreed to catch tie
branches of cherries as I threw them
to the ground, and which we later
were to divide. Up to the top of the
tree I went and laboriously began
my part of the contract. So did the
boy on the ground-for a time. But
when he had his fill of the cherries
thrown doWn-and he made clean
job of it, too-he departed. ! was
left to provide for myself, which I
did by filling all my pockets, even
to my pants pockets with cherries.
1t was quite job getting out Of
the tree. When arrived on the
ground I looked more like a dyed
egg than anything else one can imag-
inc. Cherries from head to foot, and
every pocket filled with jam-cherry
jam The boy-well I don't believe
I have laid eyes on him from that
day to this, and ! don't care to.
On the Way Home
No doubt the happiest part Of going
away from home is the returning,
and quite true this was after a long
trip to Lower Cedar Point or Colon
1al Beach, and it was indeed a glad
lot OF young folks when the band
struck up Home, Sweet Home"
Soon we were alongside of the ar
senal wall, and the vessel was using
its searchlight to find the dock, Or to
keep in the channel.
Speaking Of steamboats, on the
Potomac, it might be of interest that,
in 1913, there were no steamboats,
south Of Philadelphia. except what
is said to have been clumsy. fiat
bottomed steamboat called the CO.
lumbian," which had been used on
the Potomac to carry grain and wood
to this city. w. B. Bryan, in his ex-
cellent history of the National Cap
ital, tells us of the interesting part
played by the City of Washington
and the Potomac River in early steam
navigation. His statement also
shows that aside from the clumsy
Columbian, a vessel, the Washington
was not only the first steamboat on
the river, but one which even made
a record coming here.
it,n
river in the 70s and 80s the old
arsenal always had an especial at
traction for the youthful excursion
lists. Until the Potomac fats were
improved. the arsenal side of the
river was the only side walled in,
and the western side was only fats
and swampland.
The weeping willow trees which
lined both sides of the harbor left
their lasting impression. All sorts
OF stories are told us of these trees.
Rosa Mordecai. writing to The Star
under date of July 9. 1926, says:
Il think it is not generally known
that the willow trees that adorn the
banks of our river were propagated
from sapling brought from the
tomb of Napoleon at St. Helena by
Commodore Porter. who represented
our Government at the transfer of
the body of Napoleon from st. Helena
to the Invalides in Paris.
MY father, Maj. Alfred Mordecai,
it is said, was in command of the
ordnance arsenal. where the War
College now stands. We had the
young tree planted in front of his
Office, unfortunately too near the
pump that supplied the post with
drinking water, for the roots soon
blocked up the well, so the tree had
to be cut down. Portions were planted
all along the bank as far as the old
penitentiary, where they still flourish.
I am not sure that those on the
Speedway are scions of their oppo-
site neighbors."
The arsenal grounds themselves are
replete with history. Early known as
Greenleafs Point. they form a penin-
sula. with the Potomac River on one
side and James Creek Canal on the
other, and was probably first used
by the Government in 1903, when an
Army supply depot was established
there. One Of the earliest improve
ments was the building on both sides
of a seawall and the erecting of
buildings for Army purposes, many
OF which stood until removed in 1904
to make way for the Engineer Corps
buildings and the Army War College.
The original grounds are said to
have included 73 acres, which.
through the reclamation of SUBJ
merged areas, gives it now some
thing like 80 acres.