Evening Star Newspaper, April 22, 1923, Page 78

Potomac Promises Big Season for Fishermen and Bo J¥i By JAMES A. BUCHANAN. HEN tho springtime comes. one's thougits naturally turn to aquatic activities and piscatorial pursuits. Boats and launches are taken out of their winter homes, painters and caulkers are summoned, and the smell of oakum and tar, as well as new paint, is wafted on the gentle zephyrs. This brings longings to the disclples of Izaak Walton and the descendents of those who salled the briny deep long years ago. Those who have the good fortune to live on or near the banks of the historic Potomac have been eagerly waiting for the time to come when they could go after bait or turn over the engine that will take them scud- <ing down the stream. Each one has. for months, been watching the pre- dictions of the sn-called weather ex- perts, thoss persons who every vear predict whether or not the spring will | be an early one. Countless reel and tackle outfits have been overhauled, new flles ordered and homes ran sacked for the togs that,one wore | in the spring and summer of 1922. | Yes. the garments that did duty on the last weeks of that season were not neglected, for now agatn | there comes & Dbiting spell that sen the lighter garments into the discard, | and then, too, there is always the vrospect of & ducking and heavy | clothing often staves off a cold | During the last two months there has been much activity along the waterfront, and the yachtsmen are preparing for a happy season. many of them, no doubt, in anticipation of the many conventions that are coming | this and emulators of Sir| Thomas Lipton #nd Gar Wood are d termined that their fricnds from other parts of the country shall be shown what a real river is like. The men | who, while in other cities, have | bragged of the fishing that Wash- ingtonlans indulge in, have to make §00d on the wonderful storfes they told while away, and they are leav- ing one stone unturned order to give the visitor the time of his life Perhaps there is method in their mad- and | ye | lockers this narrative has to do with yaclht ing clubs on this side of the rive: particular attention will be paid tc the latter organization. Before attempting to describe the Capital Yacht Club one should em- phasize the fict that the Corinthian is an organization of mueh merit, and | while it does not specialize on large craft, it has produced many boats that have given a good account of them- selves in the many races in which they have been entered. P HI Capital Yacht Club was organ- tzed in 1892, °the time when white wings were the motive power that carried one down or up the long runs of the Potomac. In those olden pe- riods men sought to construct craft that would make for speed and com- fort also, and history has recorded tile names of move than one member of the club as designers and builders of saillng vessels, showing a clever- ness that was not excelled even by the & England shipyards. The Capital Yacht Club has under 4 ten-year lease the ground along the water front at the foot of 11th street southwest and on the plot is an up- to-date clubhouse, 2 marine rallway and other things that are essentlal to the modern vacht club. The plot of ground covers 15,747 square feet. The first floor of the house contains shower baths and a supply room assembly ro with a cheery open Greplace around which the local tars| may &it and spin their yarns, for all men who love the water are prone to gather and discuss the subject that is near and dear to their hearts. There is & men's club and a retiring room for the ladies who come to par- take of the hospitality of the mem- bers. A large porch extends along the harbor front and on parts of each side of the building. In addition to the ground that has been leased. the club has taken over, for a period of five years, the marine railway operated by Mr. This is on ground adjoining the club- soned sallors of the great New | Bennett. | | | | On the second floor 18 & large | THE SUNDAY ‘STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, 'APRIL "'22,' 1923—PART 3. Great Water Pageant Is Proposed for Shriners’ Week—Skilled Navigators on Rosters of Local Yacht Clubs—Numerous Palatial Craft Visit Washington During Year—Speed Tests Will Bring Crews From Middle West and Pacific Coast—Ex-~ perienced Fishermen Describe Best Spots for Angling. \ at | swift waters below Chain briige and will last about two or threeweeks. The perch will follow the shiad, and the shad and herring are on the way to the headwaters of the Potoimac at the present time. They come wip In | the spring season to deposit - their | spawn ana then back to the deen sea. Rather a strange thing, but one mever sces or hears of a shad between, the seasons. H “During the summer and fall the fishing grounds for the perch, hagrd- | heads ana Norfolk spots are to! be tound at the steel plant, Rock Palint and Benedict—in fact, many otfher places in the deep waters of the Ro- | tomac. : “The bass season will open May @0, but the best time for angling for the | tass will be after September, whe the frosts and cooler weather dri | them up into the small creeks a | tributaries. Aquia creek, Chick | muxen, Gunsten cove, Nanjemoi and | Mattawoman all afford excellent basa | fishing.” | Probably one of the best known authorities in Washington In regard to the best spots to fish is B. Victor Brown of the War Department, who, in discussing this fascinating sport, said: “An excellent spot for bass, and catfish is in Widewater, is in the old canal. and Chain bridge one during the sea- son finds the herring that has come up there to drop its spawn. These fish o not bite and it is necessary to | 'snag’ them—that is, to get them with | pronged forks. From the New bridge to the Chain bridge one finds white perch, the advance guard of which |can generally be found around | Flether's and in the deep water near Bolling rock. “In this locality, around about the time that the locust blooms, may be found the bLig rockfish, and in this same locality catfish may be caught during the winter months. Around the Hen and Chickens and off Forty- Foot rock one also is reasonably cer- tain of a good catch of bass, perch and catfish. perch which At Little Fallsg Owners plentiful there now as in forme years. The grounds just off tho steel | plant may be properly termed as good ground for perch flshing. “In the Eastern branch there fs bass practically all during the winte: One reason for this may be that the | steam from the power house creates what s known among fishermen as ‘the stream’; in fact, one would be justified in calling it a little gulr | stream. Here, also, we find fisher- | men pulling from the water carp du {ing practically every month of the year. And speaking about carp re- minds me that upon several occa- slons while walking around the Tida! basin in the early morning hours T have seen a number of negro fisher- men using a rather unique devi which consisted of an umbrella rib to which was attached a bell. The fisherman could doze off to sleep and only need waken when the fish pulls the line, causing the bell to ring. “Plke may be caught in the canal and in the river Just off Fletchers. “Sometimes mullets can be found i the little streams and shallows where they have come to spawn. It is ger erally necessary to ‘gig’ them they are hardly ever caught. The seem to have the ability to suck th bait off of the hook. “As one proceeds down the he will find around Morgantown ‘lonfal Beach, Leonardtown, Point and Patuxent white hardheads (croakers), rocl ! water trout and crabs. I co { those who enjoy fishing particular blessed in having near them such e. { cellent fishing opportunities as provided by the Potomac river. An interesting matter in conr with fishing is the 80 far unexpla ed fact that a shad will not bite «: hook, nor has any one been able . state where it goes between seasons The answer to this question has be for vears eagerly sought by men, but even the most experi wielder of rod and line has not able to solve the riddle. Rocl per fishe nc. been ner mo . LL during the sum: extending well into the fall tie be numerous conventions visit house and it affords the members an | opportunity to have their craft haul- ed out of the water and repalred. ness, for it affords an excellent op- N the locality of Pan rock i portunity to get away from the homne e ey Al . I quite sure of landing some of | will for a few more days' fishing than friend wife generally allows during n One could not be dis courteous to the man who, with his ife «o handsomely entertained them t winter. Every Indication points to much in- terest in speed boats this year. as the | racing fever hit a lot of the boat | owners last vear ar | season. las d ail during the | winter months they have been las 3 thelr plans for gettng the great- PALATIAL YACHT LY est possible speed out of their pet craft. Many have had their old en- sines overhauled and others have stalled new and high-powered mo- tors that lift the bow up out of the water and cause a boat to hit only the high spots, as one of them ex- pressed it the other day. * % % x REPARATIONs Mave been under ‘way for some time to hold a mon- ster pageant for the visiting shriners and their ladies. Men who have wit- nessed water carnivals in other cities have been putting their heads to- sether in order that Washington may present a spectacle that will long be remembered by the folks from out of town. Those In charge of the ar- rangements will not disclose just what their plans are. They shake 1heir heads and maintain an alr of sécrecy that indicates they have something up their sleeves that they do not desire to be made public, something that will eclipse any effort that has ever been made before. In addition to the great flesta that is belng arranged by the members of the vacht clubs there will be a big regatta and many stellar events will be staged. The members of the Southern Rowing Assoclation have reason to belleve that some of the cracks from the Pacific coast will enter. Clubs in Duluth, Detroit, St.: Touls and other places are expected ‘o send racing crews. In additlon tol the program that is belng arranged there will, no doubt, be many special events carded before the signal is given to dip oars in the water. Hand- some trophies will be presented to the winners of the several events and the rivalry that already exists™ be- tweent the cities Is 5o keen that the clubs in different sections of the country have, for weeks past, been working their trainers overtime to set out the very best material that could be found on the rosters of the different organizations. 1t is likely that the Secretary of the Navy will permit the entrance of the famous eight from the naval academy at Annapolls as one of the added at- tractions, and if 80, thousands will have an opportunity to see these husky lads, each of whom has an jdea that he will be an admiral some day and lead our fleet to victory. According to all reports, the eight that the academy has this year is one of the best that has been at An- mapolls in many years. . The swimming organizations will be out in full force and many of the cracks of the country are expected to participate in the events, The largest two yacht clubs are the Corinthian and the Capital Yacht Club. The former is located on the Virginia side of the river near the eite of the famous old Long bridge, yhx%u TOW DUS-SMNEMOTIAd N | The operation of tils raflway is un- der the supervision of a marine rail- way committee, of which Oliver Bright is chairman. Tie clubhouse. landing wharves and other improvements cost in the rcighoorhood of $18,000, and for its size the plant compares very favor- 4Ly With those of many of the clubs on the coast of Long Tsland. At present the club has seventy- k25 OF THE CAPITAL YACHT CLUB. five active members and twenty-four assoclate members, many of whom some time during the season are to be found enjoying the privileges of the club. The dues have been placed at a figure that is not excessive when one considers the many advantages offered. Tn the days when salling craft were the vogue the colors of the Capital Yacht Club were in the lead at the end of many a race. and old-timers—that is, comparatively old-timers—can remember when the Freya, Serana, Nenemoosha and others showed a gap of water between them and their competitorg in the races in which they had been entered. * k¥ % OR a number of years the Chesa- peake Yacht Racing Asso- clation, of which the local body is a member, staged cruises, and these events were looked forward to with much interest by and commodores. Of late vears the sailing vessel has given way, to a large extent, to the motor-driven craft, as the power boat affords many more hours of outdoor enjoyment and there is but little chance of being “becalmed” somewhere down the the local captains| river at the time that one desires to zet back to busin | The devotees of yvachting are always anxious to take advantage of as many hours of the sport as possi- ble, and the modern craft not only Lerty | | | B oo gt 2k . DONIA, OWNED BY CYRUS H. K. CURTIS OF PHILADELPHIA, A MEMBER affords an opportunity for many more | hours on the water. but also permits | the exploration of many of the creeks | and bayous that could not be sailed| through when the pleasure boat was | a windjammer., so to speak | Of course, there are those who still! stick to canvas and they delight to)] sit and tell of the races that used tc take place oft Indian Head. They | are fond of telling how this or that| craft won by a few seconds and how | they had to hang out on the side of W CLUBHOUSE OF THE CAPITAL with a draft of 12 feet S incles. Her cruising radius is approximately 6.000 miles. The yacht is cquipped with a wireless and every other appliance that the modern navigator decms a necessity. The living quarters of suest. captain, officers and are so fitted s to give the atest amount of comfort Two other boats that last year bore tiie colors of the club were the Tech owned by former Senator T. Colema: DuPont. and the Victoria, the prop- of former Senator Juseph S. Fre- tnghuysen One that a n for owner, crew . the members of e club go these floating palaces. There arc many other craft smaller in size, but as well appointed that fly blue and red pennant example, the Sunshine, > D. W. Foreherg, and the Merapl, | owned by Wi m M. Mooner, \\'am1-l The Merapi has carried tinguished guests on wee! down the Potomac. She over all. with a beam of 10'; feet, and can, with ease. make a speed of 12 miles and miles, applied in this | srticle, mean nautical miles which are | imagine many dis -end cruises is 50 feet| the yacht in order to keep the craft | from capsizing. The Capital Yacht Club numbers among its active members men who own vyachts that may be properly termed floating palaces; for instance, the Lyndonia, owned by Cyrus H. K. Curtis, the well-known publisher. This yacht is capable of sailing the seven seas without the least hesita- tion and her cruising radius is suffi- cient to cross the Atlantic with ease. The craft stands forth as a master- plece in yacht design and in it is em- bodied every feature that will in any way lend to comfort and stability. She has an over-all_length of 230 feet with a water-line length of 200 feet. Her breadth molded is 30 feet, | about one-sixth greater than the land mile of 5.280 feet. Mooney's craft is | | s0 arranged as to carry, with comfort, seven guests and its owner. A well- appointed galley enables those aboard to partake of three or more, if de- sired, well-prepared meals each day { during the trip. In case of bad weather, the boat is 8o arranged that a superstructure ean immediately be placed in position so as to protect YACHT CLUB hoard from king of the waves ove those on brea! the the bow rain or HE officers of the « rdore, s W Forsberg: commodore, J. Ma: ir retary-treasurcr. | Dosle: treas- urer. Lyman F. Hewins: flect surgeon Dr. Thomas E. Latimer: board of di- rectors, chairma J. Maury Dove, Doyle, Lyman F. Hewins ey, H. H. Lewis, E F. house committee Oitver I David Weaver, F Miller: committee on admissior ge L. Sullivan, chairman; Gcorge E. Bright, R. E. Burnham; regetta committee, Dan Thew Wright Joseph Hines, W. L. Radecliffe, Sabborn, R. E. Audros; auditing com- mittee, L W. Purs®l, chalrman: W, A, Davis, Luke C. Strider: enter . W Sheapard. chair Frelinghus ub arc: Com- G vice chalrman; cha Cruit; marine railwa L. F. Hartley, cha Hewins, Daniel L publicity committee, H. H. Lewis, chairma The club has always had am members experienced navigators. For instance, Paul C. Whitney holds a master's license that permits him to sail on any ocean or any sea. William W. Grier served with honor in the late war, and at present is a lieu- tenant commander in the Naval Re- serve Corps. One must not forget A. O. Clephane, licutenant. United States Navy, and Lieut. H. G. Kubel, air service, both of whom gave their lives in the world war. In former days, many of the craft were built by members of the club. For instance, the Bright boys, G. H. and Oliver, Dan Thew Wright, Clyde Cruit, and Lymap F. Hewins, naval architect, all produced vessels that gave a commendale account of them- selves, both in pleasure jaunts and in regettas. Every member of the club studies more or less for he has to master the coast and pilot rules, the location of buoys, how to pass them, the different signals that are employed, and it is no unusual thing to see a number of the members of the club busily en- gaged during the evening . perlods, studying the charts made by the Coast and Geodedlo Surv In the winter months most of the boats are pulled into some protected place and stay there during the more severe weather. Generally, protective logs are placed around them, in order that the pressure from the ice may be uniform, for If the pressure were not equal it would cause a jamming of the ice with resultant damage to the hull. hauled out of the water and placed in sheds or covered with heavy tar- paulins. . el HE Capital Yacht Club is in no sense a social organization. It does not have pink teas. The yachts- man is not in any danger of belng pinched for speeding and he goes where there are neither speeding laws nor traffic cop: | Collingwood | freedom and democracy that only the water can bring. Ome must not gather. however, that all the cruises are stag, for many of the big ones, but they are there on for a short time. Here big rock may be caught, but almost invariably one can only land them early in the morn- | ing, and my experience has been that | the most attractive baits to use are| pieces of finger ecls, herring gills or| | a piece of red sill “Over in ittle river one catches vellow perch, and occasfonally a bass, ing Washington and numerous larg bodles of sightscers visiting the tion's capital. There will, no do: be among these hundreds of t sands of visitors many who I heard not only of the beauties of 11« city, but also of the magnifice sights found along the banks o Potomac. There will be hundreds w will be entertained aboard hous na the members take their wives With | a5 these fish run into this branch of | boats, yvachts and speed craft; ma. them. On these cruises the woman forgets for the moment the artificial pleasures of modern existence and instead of shimmery, fluttery, ribbony ;| things, she looks far niftier in her little yachting suit than in a ball- room gown. She may hunt for her vowder nuff when she is leaving the boat, but while on board she forgets that there is sush a thing. Instead of being content to nibble at a sand- [wlrh one-eight of an inch in thick- ness d a tiny cup of tea, she de- velops an appetite that brings the color to Ler cheeks. a sparkle to her eves and a new interest in life. Let us look at the man side of it. He backs his boat out of slip and heads for open twater. A puff of clean, fresh air, back go the shqul- | ders, the cobwebs are blown from the business worries fade awar, out comes the @ld “jimmy” pipe. and as he jogs along, the only bumps he gets are when the sea runs FIFTY-FOOT SPEED BOAT. THE MERAPI, OW NED BY POSTMASTER WILLIAM T. MOONEY. high and then he puts on the oil- skins and lets the spray pelt him in the spray that somehow seems to | revitalize the Dlood, the spray that seems to produce a brighter and a clearer view of the wonderful thing we call life. The sport enjoved by those who are members of vacht clubs or sail “on their own” is mot confined to merely gliding over the smooth water or plunging through. wind- tossed waves, for there is the shoot- ing season that starts September 1, and there are the marshes and shores that abound with reed birds, rail, vellow legs, plover, snipe and wood- cock. Then November ushers in the ducking season, and the migratory bird law has succeeded in making the Potomac river a veritable sports- man’s paradise. In additich to the sports mentioned —salling, vachting and boating—all of these afford an opportunity to those who desire to lure the members of the finny tribe from their lair. The Potomac river gives many op- portunities for the fisherman to en- Joy, to the greatest extent, his favor- ite pastime, 80 let us briefly run along the course of the river and its tributaries. K ok Kk X EFORE attempting to describe the different spots where the fisher- man’s heart can find & haven it will of post office fame, who say “Rockflsh or striped b may be found in great quantities in the spring of the year near Chain bridge ranging from four pounds to thirty pounds. During the summer and fall the large fellows are to be found near the steel plant; also around the light- house at Maryland Point. he perch season will soon be at | the rtver to feed. Over in the Tidal| | basin one catches bass, rock and verch. At Oxen run during the i month of June one can catch vellow | [ perch or bass in the fall. Near Fox | ferry there is good fishing in April| and May, and here one can hook what | many call the ‘strawberry’ bass. At Sheppards landing the fisherman may | be reasonably sure of landing a good | mess of perch (white or yellow),| rock, bass or catfish. as well as eels. | In Four-Mile run there are still some yellow perch, but they are not as' ] (Continued from Third Page.) not to be compared with those ex- | pected when the occupation was first | discussed. And the recent announce- ment that the soldiers who should have been demobilized the 1st of April would be kept in service for an | |additional period of two months has | created a real uneasiness throughout “lhe country, particularly among the |peasants. This, despite the fact that |every effort was made to lessen the | purport of this decree. | This doubt, of course. was immedi- | ately made known to the administra- {tion, which appreciates keenly how |simple a matter it is for 2 movement |of this character to cause the down- {fall of the government. Likewise, | the admjinistration knows that its de- | |cision to hold the classes now in| | training met with some opposition lin political circles as well as among | | the independent press. Its opponents | asserted that the government should | I have prepared its plans with enough | care to avold a decree which would | [noz fail to undermine the mora)s of | | the French people. 'He administration realizes that it who will visit points of historic terest to the south of this eity; each and all who view these poir will carry with them the memorie of a generous hospitality, of da: fraught with pleasure, and a rive that not only affords many and varle. forms of entertainments and sports but one that casts a spell of pleas urable content around one. The year 1823 will, from every ing! cation, be the greatest year for fishe men and lovers of aquatic sports tha: Washington has ever known. [ et i IRUHR PROBLEMS FROM INSIDE not far distant, will be necessary tu find 2 way out of the impasse. * As to what form this interventio will take and what solution it will provide, that is too difficult a politica problem to permit more than mere conjecture at this date Supreme Court and Its Justices (Continued from Fifth Page.) and courtesy combined in the highes dedgree. Speaking of Garfield, re an amusing incident which followed this first address. It was during the hearing of the celebrated treaso: case of Bowles, Milligan, and Horse: They had been tried by a milit commission and condemned to death shortly before the end of the civil war. President Lincoln commuted the sentence to imprisonment in the Columbus, Ohio, penitentiary. Therr they sued out a writ of habeas corpus. on the ground that the civil courts in Indiana were in unobstructed opera tion at the time of the trial, and lcivilians could not be tried by mili- tary courts when the civil courts were In the Supreme Court the must show a definite result to the | °Pen the face—the spray that has a tang, | | French nation or the opposition will | tmmedlately strengthen. Should the cabinet be compelled to have recourse to some drastic measure such as the already considered recall of five old classes to the colors, the government would probably be defeated on the first occasion. This is the present dilemma of the | {administration. Shall it continue’its policy of moderate actlon today with | the probable result that it will incur | the dissatisfaction of the nation or g5hall it carry out the occupation in more severe fashion, which would have a dangerous reaction at home as well as convince the world that France was Imperlalistic? On the other hand the political sit- uation of Germany does not appear any better. And while officially en- couraging all sorts of resistance from the German people, the government of the Reich realize that resistance has failed to attaln any of its ob- jectlves, and that it is certain to weaken in time. Neither has it driven the intruders back nor has it really Britain and France. The attitude of the United States has not grown more favorable to Germany as the result of the occupation, as Berlin had hoped. The little echo which the re- cent address of Chancelor Cuno woke up in your country seems to have added a new note of bitterness to the melancholy of the disappointment previously shown in the comments of the official press on the present at- titude of the great nations toward the cause of Germany. Negotlations have never occupied as important a position in the Ger- man press as since the chancellor declared that there could be no ques- tion of arbitration. And there is a growing bellef among those in close The smaller boats are|;,+ pe amiss to quote “Bill” Mooney|touch with the political situation in Germany that while the Reich is bending every effort to provoke gen- eral strikes and increasing the re- sistance, this Is but a clever maneuver on its part in order to put itself in the best possible position for a dis- cussion of a settlement. The situation of the Ruhr, in short, has reached & point at which it does not appear unlikely that diplomatic There -1s & |its height st-Fletcher's.and in.the]intervention from without, and that affected the relations betwcen Great ) | were represented by Mr. McDonald of Indiana, Jere. Black, and Gen. Gar- |fleld, while the attorney general | Henry Stanbery, and Gen. Ben. Butle appeared for the government. | It was a case that attracted wide attention, and all the seats inside the bar and in the lobby were filled soon as the court opened. While Ga fleld was speaking Senator Garrett Davis of Kentucky and Judge Sharkey |of Mississippl came in. The seats | were all full and I sent a page offer- ling them the two chairs at my desk When Garfleld closed, Butler aros and began arranging his papers. Sen- ator Davis turned to me, asking who he was. I replied that he was Gen. Butler, when in a rasping volce, dis- tinctly audible, the frascible Ken- tuckian said, “What, is that Beast Butler?” “Yes” 1 responded, “he fs some times denominated the beast.” “Where ts my hat?” ou have heard onc side, aren'| you going to hear the other, Sena- tor?” “What, stay and hear that old spoon thief? No, sir; no, sir.” All this was audible to Butler. The senator went out, and when Butle concluded his argument, he came up to my desk, and smilingly sald, “The senator was a little vexed.” He then asked for a pinch of snuff from the box that was always kept wel supplied That snuff box, by the way, had a history. It was purchased, it w |said, by Roger A. Taney, when he took his seat as chief justice. He was addicted to the habit of snuff taking. Jere Black, regularly after closing u speech before the court, called for & pinch. Wayne and Grier, so far as 1 observed, were the only justices who used the contents of the box. e Rhubarb Conserve. To each pint of fresh rhubarb, peeled and cut into small pleces, add one cupful of brown sugar and let it stand for two hours. Add half a cupful of seeded Taisins and the juic: of one lemon. Cook this slowly until the desired consistency is obtained Place two Young sweet or rose gera- nium leaves in the bottom of a tum bler and pour the hot conserve over them. * -