Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-07-01
Correspondence of the sentinel.
BERRY's DISTRICT, Montgomery Co., !
June 30. 1859.

AN'Ni DiSAhiti, AlOHlHDUl'T1 70,
June 30, 1859.
Having recently spent week in roam
ing over this orderly and well behave
county, and hauled up in this southeast
crn district, the spirit moves me to dro
you an account of my observations an
impressions. Many years have rolled b
since last travcrsed "'old Montgomery.
In the days of my boyhood and youth
visited it quite often, and spent man
pleasant hours among her kind and hos
pitable people. In 1880, when | wa
first blooming into manhood, | enjoyed
delightful time at q camp-meeting he'll
near the Federal Meeting House, plac
then located some three or four mile
south of Rockville; and at that time til
names of all the prominent Montcomri
ans of both the old parties were quit
familiar to me. At present can call t
mind none Of the lions of that day nov
living but Maj Geo Peter and DR.. Wash
ington Duyall, both old friends of your
and members of your party. Dir. Duval
is resident of this district, living,
believe, not far from ColcsyilIe.
Thirty years ago, those parts of Mont.
gomery with which was most familiar
were situated between the turnpike lead
ing from Washington to Frederick and
the "big" Patuxcnt river, and, at that
time, it was regarded as a sterile and
unproductive region of country. Indeed,
the entire county of Montgomery was
then everywhere spoken of as the "Sa-
nara of Maryland" Such, however,
have been the improvements made in
agriculture throughout this salubrious
portion of the county, that | was scarce
ly able to realize that had ever before
passed through it. There was nothing
| could now recognize but those streams
of water, with their romantic hills, which
were familiar to my youthful vision. The
hand of Improvement has made its mark
almost everywhere. Fields, once turned
out as unworthy Of any further attention
of the plough and the hoe, have. again
been gathered under the farmers pro-
tccting fences, and bear evidence Of great
productiveness. These wonderful chan
ges in the appearance of Montgomery
county are attributed to the discovery
and introduction into our country Of qua
no as fcrtilizing agent, and if this
article has contributed SO much to the
renovation Of what | may term the worn
out and discarded barren wastes of this
region, how earnestly we all should pray
that its supply may prove incxhaustible
AS you would doubtless like to hear
what your Democratic friends of the
county are talking about, | will endcavol
to tell you. During the last week and
for some time previous, they appear to
have been very much exercised" about
the choice of candidate to represent
this district in the next Congress. Al
most every Democrat met with from
one end of the county to tho other, was
warm and enthusiastic in the advocacy
of the claims of Col Geo. w. Hughes
On Saturday last the different districts
elected delegates to county convention,
which meets at Rockville next Saturday
to select three delegates to represent this
county in the Bladensburg Convention
This district and Cracklin are said tc
have elected Hughes delegations, and
from all could learn from the people al
large during my journeying through the
county, the other districts have also
chosen Hughes delegates.
VIAToR.
Mr.. EDIToR: Fortuitously the &C,
companying communication, published
m the Baltimore Republican" from
Berry's District, in this county, has
fallen into my hands, and which wish
you to publish for the cdication of the
readers of your paper. Its extraordina.
ny statements in regard to the political
affairs of this county, | think, call fol-
correction.
l was fully aware that men in the
Federal Offices, high and low, were max
ing great exertions, both at their home
in Washington, and by travcrsing the
county in person, and by their agents,
to carry this county Cor Col. HuGuEs-
the reward for which is conjecturcd to
be the indefinite retention of their own
places, with others for their friends and
/ have no doubt this traveller, "Viator, y
is one of them for l ann sure no man,
who is acquainted with the political
wishes and sympathies of the people Of
this county, would venture to so pervcrt
the truth as to say, "that almost every
Democrat he met with, from one end oil
the county to the other, was warm and
enthusiastic in the advocacy of the claims
of Col. George W Hughes" The fact
is, Col. Hughes is not personally known
to dozen men in the county, and has
not twentieth of the personal and po-
htieal friends that either our present
distinguished representative, Gen. Tmos
+. Bowie, or that long tried veteran, II.
o. ). KEY, or the chivalrous II ARRIs, of
st. Mary's, or the talented, upright. and
brilliant son Of Charles, WALTER MIrcn-
ELL, Esq, has.
" Viator' is equally mistaken when he
says, that the several districts of this
county have chosen delegates in favor Of
the nomination of Col. Hughes. The
fact is the reverse; and although tn,
most outrageous system Of wire working