The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-07-11
From the Newtown Bucks co, l'a.) Entcrpii'
LOWER MARYLAND.


My last chapter brought the reader to II road
in the woods, near Long. Old Fields, Prince
Georges County. And nrw let me describe IL
kind of fence much IN use here, and to be found
pretty generally from Washington to point Look
out 1t is waffle fence. As many OF our read
ers may have never seen such Il fence. descrp-
ton may not be amss Stakes are cut, chestnut
is best, some six feet long, one end pointed, and
driven into the ground. They are some three
feet apart. Then pine OF ceadar boughs are cut,
and ,raiticd in between these stakes, rs splint
baskets are made, from the ground to the top OF
the stake. Cead;!r is better than pine-he
boughs are more hattcncd, and the leaves hang
on much longer, and the limbs and twigs are
longer in decaying. We do not recollcct how
long IA good ceadar waffle fence will last, but
it is many many years. 1t makes II I" bnnkum
fence, impervious to cattle or pigs. 1t is said
that the first sign of decay in IL waffle fence, is
when the twigs become brittle, and an old SOW
can work her way through. The hogs Of this
region are perfect " iand-pkcs,' and can q go
through " almost anything. As the waffle
fences decay and settle down, new watt!es are
annually placed on top.
We are now i'll very poor region OF country,
the " Surrat's District ofPrncc GEORGES Coun-
ty. A rather barren ridge stretches through the
whole length of the peninsula, near the centre,
the best land lying on the rivers This was
once II vast ancestral manor, belonging we
believe to the CAROLS. 1t was iarmcd by slaves,
and with tobacco, until it would produce moth
ing more, and then left to nature, after being
despoled Of its timber, and what little organic
matter was in the soil Now it is slowly rccu-
perating, by the growth Of pine bushes, grad
ually going back to IL state of nature again
But occasionally Il farm is yet cultivated,
though tho cornstalks are very slender.
We soon reach rather fine looking large frame
tavern house, built in modern style, with its out
houses, &c. The hotel is Surratsvillc, noted in
the Lincoln assassination. 1t was owned by
Mrs Surrati, her husband built it. 1t was rent
ed to Il man named Lloyd. Here the carbincs
were deposited for Booth and his accumplices,
and here was their first stopping place after the
deed was done. Lloyd is no longer here 1t
is kept by large bmly rcd-hcadcd man, whom
| aftcrward heard has spent his life up to the
dawn OF emancipation, rs II dealer i'll saves-a
shipper to the South. Had his prison, would
travel through the country hunting them up
and when II sufficient number were gathered
together, would ship them Of Now his occu-
paton's gone;" and what better could he do
than keep n tavern at Surrattsvillc?
| paid so cents for 6 ears of new corn that did
my mare more harm than good shook the sand
from my feet, mounted my buggy and crawlcd
away, looking not back, neither desiring or cy-
pcc,ing to see the place again. | am OH the
track of Booth, ! may he prcjudiccd; but it
seems llst the country for an assassin to travel
through
To persons who have lived all their lives in
IL country like northern Maryland and all the
northern States, it seems strange to see gates
across public roads, but they are common
through Anne Arundel, Prince Georges Charles
St. Mury's and Calvert counties. They are fire.
quent south of Millcrsvillc in Anne Arundel
county, and through nearly every part of the
other counties named, with the exception of st
Mary,s the lowest county Of all, where the tr,tv-
clcr on the two leading roads travelsiEg the coun-
ty from north to south will find but few gates.
The first one encountered oil TIE present trip
was between Surlattsvlle and +. b.
We are now on the great stage road from
Washington to Lconard.own and point Look
out, the mail line running each way daily and
ii is the only public conveyance by which trav-
ellers can reach st. Marys Co. when the navi-
cation is closed in winter. So the stages are
always heavily loaded when the roads are bad
and 90 empty when they are good. And they
do get very bad here in winter. The soil of all
nuvial regions is alternately gravel, sand, and
clay, (or reason. see geQlogy.) The gravel
region makes good roads at all timcs-s;nd
makes II pretty fair road when it is wet, us it
is mostly in winter, but the clay is awful 4"
from alternate freezing and thawin". 1t gets
very deep and heavy sometimes on this stage
road at particular points.
We proceed through Il. i. and approach the
Matawoman Swamp" sluggish stream
bordercd by wooded swamps of sweet gum, &c,
which forms the dividing lire between Prince
Georges and Charles counties Mattawonan
is fhc Indian for "wlcrc we found nothing -
(Our firm conviction is, that our aboriginal
predecessors were about right in naming this,
region.) We pass II village named Bcantown
TO the left otthis was the residence of DR.. Mudd,
the stopping place of Booth in his flight. From
thence he turned to the right, through Bean
town, and reached the Potomac
at. b." above spoken of, will be considered
Il strange name for II village-but it is onc-sce
list of Post Offices. We heard there was once
Il large white oak, standing at Il cross roads, and
a certain Tom Brown marked it with his mi
tials. 1t was called the II. b. tree Time
passed on the tree was gone, and II tavern was
erected on the spot, called the Il B. tavern
Then came the smill-shop and the store, and it
was Il town. 1t was I. b., and is r. b. yet
As the sun sank in the west, l approached u
most beautiful looking valley. 1t was level and
broad, and through its centre slowly crcpt the
Wcomico," e where houses are built of
Indian lingo,) and its fertile level land and
swampy banks, yielded II rich vegetation, now
dccomposng in the mild weather of early
autumn, aud sending forth IL malaria, which
was causing chilly sensation among the inhab-
itans, and great demand for quininc ut the
country stores. Across this stream, on the iarll-
or side Of the valley, lay Bryantown, and the
horizontal rays Of the sun frightened by the
windows of the old town. making 1t look much
better than it really appeared on close examna-
ion. OF that old tumbledown hotel-whose
only female occupant was the old negro cook
Of the eating and sleeping accommoda,ion-I
shall say nothing. They must he seen to be
appreciated. Ny pen fails me and for the pres
ent stop.
But there is good land around Bryantown-
fine farms, and well-to do and hosptable people.
TRAVELLER