The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1869-05-13

end of the journey. He is deeply interested
insho Railroad and was very nctive and ef-
ficient il pointing out the features of the
'cauisfy through whichwe. were travelling
oarl6rst stopping place AFTER leaving tho
bridge was az sIr. Biegs' warehouse, the
junction of The Frederick and Pennsylvania
Line Railroad with the Western Maryland,
A commodious and neat brick buildingis in
process Of erection here for tho purpose Of
a depot. Mr.. Biggs is also building sub
staa,ial warehouse at this point, which is
now nearly 6aisiled. A stop Of half an hour
was made to allow us to enjoy Senator
Biggs' hospitality, which was dispensed
with liberal hand. mas
On the way to Mcchanicstown we passed
through the siad looking Morayian settle
ment OF Graecham and had look ut its
church, which has been standing for nearly
one hundred years. Through the quiet, de
serted street. with its neat houses and min.
nature flower gardens on either side, the
carriages ratified and rnmbled without us
seeing living soul until when nearly thro'
it one Of the closely barred windows opened
and an antique head, surmounted by
spotless white cap, pecped out and stared
in seeming Amusement at the iniruders who
were disturbing the wontcd stillaess of the
little village.
At seven clock in the evening the exeur-
sionists arrived at Meclianies,own, neat
little town of some two hundred inhabi'
tants, laying at the eastern base Of the Ca
,octin Mountains. Two comfortable hotels
were ready for the reception of the guests
of the Railroad Company, and over sub
s,antial spread of hearty, wholesome couu.
try edibles, the travellers cnutented them
selves for the little aiscomforts OF the ride
with appettes sharpened BY the bracing air
of the upland country. At Mechancsiown
We had The pleasure Of meeting Rev. Father
McCluskey, of Emmittsburg, Vice President
of Mount St. Mary's College, and Direc'
TORN the Emitishurg, Railroad. Joshua Mot
ter, Esq, President and Daniel Adlespcr'
| ger, Esq. Director in the Emmittsburg
Road. Father McCluskey has been one Of
the most active and pushing men of West,
ern Maryland in creating the enterprise o..
the projected railroad system, and being
possessed, as he is, Of great influence, his
efforts have largely contributed TO the pres.
ent advancement OF the work.
From Mechanicstown a short drive oftwo
, miles brought us to the iron ere banks Of
the Caioctin Furnace, owned and worked
, byJ. B. Kunkel, Esq. These banks are
situated at the foot Of the mountain and arr
= of inexhaustible extent aud richness. They
/ have been worked in greater or less degree
for about eighty years, and scarcely an im
preston has been made on the vast stores
of mineral wealth that lay imbedded in the
heart Of the mountain. The mines are about
n mile distant from the furnace, which is
located on Little Hunting Creek. The ore
is washed by means Of mechanism at the
miues, and is conveyed TO the furnace by
Q cars running on tramway. From some
remarks made by Senator Clark himself n
, practical man and large part owner of the
extensive Ashland mines in Baltimore
) county, at the mines some interesting facts
r may be culled.
e Owing to the difficulty and expense Of
transportation only Sufficient ore is now Ia
!, ken from the mines to keep two furnaces
1 running, which turn cut about eighty tons
e Of pig IRON per week. Enough could be
4 mined in these banks to work two hundred
and fifty men constantly, and make one
thousand tons of pig iron per week. The
= ore is so rich that il yields from IS to So
per cent ofiron. With the capacity Of the
i. banks fully developed in accordance with
the above figures, were the Western Mary.
land Railroad completed, there could be
i furnished it three trains per day, Of fifteen
n cars each, and each car carrying ten tons Of
4 pig iron for transportation to Baltimore
: from the Catoctin Furnace. The iron which
9 is nov shipped from here to Baltimore has
1 to be hauled first to Frederick ut an expense
q oftw dollars and half per ton, aud then
n has to pay the freight tolls over the Balti.
more and Ohio Railroad. The same iron
n can be hauled from hereto Mechanicstownfo for
seveuty.hve cents per ton, aud even allow
!, ing the ireights from Mechanicstown 10 be
the same as from Frederick, the difference
t 10 the price of hauling would alone be a
3 source of great profit TO the shippers. The
!. quality of the iron manufactured at the Ca.
A toctin Furnaces may be instanced from the
!, fact that tire first plates on the Monitor that
J stood fire were made at the Abbott Iron
Works, Baltimore. from pig iron, from
e these furnaces
Mining countries are generally not pro.
" ducing countries, and the necessaries of
s life have TO be brought to them from abroad
n With the capacities of these banks fully
q worked, giving employment to hundreds Of
hien, there would be a great demand for
supplies which must come from Baltimore
e The vein Of hematite ore which is worked
here is the same that extends from Oxford,
North Carolina, to the Hopewell regions in
New Jersey, and is one Of the finest in the
e world.
e Some short time since Mr.. Kunkel made
!. important discoveries Of d vein Of magnetic
ore lying along the course of Hunting Greek.
: Preparations are now being made for test
It ing the ore and working il up.
e From Mechanicstown we were accompan
i. red throughout the trip by DIR. N. s. Nc.
!, rherson, OF Frederick county, Commissioner
OF Labor and Agriculture OF MARYLAND. DIR.
], McPherson's elegant residence occupies n
4 beautiful site near the Catoctin Furnace.
!, and il was by his father that ore was 6rs,
taken from these mines and smelted.
5 On Thursday night there was gathering
! OF the exeorsiouists aud about hundred
q persons from around the country at the
hotel, where free discussion Of the Rail.
road question took place. Senator Clark
made an address in which he stated the facts
' already recited. He was followed by Gen.
tnmble, who referred 10 the fact that there
were. now thirteen independent railroads
r running out Of the city Of PHILADELPHIA.
;. which had moro than doubled its population
!. m twenty years. The Baltimore and Ohio
kailroad, the Northern Central Railroad.
: the Northwestern Virginia Railroad. and
u the Pitisburg and Connellsville Railroad,
It had all been built by the aid Of the State or
a city, and Il had always been the settled poll
! ey OF the city for more than thirty years,
which had never been abandoned, to pro.
mn H.. - a.