The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-12-10
HARTFORD COUNTY RAILROAD.

MEssRs. EDIToRs Quoting from your editorial
of December Sd, in reference to the Hartford
County Railroad; "Until surveys have been
made, discussions Of the advantages ami dssd-
vantages of the different routes will have much
interest for our citizens- the writer of this COM
munication will observe that in making the fol-
lowing brief observations 1t is with no wish to
provoke any but friendly and amicable discus
sion, which, | am sure, is the only kind you de-
sire.
Your correspondent &c" mentions that many
believe that line from Magnolia to some point
on Winters Run, and running thence to Stony
Branch, and along the run to Bel Air, would be
the proper route, SO as to accommodate the neigh
borhood of Falston /; and it is no doubt true,
that this very important consideration should
not be lost sight Of. Others, I am informed, are
of the opinion that this would be bearing too
much to the westward, and that the proper
route would be to follow Plum Tree Run on the
eastern side of Winters Run, crossing the latter
at Hollingsworth's Mill, and continuing on its
westward bank to Edgewood-it being the
shortest and most direct route 10 the P, w. &
B. r., r., say at Edgewood. Others again say
that 1t would be better to carry the road from
Bel Air to Stetnmer's Run, looking to its ulti-
mate continuance eastwardly from Bel Air con-
Meeting at the Susquehanna with the Baltimore
and Philadelphia Central. This might not be
prejudicial to the interests of Bel Air and to its
immediate vicinity, or even to the interests of
the Little Gunpowder section; but to our friends
of Winters Run ii would be Of little direct ben
eft. Therefore. as between the Stemmer's Run
route, and the Edgewood route, it appears that
fair compromise would be TO follow the line
in its material points, suggested by &C." that
is from Bel Air to Magnolia-say follow Stony
Branch to Winters Run, or the route as sur
veyed by Mr. Hood, which runs a little west OF
south, crossing the run at that point, and then
bearing south, incining. somewhat to the east,
to the neighborhood of Stockton, and from
thence parallel with the Fallston and Magnolia
road to Magnolia. This line would be as conve-
nient to Bel Air and its vicinity as any other,
and by it the manufacturing interests of both
Winters Run and L title Gunpowder would he
mutually accommodated. Archer & Howard's,
Hollingsworth's, Whitakcrs and McHcnry' 3
Mills on the one, and Records, Jerusalem Mills,
Jericho and Franklinville Cotton Factories, and
Whitaker's Forge on the other, saying nothing
of the unimproved water powers on both streams.
By this route tits quite probable that it will be
necessary to run, after crossing Winters Run,
on a line that will give the Fallston neighbor-
hood nearer point on the road than the one
mentioned by Co." which would be of no dissd-
vantage to the best interests of the road. As. if
it is not to go to Stemmer's Run, the nearer it
is to Fallston the better for all the country
northwest of that point-it may be said, as far
as the Upper Gross Roads neighborhood as
from it 10 Fallston the road is so far superior to
the one to Monkton, that the trade which now
goes to Monkton would come to depot that
might be established in the neighborhood of
Fallstcn, say even two miles east oft.
AS to the relative distances between Edgewood
and Bel Air, and Magnolia and Bel Air the DIFF
ference is but tri1ipg. By Martinet's map OF
Hartford county, the one is o. miles, the other
% miles in direct line. And there is but little
doubt, when both routes come to be surveyed
it will be found there is no greater difference in
the distance between the respective points.
The above brief remarks are suggested by a
sincere desire to see a railroad constructed from
Our county town. connectingit with the "outside
world, and at the same time be the means of
developing the resources and accommodating
the citizens of as large section ofthe county as
it;possbly can be mace to do. If any more de-
sirable route can be found, and which will &C.
complish the above purposes more efectually
than the one suggested, let it be adopted.
EoUERER