The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-02-13
Misc elIaxaeOTL s.
For The AEgiS 6 htelligencer.
A Ramble in Hartford.
NO. III.
FROM BEL AIR TO BROAD CREEK.


FROM BEL AIR TO BROAD CREEK.
A "Datg- out" cHh Match Horses-A one
armed Dricer-From st. Ignatius to Deer
Cyeek-Smithson's Spring House Il Sterile
!Stripof Counhy-7He Hichory-The Ia
gern on the Wrong Side Of the Road-Jolly
George Rider-HoneSt Sammy James
TELEGRAPH Poles aoithOm Wires, a Store
acthout Goods and q Shop Without Tools
Aseph W ScarJOrough-A Break DOwn-
Af6ot on tile road-A liberal Propositions
Union X Roads Going to the Legislature
6y Dcq,ees-Our Baggage taking one road
and zoe another-A Serious Moment-A
Quaker Meeting- House and q Pretty Girl
A,rical at William NcCoy's, on Broad
Creeh-1 Pleasant Rest and Good Din
ner.
Mr.. BAKER: In my first of the present
series, gave you kind of hop-skip-and-
Jump narration of short circuit around a
particular neghborhood in your county,
with which | was as familiar fifty years
ago as you are at present, for the reason
that those sentiments and feelings which
distract young mans head and heart and
make him poetical and sentimental about
the time his beard begins to grow, led me
often to more than one residence in that
locality. l shall now attempt to give you
an outline of my impressions and obscrva-
tions in passing over the road from Bel
Air to Havre de Grace by way of Dublin,
Darlington, Stafford and Lapidum.
My friend Clark ard myself left Bel Air
on the morning of the 30th of December,
in rather ricketty "dug-out' with match
horses, as far as far as color and condition
were concerned, and n one armed colored
man for driver. And just here it is due
to the aforesaid one armed "ward Of the
nation" and his sorrel team to remark, that
they landed US at the reaidence of A. w.
Scarborough, Esq, 10 miles off, in much
less time than we had expected; and, altho'
the road was rough, with a cold northeast
crn striking us square in the face and eyes,
we had quite Il comfortable and pleasant
ride, arriving at squire Scarborough's in
time for an excellent but late dinner, made
all the more sumptuous by kind and cor
dial welcome.
There was not road in Hartford fifty
years ago, with which | was more familiar
than with that from Bel Air to Dublin,
and saw no road during my late visit to
Hartford that had undergone greater
change, except that from Stafford to Lapi-
dunn. Notwithstanding the many build
ings that have been erected along the way
side, and that there is now an almost con-
tnuous village from st. Ignatius Church
to Deer Creek, William Smithson's Spring
house, built in the early part of the pres
cnt century, is still the most symmetrical
and substantial ediiice among them all.
With the exception of the McMath farm,
subsequently inherited by the Misses Jor-
dan, AMI the farms of Messls. Graham, Boar
man ard Smithson, i'll the vicinity of what
is now known as Sandyhook, no road in
Hartford truversed much more sterile strip
of country. Being located upon what
might be termed water shed, the land de-
scending on either side, the soil, in the
waste of years, had been washed from the
summit by heavy rains, and left the stones
and sand upon the surface. was pleased
to see that this impoverishing process had
been arrested, and that now, instead OF
sedge and sumac holding undisputed TN.
pire, well titled fields, thrifty orchards
and tasty homesteads adorn the way.
The Hickory is pretty much as it was
"when this old hat was new," but, as said
in Il former letter, the tavern has gotten on
the opposite side ofthe highway from where
it was when jolly George Rider kept Ten
tertainment for man and BEAST" and hon
est old Sammy James kept bone yard for
horses lie made it his business to starvc.
From Deer Creek to the first crossroads
the name of which l have forgotten, but
shall hereafter remember it as place with
telegraph poles without wires, a store with