The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-07-07
From tho Mountains to the Sea.
A Trip 10 Ocean City. the rival of Cape MAY and
Long Banch--The Peninsula between the Chesa
peake and Delaware Bays-lts Trade and Travel


enjoyment was ours, as we left our sanctum
on the both ult for an overland trip to Ocean
City, Worcester county, Nd. The excursion
was planned and organized by II. f. Keuuey,
Esq. Superintendent of the Philadelphia,
Wilmington aud Baltimore Rail Road, and
was under the immediate control, rs far as
Wilmington or the Delaware Junction, Of
William Crawford, Esq. General Agent, Bal.
timore From the Delaware junction to
Ocean City it was under the control OF Col
Isaac n Mills, Superintendent of the Della
ware Rail Road.
The starting point of the excursion was
Baltimore city, where we joined it at the po'
lite invitation superintendent kenney, ten
dered to us through our friend Col. Mills.
Special cars were attached to the 800 A. M.
Express Train from President Street Depot,
which were occupied by over fifty guests from
Baltimore city, comprising some of her most
prominent citizens and most active aud en-.
terprising business men. Among the number
we noticed the following gentlemen Hon.
| Charles G. Kerr, Hon r. L. Banks, Henry
Clay Dallam, Jas. Hodges, Professor Pow
hatan Clarke, Judge Henry F. Carey, John
| A. lAobb, Il. Q. Taylor, John H. Tegmeyer,
Il. Morton, Thos, kensett, G. j. Popplen,
| Matthew Clark, VIM. Hanna, John j, 9TH
man, Jos. James Taylor, p. Thompson,
| Daniel X. Bolton, VIM. Crawford, VIM, lay
| lor w. IL. Lungren, j. B. Norris, Henry c.
Smith, Samuel Beyan, Col Fred. Raine, of
the German Correspondent. and representa-
tives of the Baltimore AmeIicdR the Ere.
ming Bulletin, The Bee, and other journals.
En- route q number of persons joined fortunes
with the excursionists. Among these were
VIM. Pannell, of Hartford; 0. Vosburg A.
p. McCoombs, of the Havre de Grace Repub
licdn, and Edward Larkin, of Havre de Grace,
Judge j. w. Houston and G. V. Massey, of
Dover, Del; Col. |. N. Mills, general agent,
and NJ. Hayes, treasurer of the Delaware Di-
vision p, W. and B. X. r.; W. Thompson,
superintendent, and W. j. Birmingham, treas
urer of the Eastern Shore railroads and J. NJ.
Street,, of the Hartford Democrat, G. W.
Cruikshank, Cecil Democrat, j. A. Parsons
of the Salisbury Eastera ShoremaR, L. Ma.
lone, of the Salisbury IduertiSer, and B.
Everett Smith, Esq. of the SHog Hill Shield,
j. Thomas Budd, Esq. Assistant Superinten.
dent Of the Delaware Rail Road, and others,
| Professor Otto Luger, of the Baltimore
Academy of Sciences, was also present, gath
ering curiosities in the way of aquatic animals.
A skate or stingaree, and seven dog-tish or
email sharks, were among the contents of his
net. DR.. Thomas Gilpin, Dentist, of Mid.
dletown, Del. secured some shark teeth, to
add to his cabinet.
Mr.. William Crawford, of the Philadelphia,
! Wilmington and Baltimore road, was the
courteous and genial host, and at Whining.
ton. where the two specials were changed TO
the Delaware Branch for the rest of the route,
Colonel Mills Joined efforts with him in max.
ing the trip one of general pleasure and en-.
tertainment
The route from Wilmington to the sea
traverses the Garden of the States, fretted bv
a net work of rails, all feeders to the central
road, which though composed ofseveral roads
linked, is now known as the Delaware divi-
sion of the P. W. & B. r. r. Lateral roads
diyerge right and left from the main stem,
like herring bone, to all the principal towns
and county seats located upon the Peninsula,
both in Delaware and Maryland.
From Baltimore to Wilmington the road
crosses the Gunpowder and Bush rivers, over
pile bridges passes the villages of Magnolia,
| Aberdeen, Perrymansville, Havre de Grace.
the Susquehanna river, Perryviie, Charles.
town, North East, Elkton, Md at the head of
Elk river, Newark, Del. Stanton and Newport,
| to Delaware junction. After leaving Della.
ware junction and crossing the Christiana
river, the first point of interest is the town of
New Castle, Del. the centre of the twelve
mile circle of the Penn grant. New Castle
is becoming wealthy manufacturing town,
and is beautifully located upon the Delaware
River, Eve miles below Wilmington. It con.
tains about three thousand inhabitants, and
its corporation holds, in fee, FIVE valuable
farms, the gift of VIM. Penn, from the annual
rental of which its public schools are sup
ported, the town is lighted with gas and sup.
piled with water and all its corporation ex.
penses are paid, without cent of taxation.
Fortunate New Castle Kirkwood, fourteen
miles south of Wilmington is important as the
beginning of the peach region, and the first
freighting point for that fruit on the Peninsu.
la. The next point Of interest is the Chesa.
peake and Delaware Canal, which extends
directly across the Peninsula, between Ches.
apeake City and Delaware City, two flourish
ing towns located at either terminus of the
Canal This Canal is the channel of a very
active commerce between Baltimore and
Philadelphia and other points north. Mount
Pleasant, Armstrong; and Middletown, are
next in order. The latter place is a very
handsome and ilourishing town of over a
thousand inhabitants, and is the point of the
largest peach shipments on the Rail Road.
Near this town stands the handsome residence
of Gov. John p. Cochran, and many other
elegant rural seats. The whole region around
is in very high state of cultivation, and it
has been pronounced one of the most beauti.
full and highly improved sections to be found
in this country, and not surpassed even by the
most improved parts of Europe The Usage
Orange hedge is distinguishing feature of
this region. They are neat and compact
trimmed twice each summer, and form one
of the handsomest and most durable and eff
fective enclosures which can be imagined
Townsend, four miles below, is another i'm.
| IN mt chtpnipu Y,ntnt Haze tkn F...
ty Railroad, the first of the MARYLAND branch
roads, taps the Delaware Railroad. The
Queen Anue's and Kent Railroad, uniting
with the Kent Railroad at Masseys, also taps
it at this point, Of which p. II. Irwin, ESQ
of this city, is superintendent This is the
freghting station of Samuel Townsend, Esq.
one of Delaware's most enterprising fruit
I growers, who owns handsome and produc.
| tive estate in the immediate vicinity. A few
miles below come the important towns of
Clayton and Smyrna, Clayton being the point
of junction with the main stem of the Mary.
land and Delaware Rail Road, running to
Easton, Md. and twelve miles further on the
fine town of Dover, the Capital of the State.
All the above named are important shipping
points, surrounded by large and productive
orchards. At Harrington the Junction and
Breakwater Railroad to Lewes begins, and at
/, oeaiOfu Tue DOrcnester ana delaware Hail
Road begins, running to Cambridge, Dorehes.
ter county, Md. Seaford is q great oyster
packing point on the Nanticoke river. Near
Seaford is the beautiful residence of Elk. Gov.
Ross, one of the handsomest and most i'm
posing upon the Peninsula. Laurel and
Delmar are the next stations on the Delaware
Railroad. The latter point is upon the boun
dairy line between the two States and the
name is derived from the first syllables of
Delaware and Maryland As the excursion.
lists emerged from Delaware into Maryland.
they struck up the familiar strain of dMary.
land, My Maryland" Delmar is the terni.
nus Of the Delaware Railroad, where it forms
junction with the Eastern Shore Railroad
to Crisfeld. The first station below Delmar,
is that Of the flourishing town of Salisbury, the
Capital of Wicomico county, on the Wico,ai.
co river, at the head of navigation. In former
years it was the custom to hold an annual
fair at this place, which brought together for
purposes of traffic people from all parts of
the Peninsula. 1t is considered one of the
most thrifty and enterprising as well as one
Of the largest towns on the Peninsula.
Leaving the Eastern Shore Railroad Mt
Salisbury, the excursionsts for Ocean CITY
take the Wicomico and Pocomoke Railroad,