The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-02-22
MiScelIa n @ O u 8.
For The 1Agis and Mtelligencer.

1t is but natural that a person should
have love not only for their ancestry, but
also for the place of their nativity. While
looking over your excellent paper the
writer felt inclined to address you a few
lines.
Hartford county is endeared to me in
many particulars, having spent the first
twenty-six years ofmy life within an hours
drive of the county seat, and being fami-
lar with its natural beauty of hills and
wales, its salubrious climate, and not for
getting the kindness and hospitality of its
people, still feel an interest in their well
fare. | heartily endorse the sentiments ex
pressed by your correspondent w., in the
columns of The 4Egis of January 1S. 1t is
true The Hartford man of fifty years ago was
not so far behind the rest of the world in
my estimation as some are at the present
time. Then they knew nothing of the adj
vantage of close communication with cities
either by rail or telegraph, and having
learned that sin union there is strength"
it is a mystery to me that the people in
such an intelligent and wealthy commune
tv fail to see the advantages of railroad.
We, as Americans, are said to be an enter
prsng people, and this is day pro-
gress and improvement. and why should
Hartford county be an exception Surely
not because its citizens are not able to raise
the requisite amount to finish the long con-
templated and much needed road. 1t is
merely lack of enterprise, and desire,
or rather a determination to hold their
money in their own hands, or as your cor
respondent says "where they can see it,"
IT, xuI,a l,a hot
or oftener seen than in railroad passing
through the heart of your fertile and beau
tiful country Then, too, it would enhance
the value of the property, and that would
return them heavy interest on the money
expended on the road, as well as being
great advantage TO those who are not real
| ly able to take stock. This should be an
inducement to any liberal-hearted man,
not only to use his influence in that direc-
ton, but to subscribe largely, or if he can
do no more, let him give the right of way,
aud do it cheerfully.
Your correspondent speaks of three men
out Of q group of seven, who met in Bel
Air district, who were entirely unable to
see what profit railroad would be to the
county. Well sir, hardly know what to
say or think of those men. l am surprised
to learn that Hartford county can produce
three such short-sighted men in this en-
! lightened age. And he informs us also
that those men constitute the bone and
sinew of the said county. AS much as
love the home of my childhood, must say
pity the county, (take it where you may,)
whose bone and sinew are made up of such
poor material. The bone is certainly minus
marrow, and the sinews must be in state
of relaxation. 1t seems to me that bones
and sinews in u healthy condition should
have made some little growth in fifty years,
and that The mind oft the present man would
avail itself of the opportunity of embracing
what will be a present advantage to him,
and indispensable to his posterity. Tell
me that a railroad would not profit the
citizens of Hartford county You might as
well tell me that man can get along with
out the helpmeet God has provided for
him. Being familiar with the citizens of
Hartford county, / know it is their peculiar
characteristic to keep moving right on in
the same old ruts in which their fathers
and grandfathers were so accustomed to
| travel.
Not many years ago, while conversing
with a well known farmer in that vicinity
upon the subject of the railroad then talked
of, he told me che expected he would take
his produce to market in his wagon as he
always had done, even if there was a rail-
road running from Forest Hill to Balti-
MORE" The reason he gave simply amount
ed to the fact that he thought it would be
cheaper than paying freight. Such one
surely does not put very high estimation
on his precious time. But perhaps by this
time he has become enlightened and may
be, and hope is strongly advocating the
road. know by experience what 1T is to
get up in the dead hour of the night, when
the thermometer is standing at five or six
degrees above zero, harness out the horses,
take cold meal, put the calves and other
maj keting in the wagon, and start for mar
ket, distance of twenty seven miles, with
the calves alone bleating an accompani-
ment as relief to the monotonous rattle of