The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-01-31
Baltimore and Delta R, R,
GROUND BROKEN.
The Largest Mass Meeting Ever
Held i'm Bel Air.
an 4 USPICIOUS COMMENCEMENT

road took place in Bel Air, on Tuesday, JAN
uary 2Slh. Shortly after 10 o'clock the Pres-
dent and Directors of the road, with pick
and shovel, preceded by the Delta Brass Band,
John w. Jones, leader, moved towards the
spot previously selected for the formal inau-
guration of the enterprise. A crowd of per-
sons, nearly two thousand in number, ac-
compsnied them. The place selected was in
the field of DIR. w. II, Munnikhuysen at the
edge of the town, on the road leading to Jar
rettsvile, and near Emmanuel Episcopal
Church.
Mr.. William Gimor, Vice President of the
road, introduced Mr.. William II. Waters,
the President, saying that if he did not come
up to their idea of first-class railroad hand.
it must ascribed TO body infirmily, as lie
could assure his hearers that Mr.. Waters's
heart and soul were in the work
Mr.. Waters said: "My friends, we are
about to commence work Of the greatest
usefulness and importance to the people of
York, Hartford and Baltimore counties. Are
you all willing to have it commenced, and
ready to do all you can TO bring it TO compile
ton ?" There were loud cries of aye aye,
"Thcn," said Mr.. Waters, tive will commence.
the work in this spot" Mr.. Waters has
Just recovered from n severe spell of sickness.
and looked pale and feeble, but he struck the
pick in the ground in a determined manner.
After he had loosened small quantity of the
frozen substratum Mr.. Gimor advanced
yvii Ia a oil nj al,
One of the new contractors, Mr.. CYRUS
Dller, also made few remarks. He said he
had accepted the work, and it was his style
never to begin any work that he did not 90
through with.
This ended the ground-breaking. Three
cheers were given for the new railroad and
all hands returned to Bel Air.
AT 2 o'clock speeches were made from the
steps of the Clayman House. President
Waters introduced as the first speaker, Mr..
s. G. Boyd, who has been connected with the
enterprise since its inception.
Mr.. Boyd said it was nearly two years since
the friends of the road had undertaken to
develop strength sufficient to commence
work. The work had been long and tedious,
but he was happy to say that the people had
responded nobly, and to-day there is enough
stock subscribed for the grading and masonry
along the whole line. The directors had pro-
ceeded with care, intelligence and energy in
collecting your money, and making advan-
tageous contracts, and il remains to be seen
whether they can not show equal ability in
spending your money. Mr.. BOYD stated that
by the acquisition of the Towsontown mar.
row-gauge road and the broad gauge road be.
tween Towsontown and Cromwell's Bridge,
the Baltimore and Delta company had now
nearly onc-fourth of its line graded and at a
cost of only $4,000 in cash. They had been
equally successful in securing, free of cost, the
right OF way for nearly the entire road. The
greater part OF the road, he said, had been
put under contract ut figures satisfactory to
the contractors and to the directors. The
first contractor TO whom the work had been
let had "fiZzled," last Thursday morning. but
two responsible men had been found to take
every foot of the work at lower rates These
men have built railroads through agricultural
districts, and they were willing to take sup
plies from the farmers in payment ofsubscrip-
tiOns. One of the contractors is here oday
and expects in few days to begin work at
Forest Hill or at Preston's Mill Mr.. Boyd
urged prompt payment of the subscriptions.
This money, If paid in promptly and ex-
pended wisely, will give the company good
credit. Upon this they can get additional
funds TO complete the road. He characterized
as untrue the report that the directors in.
tended to spend all the money upon the lower
end. He Gontrastcd the superior advantages
which the Baltimore and Delta road possessed,
with the difficulties encountered by the Peach
Bottom road, and argued that since the latter
road had been successfully completed there
was nothing to prevent the completion of the
Baltimore and Delta road.
Col. Herman Stump was the next speaker.
He said that the ancients, in undertaking any
enterprise ofgrcat importance, consulted the
oracles TO see whether the day was propitious
or not; but we as Christians know that in
every laudable enterprise divine Providence
smiles on good intentions. 1t is an augury
Tor good that here to-day, in the month of
january, we can assemble out of DOORS We
can see the hand of Providence, in the person
OF our President, who has been snatched, rs
1t were, from the jaws of death, to witness
and participate in the commencement of this
Mr.. Stump argued that by build
ing the railroad the basis of taxation would
be increased, and the whole country would
share in the benefits
When the railroad is completed and we he
gin to experience its advantages, we will feel
MS we do when we go into II harvest field and
see The reaper ut work, or see the tlrcshing
machine getting out grain. We ask ourselves,
How did our fathers got their work done, with
the sickle, the cradle and fail. Col. StumD
pointed ont the fact, known to all of our
that near rs we are to Baltimore CITY
we can not compete with the West i'm raisinr
grain. 1t COSTS rs much, he said, to send fifty |
bushels OF wheat to market, from the neigh |
of Bel Air, as il does the Western |
farmers to send it thousand miles. At the
same time our proximity to Baltimore, the |
great grain market of the country, gives us |
great advantages. Thc only way TO preserve |
hem Is To build this railroad. | assert, said |
nc, that the railroad will build itself and nav |
you profit for building it on your own land,
man may have farm of 100 acres, worth
,o-day $50 per acre, That land may mort.
gagged, but 1t can not be sold at the court
house door for even lower figures. Build
your railroad and that 100 acres will have
added to its value more than So per acre.
laklng a strip four miles wide each side of the
abroad, a subscription equal to So per acre
VIII construct and equip this road If the
nan can get 50 more per acre, he can pay his
subscription of So per acre on his entire
arm, and put $500 in his pocket when his
arm is sold Ii he does not want to sell his
and he is still justified in making subscrip.
ion OF 50 per acre. He purchases or should
year $500 worth of fertilizer. This i'm
roves his land and is Of benefit for two or
hree years only. A like investment in the
abroad is permanent benefit, and enables
i'm to save that amount for fertilizers every
ear after the completion of the railroad, as
Q clearly demonstrated. Colonel Stump
bowed In detail that the saving to n farmer
aving 100 acres, by u railroad, in the matter
hauling crops to market, by the necessity {
" smaller team, &C., would amount each
ear to $l07, and all this by the investment |
{ $500 in this enterprise once only. !