The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-02-03
An Important Improvement Suggested.
The Construction OF n New Public Road
Between Lapidum and Havre de Grace.
The New Railroad. "ExpeditinS the
Mails to and from Darlington.
A LETTER FROM DIR. FoRwooD.

DARLINGTON, Mp, Jan. 2j 1852.
10 he Editor Of The -EgiS;
For many years we have entertained the belief
that ere long competing line OF railway would
be opened between the two great cities OF rhlla-
pected, in view of the necessities OF central Har-
ford, from the various surveys made within the
last twenty-five years, that 1t would certainly
cross the Susuuehanna river at or near Stafford,
run up the magnificent Deer Creek valley rs far
Thomas Run thence out by way of Bel Air to
baltimore thus passing through and serving the
richest agricultural district of the county OF Har-
ford, and of the state of Maryland But, Mr. Ed
tor from all the recent information obtanable
on the subject. our long cherished hopes of the
construction of railroad up Deer Creek, appear
to be vanishing into thin air.
The present road-the p, w. & (which crosses
the river at Havre de Grace and passes through
the poorest and most unattracte part OIL te
l2 miles-from our village as to be extremely
inconvenient to all of US whose business or pleas
ure require our passage over 1t.
1t is now said that the Baltimore and ONO Com
pany will certainly build another road from Phil
aleiphia TO Baltimore during the present year
but after all these years of waiting and hoping,
think of our dismay, Mr.. Editor, upon being in
formed by those who profess to know, mat tne
not mile above Havre de Grace, and that 1t VIII
run parallel with the old road keeping only about
IL mile distant all the way to Baltimore! road
so located, Mr.. Editor, would really be OF no value
to our county. The present road is amply suh-
cient for the accommodation of that section. The
second would be simply one more than is needed;
Considering the prosperity and the agricultural
wealth Of the far famed Deer Creek valley, there
is no section of the country, North, Nouth. East
or West which can at all compare with 1t, that ls
80 entirely cut Off from railroad facilities as i IS
The new Delta and Baltimore road, when finished
will be rs far north of us rs the present and pros
pective road is south of u.s.. with all our wealth
OF soil scenery &c, equaiilg' Il nov sSt ,Ppts
would appear pervcrson of the natural laws oil
demand and supply,a seeming spite OF t ,,
the great Deer Creek valley Is to go another gen
Grafton, and perhaps longer, without the Dement'S
and conveniences of a railroad 1t IS put poor
satisfaction to as who nGr plod over the hills, ana
through the mud, for miles and miles away, to
tell us that at future day, when we shal nave
been laid at rest, the increasing wealth Popuia-
ton and fertility of our beautiful valley Will con-
pei the construction of n road through IT,. rms
IS doubtless true; and while it is evidently our
duty to ''sow for others to reap 1t Is yet our
more clearly comprehended and acknowledged
duty TO reap as much as we possibly can Tor our
selves and for our own generation.
This lengthy statement of existing facts and the
lettering Inconvenience under which we, OF
Deer Creek, daily suffer, Mr.. Editor, is but pre-
Jude to the chief object of the present letter.
1t appearing from the present OUTLOOK, as stated
al the beginning, that our people are likely to be
compelled to travel to Havre do Grace in the fu-
ture as they have done in the past, over the com
mon country road, to avail themselves of the use
of the railroad, the momentous question arises
Can that way beimprovedT Can the long public
road from Darlington to lIavre de Grace be short
enei and shorn of its tedious and tme-consumng
hillsE" We believe it can be; and it is our present
purpose to draw the attention of the public and
more especially the attention of its agents, the
County Commissioners, to the facts, as they ap;
that usually travelled from Darlington to Hayre
de Grace is that by the way of Lapidum. The
distance from Darlington TO Lapdum IS tyc
miles and is in a direct line to Havre de Grace
nut from Lapidum the road winds away out over
Il billy clay road, describing almost nalI circle
occupying about an hour and a-half or two hours
with Il slow team in driving il whereas by the
towing path of the canal from Lapidun the dis
rance is only four miles, and owing to the absence
Of hills can be driven very readily, with almost
any ordinary horse. in ha.fd an hour and with less
fatigue 10 the animal than in the hour and a-haf
drip over the hills. These plain and simple
tacts that everybody in this vicinity is perfectly
familiar with.
We now come to consider the duties, when pc
titoned, of the County Commissioners this con-
Gectiun. The duty we refer to is that OF con-
structinp Il public road from the funds of the
county. Immediately along The beime 60"A of the
canal from Lapdum to Havre de Grace Inc
practicnbijty of such an important Improvement
Is not for moment to be questioned. 1t is only
surprising that the public advocacy of such de-
sirable measure has not hitherto, 80 far as the
writer has been informed, been brought to the
notice of the Commissioners.
The necessity of "eXpcditing' the mals-not in
the sense used by the star reuters from Havre
de Grace to Darlington-our only route of com
muncation with the outside worid.has latterly
grading in mail facilities while other sections of
che county are advancing. AS matter of fact
our mail now leaves Darlington earlier in the
neutrality-suspicious. sunrise-and returns from Havre
lie Grace later in the day-after lamp ltght-than
ever within the recollection of the writer, fully
forty years. We could formerly have letters
mailed here In the morning up TO half past seven |
or eight o'clock. Now they have TO be mailed |
over night Formerly we received our mails here |
from both Philadelphia and baltimore between
TWO and three o'clock. Now they come after
lark We have not a ddag mail. but h'ght mail.
We can not send letter on the same day that it
Is written as we formerly could. One rea son why
the mail coach occupies the entire day in going
and returning from Hayre de Grace, disappoint-
ing. too, all passengers who wish to take a morn
ing train either to Baltimore or to Philadelphia,
IS that the mail route has been recently diverted
from its usual and proper course by way of lapi-
dun, TO that around the circle by Hopewell and
G!enville, n most preposterons change for the
worse on the part of the Postollce Department at
Washington. Those officials, surely, are not Gc-
quainted with the geography of the country, the
state of the public roads. or the wants Of our pco
pie. The other reason for occupying an entire
day in making the trip TO and from Havre de
Grace is that our cnterprsing mail contractor,
service to Justify him in using fipst-cass animals
AMI coaches on the route. The pay barely enables
him to run the coach > with very small and
slow pair Of mules, which no amount OF perspa-
sion with the whip can expedite. Nor is this
surprising when It is considered that these ami
mails are rarely relieved for recuperation except
Ut times by pair of horses of like exhausted
ygor, and YEARLY plod day after day through the
mud and over the hills, detected in spirit and
without hope of relief or rest. The people of this
great and prosperous Republic should see 70 II
that while the powerful star Route. swindlers
dollars without rendering equivalent services
TO the government, that our modest and self;
enough TO enable him to keep team that could
travel to Havre de Grace and back in less than 10
hours!
This condition of affairs Mr. Editor, regarding
our mail and passenger transportation with the
outside world, through our outlet Mt Havre de
Grace, has led to these reflections as to opening a
nearer and better route, for private travel at all
events regardless of the tlTdtic course atterly ia
ken by the U. 5. Mall. In truth, our attention
was first drawn to this proposed road down the
canal by our contractor, Mr., Oman, his sad expe-
rience by other routes having suggested this
nearer and better way, in illustration of the prov
erb that Necessity Is the mothsr of invention"
The road, of course, would hayet to be made along
of the way, half mile at each end being already
partly graded but it is not presumed that the
difficulties to be encountered would be any great
er than were experienced in opening the road
along the canal from Rock Run to Lapldum. At
all events the difficulties are only such as can be
readily overcome by the use of money.
In view of shortening the twelve-mile route to
nine miles and avoiding all the hills, and by this
means saving one fun hour in passing over the
only route by which we can reach the cities and
outside world, we regard it as one of the most i'm
portant enterprises that is likely to engage the
attention of the Commissioners and their constitu
ents in this side of the county during their term
Of service. An opportunity is now afforded them
OF connecting their names in the far future with
this important public service and in after years
every passer over the new road will call blessings
upon their memories for enabling them to INA Ike
the train" without injury to their horses and
Darlingtonians will thrice bless them for the adj
vantage of daily mail, which can then be easily
run without endangering the lives of the animals,
between the hours of eight and two O'CLOCK.
Very respectfully, yours,
w. STUMP FoRwoOp.
An old lady writes us II am 50 years old and
was feeble and nervous all the time, when |
bought bottle of Parkers Ginger Tonic. have
used little more than one bottle and feel as well
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