The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-11-17
Cor. Wash. Nat. Republican.
The City of Cumberland.

was in Europe it would be immor
talized in painting, verse, and prose
Crowds 0fsnobbish American tourists
would annually visit and go int
ecstasies over its romantic and pictur
esaue features, who being here a
home ride through and by it will
hardly passing thought. Yet the
cars whirl through bits of panoramic
beauty-mountain clothed from base
to top in October's vivid colGrs, com
binations of quiet valley. towering
height, level, cultivated field, and
precipitous, rocky walls. delightful
to the artistic eye. The Potomac herr
-is notethe great org majestic food
familiar to the home constituency Of
the Republican, but winds along by
the railway, very madcap of little
river, here flowing in broad, quiet
reaches by opulent corn fields. and
there ripping, tumbling, and flash
ing over little, shelving waterfalls
and purling over rocky lodges sug-
gestive of the presence of the big
mouthed. gamy black bass.
By most of the good people of
Washington Cumberland is thought
of--when they do chance to think of
it at alias the place whence they
get their winter supply of coal, and
as the starting point of the canal that
ends in Georgetown. The canal does
start here right in the middle of the
city, but the coal is mined IN the
mountains six or eight miles away
But there is something more than a
canal and coal mines here. Seated in
a pretty valley, surrounded on all
sides by towering mountains-spurs
of the Allegany range-Cumberland
is a city of near 10000 souls, with
fiOurishing industrial interests, a good
trade, and plenty of historical associa-
tIons.
One hundred and twenty. eight
years ago, when this region was the
far west to our ancestors living nearer
tidewater, an army in red coats, with
all the p0mp and circumstance of
glorious war, came over the south
eastern hills and camped here. They
were BOLD Britons," accompanied
by detachment of looked -down-up-
on colonial rangers. Their comman-
der was pompous, red faced, pro-
fame, six bottle British general, who
despised the colonists and rebuked
the commander of the Virginia rang
ers for his presumption in rendering
advice concerning the conduct of the
then in hand. The army
stayed here some time. while its COM
mander carried on hot quarrel with
the authorities of Virginia, Mary
land, and Pennsylvania over the
furnishing of supplies for his COM
mand. This adjusted after fashion,
his army one day set out in gallant
array, one ofthe best appointed forces
that had up to that day marched over
North American soil, and marched
west to crush the French and Indians
at Fort Ou Quesne, Needless to say
the naughty general was Braddock,
the commander of the Virginia rang
ers "Maj." George Washington and
the story of how the former, with
most of his command, were slaugh-
tered by the Indians like sheep in the
shambles soon after leaving Cumber
land is school history. 1t was here,
too, that the terrified fugitiyes from
the bloody scene of Braddock's defeat
sought refuge, guarded and protected
by Washington and his rangers.
Right up at the end of the principal
street is hill, where under Wash
ington's direction, Fort Cumberland
was constructed, and long remained
one of the main defenses of the col
Onies against their redskinned foes.
Where the old fort stood is now the
site of a real gem of little church,
copied from some old gothic chapel in
built solidIy of brown stone
and covered with ivy. From its COM
manding position, it is one of the first
things to attract the strangers eye,
and is charming specimen of church
In excavatinga a part of
the church yard for some purpose
few years ago cavalry stirrup, a few
bullets, and "a bayonet, all of the style
in use in the England army before
the revolution, were brought TO light,
mute memorials of the days when
King George was the father of this
country, and sent his red coats to pro-
tect and fight for her future rebels.
There is a good deal to remind one
Of the manufacturing towns of west
ern Pennsylvania in the general ap
pearance and characteristics of Cum.
berland. The Baltimore and Ohio
rolling mills are tremendous affairs,
alma suffirient IN afford sunnort IN q