Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-06-22
A INTERESTING SKETCH OF A VISIT
TO OUR COUNTY.

During the past week I male visi
TO the old slave counties If Maryland Oh
the lower Potomac River. and enjoye'
riding through as picturesque a eounir,
as can be found anywhere on our navi
gable tidal rivers. The hills are yer.
high above the bottoms and streams an'
are beautifully wooded with oaks am
chestnuts and occasional pine forests
the latter taken of the malaria which u
still the curse Of much of this country
Before the Revolutionary War this re
gion was preferred above all others fol
country houses aud estates Many o.
these are now found IN half.rulncC
condition. In some cases the names
Of the original proprietors are no longel
known. The land is cheap and Of GOO
quality for vegetables, fruits and the
vine, and the inhabitants are beginning
TO indulge the hope that canBeries may
stand in place Of manufactures to them
They have cultivated tobacco and corn
until they no longer grow well. Their
tobacco is txcelled by that Of Pennsyl-
vania and several other States, aud finds
its marke: now only in France, where
its mild quality recommeds it. The
country is much better cleared up how.
ever, since the war, but the difficulty OF
paying the black servants sufficient
wages to energize them il general ac-
knowleged. Above all things they want
emigration in that South CIrOlna of
Maryland, but they have had no euigra-
ton since the war The Eastern Shore
Of Maryland has very much improved
compared to the Western Shore Lands
in the former peninsula have risen in
value, and both the grain and the berry
and fruit culture have driven up the
price of land till no man exposes farm
for sale but it is Immediately grasped
whereas on the western peninsula land
offered for sale, if cash is required, must
be sacrificed. | found, however, very
general liberation ofopinion on the West
ern Shore, and the Republicans stand
very well with their Democraic neigh
bors, and under the honest sway of
Governor Hamilton, whom the old ring
politicians dislike, there is fair regis
try and fair count. aud consequently
the old slave counties 90 Republican.
| paid visit to the grave Of signer
Of tho Declaration last week, and was
delighted to find how perfectly bis home
and property are retained in bis family
There we're but four signcrs of the Dec
laration from Maryland. the youngest Of
whom was Thomas Stone. He lived
about two miles from Port Tobacco, on
an estate called Havredeventure. His
house, which was finished about I'LL,
is made of brick in one high story with
second atory in the broken gable,
and there are wings retiring from the
building in segment Of a circle in one
which was his Office. One of the large
rooms in the main building is vain
scoted to the roofand contains his portrait
painted by Pine. His next neif hbor WIS
the celebrated DIR. Gustavus Brbwn, who
was called into attend the last illness of
General Washington. The Stone es-
tate, in nearly its original proportions,
is now managed by maiden lxy. Miss
Margaret Stone, who takesI It pride
IN the family matters N a,e
some elegant antique furnitg and the
measuring glass and medicine Oh ,st of
DIR. Brown Passing through An oat-
Geld on the flank of the house | Jane to
clump Of cedars where lay the signer
and his wife, whe died but a few months
apart, and her death broke his heart at
the early age of forty-four. The in
scription is as follows Thomas Stone,
son Of David and Elizabeth Stone, de-
parted this life October 5, 1887, aged
forty-four years. The Archives of
Maryland will show the Offices of trust
he has held lie was an able and faith
full lawyer, wise aud virtuous patriot,
an honest and good man" The signer's
brother, Michael Jeuifer Stone, was
chief-justice of the State and was the
grandfather of the present judge, who
stud ed law in this old house, the solitary
student of William B Stone, his uncle.
While | am upon antiquities | may
say that also visited the grave of Wash
ington's physician. DR.. Brown. He
had one of the very large mansions over
looking the Il YER Potomac, built about
1860, with an elegant garden falling
ia terraces from its front. There were
no medical colleges in the land at that
time, aud he took medical students and
they dissected bodied under the house and
| saw the furnace where they worked
and the wing of brick in which thew
lodged and took their lessons. Wash
ington visited DR. Brown and sounded
the same old door knocker | handled
but yesterday there. The mansion is
perhaps seventy bv fifty feet, with deep
cellars paved and bricked. and the room
IN which DR.. Brown died is preserved
very much as it was. The house is
now in possession of Miss Olivia Floyd,
maiden lady and cousin Of ex-Secreta-
ry John b. Floyd, of Virginia. She
farms about six hundred acres at this
place of Rose HILL" The doctors
tomb is at the base of the terraces in a
corner, now deeply ov,rgrown with
blackberry bushes, and says as follows
Sacred to the memory of Gustavus
Richard Brown; this tombstone is erect
ed BY his rellct, Margaret Brown. 10
testimony of her respect and affection.
aud is monument of his SIX II as a ply
stefan, of his learning as scholar, of
his wisdom as citizen Of his generosi-
y as friend os his elegance as a gen
tie nan, of his hospitality as a neighbor
OF his Kindness as master his tender
ness as husband and parent and of his
oenevolcnce as man. He died Sep
tember 30, 1891, aged ffy-six years"
So he was but ffly.one wears old when
he closed General Washingten's eyes.
The Descendants of DR.. Brown are in
termarrled with their next neighbors,
the Stones, aud | saw two interesting
L