The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-08
EIkins.

the "backwoods" to your readers,
by assuring them that we were not
dead. but metaphoricaIly sleeping.
Formerly our faces were turned to
Oakland. Oakland was the Mecca of
our pilgrimage, and, in our estima-
ton, was the pride of glade and
mountain. All the good people de-
sired to live as near to her as conven-
lent, to go there as often as an excuse
could be found, and to stay as long as
possible; and it was the ferYent hope,
the fond aspiration that to us at last
Oakland might be the "happy hunt
ing ground" of the "Sweet Bye.and-
bye"
But this is all changed now. The
opening of the West Va, Central g.
Pittsburg railway has effected COM
plete face. about.
No longer do we sit on stump in
the field and listen to the long sono-
rOus t-o-O.O.o.t of the locomotive on
the B. & o., and, signing, wish we
were there. but we listen for the short,
sharp. panther-like scream of Billy
POrter's number one, and wonder
when the slide will be removed and
this brings us f,ce to face with the w.
Va, c. & P. r. r.
Most of your readers are sufficient
ly familiar with this road to need
no additional information, but others
may not appreciate its Importance to
the material interests of our county.
Itsjunction with the Baltimore and
Ohio is about mile above Piedmont,
but they run their cars down there
on the B. & o. track, to take on pas
sengers and freight. The road runs
close along the bank of the North
Brach, on the West Va. side, and the
first station, about three miles from
the junction, is Pineswamp. Win
dom is next, and then comes Shaw,
situated at the mouth of Deep Run,
where is also the junction of the
branch road leading up to the Elk Gar
den mines. Above shaw next comes
Chaffee, just. below the Sewers dam,
whence the tram road up ThreefOrks,
on the Maryland side, extends to the
steam saw mill of the Messrs. Davis.
The next station above Chaffee is
MineviIle, and then Blaine. opposite
Kitsmillersville, where a good iron
bridge spans the river, affording easy
access to the railroad from the Mary
land side. This is the only point on
the road reached by bridge from the
Maryland side. AT Schell, six or
seven miles above Blaine. there is a
store conducted by w. R. Neville.
Schell is two miles below the mouth
of Stony River and will be one of the
first stations on the road. Extensive
lumber operations will be conducted
here, and within two years from date,
there will be merchant Touring mill
and probably saw and shook mills.
There is pike located from the West
Va. side. which will he opened prob.
ably the coming summer, and coun-
ty road and bridge are among the inn
mediate necessities on the Maryland
side. One and a-half miles above
SchelI, and just below the mouth of
Stony River, the road crosses to the
Maryland side, and runs some eight
or nine miles in Garrett county. The
first station after crossing the line is
German, after the Maryland Senator.
German is at the mouth of Saw-mill
Run. near Mr.. George Steyer's, where
the company have built water
station, and where there would prob
ably be good opening for country
store.
Gormas Is two and a.half miles be-
low Elkins, and Elkins. situated at
the old North Branch bridge, at the
crossing of the northwestern grade,
may be regarded as sort of crown
jewel midway in the string of pearls
along the w. Va, G. & P. r. r. But,
having described EIkins in my form.
er letter, and seeing that she is repre-
scented ably and faithfully by the cor.
respondent whose interesting letter
appeared In the issue for which my
first was intended, must be permit
ted to forego the pleasure of a special
eulogy.
Two and a-half miles above Elkins
the road crosses back again to the
West Va. side, both crossings being
effected by substantial iron bridges
which look like outlasting the pres
ent generation. Just above the bridge
at the mouth of Buffalo, tributary
from the West Va. side, Is the station
of Bayard, where the company will
probably establish saw mills and a
lumber depot. Again two and a-half
miles above Bayard is the station OF
Camden. This is opposite the mouth
of Sand Run, from the Maryland side,
where the road is reached at less OK