Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-03-23
Friday Morning..."... March %, 1888
THE MA ATERLAL DEVELOPMENT
OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY,


Any one who looks carefully into the
material development of Montgomery coun-
ty, now only partially developed, can readily
see great future for the county. Having
various soil, the red predominating, and n
nearly every portion of the county a subsoi
which is susceptible of much improvement,
even the present farm lands by use of lime
and plowing under clover can be brought
to the maximum of fertility. Our crops are
various, wheat, oats, rye, corn, hay, tobacco
and potatoes being the staples, and apples,
peaches and tho small fruits are successfully
grown.
Grazing cattle, sheep and horses is largely
carried on, the topography of the country
being most favorable. The whole county is
well watered and drained by innumerable
small streams. The climate most equable,
with short winters and moderate tempera-
ture during the heated term. Being re-
moved from the storm centers we are sell
dom or never visited by those terrible storms
which devastate many portions of the coun-
try.
The air is pure and bracing, and even
after the hottest of summer days the nights
ere deliciously cool. Intrenched among hills
yellow visaged malaria with shaking limbs
avoids our pure air. In fact, our county Of
fers every natural inducement for immigra-
tion, healthful and productive, well watered
and well timbered, with the best Of natural
drainage.
Nature having done so much for us, man
in rivalry has also achieved much. On
every hillside can be seen well titled farms
and comfortable dwellings, inhabited by a
thrifty, energetic and progressive people.
Churches Of every denomination and good
schools in all parts of the county-the sure
indication of intelligence and refinement.
We want more population to aid in the
material development of the county. With
440 square miles of territory we should have
five times the number of Inhabitants. We
want lands, which are only partially worked
at present, worked to their fullest extent
dairy farms and truck gardens to feed the
ever increasing population of the Capital
We want railroads to traverse the county
in whatever direction we can get them-the
Sandy Spring and Washington Railroad
Baltimore and Catonsville extension and
the extension of the Pennsylvania road from
Frederick to Georgetown. We want capi-
tai TO utilize the waters of the Potomac al
the Great Falls, the Monocacy, the Patuxent
Big Seneca, Little Seneca and Rock Greek
establishing mills and manufactures
~ The building of railroads, the increase ol
population and wealth and the development,
of resources means lower taxes and an in.
crease Of the taxable basis
The progress we have made in the last
ten years will appear Insignificant by that
we will make in the next ten. Over crowded
Washington seeking means to throw of
her surplus population casts her eyes west
ward-the river heads her off-south ward
still the river, eastward, the land is low and
swampy, northward she looks-and seeing
our hills rising, tier upon tier, she points the
way and from hilltop TO hilltop we may see
beautiful villas raise their inviting heads
inhabited by an intelligent, Industrious and
progressive people.
With all of our natural advantages anG
the rare inducements of every character and
variety our people should be wide awake tc
further and more rapid development En-
courage the building of railroads. let every
stream dash itself into atoms over counties,
numbers of spindles, foster every enterprise
that has u tendency to invite immigration
and capital, let the public roads be made an
object of special considerstion--and the day
is not lar distant when the county will be
come vast parterre OF social beauty anG
agricultural wealth, imparting life and Civ
ing stability 10 every other enterprise withr
its borders.