Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1890-12-11
RAILROAD BUILDING.
On Paper and Otherwise.

of this county two (which have the appear
ance of being in accord, with the third utter
ly ignored by both, and yet the third covers
the section of country lying between these
two.
We refer 70 the Emmltsburg movement
for Il road to Gettysburg aud the Middlclown
valley movement, NJ the two on the face OF
affairs rs being in Il" ord, and the NJ. '. "
r. r. X. (cxtension of the NJ. W as the third
movcmen, ignored by the other two.
Now, it is our purpose, in this article, to
anlphfy statement made in these columns
several weeks ago, and prove, beyond cavil,
that the proposed route from Mlddlctown to
Gettysburg, ola Rocky Ridge and Emmlts.
burg, as compared with that one ma Catoctin
Furnaces, Mcchanicstown and Emmitsburg
Is wholly lmpracticable, viewed either from
the standpoint Of cost of construction or
from that of paying traffic when completed.
First: the Rocky Ridge route will be the
longer Of the two; again, a survey has been
made by the former route and this need only
be compared with any possible route Qua
vs.
bridges and approaches to the three streams,
Fishing Creek, Hunting Creek and Owens
Creek, alone, the lower route is lmpractlca-
bic. These streams on any line reaching
Rocky Ridge are bounded on one or both
sides by immense ridges of red 70 X, the
valleys great deprcssions and the intcrlylng
spaces irregular submits every one OF under
lying red rock to any depth ncct ssary to 90
to secure the grade to bridge and approach
the three streams alone, 10y the lower route,
would, in the judgment of one conversant
| with both routes and informed in matters OF
this kind, more than build the road bed
| from Catoctin Furnaces to yellow springs.
| A glance at the map of any gcodctic survey
will convince any one of the evenncss of the
lines of equal altitude at the immediate base
| of the Catoclin Spur and every one acquaint.
ed with the section knows how wonderfully
broken and displaced is the entire red rock
strata. In the matter of road bed construc-
ton and bridges, the lower route by compnr'
ison therefore is impracticable this puts
two items against it, distance and cost of
construction.
Again: III the matter of traffic, everything
is in favor Of the upper route, for necessarily,
so far rs local traffic is concerned, the Props
ed road should consider freight rather than
passenger traffic How do the the two routes
stand? What IS to be expected from the
lower route, which throughout would secure
but the farm products of not ovcr-prodnc'
tive belt? Practically but little. What
recommends the upper route? An unhrQhcn
bed of minerals from yellow SPRINGS almost
to Emm,,sburg, net one ton Of which ore can
find Il market, except Il railroad passes imme-
liatclv by it. From Yellow Springs to within
three miles of Emmishurg on the upper
route lie a succession of rich deposits OF
magnetic, sprcular and hematitc ores, ochrcs
and hnts, which Will be marketable and
outweigh, twenty to one, the shipments OF
the lower route. In addition to this the coke
and iron traffic Of Cn,oclin Furnaces, which
may naturally be expected to come under
more energetic management ere long, OF
itself IS Il fair ctotF giinst the traffic over
the lower route. Aud the bulk Of the loc,,!
traffic that the lower route would secure,
would come to the upper route anyhow.
The development OF the mineral resources OF
the county can only be secured by the upper
route and we have shown that this alone
must he looked to for paying tlatlic. This
makes the third item IN favor Of the upper
route.
Now, We will consider the sole Involvement
that the lower route offers and that Is the
seven miles of railroad from Rocky Ridge to
Emmitsburs. tls to sayc some of the money
that has been invested in that road, that the
people of Middlclown Valley and Monocacy
Valley are asked to come to it over unpro.
ductlve hills and across the deep-sunkcn beds
of Fishing, Hunting and Owens Creek. The
W. VI. K r. eagerly seeks TO operate every
branch road that it can get its hands on If
there is promise OF profit IN it, yet we call
attention to the suggestive fact that it does
not operate the +. r II and why? Because
it can not he made to pay and that same
scyen miles OF road will not pay the propos-
tu TJtN, NlilIC ito Inia'ISi i'hA t'''S''''''
town to Diminishing will not only pass by
immense and valuable magnetic ore beds, but
will be within Il stones throw of Mt. st.
Mmy's College and will cross Toms Creek
simply at high water elevation and by easy
approaches.
70 sum up, we desire to sec the two routes
surveyed and estimates laid before the people
of Middletown Valley and the other sections
interested and when that IS done we shall be
content to have both our Judgment and hon
csty OF purpose impcachcd if it does not
appear that the lower route is wholly imprac
tlcablc.
Railroads are readily built on paper and
the Mildletown Valley people may be relied
upon to consider both routes, before they
finally adopt either. We do not understand
that the publication in divers daily and
weekly newspapers, of their intention to
build Il railroad to Rocky Ridge fixes the
matter; in fact, it does not fix it, but we
believe that, If after due examination of the
two routes, that 0M Rocky Ridge should
prove to he the more practicable, then pM
p,,l =, P,lra !, will no huilt far we believe