Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-02-27
ALL ABOUT ALLE.GANN.

Allegany county is known as one Of
the richest, ii not the richest county
in Marvland. Its wealth is incalcu-
liable. and Its resources are unlimited.
1t is in the northwestern part of the
State, and is bounded on one side by
Pennsylvania and on the other by West
Virginia. 1t is mountainous for the
most part, and it produdes nearly all
There are hundreds and hundreds of
acres Of good farm land. West of Cum
berland, which is the county seat and
the largest city in the county, and next
to Baltimore in size and population.
there Is plenty of good land. 1t is rug
ged and rocky in places, but good
crops are raised and fair prices are
secured. East Of Cumberland the land
is plentiful. For the most part it is
untitled, but it is good, high ground,
that would pay if properly worked.
All over the county land improvement
companies have been started, and while
there is no big boom, the lots are going
at prices that range from 500 to 81 900.
The "glades'' IN Allegany county
large, fiat, swampy bodies Of land be-
tween the mountain ridges-are the
best grazing places for stock in the
State, and cattle are herded on these
gadeS in the summer months from the
neighboring States.
A. Il place for investment Allegany
county offers Il large field. 1t has adj
vantages that no other county enjoys.
1t is rich i'll ores and minerals. and
hese. W it'll its other natural resources.
make it desirable as home for
strangers in Il strange land who are
seeking to make their way in the New
World,
1t Is impossible to give in detail the
prices of land. OF course. there is
plenty of it for sale, but the prices vary
some high and some low but the
land is all good.
All the small towns i'll the county
are enjoying substantial. steady
growth Frostburg, next in size to
Cumberland, is thriving place. 1t is
in the heart of the coal region. and an
enormous business is done there by
the merchants. it has a population OF
about four thousand persons. Prices
range from two hundred dollars up
wards, according to the size and loca-
ton of lots.
Homecoming another mining town, is
also a steady, thriving place. 1t has
been corporation for more than Il
year. Mt. Savage, Westernport and
all the other small towns, offer many
advantages IN many ways to the in
weston and the immigrant.
The great coal fields of Allegany
county are known all over the world.
From the mines most Of the people
gain their livelihood. thousands of
persons being employed in the mining
and shipping of the black diamonds to
the Eastern coal ports, whence they
are aarried all over the world, The
coal measures consist OF Al deep series
of strata, which include gray sand
stones. shales, slate-clay, tire-clay,
carbonate Of iron and coal. aggregat-
ing in thickness ABOUT 400 feet. Tho
lower division of the great coal basin
extends with gentle slope down to-
wards the Potomac river, and is
tpaversed near y its whole length by
Georges Creek, which runs through IL
trough scooped out Of the coal and
| hard rocks to the depth of more
than 200 feet. The coal is shipped
from Piedmont, in West Virginia. and
from Cumberland east, and thousands
tons pass daily over the Baltimore and
Ohio tracks, bound for the con piers
at Locust Point, in Baltimore. No less
than thirty-six beds OF coal have been
land down in this region. Some of
these, however. range at present from
few inches to five feet in thickness.
The main coal field Of this county
lies between Dams mountain on the
east and the slopes of Savage on the
west, the Potomac on the south, and