The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-03-18
Maryland Affairs.

lighted by electricity.
From some unknown cause sheep are
dying in Hartford county.
A strip of land inches wide by 123
feet long was sold IL Baltimore ON Friday
of last week for s2,250.
The tax1ble basis of Baltimore county
will b. Increased $4,000, 600 by April list,
~; tin. NJ levy is made
Citizens of Baltimore aud Frederick
counties are complaining of the awful con-
dition of the county roads
The Whiting Novelty Company, of Alb
erdeen, Hartford county, has contract for
10000 silver trays TO be used at the
Worlds Fair.
Montgomery county has another attack
of the gold fever That gold bearing
quartz does exist there no one doubts, but
the cost of obtaining it amounts to more
than the receipts.
A lantern was left burning in the barn
ofGeorge Marley, in Anue Arundel county,
last week The lantern exploded, scatter
ing the oil in all directions-result, barn
and contents burned.
The business men aud farmers of Parsons
burg have formed 4 stock company to
manufacture crates and baskets. They have
decided to build factory 40 by go feet.
There is probably no place on the pc
niusula better fitted for such factory than
Parsonsburg. There is within half mile
of the factory site millions of feet of gum
timber, that is easy of access, and on which
no freig ht will have to be paid to get it to
the factory. Labor is cheap and living
moderate.
The breaking up of the ice gorges in the
Susquehanna river was attended by serious
losses aud Inconvenience at Port Deposit,
on Saturday aud Sunday where more than
half the dwellings and stores were flooded
and the inhabitants forced to retreat All
the outbuildings, fish sheds, lumber and
other material on the margin OF the stream
were swept away and crushed. The water
rose 20 feet above low water mark. On
the Hartford side the water rising above
The canal tow path supplied means of
easement, and the ice ran out swiftly past
Havre de Grace and into the Chesapeake.
In 1887 William F. Allen, DR., then
living at Allen, Wicomico county, pur-
chased 5000 strawberry plants and enter
ed in a modest way into the cultiva-
ton of strawberry plants for market.
From that beginning there is today, with
in one and half miles of Salisbury, one of
the best known strawberry plant farms in
the United States This year he has over
million plants He has recently pur-
chased one of the "Layfeld' farms and
next season will have fifty acres of beds
and 3,00O,00 strawberry plants. He will
also have several varieties of strawberry
plants originated by himself These pl nts
are now at the experimental stations of the
agricultural colleges of Maryland, New
York aud Michigan.
County Commissioner Alexander Davis
has submitted a proposition to the board
looking for an improvement of the common
roads in Washington county. He agrees
to abandon the use of earth in making
repairs, and To offer the farmers % cents
for every horse load of stone delivered
on the road needing repair All appro-
priations are to be used before November
Is Of each year Deposits on any road
are limited TO fifty perches, to be broken
for fifteen cents perch. This proposition
would mean the expenditure of $4,000
every year. The board held the plan over
for advisement If it is adopted it will
certainly improve the condition of the
country roads, which are in fearful con-
dition during wet weather.
jackson Cooper. a prosperous farmer,
hung himself at his home near Deer Park,
Garrett county, on Friday of last week. His
family knew of no cause for the act. On
Friday morning, after doing some work
about the house, he told his vile he was
going to a remote part of the farm to make
a fence He did not return to dinner as
usual In the afternoon search was made
and the body was found hanging in the
barn Ii is remarkable fact that this is
the fifth suicide in Mr.. Coopcrs Immediate
family within few years. Some time ago
brother went cut on his farm and built a
large fire Of brush and burned himself to
death. Another cut his throat, and this is
the third who has hanged himself. Mr..
Cooper was held in general esteem by his
neighbors.
A letter from Salisbury. Wicomico coun-
ty, says Several days ago Thomas Far
low, Of Parsonsburg, in driving well,
struck flow of natural gas, which was so
strong he pulled the. pipes up and drove
in another place for water It is strange
that this gas supply at Parsonsburg has
not attracted more attention from scientists
1t is surely worthy of an exhaustive exami-
ton, as gas has been struck at places a
mile apart, which shows that there is more
THAI small deposit of marsh gas. Be
ginning at "Pine Grove and extending
to the Delaware line there is sand ridge
(along which oil the gas wells have been
struck which has an elevation of about
thirty-fcur feet aud is known as the Back
bone Of the Forest This ridge Is be-
lieved to be the dividing line between the
ocean and Chesapeake bay. as all the water
on the east side Of it drains to the ocean and
all on the west side drains to the bay. There
have been repeated attempts made to drive
wells on this ridge for water, but all have
proven failures, But Oh both sides good
water can be obtained by means Of arsesiau
wells Il is the general belief that beneath
this .-ridge, extending for several miles,
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