Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-10-04
GOVERNMENTAL
NEW YORK, Sept. 26. 1894.

VI
NEW YORK, Sept. &c, 1894.
Editor of st. Mary's BEACON, Leonard
town, Md. Dear Sir:-Each recurring
visit to Southern Maryland adds to the
conviction that have had from my frs.
visit, of the unusual resources and posi-
billities Of your country.
There ID only one thing that see that is
absolutely needful to bring about the re.
suits towards which nature has contributed
SO much, and that is energy and persever.
ance- You have, with out question, most
kindly soil, Welding promptly to treatment,
giving You abundant crops, and with a
climate and under surrounding conditions.
almost unparalleled in this country.
All OF these bounties of nature are only
partially utilized if there be no method of
rapid communication with large nearby
markets. The advantages that the PENN.
sular has in respect TO markets are also
quite as remarkable as the natural adyan.
tages, for you have within so miles north
OF you, the capitol of the country, and
within 90 miles, the largest city of your
own State, whicE together have an aggre-
gate population of over 100000 people.
1t is unnecessary almost to look for
larger sources of consumption of all the
products which a kindly sol! like yours
could supply, but you have, in addition
also. the large markets afforded by the
teeming population of Philadelphia and
New York, close on TO three millions more
ofpeople.
There would seem TO me no reason why
You should not be able in the future 10 sup
ply these markets with the early products,
quite, II not as soon, as Norfolk. She has
always the advantage of sending her pro.
ducts to market at time OF scarcity, and
therefore receives very large remunera-
uon on the labor and cost Of production.
1t would seem therefore a vital and
burning question TO the whole of Southern
Maryland, to all its inhabitants, both of the
farming and commercial classes, that some
means of rapid communication, other than
steam boats, should be had with these large
centers, and also-with the rest of the coun.
try.
Ii has often seemed TO me, especially
within the last few months, during which
time l have been much in your country,
that with evidences such as have been
given them, OF the earnestness on the part
OF the parties now controlling the Wash.
ington d Potomac Railroad, that something
would be done by the people of your com.
try towards aiding and abetting them in
their efforts to extend the road down 10
wards Point Lookout.
During my last visit to your interesting
town, l took occasion TO speak with some
OF the enterprising and large property
holders, and made to them proposition,
that il they would supply ties, or in the
absence Of their ability to do that, would
supply labor to work upon the grade, that
we would lay as many miles of rails as
they would redress of the grade and sup.
: ply ties for.
This method has very frequently been
employed in other States and Is now being
accomplished in the State Of New Jersey,
so II is no extraordinary proposition TO
make, and it seems to me that at this pre-.
sent time IT is the only practical method to
obtain the result looked for.
You are well aware of the condition of
the finances in this country and that il has
been almost an absolute impossibillity up
to the present time TO place any new bro.
ject upon the market with any degree of
success.
But If disposition was shown by the
people to do this work, say for ten miles,
It would have very great influence upon
capital here, and 1ould, no doubt. insure
the completion of the road from Washing.
ton to the Point. There is nothing that
could be done by the people of Southern
Maryland that would be more convincing
OF their desire to have the road built. than
TO supply the ties and labor preparatory to
laying the rails, for say ten miles, at least.
IL would seem 10 me as If this labor
should not. in justice, be confined only TO
those who are interested in property lying
contiguous TO and along the ten miles from
Mechanicsville towards the Point, but that
i should be shared by others, even further
below, who viii also be greatly benefited
thereby.