The Republican journal., 1897-05-27
A Visit to Maryland.
rCorresnondence of The Journal 7

Correspondence of The journal.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, May -, 1897.
Having business matters to look after in
Maryland in connection with our com
pany, | left Philadelphia on the early
morning train May Sth, and reached West
Grove, my headquarters in Chester county,
after ride of less than two hours. At
tending to business matters at hand l
then left West Grove on the 10 A. NJ.
train, reaching Conowingo, Maryland, at
H. 80 A. NJ. 1t is an historic old town on
the Susquehanna river and during the
civil war it did a thriving business getting
out timber for gun boats, and many of our
1ankee people from Maine and New Eng
land found employment there at good
wages. The old saw mills that We're kept
constantly occupied during the stormy
days of war still stand, and | thought as |
visited one of them that if they could but
speak they would narrate the story of
great controversy, when the territory of
this republic was divided between slavery
and freedom. If the readers of The Jour
nal will take the trouble of looking on the
map of Maryland they will notice that the
town of which | write is situated very
near the Pennsylvania line, and hence it
became a refuge for frightened fugitives
on whom the very terrors OF death had
fallen, and at the opening of the war the
stationed
there for some time for the purpose of
guarding the long bridge which spans
the Susquehanna. Gettysburg is only
fifty or sixty miles from Conowingo and
the rumble of the battle could be plainly
heard by her citizens, while the village
and surrounding country were oyerrun
with people from Gettysburg who had
been obliged to flee for their lives from
Lee S invading army.
Sunday evening May 9th, | addressed
good audience there in the interest of
temperance and Monday morning l was
obliged to leave for Perryville, Maryland,
twenty miles farther south over the Fred
erick division of the Pennsylvania system.
The scenery along the route was indeed
magnificent. Now we whirled along
| by the side of the Susquehanna and now
past little coves and placid bays; now
among
bright hills that wind in smiling waves
away;
Green valleys melting into vapors gray,
And banks and brooks that by their music
earn
Fair cone of sweetbriars and plumes of
fern.
Soon the brakeman cries out, ''Perry
vile, change cars for Baltimore, Washing
ton and all points SOUTH We gather up
our papers and with grip in hand join the
crowd on the depot platform looking at
the sparkling waters of Chesapeake Bay
which extends northward about l2O miles
within the State, with breadth varying
from to 20 miles.
There, thought l. is the ia nous Chesa-
peake Bay of which | loved to read when
but boy in Maine. 1t is dotted over
with vessels, sail boats and row boats;
for its waters bring the means of cheap
and easy transport almost to the very
doors of the Maryland farmer, beside fur
nishing him with great supply of the
finest fish and oysters. The great Penn
sylvania railway crosses this sheet of wa
! ter between Havre de Grace and Perry
vile on a lofty iron bridge one mile in
| length.
| During the day l had business matters
to look after, and while on the street |
saw great many negroes loating about,
many of them drunk and saucy. Look
! ing at their unntelligent faces, the ques-
ton arose, so constantly suggested when
we come in contact with this race, ''What
are they doing with the great gift of free
dom?''
In the evening | addressed a temper
ance mass meeting in the Methodist
church and listened to some excellent
music which had been prepared for the
occasion. Tuesday morning, May 18th,
l turned my face northward, arriving at
West Grove, Philadelphia, in due time,
safe and sound.
l will add however, before closing this
letter that | had business relations with a
gentleman in Kenneth Square in this State
few days ago, and as Kenneth was the
home of Bayard Taylor | intend to take
time, if possibly can, before leaving for
the summer shores of Maine and visit
''Cedarcroft," the former home OF this