The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-02-20
MT. AIRY.
A Picturesque Town that is the Centre Of
a Large Population and Does Much
Business.

In the extreme south western corner of
Carroll county lies one of the quaintest little
towns in the State Mt. Airy is Incorporated,
but large portion of its houses lies in Fred
erick county, the boundary line being only a
few hundred yards from the B. & o. station,
which is practically the centre of the town.
The principal thoroughfare-fo it can hardly
be called Streets the road running north
and south. or the Westminster road as it is
locally called.
In a quiet and unpretsntious way, con-
siderable amount of business is carried on,
the town being very large distributing CEN
tire. and the centre of a very large population.
Hills and valleys abound the pretty cottages
being perched either on high points overlook
ing the village, or else on sloping hill sides
with pretty terraces, in many cases showing
taste and means in the manner of their build.
ing.
The Typographical features of the country
will not permit regularly laid out town, and
from picturesque point of view that is fortu-
nate: because the oddity and uncertainty of
Mt. Airy constitute its chief charms. There
is delightful feeling of wonder in ones mind
as to .swhere he is at, and where he will find
himself when starting out for stroll, and the
stroll soon becomes a serious matter If one
desires to see everything in the place. Your
correspondent had the great pleasure of a
visit from Mr.. Albert Jones and Mr.. w. R.
Ruby shortly after arriving at Mt Airy, and
found in the former a gentleman who had for
many years lived in the Shenandoah Valley,
in Virginia, and who has a wide and familiar
acquaintance with events and persons in that
historic quarter. Mr. Jones moved to Mt.
Airy about ten years ago, and is the banker
and broker of the town, beside owning sew
eral fine farms in the vicinity. Mr.. Rudy is
the druggist, and charming gentlenen-in
spite of his politics.
Among the other more prominent business
men are A. Anderson & Co., general mer
chants; Runkles Mill and Elevator Company,
10000 bushels capacity; Robert B. Monkey,
straw and produce; W. H. Hood, general
merchant; Byron S. Dorsey, agricultural i'm
plements, and Mayor Of the town; Raymond
Barnes, furniture, stoves and plumbing; Will
son & Clary, Mt. Airy Creamery, doing very
large business; Baker Clary, hardware; c. W.
Shivers, wagonmaker; c. E. Simpson, coach
maker; E. B. Hahn, dealer in live stock; A.
Fl. Runkles, general store; Morgan G. Clary,
baker.
The Mt. Airy hotel, of which j. C. Gilbert
is the very genial host, is a comfortable steam :
heated establishment with table far beyond
the average, and a well-stocked bar, and the
writer of this was shewn the highest consid-
Grafton during his short stay there.
There are three churches Presbyterian,
Protestant Episcopal, and Methodist Episco-
pal at Mt. Airy, Methodist Protestant at
Ridgeville, mile away, and Roman Cath
Ole three miles south.
Mt Airy has population of about 600, but
the immediate vicinity, within radius of
three miles, counts up to something over 1000
people. 1t is the most important station on
the B. & o. railroad between Baltimore and
Frederick, and it would seem fitting that one
or two Improvements should be made by the
railroad company To the transient guest at
Mt. Airy the ear-piercing blasts from the To-
comotives, in the middle of the night, sound
like the crack o doom, and persons have been
knewn to jump directly from their beds, stand
trembling on the floor awaiting another blast
from what they consider Gabriel's horn. :"
Tired natures sweet restorer" does not
have fair show down there, except with
those accustomed to such sounds.
The station is awful. The old depot st
Westminster was bad enough, but the Mt.
Airy one is worse; in preference TO waiting
for trains ia the called ''ladies room, la
dies stand outside in all weathers, the odors
and sights within being a little too much for
sensitive olfactories and modest visions.
Mt. Airy is a pushing, hustling little town
and there is an air of prosperity about 1t that
tells its own tale.