Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-04-30
April 80

miles, was proposed. The proposition
was that the county commissioners
and the people along the line OF
roadway should grant the right of
way in the middle of the road to the
part of the line, but for four miles of
the Westerville end of the road there
was still an old incorporated pike, and
the stockholders of that road compell-
ed the laying of the electric road at
one side, the end of the ties to be eight
feet from the center of the pike.
The condition of the wagon road at
the present time indicates very clearly
the wisdom and forethought of the
stockholders of the pike company.
The part of the the road next to Column
bus is practically useless to the farm
ers along the line. The old pike road
bed where was gravel and stone to q
depth of two to three feet is now used
by the electric railway, and teams with
wagons loaded with farm produce
must turn out into the deeply rutted
mud track and stall. 1t now becomes
necessary to widen the roadway to
ninety feet and build a stone and
gravel road bed on each side of the
railway tracks, for there will soon be
double track of rails laid. This i'm
provement will cost the people at the
rate of 81 900 per mile, and just now
they are not able to pay it, as they had
just finished paying for the free turn-
pike which they had built at the rate
of $1,000 per mile. Previous to that
toll road was constructed in 1851 at
a cost of $4,000 per mile, and the toll
collected had been applied to repair
ing the road by building stone cul-
verts and applying stone and gravel
to the road bed each year until 1882,
when the free road was constructed.
Thus not less than $1,000 per mile mad
been expended on this road bed, which
was freely given away to the electric
railway company, and now the farmers
teams tug away in the deep mud draw
ing loads to market. Cross roads are
being used to get onto some other main
pike leading into the city. The road
is practically IA back road now, not
used very much for driving.
The electric railway company will
be compelled by law to build good
solid road bed within their tracks and
for a distance of one foot outside of
the end of the ties as the pike may be,
and the farmers will be allowed to use
that road bed. but must get out of the
way of the cars. The ties in many
places now are not covered with dirt
or gravel, therefore, when used by
people to drive on the vehicles bumps
along over the ties.
The elecric railway has become
cheap mode of transit to the city, car
rying passengers at the rate Of one
cent and quarter per mile, or one
cent per mile the round trip. t is
very nice for those who ride, but very
expensive to those farmers along the
line who cannot haul their grain. hay
and other produce to market until they
build another road to replace the one
which they gave away.
The officers of the electric railway
and their employees are very accom-
modating to the people, taking on
baskets of eggs. butter, poultry and
other articles free of charge. the own
ers being along and paying fares.
Thus the people get their small pro-
duce to market very cheaply. The
cars run every fifty minutes during
eight months of the year, while from
May until September ONCE every TWEEN
ty-tive minutes
There are advantages and disad-
vantages from having the road.