The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-06-18


later Mr. William W. Bnsteed OF the CentreVlle
Observer, went to his last reward His was q ne
well spent, too and he left behind an envl4ole
record for honesty, energy and upright conduct III
all walks of life. He hewed his own fortune, ana
was foremost i'll advancing the interest OF MS sec
ton. -,
1t may be said the communities where they lived
were better by the example and energy OF Brothers
Busted and Wilson. Mr.. Wilson was at the noon
of life; Mr. Busted had just entered the evening
Each leaves behind an honorable record ana thls
Association mourns their death. Botn were ar
IDENTIFY devoted to Democratic principles; bolh
abOred increasingly for their dissemination.
TO SOUTHERN MARYLAND.
Through the courtesy of Hon. Henry Will
liams, Agent the Association took the steamer
Potomac, of the Weems Line, at o clock,
for Leonardtown, in St. Marys county. The
Potomac is u fine bay steamer, complete IN
every appointment. and with a gentlemanly
and accommodating set of officers. As we
glided down the Patapsco the Notifications at
Hawkins Point were observed and close
watch was maintained to observe if possible
some evidences of mines and torpedoes. VI
course the latter were invisible, and one could
not help wonder why the government should
have expended Il vast sum of money at iia"-
kins Point which is opposite Fort Carroll.
on the west side of the river. There Is no
likelihood of Il Spanish fleet attempting to at
tack Baltimore, not even the remotest proba-
bility. and if it could get that far the Haw-
kins Point guns could easily be passed. \
battery of heavy guns ON the top of the Blue
Mountains would be just useful as the tortl-
fcations al Hawkins Point.
Down the Patapsco and into the Chesapeake
the Potomac pursued It's way at the rate of
twelve miles an hour. and we had gotten be-
low Annapolis before the shades of night set
in. The weather was perfect, and after Il
supper of soft crabs. spring chicken, steak.
lamb chop, fried oysters, fish, stewed oysters
cold ham, cold beef, corned beef, hot rolls.
delicious corn bread, elegant coffee. with ice
cream and fruit as wind up, the company
repaired to the after deck and enjoyed the re
freshing salt air breeze, watched the passing
vessels and sat ~ until Fair Luna, nearly
full.orbed. arose on the horizon and sent her
Silvery rays across the deep.
About |. 80 Wednesday morning the steamer
put in to st. Mary's City, the ancient capital
of Maryland. ON the banks of st. Mary river.
The courteous captain, McGeoghan, threw the
search light upon the monument marking the
site of the ancient city and also upon ST.
Mary's Female Seminary a famous institution
for the education of girls, Most of the com
pany was close clasped i'll the arms of Nor
pheus, however, and did not enjoy Il view Of
the site of Maryland first capital. The site
is beautiful one, and 1t would not DE Il bad
idea to remove the capital back The vely
Inconvenience of gettng there and back would
cause the members of the General Assembly
to stay at their desks and work, and the lobby
would be almost bereft of their occupation.
Daylight found the Potomac blowing the
broad bosom of the river of that name. We
were heading for the GOcOmico river, Viz
ginia, in Westmoreland county, the birthplace
of both Presidents Washington and Madison,
4 L.: Al III, nho an,
elegant breakfast was enjoyed At Logues
wharf the party went ashore and left their
footprints on the sands of the shore.
Crossing the Potomac again the next stop
ping place was Piney Point, in ST. Mary
county. This is a famous summer resort, and
a more beautiful place to spend a week or two
would be hard to find
Leonardtown, our objective point was
reached about l p. m. on Wednesday: Mr..
Francis v King, the editor of the St. Mary
Beacon, met the party and took them to his
residence, where soon Messrs. r. G. Combs,
Joseph Morgan, Jos. H, Key, Frank Yates
and Mr.. Fenwick called upon us. a little
later an elegant dinner was served, and the
bill of fare included everything that is pro-
duced upon Maryland soil and dourlshes III
Maryland waters. To have done full justice
to that dinner the Association would have
had to remain a week, and take it in courses.
In the evening the whole party were invited
to an entertainment by the scholars OF the
Convent, OH the outskirts of the town, and
quite a number accepted and were highly
pleased with the program and the excellent
training of the pupils.
Leonardtown is one of the few places IN
MARYLAND that has not been much disturbed
by the ''march of improvement" 1t is
blessed, but don't know it. The people long
for railroad, for telegraph and telephone, for
a bank for electric lights, for water works,
&C., &c. All these are desirable, but very
expensive. In reference to these, where
ignorance is bliss it is folly to be wise. Where
banks flourish the people become impover-
ished. Banks offer opportunities to borrow,
then usually follows a mortgage and generally
a foreclosure. Railroads afford opportunity
for getting away from home speedily, and also
for CARRYING money out of community.
Leonardtown has a daily mail, but Just
think of the af1iction of those towns that have
three or four, and with three or four editions
of daily papers, particularly when the war
dispatches are so uncertain and contradictory!
The ancient village of about 400 inhabitants
they all belong to the ''Four Hundred '-can
boast of public library, something of which
neither Westminster, Frederick. Cumberland
nor Annapolis can boast. The citizens OF that
place not being able to cultivate their pocket
books to any very great extent, have turned
their attention to the cultivation of the mind
a far more agreeable and laudable undertake
ing 1t is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go
to heaven. Riches bring cares and response
bilities, and the citizens of Leonardtown do
we'll to avoid them. Still, Leonardtown is
rich-rich in its seclusion, rich in social ell
ioyment, rich in its library, rich in having so
few ways to expend money.
St. Mary's county has fine climate and Il
productive soil. The waves ofthe Chesapeake
bay and the Patuxent river roll upon its shores
on the east, and on the west is the Potomac,
while the St. Mary's and the Wicomico rivers
and Breton's bay run inland. These rivers
not only afford facilities for transportation,
but they furnish food for the people-fsh,
oysters, crabs, maninoes and wild duck.
They are better than a railroad, because they
cost nothing to build and nothing for repair,
and freight rates and passenger fares are less.
Corn and tobacco are the chief crops of St.
Mary's, though much wheat is grown, and the
river lands produce well. The land is not
producing as it can and ought. Too many of
the young men have left the farms for city
life. Had they stayed at home aud worked
as hard as they have to do on street car lines,
handling heavy goods, &C., st. Mary would
be one of the foremost agricultural counties in
the state. By reason of this exodus lands are
cheap, wonderfully cheap.
After an afternoon and night in Leonard
town the editorial party took an early morning
drive across the county, ten miles, to Satter-
ley's wharf, on the Patuxent, where the
steamer st. Mary's, also of the Weem's line,
was boarded The officers gave the party
cordial welcome, assigned them to state rooms,
and little later an elegant breakfast was
served. The Patuxent is famous for fine
oysters, and once the supply was supposed to
be inexhaustible, but they are growing scarcer
every year. The river is broad and deep,
and on one side is the county of Calvert aud
or Az o4hou CT Mnr,,in IL .,.1...al. s.c4 L.