The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-08-20
For the Advocate
Mountain Lake Park.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST II. IS!

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST II, 1898.
The year 1881 saw the birth of the enter
prise which resulted in Mountain Lake Park
as it is today In the autumn of that year the
tract of land was purchased and given its pres
ent name. At that time the ''Park" had few
things to commend it to the summer pleasure
seeker. The location was admirable then
as now; the Little Youghiougheny took its
tortuouS course across the southern corner
just the same; the glades were here them and
far off to the south and southwest the unbroken
ridge of Little Back Bone Mountain stretched
its intermnable length, effectually shutting off
aggression from the south, till the bold engi-
neers of the B. & o., having despaired of
finding a pass, determined i'll true motto
fashion to make pass. At that time and for
forty years afterwards the ''Park was "A
bowling wilderness, in which rattlesnakes,
panthers and bears disputed possession with
the lovely, tmid, mountain deer. 4 man
well-known through the central counties Of
MARYLAND, who was here a few days ago, told
me that he passed here over the b. 0. in
the fitties, and that the road was still barely
passable. The heaviest grades were passed
by what is known as ''zigzagglng. When the
summit was reached he could look back over
the hills, which were then being tunneled, and
see the snake-like track through whose sinu-
~
be advanced on their journey but very short
distance. Though this method of climbing
hills has been long abandoned by the b. d o.,
three other railroads i'll this region still use the
primitive ''Zigzag'' for mountain climbing.
The deer now extinct, have left their name in
Deer Park: the bears are no longer Il terror,
having presumably found more cOngenial
society in Wall Street, while the tree III which
was shot the last panther ever seen in the
neighborhood is pointed out on the road from
here to Deer Park. Such was the reg on Sc
ected by keen eyes and true business instinct
for christian summer resort. The qualifying
adjective has been strongly emphasized trem
the first, and from the time the Park was
opened for visitors, in the summer of 1882, to
| the present time no trains have been allowed
| TO stop here on the Sabbath. Some good peo-
| pie howl against the railroads for Sunday
trains. As soon as the people cease to de-
mand, and pay for Sunday trains. they Will
stop. The corporations stand with Sam Jones;
they furnish what is best paid. But there.
! nothing in the world easier or more attractive
to tmid folks than TO howl at something. so
| the earnest, busy people, who are helping TO
carry the burdens, soon learn to act, II not 10
| say:
| Let the howers howl and the GROWERS growl'
And the rough gang go it;
Behind the night there is plenty OF light,
And everything is all right and know It,
Further the charter from the State OF Mary
land prohibits the sale of Intoxicating liquors
within "a mile of the Park. That liquor ques-
ton is something else which the people have
in their power to settle any day they can
muster the courage to drop little selfish preJ,
udice and timdity and act i'll the name OF God
and home for humanity.
What's the use Of wasting breath and energy
! in abuse of Democrats or Republicans when
| they have both deliberately put the scourge
| into your hands and you can't find one man IN
a thousand with courage enough to use 1t I
| For shame; and call yourselves men. Give
that scouree into the hands of the women OF
this great republic and in less time than 1t
| takes TO write it they will march out and tell
politicians of every party what to do ana II
! will be done. There's no more obedlent
| class in this country than the politicians II the
people who WELD the ballot understood the
! theory of our constitution and had as much
courage as you could stand on the point OF Il
cambria needle. No, sir; the politicians are
wiser IN their generation than the saints, ana
! if they did not rise to the occasion ana govern
the country, however badly if you please, the
poor indoent howlers would find themselves
without either the brains or the courage 10
take up the burdens of real government.
an area equal to square, each side OF which
would be ! little over mile long. Since the
summer of 1882, when few people came here
and managed to exist for while out III the
woods without even roads or any other signs
| of civilization, things have changed rapidly.
Living Oh the north side of the b. o., mid
way between Deer Park and Oakland, de-
velopment has been rapid and substantial
Nearly 5000 feet above sea level, with the
bracing mountain air by day and night, so
fresh and cool that one sleeps i'll the hottest
season wrapped in Il blanket, perhaps no more
| invigurating or saubrIOuS health conditions
exist anywhere. The Park is a selt-governng
municipality. 1t has its own police, and not
a dollar can be spent by the community.
as it is called, without vote of the citizens OF
! the Park Only house owners are allowed to
vote. Over $50, 900 has been expended IN
street-making. Last year water plant was
nut i'm. Several years before that the grounds
| had been lighted by electricity. An assembly
| Hall and Auditorium, seating 1000 or more,
stands near the centre of the Park III beau
tifully situated enclosure called Chautauqua
Park. 1t is in this Auditorium that all the
platform events noted i'll the printed program
take place. The Hall of Philosophy is a
smaller building some two hundred yards east
of the Auditorium. 1t has Il large room for
J the accommodation ol various lIloi MAJ gun
erings during the season, and smaller rooms
for class work.
The classes doing seniors, work are usually
SMALL sometimes zero. sometimes two, some
times fifteen in a single department Ill the
| school of liberal arts OF course it is the plat
form work that pays, and it is upon this that
all efforts are concentrated. season ticket
to the seventy or more platform entertain
ments costs only three dollars. Half the time
has now sped and we have heard, besides Sam
Jones. Col. Bain the Rock Band-the music
is made by tapping bits OF rock-and above
all, Dr. Egerton R. Young, on his experience:
as missionary to the Indians of north Canada
GEo WASHINGTON.