The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-08-04

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highly descriptive and very enter
tanning letter from the pen of Mr.
Charles Brown, a former resident of
! Grantsville but now living in Balti-
more:
EVANSVILLE, Md, July 20.
After an absence of three years am
again in the midst of the Lovely
Vale" no fairer scene ever greeted the
| gaze of man. The Casselman river
rises in the neighborhood of Bittinger,
Garrett county, Md, flowing north
west joining theBisCrossing orYough-
iogheny river at Confluence, Somer-
set county, Pa, Meadow mountain on
the east, Negro mountain on the west
forming the valley.
From Bittinger to Meyersdale a dis
lance of twenty miles the average
width is about eight miles; of this up
| per valley | wish to write:-Starting
from Meyersdale I find this an infant
city its mines, mills, and manufactor-
iesand every evidence ofrapid growth,
solid wealth and permanent prosper
ity; surrounded bya splendid agricul-
tural country, highly improved, sub
stantial buildings, abundant crops,
rivaling the most favored regions of
the great west, with numerous mines
of the best bituminous coal, shipping
large and increasing tonnage to the
eastern markets.
Six miles south we reach Salisbury
situated on this river in this valley
with a 1000 population growing rap
idly, surrounded by active mines and
manufactures. Three miles south l
am surprised to find Hastings" the
magic town, half way between Elk
Lick and Grantsville. have counted
twenty-five buildings in course of con-
struction, several large and imposing
business houses; the residence of the
superintendent is beautiful struct-
ure; the railroad is completed to this
point; large quantities of coal are
shipped; the town is all hustle and ac-
tivity.
The village of Tub, or Chestnut
Spring, few hundred yards distant
like a continuous town, a marvel of
rapid growth and enterprise, from
here to Grantsville we note many new
buildings and great improvements.
Old farms divided with new and sub
stantial homes in every direction. In
deed the entire valley looks like
blooming garden and would not suf-
fer by comparison with the most fer
tile and favoredregions of either state.
Many large tracts of virgin forests
are being sought and secured by cap
italists who are operating large mills
in every part of this country and val
ley;great quantities of the finest grade
and any quantity of oak the best pulp
woods in almost exhaustless guam
tity abound, with the large vein of
bituminous coal undertaking this por-
ton of the country; although the
youngest, We are easily the richest
county in the state in undeveloped
recources.
This valley is also the heart of the
celebrated maple sugar belt, 100000
pounds having been produced in one
crop in Garrett county. The farms
are highly cultivated splendid crops
large and increasing dairy products,
tits here the famous "Glade Graden of
butter is made, fine fruit on every
farm. The scenery of the Alps, a eli
mate so pure and bracing that death
is rare, many diseases unknown, water
so clear and cool ice is unnecessary.
All it lacks to make an earthly para
disc is good roads.
Three years ago l saw the Western
Union Telegraph Company mutilat-
ing and damaging that splendid struc-
ture, the Little Crossing bridge, one
mile east of Grantsville; they have
for years used the old National Road
for their line, planting posts on either
side, removing them nearer as the
edge of the road washed away, caused
by the post holes breaking the rock
bed and macademized surface, until
now the road-once 35sfeet wildcat
places is barely IL feet. The bridge
is sadly dilapidated and fast hasten