The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-12-08
a VISIT TO GARRETT COUNTY.
Charming Impressions of that Beautiful
HeGion by one Well Qualified to
Express Them.


our next WISH was TO MI. MeSnacn
Mattingly's about mile distant from
Mr. DeWitt's. This appeared to us as
an ideal home, situated in the midst of
a rich and thickly settled cluster of
farmsteads, it reminded us Of the cen
ter flower in Il nice boquet, comprising
between four and five hundred acres
falling, like the shades of evening,
down one mountain, then extended
for some two hundred acres over q
beautiful gently rolling meadow land,
thence climbing gracefully to the
very apex of the opposite mountain, n
large herd of fat cattle in the field,
an equally large drove of fine sheep
in another, it forms a. imposing and
stimulating scene. This farm has
been almost mathematically laid off,
and is enclosed with improved fenc-
ing. The entire farm is in high
state of cultivation brought about
by repeated applications of lime and
through the agency of aggressive and
educated labor What adds so much
to its appearance is its artistic clean
liness-so clean that one can stand
on one of the mountain fields and see
rabbit make its way across any por-
ton.
Mr.. Mattingly was left Il poor boy
at the tender age of fifteen with his
mother to care for. By Industry,
sobriety and close attention to busi-
ness he has accumulated wealth.
Take it 'slow and steady has been
his motto, and though he weathered
the storms of sixty and one years, his
general appearance does not indicate
that he had reached five and forty.
To see Mrs. Mattingly in her drawing
room, at her dining table, or in her
parlor with rich clusters of choice
literature lying around, one could
hardly reach the conclusion that she
had spent the evenings and mornings
of her early married life at her dairy,
but rather amidst the cluster of the
choice and rare flowers that adorn
her beautiful home.
Writing of the fat cattle on this
farm, as well as on others which we
have mentioned, we are reminded
that grazing is an important and re-
munerative factor in this section of
INa In, hi I'D
a farm of several hundred acres, the
owner Of which had a few days pre-
vious sold one hudred and fifty head,
some of them weighing over fifteen
hundred pounds, at four cents per
pound on the hoof, averaging nearly
seventy dollars each. What think
you of this, farmers of Frederick
county? Grazing, we will add is not
expensive in this section Of the coun-
try. Droughts do not come often,
the dews from early spring until frost,
which often comes early in Septem-
Der, are like young rains, and along
the edges of the mountains, meadows
and through the glades, in the absence
of snow, cattle can find good picking
all the year.
IN our rides there were three Obser-
vati0ns that struck us with peculiar
force. First, we noticed that, how
ever imposing or modest the resi-
dences, there was ever to be seen the
large barn with commodious apart
ments, where the horses and milch
cows were cared for, the farm produce
stored and the farming implements
placed, then rows Of plank shelter for
cattle and sheep. Second, the gar
dens. We took occasion to inspect
the one at the home of the sOn-in-law
of Mr.. John Dewitt. Bushels Of large
cucumbers and tomatoes were rotting
on the stems; cabbage, any one Of
which was a load to carry; turnips,
two or three of which would fill a
half-peck measure. Then over and
along the strong oak palings were
pumpkin vines loaded to their utmost
tension with great heavy pumpkins.
Ever near these gardens are the
great health giving treasures
the spring and the dairy, Third,
and last, was the occasional
hum of the old spinning wheel, which
had been going around and around
for Il hundred years. How it carried
us back to the purple mist Of those
days which are nearly lost beneath
the obscurity of revolving years. All.
well do we remember, when a boy,
how we were placed on the bare back
of horse with u rope bride, and
sent to the carding mill for the wool
en- rolls. How many times we wished
that old spinning wheel was broken
into thousand pieces-how we hated
its humming-now how sweet it
sounded--it recalled the earliest and
fOndest recollections Of our childhood
home-falling over us like the MUIR
murs of lost music and as sweet as the
little dimples that play on the rosy
cheeks Of the dreaming infant. In
the earlier GaVS of Garrett county.