The Republican., 1900-09-06
GARRETT COUNTY
Entered Successfully on an Era of Great
Prosperity.

correspondent visited the village of
drantsville, in Garrett county, on
the National road, IA miles west of
Frostburg.
If anybody desires to see the won
derful development of Garrett county
a drive across the country from Oak
land to Grantsville would furnish
the opportunity for so doing. At the
present time there are large acres OF
agricultural lands covered by magnif-
icent farms in high state of cultiva-
tion, where few years ago stood yir-
gin forests. Nothing has done SO
much to increase the assessable basis
of the county and improve its mater
ial wealth as the cutting down Of for
ests and turning them into fields of
wheat and corn.
The maple sugar industry is very
large interest in Garrett county, but
large majority of the sugar produc-
ers live in the section of the county
of which Grantsville is the center. /
noticed as came over today large
number of beautiful sugar orchards,
with their sugar camps, each Of which
annually yields a large revenue to
the owner.
Grantsville is not large town, but
its inhabitants are a thrifty, well-to-
do people. The town is surrounded
by an agricultural district comprised
of prosperous farmers, whose lands
are well kept and make the owners
handsome returns for their invest
ments. Many valuable and substan-
tial improvements have been made
in the past 12 years. One of the dis
advantages under which this section
has labored in the past is about to be
removed, and Grantsville will soon
have railroad communication with
the outside world.
The Messrs. Jennings Brothers, of
Lopez, Pa, haye purchased two large
tracts of land in Garrett county-one
known as the Maynadier tract and
the other known as the Bowser tract.
These two tracts of timber are about
thirteen miles distant from Grants
vile. These gentleman have also
purchased what is known as the Gun
ningham lands, which are about
three miles nearer the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad than the two tracts be-
fore mentioned. They now propose
TO build standard gauge railroad to
reach these timberlands.
At Meyersdale, on the Pittsburg
division of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, road branches off which
reaches West Salisbury, distance
of nine miles. Then there is a short
road from Salisbury to Niverton, a
distance Of four miles. Jennings
Bros. have surveyed their road from
Niverton up Castleman's river to
their lands. This road crosses the
National road just east of Grantsville.
There is large force of men grading,
and they completed the grading from
Niverton to the National road today.
The distance from Grantsville to
Meyersdale by way of Salisbury is 16
miles.
When the road is completed to the
Cunningham lands it will be with
in 10 miles of Swanton, on the main
line of the Baltimore and Ohio. Sen
ator William r. Getty stated to your
correspondent that the proposed road
will run its entire length through a
section underlaid with coal. He says
that there are numerous parties con-
stantly engaged in prospecting over
this vast coal field, which covers many
thousands of acres. The coal Is what
is known as the four-foot vein, but,
said the Senator, the time is at hand
when the smaller veins of coal must
be worked. This coal is now in de-
mand, and operators are busy taking
leases and options on the land wher-
ever they can obtain them. With
coal and timber resources referred to
the proposed road will be a valuable
feeder to the Baltimore and Ohio and
will develop the resources of large
section of Garrett county which here
tofore has been almost unknown.
The wonderful progress of this Sec
tion was practically illustrated few
days ago when several enterprising
citizens took the preliminary steps to
organize a national bank here. The
entire capital stock was taken the
first day and many applicants could
not be supplied. Mr.. Getty said to
your correspondent: "All the farmers
in this section are prosperous and
many of them have money to invest.
and a bank will be a great conve-
nience to the community. There is
so times more bank business done in
this section now than there was 90
years ago. A majority of our people
do their banking at Frostburg, a dis
tance of IA miles, which is very incon-
venient."