Evening star., 1901-05-24
HAGERSTOWN NEWS GRlST
READING SAID TO BE AFTER WEST
ERN MARYLAND.
Forest Fire in Mountain North OF
WaynesbOro'-NOted Suit for
Taxes Settled.

special correspondence OF Inc ENeHius SlaA.
HAGERSTOWN. Md. May 23. 1901.
Rumors are rife here that the Reading
Railroad Company is again after the West
ern Maryland. it having developed that
special agents have been in Baltimore and
have made bids for Baltimore's holdings in
the road. The recent tour of inspection of
the Reading officials over their own and
other lines with which they have close
traffic relations has helped to strengthen
the rumor. Additional support is lent by
the statement that shipments of grain and
mixed freight are to be made directly from
Buffalo over the Fall Brook line to New
| burg Junction. thence by way Of the Read
ing and Western Maryland to Baltimore.
The purchase Of the latter road would leave
the Reading entirely Independent Of the
Baltimore and Ohio for an entrance into
the monumental city.
The great forest fire in the mountain
| north of Waynesboro', which ragged for sew
eral days and nights and required scores
Of men to fight. has at last been cXttn-
guished Fifteen hundred acres Of timber
land were burned over and the loss IS over
500 Hundreds of birds perlshed in the
flames and the huckleberry crop, upon
which many rely for part of their living,
was injured. 1t is suspected that the fire
was Of an incendiary origin and was start
ed out Of hostility to the Mont Alto Iron
Company which owns the land.
ers Of the Baltimore and Cumberland Val
| ley railroad, an important feeder Of the
| Western Maryland railroad, decided to In
| crease the capital stock of the company by
| the issue Of 800 shares Of the par value
| of $50 each. This fund will be used for
double-tra cking and betterment of the road
generally to meet the requirements Of the
| large amount OF business now being done
| by the road
| Baltimore papers say the annual meet OF
| the Maryland division. League OF American
| Wheelmen. will be held here. and the chief
| council Is Of the opinion 1t will be cred
| liable affair Here it is regarded as unde-
cfded whether Hagerstown will accept the
| meet. which has been forced upon her in
| the absence Of an invitation.
| The case Of Collector D. Frank Hull
against the Baldwin estate. a suit for taxes
for about s4OO, has been settled, after a
hve-year fight. 1t was in the Supreme
| Court Of the United States and cost the
| Baldwin estate $500.
| Rev. NJ. NJ. Burtner. native Of this
county. has been appointed pastor of Philo-
math College. Phtlomath, Ore. Rev. Burt
ner will remove to his new station with his
family July q. and assume his new duties
| about August l.
Rev. Jerry X. Cooke. curate for five years
| of Grace Church, Baltimore. and formerly
! Of Hagerstown, has been called to the pas
torate of the Church of the Good Shepherd,
| Pittsburg.
The First Christian Church Of this city
has extended a call to Rev. II. G. Kendrick
| vacant by Rev. P. A. Cave, who accepted
| a call to the Third Christian Church of
| Richmond, Va 1t is generally understood
! that Rev. Hendrck will accept the call.
| The hay crop In Washington county this
season will be very short, with prospects
| Of high prices the coming winter. Farmers
claim there Is very little clover it having
| been burned out by the drought last sum-
| mer
The Western Maryland railroad continues
to do an immense business over its Cherry
| Run branch One day this week l 600 loads
of freight from Cherry Run passed through
| Hagerstown to Shippensburg en- route to
northern points
The various mountain resorts in this To-
cality are displaying great activity in max
| ing preparations for opening for the sum-
mer season. Buena Vista Springs Hotel
opens June 15- and the Blue Mountain
House at Pen Mar on June 90.
| Henry Hoffman, one Of the oldest resi-
| dents Of this county, died May 10 1t Belle
vue at the advanced age Of ninety-four
! years
Miss Ethel Beaumont Of this city, for
merly of Washington, will sail for Europe
on June with a party of friends.
| Mrs. c. Z. Leves and Mrs. William D.
West, sister and niece respectively, of Mr..
J, H. Blake of this city, have returned
to their home In Washington. after visit
to the family Of that gentleman.