The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-10-24
MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. !"


Last week we published a portion
of letter written from Oakland by
Mr.. J. A. Howells to his paper, the
AShtGbula Sentinel, published at
Jefferson, o. This week the balance
of the letter is published herewith:
CROOK CREST"
OAKLAND, MD, Oct. 8, 1901.
DEAR READER In our last we
spoke of the sudden death of General
Crook at Chicago. The loss to the
army and his friends by this death
was a severe one, and indeed his wife
followed him within few years; but
not until she and her sister-Mrs.
Captain MARYLAND, or hostess-had
built the quaint cottage on the
crest as a memorial to him.
A cottage of today does not mean a
two room one-stOry building as of
old, for now cottage" at the sea-
side or on the mountain top may be
three stories, with a basement, and
twenty rooms. This house is not
quite so elaborate. but it is home
like in every respect. And the well
come we received by the lady of the
house, as she stood on the broad
porch with wide door open behind
her, and bright fire on an open
hearth, burning in the hall, was such
that we felt at home at once.
The house is full of reminders of the
famous General whose dream it was,
after time limit retired him. to spend
his days here. In the hey day of his
young manhood General Crook when
at Oakland would often come to this
spot to enjoy the bright sun and the
unlimited view of the mountains and
valleys on every hand. Then after
his death his wife and her sister, Mrs.
Capt. MARYLAND, built this quaint
house as a memorial to him. Wide
open fire places, windows opening on
charming vistas, books and papers
everywhere, old flags, pictures and
bric-a-brac are around you in greatest
profusion.
In carefully preserved case are
three swords which belonged to Gen.
Crook; one presented by the officers
of the Both Ohio, in 1868, believe. The
enlisted men of the regiment were
not asked to contribute to the gift,
and as an offset they too presented
him magnificent sword, which is
number two then number three is a
plain old style sword in gold scab-
bard which came down from Gen
eral Hamilton of the Revolutionary
war. In the case is also the plain cap
worn by the General, as well as a
dress parade chapeau. In another
box are the epaulets once worn by
General Thomas-"Pap' Thomas as
he was affectionately known by 1.-THE
boys in the Nashville campaign.
The epaulets were bequeathed by
General Thomas to General Crook
and are to go, with one of the swords.
to Webb Hayes, of Cleveland, who
was always a great favorite of Gen.
Crooks. But it is useless to even at
tempt to catalogue what is before us,
as space will not admit, even if it
were admissible.
The balmy air calls one out of doors
and this morning in company with
the Captain we had stroll through
the beautiful oak forest back of the
house. We struck into an old woods
road, but so encroached on by under
brush it would only permit of both a
very narrow horse and wagon to
travel it. The Captain very appro-
priately calls it the path of Mars
although no more peaceful spot on
earth could be found. With the au-
tumn smell of the deep woods about
us the Captain described his ideal
library. 1t was to have no shelves,
but only tables, covered with cloth to
correspond with the subject of the
books. We walked on until we came
to an abrupt ending of Path of
Mars" against wire fence which en-
closed a neighbours poultry yard, and
were again the world. We retraced
our steps. Wild raspberry, black
berry and BURBERRY bushes line the
road on either hand All sounds from
the outer world comes to one on this
warpath, muffied and bereft of all
harshness.
Who would think of seeing fine
cornfields with big pumpkins, lying
among the shocks-for the corn is all
CUT at nearly 5000 feet above the sea
But here you have just this to be
seen, and with the exception of wheat
and peaches, almost everything we
raise in Ashtabula county will grow
here. On one of our drives, in reply
to our inquiry as to the price of farm
land, the driver said, pointing his
whip at one of the fields we were
passing: THAT farm is worth $50 or
$50 an acre." The soil looks yellow
clay like ours and is quite productive.
Judge Wilson a former Ohio man