The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-04-25
[Spccial Correspondence.
On the Wing.
A TRIP TO THE WEST.

A TRIP TO THE WEST.
| left home on March Goth, stopped in
Baltimore over night in order to take a
| morning train so as to pass through
| Northern Maryland and Pennsylvania by
daylight, this being my first trip over the
| Pennsylvania line. l found the country
| from Baltimore to State line rather rough
and broken, but with good farm buildings,
| which is an indication of a prosperous
condition of the agricultural classes.
York, Pa, is a much larger city than |
expected to see, and located in the midst
of fine agricultural district. After leav
ing York soon came to the Susquehanna
river, which was also surprise. In width
it would compare favorably Within upper
Mississippi, but judging from its appear
ance from car window does not carry
near as much water I arrived at Harris
| burg at about 12 noon. Here l found a
| nice little city of 10000 people and the
furnace chimney was everywhere in evil
dence l changed cars, re crossed the
Susouehanna and soon left its banks to
follow up the stream that Longfellow
sang about, the blue Juniata. 1t is now
all up hill and we are drawn by two i'm
mense mountain eng ines and seem to
make good time.
Altoona is the next place of any conse-
quence: this seems to be quite railway
point. judging from the amount OF side
track, locomotives and loaded coal cars in
sight here. The railway traffic in coal,
coke and iron is immense here, every few
minutes we meet one of those long coal
trains drawn by two locomotives of the
largest type. Just about dark l passed
through Johnstown, noted for its great
flood disaster of only few years ago. 1t
is dark when the train reaches Pittsburg,
where we have to change cars again.
passed through Canton, Massllon and
Cresoline, Ohio, also the oil fields of Ohio
and Indiana and Fort Wayne, Ind, in the
night. Soon after daylight we began to
get into south Chicago, and at 8 a. m.
Friday we are in Union depot. There is
but one Chicago, and the rush, crowd and
jam of that great city fairly takes away
your breath. 1 stopped here visiting
friends and talking Southern Maryland
until Sunday at 4 p. m; then took a train
over the r. J. s P for Joliet, which is a
city of 10000 One of the largest steel
plants in the United States is located here,
as is also one of the Illinois State prisons.
You see Chicago is such wicked city
that one immense prison wont hold the
convicts. The other prison is at Chester,
in southern Illinois, on the banks of the
Mississippi.
What changes Il half century has
wrought! In 1850 Chicago had about
10000 people less than Joliet has now by
| 81, 900, it now has over 100000 in the
city proper, and within a radius of say 40
miles, commencing at Lake Michigan near
| Waukegan and striking half circle to a
As mile limit west, and around to the
| south end of Lake Michigan to south
| Chicago; the outside of half circle will
strike eight cities with an average of
&C, 900, each making in all $4,000. Now
when you stop to think that there are at
least 10 great railway lines, each starting
from the one common centre and running
to the outside of this half circle, and that
each ono of these lines is lined with SUBJ
urban towns, many of them quite large
cities of themselves-all having suburban
service-you will have some idea of the
immense population contained within this
half circle 1t is no stretch of the imagi-
nation to suppose or predict that in less
than one quarter of a century from the
present time Chicago proper will extend
from the Lake to Fox river. l was told
/ by an old citizen that in the latter part of
the thirties some capitalists in the East
sent an agent to Chicago to have him look
over the country and report to them what
he thought about Chicago being a good
place in which to invest money in real
estate. After carefully looking it over he
reported that he did not think it would be
a good place to invest in, IS the surround
ing country was not large enough to sup
port much of city.
| had two objects in view in making
this trip. One was to meet my old friends
and acquaintance; the other was to in
duce those or some of them that were in
tending to make change to come and
look at Southern Maryland before buyin e
elsewhere. Believing, as l do, that this
section offers superior inducements to any
other locality where lands can be bought
my route to my old home, when depressed
as Samantha Allen would say. Joliet
was out of my way from Chicago to my
old home in Illinois. which was my objec
tive point went here to meet gentle
man whom had been corresponding witt
in regard to farm lands and met him, also
an old schoolmate whom had not seer
for many years, stayed with him over
night and enjoyed my visit with him
very much. Monday, at a. m, 1 got a
train up the Fox river valley and by max
ing couple of changes and carrying my
grip about a mile, got back on the direct
and at 1857 p. m, got off at my destina
ton I seemed to know everyone, anG
they all knew me at sight, and judging
from the hearty handshake and the pleas
ant salutation they were all pleased to
meet me again, and can assure you it
was very pleasant for me to meet my many
old acquaintances.
1t would make this letter too long tC
go all around with the many visits in the
different localities, and will just say that
l was royalty entertained by all during
the entire time that l spent there, and my
stay was one of great pleasure to me. The
winter and spring up to the time | left
there had been very dry for that section,
and Spring was more forward than usual
The dust was flying as it does in August.
But the ground was in fine shape to work
and when left on the 18th of April til,