The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-12-16
FROM THE HOOSIER STATE.
DR.. Sharpe Speaks of the Changes That
Have Been Wrought in That Section.
SUGGESTS PLAN FOR RAILROAD.
Says Narrow Gauge, with Cars Drawn by
Small Steam Motor, Is What We Want
to Traverse Cove MountaiH.

Jlle NEWS Is uue. EnClOSeQ ma
check for two years, which 1
send with the hope that 1 may
have the pleasure of sending you
many more before you drop the
editors pen.
L seldom hear from Fulton any
more, except through the col
umns of your paper. So many
changes have occurred that many
of my old acquaintances have
dropped out, and many names
are new to me.
We yet have some of the Full
ton county pioneers who came
here many years ago when this
country was new and swampy.
Some of the Hart, McEldownev,
Hess, aud Mellott families are
here, The older generation is dy.
ing out, and the history of the
early struggles of their ances-
tors Is now told by the children.
At one time this country was
very swampy, and it required
many years of hard labor to
drain 1t; but what was once the
bottom swamp land is now the
finest and richest farming land.
In the early days the festive mos.
quito was much in evidence,
which, according to our latest au-
thorities, was responsible for the
large amount of malaria. A farm
er told me not long ago that he
always bought his quinine by the
ounce in those days, and dosed
his children regularly with quar-
ter teaspoonful doses. No little
pills and capsules for them /. The
country is now fully drained, and
it would be hard to find a more
prosperous people than the Indi-
ana farmers of today. Crops and
prices all in their favor, and in
this part of the state many have
been made wealthy by finding
oil. The gas is nearly gone, but
many old gas wells are now oil
producers.
1 hope that my Fulton friends
will stop off and see us while en-
route to the ST. Louis Exposition
next summer.
1 notice from time to time rail
road talk appears in the Fulton
papers. / fear, with the noun
talns barring the way, it may be
a long time before through line
will be built. While IN northern
Michigan last summer l saw
about the neatest little railroad /
ever came across. 1t ran from
Harbor Springs back among the
hills niue miles to a sawmill,
which was cutting fifty thousand
feet per day when | was there.
Originally 1t was intended to haul
the lumber to the bav to be load
ed on boats; but, incidentally, 1t
carried good many passengers.
1t was narrow gauge, and ranup
over the hills without paying
much attention to grades. The
engines were the oldest littlehill
climbers l ever saw, but ran
along at an eight or ten mile clip,
pulling eight cars of lumber
The cars were about the length
of medium sized street cars but
not so wide, and held several tons
each.
1t occurred to me that road
like that, running from McCon-
nellsburg across the mountain,
would be a great thing for the
town and country and il allowed
to follow the grade OF the pike,
would not cost much as compar-
ed to most railroads, and would
be comparatively inexpensive to
operate. | believe / know some
parties VINO might be interested
in something of that kind if they
received proper encouragement
from the people generally, and
might be induced to build and fl
nance the road.
] think my letter is already toe
long. Wishing you abundant sue
cess, | am,
Very truly,
T. w. SHARPE.