Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-11-24
The LegOre Bridge.


day night of last week, when not entirely
unsuccessful attempt was made to wreck BY
dynamite the splendid, massive stone bridge
over the Monocacy, just approaching COM
pletion, 1T point midway between Millers'
and the Creagerstown bridges.
This bridge is product of the public splr.
itedness and intelllgently directed energy Of
one man, Mr. J. w. Legore. When SO stat
ed 1t must be accepted literally and the state.
ment should be supplemented BY the further
allowance to his credit and honor, that he
has served throughout as his own engineer
and master builder.
Mr.. Legore is a self-made man who does
not detract from the work by undue praise
of the maker; he is positiye-really assert
ive-but withal modest in his "reminiscences
of the past, which all who have followed
know to haye been fraught with level headed
efforts aud proper aims. resulting In sue
cessful establishment Of large and remuner.
alive business interests and the development
of labor giving industry, which has for
years been the chief and constant support of
the communicable great lime and lime
stone plant at Legore.
This points the first moral-that belief 10
ones SELF industry and integrity build mod
el characters, private fortunes and public
benefactions.
That Mr.. Legore has done all of this for
himself and for the community so fortunate
as to possess him az a citizen and that de
spite all this-rather, probably, because of it,,
there should develop spirit, vicious and an
archs,ic to degree that vents its bitterness
in the destruction of great public work, as
was evidenced in the attempted wrecking Of
his Nonocacy bridge, provides food for re-
Election on that unfortunate truth, that green
envy yet drips gail from her shriveled lips !;
that an envious soul is the Matching place Of
evils brood.
That Mr. Legore has been antagonized by
some good and substantial citizens Of the
neighborhood 10 his roads and bridge pro.
iects is well known, but that circumstance
does not enter into. and by no considerate
persoL 10 it linked with the dynamite out
rage of last week.
This opposition has been openly made and
by people who would maintain the fight on
legitimate, even though mistaken grounds.
This act was by one who scorns private
rights and would defy the law.
The bridge is a massive four arch structure;
built of limestone and concrete. The crowns
of the arches ire about fifty feet above low
water mark and the abutments are imbedded
in the underlying rock of the Rocky Ridge
range of hills. 1t Is placed in the main gorge
where in ages long past the MonOcacy river
broke down the barrier of this range in its
most exceptional course-an approach thro
foothill to,oard mountain range
At this point precipitous bluff IS found
on opposite sides of the stream; it is an ideal
location for bridge, the span being narrow
and the approaches being from higher levels
on both sides
Having located it almost exactly midway
between two bridges and having actually
purchased roads leading thereto on either
side, all of easy grade and direct, Mr. Legore
has certainly met every public requirement.
While one can readily understand how few
private interests could be better subserved
by the locating of bridge at another point,
it is equally plain that at no point could the
great public Interest be BETTER If as well,
served as by Dir. Legore's bridge, supple
mented by the road system lie has devised,
bought and paid for.
As to the dynamiting, three charges were
laid, two of which were successfully explod.
ed the third not. Just 70 what extent the
arch 1.-THE fourth and westward one) was
damaged has not been certainly determined,
but Mr.. Legore is of the opinion that it will
entail an expense of at least one thousand
dollars and will probably delay completion
of the bridge some months as it may be nec'
essary % rebuild this arch entirely.
Mr.. Legore has other projects In hand, the
principle one being a forty to sixty foot dam
In which to harness and store the immense
water power of our Frederick county river
of this more anon. He also contemplate
the building of an electric railroad to be op'
Grated by the electric powe, there generated
also, of which more anon.
A final word; Mr.. Legore is an earnest
aggressive, intelligent business man; one who
"does things" he is no dreamer. Those who
are public spirited must be sympathetic
those who are asleep or lethargic will one
day awake to certain accomplished facts in
which they may regret not 10 have had q
] noyt IN thair onnnro Mia n m ant