The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-04-30

The Late Mr.. CoWen as Farmer.-The
death of Mr.. John X. Cowen, which occurred
in Chicago last Monday, has called forth almost
universal expressions of sorrow at the untime-
ly taking off of so useful man. The Balti-
more american says Mr.. Cowen was farmer
as well as a lawyer, railroad president, pol
itician and an allaround student. His farm
was an expensive luxury, but be enjoyed it.
In his case he lived to farm. He did not farm
to live.
In 1889 his attention was attracted by the
section of the country traversed by the Mary
land Central Railway (now Maryland and
Pennsylvania, and he determined to locate
along its line. The far famed Long Green
Valley was especially pleasing to his eye, and
he was not long in securing considerable por.
was portion of the Cuttings estate, which at
one time extended from the old Manor road on
the west to the west prong of the Hartford road
on the east. The late David S. Cuttings, father
of the late Richard J. Cuttings, the prominent
lawyer and for more than one term States At
torney for Baltimore county, owned consid-
cradle tract of the land and it was this that Mr..
Cowen first secured. Mr.. Richard G. Francis
owned a tract of less than 100 acres, lying be-
tween the two other parcels that he first Sc
own this, and the purchase was finally effec-
ted, so that Mr.. Cowen owned 1850 acres of
land in one body.
This beautiful domain is located in lower
Long Green Valley, directly on the line of the
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, about IL
miles from Baltimore and miles from Tow
son. The station called Notchcliff is on Mr..
Governs land, and was so named because of
cleft in the ridge which skirts the south side of
the farm. Between it and the farm house and
buildings passes country road, upon which
the liberality of Mr.. Cowen made splendid
showing
The farm has northern trend terminating
in an elevation from which the most beauti-
full ard extended views may be had. The
farm has for the most part southern ex-
posture, just such as would attract the practical
eye, and it is beautifully diversified by meadow
and rolling upland, so that the whole presents
a view that is at once pleasing to the eye and
attractive to the man who knows when he has
a good thing from an agricultural standpoint.
When Mr.. Cowen secured this property
most of it was in very rough and unkept
condition. There were ugly marshes in some
of the best fields no fences worth mentioning,
overgrown fence-rows that looked like will
derness dilapidated buildings and every other
thing that would go to show the absence of
capable manager This did not apply to the
part owned by Mr.. Francis, but the Cuttings
portion had long been in the hands of tenants,
and it had gradually gone from bad to worse
until it was little better than wilderness.
Upon one of the highest elevations of the
iarm-a spot from which most enchanting
views may be had-Mr. Cowen selected site
upon which he intended to erect summer
home for himself and family. From this spot
trains on the Maryland and Pennsylvania may
be seen for nearly eight miles as they emerge
from the spur of the ridge east of Stansbury's
Gap until they enter the deep cut few hum
bred feet above Glenarm Station. The upper
and eastern sections of Long Green Valley may
also be seen, and the range of vision takes in
Fork and Unionville, besides beautiful farms
for many miles in several directions.