Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23
Salisbury, Nd, Taking the
Lead on Eastern Shore.
LOCAL OPTION LAW
INCREASE IN BUILDING OPERA
TIoNS NOTICEABLE IN PAST YEAR
Tide OF Emigration Said to Be Turn
ing This Way From the Mid
die West.
Special Correspondence OF The Star.

| Special Correspondence OF The Star
| BALTIMORE. Md, April % 1905
During the recent session of the Maryland
| conference Of the Methodist Protestant
! Church in Salisbury. the county seat of
! Wtcomico county, Md, there were those
| among the members and visitors who were
| surprised at the evidences of prosperity
| there Some of the ministers who had Wis
| tied the place nearly fifty years ago re-
| called that the old burg. which was first
| settled in lE23. had then but a few hundred
| inhabitants and now, after having been
| twice nearly wiped out by fire-in 1864 and
| looo-the town boasts of 5000 inhabitants
| nearly three-fourths whites. with large
| manufacturing interests, employing hun
| dreds of hands. and in fair way to be-
| come the leading city on the eastern shore
1t was remarked. too. that forty years
| ago it was one of eight charges on Salisbury
| circuit. and the prea cher sent there was a
| veritable circuit rider, with course of over
| one hundred miles: while for a number or
| years past the town has been a regular
| charge, and the former appointments are
| now included in three circuits, none of
| which requires ride of over fifteen miles
| Then, too, the general good order observed
| by the community the general good humor
| or all and the absence of any evidences Of
| drinking on the streets was remarked on
as furnishing an object lesson for the
| friends or temperance. The LIST of May
| VIII end the first year of the local option
| reign In all the county save one district
| and this will then be included
| While none will deny that the difference
/ between the wet" and dry" state of af-
| fairs is apparent. and the great majority
| OF the people are satisfied with the work.
| lugs of the law, especially the police, who
| nave little more duty than walk the
| streets. the fact is not to be disguised that
some consumption of liquor continues for
| in few hours it can be brought in from
/ Delaware six miles distant, and other
| wet localities. On recent Saturday no
| less than twenty-six jugs were received by
one train, but the effects of it were not OBJ
| servable Doubtless this importation will
| continue until the moral sentiment in op-
| position thereto becomes unanimous.
The Local Option Law.
| Several other eastern shore towns have
| such a law but it is stated that in none
| is it better observed than In Salisbury
One town is cited where TASKS of liquor
are sold on the streets, even on SUNDAYS
There may have been liquor drinking in
| Salisbury on the Sunday OF the conference.
| but it was not apparent, and to the nom
| existence of a saloon the absence of seek
| ers for their btters is due The grand
| jury, then in session. reported to the court
| that the law had been In force nearly a
! year. and had been fairly well observed
There had been vague evidence of some
violations. but nothing tangible, and in the
| main the law is observed. While the drink
habit has not ceased, and some persons
| are still addicted, their liquor has been pro-
| cured from such sources the law permits
| The policemen state that under the old
| regime, including the hotel there were
six bar rooms. but these had been cut to
| four when the law went into effect: that
| there had been a fair amount of drinking
| and sometimes they had many as ten
| drunk and disorderly persons in one
!
| but now the average arrests do not ex-
| coed two per week. Some say that BUSH
ness has fallen Off but others cannot sea
| it. The only mandatory closed since tho
| shirt factory certainly did not shut down
because of the law. Take it all in all the
| law has been a benefit.
AS in other places, there is a class who
work by the job an hour or so, and these.
when paid. would spend their money for
drink and lose time till they had sobered
up when they would seek another job. 2
These now have difficulty in getting
liquor. and, therefore, lose less time and
become more industrious
Mayor Harper Delighted.
Mayor Harper, with others. is quite elated
at the general outlook for what he calls
his town of churches on account of what
has been accomplished during the past
| year. covering nearly four square miles,
| with 6OG0 inhabitants. the recognized leader
| of the small towns; with extraordinary
| with the lumber and other mills of the
| Jacksons Atkins and others, twenty
| five or more; four banks. with heavy de-
posits; two strong building and loan
Citations; over one hundred residences
built; NJ E. church, costing 10000:
Masonic temple, $4,000; hospital $50,O00:
school building, $4,000; the business por-
ton of the town TO be paved with vitriffed
brick and the street. railway taking
shape; with steam-heating plant in con-
templa ton. and the town already lighted
by electricity-this town makes the citizens
justly proud.
Among the residences of note are eX-GOv.
Jackson's The Oaks that of his daughter.
Mrs. A j. Fanderbogart Lemon Hill:''
those of Representative Jackson and Sem
ator BreWington. There are two ice plants
and the buildings of the B. C. and A. rail-
road, with machine shops. Two fine voun-
teer ire companies form the fire depart
ment. In the past year. including the new
NJ. E. church and the Jackson Memorial
Hospital, gifts of the governor, and the
nigh school building-costing $50 G00-over a
quarter of million is represented in the
building operati tons. There are some dozen
lodges of the fraternal orders, Young
Mems Christian Association. and the
churches have Epworth leagues, Christian
Endeavor and other societies as auxiiaries.
Lines of Communication.
In addition to the lumber interests and
the location at the head of steamboat navi-
cation on the Wicomico. there is tri-weekly
communication Will vi the
c. & A. R. r. and there are two daily con-
nections with Baltimore and the Peninsula
line of the Pennsylvania railroad, furnish
ing the town with trade facilities in every
direction. There also those opened by
road. Consequently the contrast between a
number of small establishments a year or
two ago and the large wholesale houses of
today.
Were Horace Greeley living today he
would find that his advice to GO west
had been reversed If he visited the vicinity
of Salisbury. While numbers of emigrants
arriving start Immediately for the west.
settlers from West Virginia, Ohio Indiana
and other states have been attracted here,
and recently the real estate agents have
been busy showing lands and selling to
farmers. This change of the tides of emf
grafton is due in a great measure, it is said,
to the Maryland state emigration agent.
and as evidence J. A. Jones has averaged
the sale of farm day for week. The
land in and about Salisbury is particularly
adapted to berries and truck and convenient
H. rns1rN