Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-25
HURRAH FOR HANCOCK
WESTERN MARYLAND ROAD HAS
GIVEN STIMULUS TO TOWN.
One Of the Liveliest Places Of Its Size
in Maryland-Improve-
ments Planned.
Special correspoudence Of The Star.

to its size. Hancock is the most important
town on the link now building between
Cumberland and Cherry Run. Work has
commenced on the big Western Maryland
Wabash) station here. Property values
are away up. DIR. P. Elwood Stigers sew
eral years ago purchased the old Gregory
mansion, opposite the site for the Wabash
depot at Hancock. for 81. 100. He has I'M
proved the property, and recently he re-
fused 5000 for 1t. Recently an option was
obtained on the Gregory store property Tor
$4,000. Before the coming of the railroad
the property, which has frontage or 1OO
feet on Main street. could have been bought
for less than half that sum.
Building operations are most active Many
valuable structures are going up. Carpen-
ters are in great demand. Any person who
can handle a saw or hammer can COM
mand good wages. Among the buildings
under construction are the Masonic Temple,
which will cost $4,000; fine new hotel.
corner of Main and Wason streets, being
built by Bridges & Simmons; the Wabash
depot; the addition to the European Hotel.
at a cost of $4,000; fine store building on
the site of the ancient Creager forge, being
built by the Stigers heirs; the splendid resi-
dence property of John Stigers, cashier of
the Hancock Bank; the John l.. Houck
apartment property. and many other struc-
lures. mostly modern residences. The
WABASH railroad Is also DuiiuiAS VIC
water tank near the station.
System Of Water Works.
1t is thought that it will not be long be-
fore a system of waterworks is established
at Hancock. The water could be supplied
by gravity. The warm spring water from
the sand mountain on the West Virginia
side of the river would be preferable. This
water is similar to that which is supplied
,N,,11 hn p
to run pipe through the bed of the Po-
tomac river.
The people are looking forward to the
opening of the new First National Bank, of
which Fairfax S. Landstreet. vice president
of the Western Maryland railroad: .. B:
McCandlish. cashier of the Davis National
Bank of Piedmont, who is brother-fn-laW
of MI LandStreet; William "A. Morgart ana
Dewarren H. Reynolds of Cumberland are
the projectors. 1t is felt that these men OF
capital and push starting such an institu-
ton means much for the town and guaran-
tees a, bright future. The bank has been
offered many sites for It's proposed puiioing,
which will be an ornate structure, mOuern
in every appointment. Hancock as bank
ing town perhaps stands unique. The Han
cock Bank started ten or twelve years ago
with $4,000 capital, one-fourth paid IN, ana
on this amount it has since been doing
business. Its deposits now have reached
$225. 900. The farmers about Hancock re-
Gently were paid $1,000 for hauling pipe Tor
the Standard Oil Company which Is laying
another line of pipe along the MdSon anu
Dixon line.
Hancock Is to have another weekly news
paper. the Advocate, to be started by
George c.. Huber, former editor or the
Hancock Star, who has lately been foreman
of a Job department in Washington MI.
Huber has had much experience as a local
writer. and his move will be heartily Sec
onded by the people.
The plant of the Hancock white sand
he which burned few months ago, Is
being rebuilt of brick and the structure
will be as near fireproof as possible. Inc
most modern machinery is being installed
The new Round Top cement mill. on the
Maryland side of the river and directly on
the Western Maryland railroad. has about
been completed. The old Round Top mill
was one of the pioneers In the cement de-
velopment in this country. and in years gone
by it supplied many government contracts
in Washington, the most of the product
then being shipped by the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal. The new mill is fine struc-
ture of large capacity.
Many summer visitors are expected at
Hancock this summer, being only three
hours from Washington and four from
Baltimore. Hancock always has been
Mecca for summer visitors. and now that
the facilities for entertainment have in
creased many more are expected. The
great beauty of the natural surroundings
of Hancock makes the place most attract
I've to tourists.
Fine Club and Tennis Court.
Hancock has a big tennis club and one OF
the prettiest courts in the country. 1t be-
ing located in the rear Of the historic Bar
ton House. The young people seem to be
tennis crazy.
There has been a great revival in boating
on the Potomac.
The Hancock base ball team is being
ganized, ard will play It's first game with
Berkeley Springs on July 4.
On April 1 the old Barton House. Han
cock, was discontinued as a hotel. 1t had
been an inn for nearly one hundred years,
and, it is said. was the last of these ia
nous old hoStelries to be used as a hotel
William Reid leased the building and in
tended to use 1T for business purposes. The
tearing away of the old Light House, too.
hotel of many years. left the town without
hotel accommodations. The people rushed
on Mr.. Reid at the Barton House in such
number that he was compelled to open the
place as hotel again. Raphael E. fancy.
the Oldest merchant, having occupied the
same stand for over fifty years boarded at
the Barton House for tifty-one years When
Mr.. Reid reopened the place he rushed
back The Barton House has never been
remodeled. Mr.. fancy, whose family is
related to that of the late Chief Justice
Roger Brooke fancy, perhaps stands alone
as boarder who has taken his meals at
the same hotel for over a half century.
Notes.
The authorities of Hancock have a con-
tract with the Cacapon Power Company to
furnish the town with twenty-five lights
j. Irwin Wisner engineer of the Mary
land geological survey, is making a survey
of the Notwithstanding road, two
miles to the Pennsylvania line, with the
view to constructing a model road under
the new law by which the county pays one
half the and the state one-haIf. 1t will be
model of pike construction
The Union Realty Company West Viz
GINA corporation. has purchased from
j. T. Bridges & Co. the Cover farm on
the northern edge of Hancock, and will
lay out building addition They have an
option on the Frank Little farm, which
adjoins the Cover farm