The Democratic advocate., 1908-08-07
THE ". 6 G. RAILROAD
M. 6 M. ASSOCIATION WILL GO AHEAD
WITH SURVEY
will Raise Money Required by VOIun.
tary Subscriptions

Association of Westminster held an
other meeting Monday evening to con-
slider the building of the Washington
and Gettysburg Railroad. The COM
mittee appointed to confer with the
city council with regard to an appro-
priation of S400 to pay the cost of a
survey reported that the legislative
body of the city had been advised by
counsel that it was not within their
power to- make such appropriation.
Council, however, passed resolution for
the submission of proposition to the
people to repay whatever amount the
business men of the city may feel JUS
titled in spending to secure this rail-
road. The M. & M. Association there
upon decided to raise the $400 by vol
untary subscription and go on with the
survey This will be done at once,
and as soon as the survey is complet-
ed, options on the rights of way will
be secured. Concerning this project,
the Washington Herald says:
What is known as the Washington
and Gettysburg Railroad gives fair
promise of being constructed and go
| ing into operation within the next two
years.
A company has been incorporated,
composed of prominent capitalists of
Washington, Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania, charters have been secured from
the States through which it will pass,
the line is being surveyed, and the
right of way secured. 1t will pass
through the counties of Montgomery
Frederick and Carroll, of Maryland
and Adams county, Pennsylvania. 1t
will enter the towns of Westminster,
Md, and of Iittlestown and Gettys-
burg, Pa. The assessed valuation of
property contiguous to the proposed
line is upward of $6O,000,000, while
it's real value is estimated at about
$120,000,0 900. The road will be eighty
five miles long, and will pass almost
on direct line from Washington to
the battlefield of Gettysburg.
The proposed railroad will furnish
another route of travel to the North,
and will open up large and wealthy
section of the country, which will be-
come Immediately tributary to Wash
ington, the business of which at pres
ent is almost entirely controlled by
Baltimore.
Gettysburg has been made a ma
2. tional park by act of Congress, ant
has three salaried commissioners, who
have charge of it. Large sums have
been expended there by the govern.
ment in improvements, and much o1
the ground fought over during the
awful battle of the first three days Of
, July, 1863, has been acquired.
More than 500 monuments have
been erected by States or military or
ganizations in commemoration Of
great acts of valor, or to designate
!, the positions of various divisions Of
,, the army during the battle. In many
:, respects the field has been beautiie(
by the construction of splendid road:
around and through the field. There
is no more attractive spot for the Wis
itor in the country than Gettysburg
i, And yet, owing to the lack of adequate
, facilities, Washingtonians seldom 81
y there. The roundabout way through
. Baltimore, and the time required, tt
:, say nothing of the heavy expense o
!. the trip, are practically prohibitory
;, = so far as the people of Washington ar
concerned.
= = At Mount Airy the proposed railroad
will connect with the Baltimore AM
Ohio Railroad; at Westminster, wit
the Western Maryland Railroad; a
- Littlestown, with the Pennsylvania
! Railroad, and at Gettysburg, with tn
: Reading Railroad, connecting wit
I Harrisburg and the Westo~- ,,orv,an
. roau. % ...sr this line will have cor
= Meeting roads north, east and west.
p 1t is expected the immense numbe
: of people now visiting Washingto
h annually will insure heavy passeng
h er traffic to the new line, not to men
ton the Capital and environs, with it
O hundreds of thousands of citizens VIII
y will avail themselves of this priviI
o ege when proper travelling facilitie
are furnished
The new line will afford farmers ant
others in the territory it traverses tn.
accommodations they have been seek
ing for many years. The section tt
$ be traversed is practically withou
+ railroad facilities. The business viii
be all that the road desires to insure
!. good returns on the investment, and
will be at once of great benefit to the
! business men of Washington. The
project contemplates bringing to this
city over the new road immense uuan-
titles of egetables-every sort of gar
den truck-milk, millions of bushels
of wheat, corn, rye, oats, potatoes,
quantities of baled hay and straw and
live stock.
Aside from the interest which the
historic feature of Gettysburg battle
field possesses, some idea of the COM
mercial value of the enterprise may
be gained when we state that more
than eighty postoff1ces along the route
will be tributary to 1t. Another fea-
ture of interest to the company is
that it does not in any sense become
a competing line with any other rail-
road. Unlike many other railroads
that are undertaken, this road has it's
business waiting, and its construction
will be welcomed by the people from
terminus to terminus.
| Although it is now several years
since the charters were taken out by
the company, it has no debts. Some
prominent citizens and business men
of Washington have become largely
interested in this enterprise, and it is
expected that rapid progress will be
made in the line of construction.
Mr.. and Mrs. William o. Lockard
entertained as their guests Mrs. E.