The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-03-26
IN WESTERN MARYLAND.
Observations. Historical and AgricuI-
tural. BY a Hudson RIVER Valley
Farmer.

Up-from the meadows rich with corn.
Clear in the cool September morn.
The clustered spires of Frederick stand
: Green walled by the hills of MARYLAND.
Thus wrote the Quaker poet in
his familiar poem of barbara
Frietchie." l have Just left the
old town, so rich in associations
as well as in real wealth, and
made notable by Whittier's poem.
Since the day when Lee marched
over the mountain down" it has
grown from a quaint old town of
5000 or 1000 people to a thriving
city OF 10000. Set in the midst
OF rich meadows, corn and grain
fields, the Catoctin and Blue Ridge
mountains lie to the west and
north, on whose slopes the COR
chards sweep, apple and peach
trees, fruited deep" in their sea-
son. 1t is claimed that Frederick
County, although a BENJAMIN as
compared with some of the coun-
ties of large area in other states.
IS one of the richest agriculturally
IN the United States. Her farms
are large, and for the most part
we'll titled. There is, however,
too much tenant farming for the
ultimate good of the land. On
these farms are old, substantial
houses and great barns, the lower
story OF stone, and the upper one
extending toward the south.
lengthwise several feet beyond the
stable below, with the space be-
tween for a shelter for the cattle
and the manure. These farms
bring, when put on the market,
from S1oo to SIPS an acre.
a little way from the town one
can see a substantial stone house,
the birthplace of Admiral Schley,
who won laurels for himself and
his country in that memorable
Sunday in July off Santiago, in
spite of the attempts of his enc
mics to detract from them. lust
within the gates of the beautiful
rural cemetery is a fine statue of
one OF Maryland's sons, Francis
Scott Key, author of The Star
Spangled Banner. It's an inter
esting coincidence that just across
the river, on the other side of the
town, within the brick walls of
the little cemetery of the German
Reformed church, is the grave of
Barbara Frietchie, made immortal
by her love for that same banner
OF which Key wrote and for which
Schley fought As l looked on
her grave I was glad that lived
IN the day that Whittier hoped
for, when the flag Of freedom and
union waves not only over
"Stonewall" Jackson and Bar
barra Frietchie's graves, but over
the land of the free and the home
of the brave" even to the isles of
the Pacific.
| was Interested to learn if pos
sible the true story of Barbara
Frietchie and her flag, and was so
fortunate as to find an old neigh
Dor of hers, by the name of Nix
dorph, who keeps bookstore Just
across the street from where she
lived. He has written a little
sketch OF her lie and the story of
her flag Briefly told, the facts
are there. Mrs. Frietchie was
widow, living in Frederick. Her
house was an old-fashioned, gabl-
ed rooted house, with dormer win
dows over the street. From one
Of these she always kept the Stars
and Stripes flying. She was in
tensely loyal, and she was often
seen standing in front of her house,
leaning on her cane, looking al
most in worship at the old flag,
in her attic window" At the
time when Lees army marched,
not from the mountains winding
down" but north from Winches-
ter, the loyal city of Frederick
was taken completely by surprise
and her citizens fled in terror.
"Stonewall" Jackson did not ride
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