The Washington herald., 1908-07-26

Within forty miles OF the National Cap
ital, due north without the variation OF q
longitudinal second, lies the prosperous
little city Of Westminster, one OF the
most cha-1nlngly situated residential
towns Of the state OF Maryland West
minister recently awakened to lively in
Jerest in the projected Washing1on-Get-
tysburg railway. and Westminster. upon
the completion Of this line. viii acquire
q position long sought, becoming the
most important station on the line Of
the new railway, as IL IS to-day the most
important station between terminals on
the Western Maryland Railway.
Railroad competition Is what Westmia-
scer most needs and all that Westminster
needs. A city with the advantages which
Westminster possesses, and which has 50
long endured the Disadvantages OF only
one method ct intercourse with the sea
board and Tie great markets OF the world.
is almost anomalous IN this generation
The Wash.ngt0n-Gettysburg Railway.
which. IL IS hoped VIII do so much for
Westminster. has been the desire OF every
citizen Of Westminster and every resi-
dent OF Carroll Howard and Eastern
Montgomery counties for nearly q dec
through this territory and the efforts OF
the communities along the line 20 secure
such an advantage have been uureTnit-
tins
Trains Nay Run by 1910.
Just Why the construction Of this road
has not been started earlier looks 10 the
casual observer amazing. Fortunately.
r.ozv the road seems 70 be an assured fact
and unless some remarkable calamity
overtales the promoters and hackers be
fore the first Of January, 1910. a complete
modern railway. with no grade II excess
Of I per cent, running nearly in an air
line for seventy-twO miles. VIII connect
the National Capital with the beautirul
national park at Gettysburg
The advantages Of such q connection
10 the country along the line Of the pro
5ected railway are selT-evident- The ac-
vantage 20 Gettysburg OF being in direct
communication with the National Capital
IN fact within two hours Of Washington
by express train, instead Of four and one
half 70 i've hours distant as now, owing
TO the circuitOus route Of the present con
Meeting Eues-is iIcalculable- At pres
ent the Journey from Washington 70 the
point where Lees advancing hosts
marked with their blood the high tide Of
the rebellion requires half days rail-
rooding and two changes OF cars and an
other half day 70 return
BY the proposed line pllg-imases 20
Gettysburg VIII be almost equally as con
venient and Fl many ways far more at
trac-fv. than the present trip 10 the na-
tiona1 shrine al Mount Vernon
On the Lincoln boulevard
Another advantage that IS coming 70
westminster in The near future Is the pro
1ected Lincoln memorial boulevard. which
IS 10 connect Washington and Gettysburg
passing within fraction OF a nile Of
Westminster This boulevard has been
sufficiently well exploited In The Wash
fnsr01 Herald 70 need 70 further descrip-
zion IN this article. which IS really about
Westminster. and we may pass on 70 9
review Of the advantages and resource
Of This remarkable little city. only forty
miles from Washington in actual distance
and yet. so far as its present availability
IS concerned. 100 miles away
Westminster was founded n I764 b
William Winchester, for whom the city
was named. Westminster bore the nam'
Of Winchester until the early part OF tht
nineteenth century The town Wes incor
porated in $3.50 and erected into city b1
an act Of the assembly OF the State o
Maryland IN 1SSl
Westminster political importance he'
ir the fact that Il e the county seat O.
Carroll County. one OF the richest an'
most fertile counties OF Maryland Car
roll County. composed Of parts OF Ok
Baltimore and Frederick counties. wa
formed as q political entity n 1886 TIT
county extends from the nOrtherly borde
OF Howard County 10 Mason and Dixon
line The county has q population clos
10 1000 Westminster is its chief ant
only city. but the countryside is dotte'
with numerous villages and towns, and
IN addition 70 the marked fertility OF It
p -Ha
mineral land and scores OF Inanu1actJr
Ing plants, large and small
City suPerbIy Located.
Chief among the advantages Of the cit
OF Westminster, aside from its desirablit!
as a seat for the establishment Of manu-
featuring enterprises by reason OF its new
railway advantages. are its superb Ioca
ton. The main street Of Westminster &C
cupies the top OF an extended land eleva
ton known as PARIS Ridge This ridg
constitutes the watershed through mi
territory the streams west OF Parr'
Ridge flowing in the direction OF the No
nocacv and later the Potomac River, an
those Of the eastern side toward the Pa
tapsco and the briny waters OF the Chesa
peake. The altitude Of Westminster
100 feet above tidewater-
Westminster is one Of the wealthies
cities in Maryland The capital Of West
minister's population. Il evenly divided
would create a community OF 4,000 person
worth 81 90 each II would be hard &
find another city in the United States 0
which this would be true One Of III
beauties OF the situation IS that this dl
vision OF the assets Of the city. althoug
exaggerated Of course, IS more nearl
true than it would be in most other place:
for Westminster is neither city Of coloS
sal fortunes nor is there such a thing 4
the city as a white pauper family
The tax rate Of Westminster is but
cents 70 800 Of assessed valuation tn
city owes actually less than $1,000. haviu
less than this amount outstanding in mJ
uicipsl bonds; and except for some prl
jected pavement improvements. there
no necessity f0r an increase on these fe
ures- The streets are improved with e.
ceIlent macadam. and the city is rapid
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