Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-02-20
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 20, 1908.
THE CHRONICLE STRONG FOR
ROCKY RIDGE.

THE CHRONICLE STRONG FOR
ROCKY RIDGE.
Our friend, and esteemed contempor-
4 airy The Emsmitsbury Chronicle, takes issue
with THE CLARION on number of points
made with reference to the w., F. q G.
!. Ry. going by Rocky Ridge to Emmits'
burg instead Of by Thurmont; handling
the subject at times without gloves,
but withal most strongly standing by the
Rocky Ridge Emmitsburg R. R. route
in to Emmitsburg. We admire the Chron-
icle for the fearless stand thus taken,
when, as we are informed 80 per cent OF
its constituents are for the route via
Thurmont, Mt. st. Mary's and on to EN-
mitsburg. It takes courage, brother to
lido this, and we congratulate you.
The Chronicle says "as we owe it to
our people to look to their interests
we must be pardoned if we consider the
question from local and purely practF
cal stand point; for we believe that nc
subject affecting home interest can be
rightly viewedin any other manner
from the stand point Of sound railroad 1t
is the best one (route) =" > audit gives
the people of Frederick and of this Sec
ton more confidence and better assur-
ance that the all desired end, namely
direct connection between Emmtsburg and
the county seat, will be hastened."
The Chronicle is right in looking after
Emmitsburg's interest and we can forgive
anything that even favors of selfish in
terests, but we do say most positively
that advocating the Rocky Ridge route
instead of Thurmont and Mt. ST. Mary s,
does not even look after the interests OF
Emmitsburg and vicinity and as to that
part that says ''it gives the people OF
Frederick" more confidence, the Chroni-
Gle is misinformed and we will find TWEEN
ty-five persons in Frederick in favor OF
the w., F. & G. going to Thurmoat, If
the Chronicle will find one in the same
town in favor of Rocky Ridge.
AS we see it, says the Chronicle "the
one practical Misunderstanding route to
adopt is the Creagerstown-Rocky Ridge
survey. In this connection we would like
to ask why the people of this community
should be.persuaded to ignore the advant-
age to be gained by the shorter route
would it be profitable for the
people of Emmitsburg, let us inquire, to
disregarda dividend paying railroad seven
miles in length, being merged with the
proposed road, would traverse an addition
al and an equally big freight producing
territory and connect in almost straight
line two points between which there
would be very great amount of traffic?
We refer of course to Frederick and EN-
mitsburg, and in doing so we incidentally
mention the fact that from Frederick and
other points to Emmitsburg and vice ver-
sa, there is three times as much bona fide
paid. for traffic both passenger and freight,
than there is to and from Thurmont.
Now that's queer statement to make,
"1hree times as much paid for traffic from
Frederick and otle,, points to Eamitsburg than
there is to and from Wurmont," we fail to
catch the meaning, unless our brother
means that from after leaving Lewistown
that the other pOints, Creagerstown, Rocky
Ridge and Emmitsburg, there is three
times as much freight and passenger
traffic, than to and from Ihurmont
Most assuredly no, and the Chronicle
has no table of figures to prove this eth
er theoretically or otherwise, and so far
as travel is concerned, Thurmont pro-
duces equally as much and at certain sea-
sons, decidedly more than Emmitsburg,
and for this reason, if for no other, the
w., F. & G. cannot ignore Thurmont,
and as for the route being shorter, this
is another misstatement, for the survey
from Lewistown to Rocky Ridge is 300
feet longer than the survey to Thurmont,
and the line from Thurmont to Emmits-
burg is considerably shorter, via Mt st.
Mary's, than if the Emmitsburg R. R.
was used. Get the facts before you at
tempt to shorten the route by Rocky
Ridge, and as for the dividend paying
feature of the Emmitsburg r. R. we
know nothing, but assuming the Chroni-
Gle does not overstate this, we assume
that if the w., F. & G. Ry. was to ac-
quire that road they would want to CAPT
talize the road on it's present dividend
paying basis, for to carry this back over
a period of years it might not be so very
attractive.
The CLARION does not intend to throw
any bricks" at Creagerstown by max
ing odious comparisons, or insinuating
that its community is not a first class one,
or that its farming community is nom
productive, for Creagerstown has just as
much right to fight for railroad as
Thurmont, Emmitsburg or any other
place, but. we do say from sound bust
ness view that to build a railroad from
Lewistown via Creagerstown to Rocky
Ridge instead Of to Thurmont, would be
the height or folly, for Creagerstown dis
trict has all tolda population of only 1000,
while Mechanicstown district has between
$500 and 1000. Many Of Creagerstown
district population live at Logs station,
Rocky Ridge, and near Jimtown and Ca
toctin, and could not use the W., f. &C.
any more advantageously in going by
Creagerstown than if it came by Catoctin
and Thurmont, and as to the freight, the
same argument applies and even more