Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1908-06-05
STATE ROAD COMMISSION GAVE
HEARING,
Montgomery Allotment sles,oOO.
NO Designation Of Road Made.

AuoSuny last was the Jay appointed Ior
the citizens Of this county to meet in Rock
vile and present their reasons why their
choice among the roads should be adopted
by the State Road Commisson To build
macadam road over out Of the portion al
lotted To the county in proportion to its road
mileage Of the s.. OOO. 600 appropriation made
by the State last winter during the session
of the Legislature for the purpose of build
ing State roads.
At the Court House, where the meeting
was held, five to six hundred persons were
in waiting when Gov. Crothers arrived about
3 o'clock in advance of the other members
of the Commission. The latter in an auto
mobile had employed the day up to the time
of reaching here, which was half hour after
the Governors arrival, in surveying the diff
ferent roads asking for State aid. All of the
members of the Commission excepting Mr..
Samuel NJ. Shoemaker were present-Gov.
Crothers, DR.. Ira Remsen, DR.. William Bul.
lock Clark, Mr.. John M. Tucker and Mr..
Francis G. Hutton-and their chief engineer,
Mr.. W. w. Crosby.
Mr.. o. II. P. Clark, President of the Board
of County Commissioners, called the meet
ing to order and stated that he had been
delegated by the Board to request Mr.. Philip
D. Laird, of this town, to preside over the
meeting.
Mr.. Laird was present, took the chair and
presided with his usual graceful manner.
He informed his hearers OF the object of
the meeting and stated to them that their
speeches presenting the claims of the differ
ent roads seeking State aid would be con.
fined to five minutes of time to enable all
advocates an opportunity to be heard upon
the subject. He also notified them that Gov
Crothers would first address them.
Mr.. George II. Lamar, of Rockville, was
elected secretary.
The Governor spoke for about half an
hour. He complimented the audience, most.
ly made up of farmers, upon their intelli-
gent appearance and the hearty interest they
are taking in good roads TO be adjudged by
their large turnout. He stated that our rep
resentatives in the Legislature were not sur
passed by those of any other county in the
State In their jealous endeavor to pass the
law making the appropriation for good State
roads. This appropriation will not impose
I'm extra tax upon the people for three or
four years at least, he said. But it might
be imposed after that time. Though in the
meantime ways and means might be devised
to ward off an extra tax altogether. 1t
might be raised from large fortunes or some
other like way 30 1t would not be felt by
those less able to bear it He stated that he
wanted it understood that he was not an
tagonistic to wealth. The rich we sec al
most daily giving away their wealth with
generous hand and seem TO take great
pride in public benefactions. The law spe-
cially allots each county OF the State, he
said, its portion of the $5,OOOOOo appropra-
ton in proportion to its road mileage after
81 100000 has been subtracted for the use
OF the roads of Baltimore City. Montgom-
cry counsy's share in the remaining $4,000
tinuing, he said, the intention of the law is
to have the State road built over public
highway that will benefit all the people of a
county and over continuous route through
that county to adjoining counties, to sub
serve the best interests Of the latter so far
as may be, and on to adjoining States.
These roads when once built will be con-
trolled and kept in repair by the State
and the counties through which they pass
will be relieved of the tax TO do that work
with. Concluding, he said, Maryland was
the first State in the Union to directly APP
propriate money from her treasury to build
State roads and aiterward TO control and
repair them, and already had excited the
ambition of sister States In this respect.
Mr.. Allan Farquhsr first read paper ad
vocating the claims Of the road lying be-
tween Olney and Damascus. He plead that
it was twelve miles in length; that it con-
nected with the Seventh Street pike which
lead to the excellent market of Washington
City that the section OF the county through
which it passes needs a better outlet be.
cause it has no railroad, and that by inter
|
gives access TO Gaithersburg over the inter-
secting pike, and from the latter place to
Rockville, the county seat, over pike that
should be built by the State Road Commits
sion. He advocated the purchase of the
Seventh Street and Ashton and Colesville
turnpikes by the State TO make them free
roads by the removal of the toll-gates now
upon them.
| Mr.. Chas. w. Prettyman followed. He
advocated the adoption of the Frederick
road from Rockville TO the Frederick county
line and the Poolesville road from Rock
vile to the Potomac river. He contended
that these were the most important high
ways in the county, and that If they were
adopted by the Commission they would
afford large majority of the people OF the
county a benefit because they are cen.
trally located, lead TO the county seat and
the Washington Market that the sections
of the county they traverse are entirely
without pike roads and the present travel is
irksome, and that these roads connect with
| plkoo III nuJOluinB OOuuhoo, "hiSu 10 - "'S
with the spirit OF the law.
Mr.. Outerbridge Spates supported the po'
sition taken by Mr.. Prettyman, excepting
that the people on the Poolesville road
would be satisfied If the road was extend
ed only to Dawsonville, a distance of thir'
teen miles, If the Commission could not see
its way clear to build it to the river. lie
said in 1898 commission was appointed to
lay out public highway from the center
Of Georgetown, D. c., to the west, and ii
laid out the Poolesville road, as it is now
known, to BeallsVille through Dawsonville
Poolesville sprang up and trade was attracte
to that point afterward, and hence the road
took the name of the Poolesville road. The