The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-07-29
ATTORNEY GENERAL STRiUS
TRANPED STATES WILDS
He Had a Rough Trip in Garrett
County Mountains.


food and scratching his face and hands
upon the dense growth of briars, AttOr-
ney-General Straus returned to the city
last night.
Mr.. Straus went to the mountains
west of Oakland to gather data concern
ing the dispute between Maryland and
West Virginia as to the western boun-
Diary of this State. West Virginia says
it is more than mile and a half east of
the point claimed by Maryland and is
now assuming jurisdiction. If the Uni
ted States Supreme court, before which
the case will be argued in October, de-
cides in favor of Maryland the taxable
basis of the State will be increased by
more than 81, 500, 600
In Mr.. Straus grip when he arrived
at his office in the Calvert Building was
riding suit not yet two months old,
but so ragged and torn that it resembled
relic of many campaigns.
The trip was a steady grind of sur
mounting obstacles that would have
caused one less timid to turn back. but
Mr.. Straus as leader of the expedition,
pushed on with his party when it seem
ed that to continue would mean spend
ing the night in the forest without
food. That he succeeded in locating
the Fairfax and Potomac stones. when
the trail, especially to the Potomac
stone, had been lost for more than II
years, was due mostly to his determin-
alton not to come home without seeing.
them.
Mr.. Straus left this city at I o'clock
Monday morning, arriving at Oakland
IN the afternoon. There the expedition
was formed and arrangements were
made for the trip. State Senator w.
McCulloh Brown and former State SEN
ator Richard T. Browning and Mr.. E.
II. Slncell volunteered to guide Mr..
Straus over the mountains, and early
Tuesday morning the start was made.
Senator Brown surveyed the ground for
Maryland in 1897 and 1898 and had not
been over the trails since. Mr.. Brown
ing is the grandson of the famous Yves
tern Maryland pioneer, Browning, who
was known as the foremost hunter of
the mountains.
The journey was made in several
heavy carriages and wagons. No guide
or cook was taken along, but lunch was
stored in one Of the wagons. with i'm
plements for cooking coffee. For sew
eral miles around the mountain the rid
ing was rough, but before MANY more
miles were traversed the trail became
So narrow that the wagons had to be
abandoned. Lunch was eaten and the
party set out on horseback. Later thev
found that even the horses could not
make their way, and these We're tether-
ed on narrow road alongside of Gull
ley and left alone.
A torttous climb brought the party to
the Fairfax stone, which was placed in
l740 by the commissioners appointed by
George II of England and Lord Fairfax.
This is the stone which West Virginia
says is the mark of the western boun-
Diary Of the State.
The grant to Lord Baltimore states
that the western boundary of MARYLAND
should be meridian line running north
and south through the first fountain or
source of the Potomac. West Virginia
says the Fairfax stone marks the source
of the Potomac.
Maryland, according to Mr.. Straus.
claim that as there are forks west of
the stone the headwaters could hardly
be east of the fork. Maryland claims
thati the Potomac stone, set near the
Potomac spring upon the crest of the
Backbone Mountain, marksrthe head
waters of the Potomac.
Mr.. Straus inspected the country and
determined to go to the Potomac stone.
This proved more arduous task. The
Fairfax stone is on a foothill of the
Backbone Mountain and the party had
to climb down, first to the horses and
then to the wagons, and set out to find
a place to sleep. AS in all expeditions
of the sort, might came on, and after
another climb mountain inn. set snug
ly in the fastness Of the wilderness. was
discovered.
AT O'Clock the next morning the
party set out for the Potomac stone.
They had nOti gone a quarter of a
mile when they discovered that horses.
wagons and outfit would have to he
abandoned. Lunch had been packed.
but this was left in the wagons. 1t is
only a mile and half, airline, from
stone to stone, but it took 20 miles of
trudging, pushing and crawling for Mr..
Straus to reach the Potomac stone.
The timber was cut down IL wears
ago and the underbrush and briars had
grown so thick that the trail had been
obiterated. The party had to move by
compass. The briars bit through the
gloves of the men and scratched their
unprotected faces. Huge logs blocked