The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-01-14
THE PROPOSED STATE ROAD
Citizen" Suggests Some Things That
May Be of Benefit to the Public.
Oakland, Md. Jan'v 13. i

Oakland, Md, Jan'y 10, 1909.
To the Editor of The Republican,:
AS citizen and tax payer of Garrett
co inty, | am deeply interested in the
welfare and development of our great
county.
Practically, all the undeyeloped coal
wealth Of the State is within the Dor
ders of our county, and when this source
of material wealth is developed, the
eyes of the whole State of MARYLAND
will be turned in our direction. We oc-
cupy unique position as coal produ, =
ing section for the reason that we are
nearer to the seaboard than than any
Other coal field, and our minerals will
be sought after within short time to
such an extent that great and mate rial
prosperity will come to our people.
But while this is all so, the internal de-
velopment of the county as great farm
ing section depends upon the means of
communications afforded the people to
market their products and the facilities
in the way of good roads given them to
get over the country and reach t he
points in our county where their bust
ness is transacted.
In this connection, | am reminded
that the Good Roads Commission at
their meeting in Baltimore last month
adopted a route for the proposed State
roads in Garrett county, and while no
doubt the Commission, in its wisdom,
thought it was doing an act that would
result in the greatest good to the great
est number of people in the county, the
work which has been done since that
time under the direction of the Com
mission certainly does not prove that
that body is entirely familiar with
what would be the best route for the
proposed road For instance, the corvs
of eng neers that has en- enga ed in
the neighborhood of Oakland for the
past two or three weeks in locating the
proposed road north from Oakland has
! SNiAiiilNN iCo 1tIN illlOl W lIie IlOODDOIt
road, going up hill and down, following
the present location, when route with
far better grade could be easily OBJ
tanned by leaving the present location
at certain points and again utilizing
the bed of the present road
We assume that the engineers are
c ',1orlyy tIrnrly t,nlnr
ceived from the Chief Engineer of the
| Commission, but we venture the asser-
ton that while Mr.. Crosby may have
before him, in his Baltimore office,
Typographical maps showing the con-
tours of the county through which the
Hooppole road runs, if he were to come
upon the ground and personally go over
the same, he would find that he could
get far better route for the road than
the present one, provided Of course, he
desires to avoid cuts and fills in the con-
struction of the road
Cut and fills, in the construction of
road, are costly propositions, and in
view VI Jle ldCI lndL Cne amount OF
money to be extended upon the propos-
ed roads in the county is limited, it
seems to me that there is no surplus to
be consumed in ma ing expensive cuts
and fills, such as we are informed is
proposed to be made in the construction
of the Hooppole road. Would:it not be
well for the Chief Engineer of the Com
mission, before he finally acts upon the
report of his engineers and undertakes
the actual construction of the road, to
personally investigate the different
routes between Oakland and Deep
Creek, and select the one having the
best grade and the one upon which, be-
tween the points mentioned, the money
to be expended will go the farthest?
There are other matters, in connec-
ton with these proposed roads and
routes, from the Allegany county line
to Oakland and beyond, that | shall
speak of at another time. CITIzEN.