The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-04-21
A Good Word For Fulton.

at others. New Workers ply their
josts at Philadelphia for being
slow while many of the guilty
ones never saw Philadelphia.
This can be truthfully said of
our neighboring county-Fultcn.
People think It's all right to joke
about "Little Fulton"-but r. 2.
kester, Supt of the Second di.
vision of the Farmers Institutes
visited there recently and held an
institute which he describes as
follows:
The uniformed often smile IN
a superior way when Fulton coun
ty Is mentioned, for they have
heard 1t said that 1t has no rail-
road, or important manufactur.
ing industries, hence 1t must be
a very primitive, back.woods
place. If this has been your
thought, be prepared for the sur.
prise of your life when you first
visit this county.
Our first institute was held at
McConnellsburg, the county seat,
situate in what is called the Big
|
Cove, or McConnellsburg valley.
This valley is about Is miles long
and two to six wide. The sur
face is somewhat rolling, and, for
the most part, strong limestone
land. 1t Is walled IN by two par
allel mountains. On the east side
is the Tuscarora mountain and on
the west, Scrub Ridge, or Lick
lngCreek mountain. McConnells.
burg Is reached from MERGERS.
burg in Franklin county by a
splendid pike ten miles long.
For three miles out of MERGERS
burg 1t runs through beautiful,
level farm lands, on which are
good, substantial farm buildings,
leaving the impression that they
must be prosperous farm homes.
At one of these places an exec
utor's sale was IN progress.
The fruit farm was sold for S13,.
600. The farm contained about
200 acres, part of which is plant
ed in fruit trees.
At the end of this level stretch
we come to the foot of Tuscarora
mountain. The road enters by
the narrow ravine, at the foot of
which is distlllery. Soon after
we enter this ravine and com
mence the ascent we pass the
birthplace of James Buchanan,
18th president. A more seclud-
ed, desolate spot could not easily
be found. Not a sign of human
habltatlon. Nothing but the wild,
rugged scenery of the mountain.
Now for four miles we ride, or
walk, up splendid, well kept
road. After we have assembled
about 1900 feet we make a sharp
turn and behold the beautiful val
ey of the Big Cove spread out be.
low, Down we drop on this
smooth hard road, with many
crooks and turns for three miles.
What we find In the way of beau
tlful and fertile farms, substsnti-
al modern homes, intelligent, hos
pitable people, makes us wise to
the fact that railroads are not an
essential to civilization, nor close
proximity to industrial centers
necessary to agricultural pros
perity. For in this valley, shut
in on either side by mountains,
eight miles from a railroad, Is
purely agricultural community,
happy, prosperous, up to date. A
place where farm land sells at
$75 to Sis an acre, and none for
sale even at that.
The leading crops are corn,
wheat and hay. There are two
creameries in the valley, and
dalrying and stock raising are
engaged In to some extent. Sev.
eral sllos have been erected re.
Gently. A great part OF the grain
and hay Is sold to the teamsters
of the county, many OF whom live
in less favored spots and do the
frelghting and stage work Of the
mountains. The court sessions
are tame affairs, and the county
jail Is nearly always empty as
compared with many other coun
fiaa