The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-11-11
OFFER FOR FREDERICK PIKE
One Hundred, Thousand Dollars
for the Road.

The State Roads Commission, after
long discussions, decided to offer the
stockholders of the Baltimore and Fred
ericktown Turnpike Company $1oo, 900
for their highway between Baltimore and
Frederick, distance of about O. miles.
The State owns stock of the par value of
$II, 900 in the turnpike company.
The vote by which the commission
agreed to make the offer was four for and
two against the proposition. Governor
Crothers, Chairman Tucker, DIR. Remsen
and Mr.. Hutton voted for and DIR. Clark
and Mr.. Shoemaker against the Offer
While DIR. RemSen was not on record by
his vote he had approved the proposed
offer at former sessions of the commission
on the ground that he believed the sum
named was too excessive. When, how
ever, he said, he considered the delay
and consequent and other expenses in
volved in litigation he had arrived at the
conclusion that the State could be best
served by the proposed offer
DIR. Remsen said that he has become
convinced from what business men and
others familiar with the subject said that
1t would be good move on the part of
the commission. Dr. Clark explained
that after making a similar investigation
he was convinced that the price was ex-.
cessive
Mr.. Shoemaker maintained that the
price was excessive and cited some figures
to bear HIM out He said he believes
the commission should secure the pike at
the earliest possible date, with or without
condemnation proceedings, but that he
did not believe the commission should
pay an excessive price for it. He says
that the company owning the road has
1885 shares, with par value of $40
share, but that the stock had been selling
in the market at from 81. so to $2 share.
He said that after the agitation of the
commission taking over the road had
begun the stock had risen to s. a share
and trifle over. He believed that $7.7s
fair price for the stock of the road.
That would be little more than $780, 600
for the road.
'The company has declared dividend
OF about per cent for the past IS years."
concluded Mr.. Shoemaker.
When Mr.. Tucker was asked by Mr..
Remsen if the company would sell the
road for $Ioo, 900, he replied that it has
not agreed to do SO. From that it is
judged that there is no certainty that the
commission will be able to get the road
AOi thO Pii(C IL Will OhCA. IL IL 10 IlOl,
is likely that condemnation proceedings
will be instituted AS at least four mem
bers of the commission believe the road
to be worth $Ioo, 600, there is no likeli-
hood that condemnation Jury would fix
the price at any less than that amount
Before it was decided to buy the Balti-
more and Frederick turnpike delega-
ton OF citizens from Frederick county
and this city appeared before the commits
sion and urged that the road be bought
at the figure it was later decided to buy
it for. This same delegation also urged
the purchase of the Emmitsburg Turn
pike at cost of $4,000, or at the rate of
81 600 a mile. Those in the delegation
were:
Messrs. H. w. James, Norman lanes,
Stanley Gary, Blanchard Randall, Louis
Huller, John Hubner, H. Glen Goodrich,
Henry Keidel, James o. Bates. John r.
Bland, Robert ID. Hopkins, James H.
Gambrill, Graham Bowdein, Van Lear
Black, Joseph D. Baker, John H. Glider,
Frank Primrose, c. Howard Millikin and
Rev. F. x. McKenny, of St. Charles
College.
The Baltimore and Frederick turnpike
runs from Baltimore to Boonsboro, and
is about 81 miles long. The price which
the commission offers will amount to
about 81, 500 mile. 1t is likely thar the
Boonesboro turnpike, running from
Booneshoro to Hagerstown, distance Of
about ten miles, will also be bought by
the commission. A motion to that effect
was made by Governor Crothers, but was
lost, DIR. Remsen, DIR. Clark and Mr..
Shoemaker voting against it until they
can secure additional information about
it. The Governors motion was to offer
81 900 mile for the road
Two delegations of citizens from
Charles, St. Mary's and Prince Georges
counties. appeared before the commission,
each advocating the building of roads in
the section of the counties where they
live. One set wanted road from Me-
chanicsville to Waldorf, and from there
on to connect with the road from La
Plata, while the other delegation wanted
road in other parts of the three counties.
The commission took no action in the
matter.