The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-08-11
CONDITION Of OLD MA
T|ONAL PIKE IN GARRETT
West of Frostburg, the Historic High.
way Is Something Awful.

The writer was driven a few miles
west of Frostburg the other day to see
the road there leading into and in Gar
rett county. AS yet, however, he has
not seen the road, but only the place
where the road originally was and where
a new one should be built To say that
the road is in a bad condition is not to
express it at ALL Without any eXag-
geration it is safe to say that no piece
of road can be found between Balti-
more city and Ohio on the National
pike, as the many turnpikes en- route to
either point can testify, that will com
pare with this aisgraceful condition. 1t
is disgrace to any commonwealth and
one which some one some day may be
made to suffer for. This piece of road
was the first to be surveyed, which
was done over two years ago in mid
winter and it was thought that some
relief would be forthcoming ere this,
but not vet
To express the frighttul condition of
this public thoroughfare in words is a
hard task and the only way to realize
the bad state of affairs existing is to
attempt to travel over it. The bed of
Georges creek with the water removed
is about as near a comparison as can be
made and one which is not overdrawn
in the least. In many places it is hard
to find where the original road runs
since travellers have had to abandon it
because of it's impossible condition.
Rocky and full of holes in which at
some places from fifty to one hundred
gallons of water can lie, one side of the
road two to three feet lower than the
other, is the kind of road one must
travel over. At places the outcropping
of the lower strata of rock must be
passed over, thus making large bould-
ers and this is also on grade which is
very ruinous to horses and vehicles.
At points where the road has had to
be abandoned and a new one sought
nearby the new one has been worn
down from two to three feet and one
travelling this way at night is apt to get
on the old road and possibly fall to the
newly made road (?j over a small prec-
ipice. Should an accident happen here
it would be a splendid chance for good
case against Garrett county, as this
condition is across the line from Allie
gany, where at present one and one
eighth miles of new state road is under
COISlfuCllOu COMING lONdIuS L IOSlDuIS.
On the hill going down to the farm of
Mr.. Thomas J. johnson the worst con-
ditions prevail. Here teams must take
either side of the old National pike, the
road being against telegraph poles, on
about twenty of which can be seen the
marks where the hubs of wagons strike
although at this point the original road
was thirty feet wide.
Someone is responsible for this and
the remedy should be Forthcoming in
the not far distant future. If Garrett
county values horsehesh, if they have
the interest of their citizens and tax
payers at heart they should promptly
look after this section of their county
and improve the highways entrusted to
them. 1t can be positively stated that
trade from Garrett and Allegany coun-
ties is being driven into Pennsylvania
because of this state Of affairs, and
should not thoroughfare over which
at a given point over two hundred