Evening star., 1915-12-19
STREET SCENE IN LA PLATA.

farms. 12l,621 acres are improved, and
something more than 100000 acres of
the farms are in woodland.
The value of the farm property of
Charles county Is set down by the
census as $4,T09.000. which shows a
slight decrease under the value for The
census year of 1900. This value COM
pares with $13,000,0O0 for Prince
Georges. s4,777,OO0 for st. Marys. sIs.-
100000 for Anne Arundel and $500. 600
for Calvert The average value per
acre in Charles county was placed by
the last census at 1919, the lowest in
the state of Maryland. Some curious
figures in land values are to be found
in the census supplement for Maryland.
While the average value of land per
acre in Charles county was set down In
1900 as s10.54. the average value de-
clined in 1870 to 1919. while in ST.
Marys county, where the average value
was $9.4S in 1900, it rose In 1910 10
S12.S1. In the same period the average
value of Prince Georges farmland rose
Arundel land rose from sI7.69 to $5i
per acre.
These figures of the census year 1910
are based mainly on statistics gathered
in 1909. and there has been a perceptible
improvement IN conditions since then.
In travelling through the county and
talking with the more intelligent mon
one cannot help noting a feeling that
material uplift is working in south
ern Maryland. They will tell You that
one of the encouraging signs is that
the common people are giving more
time to the plow and the hoe.
The census estimate of 1919 per acre
is apt to mislcad a man not acquainted
with the county. The average is that
low, not because there is so much poor
land, as because there is so much waste
land, for in this county may be seen
some tracts of farming land about as
fertile and highly farmed in Fred
erick and Washington counties. There
is not enough of it, however. to make
the average high for the whole county.
The total value of all the farm prop
erty in Charles county was appraised
under the last census at s4,I09, 1896, and
this amount was divided as follows:
Land, S2.274e2s; buildings. s1.46A627:
implements and machinery. $214,s39,
and domestic animals and poultry.
s755,902. During the period ls00-19I0
there was an increase in the value of
buildings. implements and machinery
and domestic animals, but a decrease in
the value of the land which made the
total for 1910 lower than the total for
1900.
$4,000, Charles county was ahead of
Allegany county. $4,000: Calvert, se2,-
600. and Garrett, $4,000, but behind
Ann Arundel. $4,000; Prince Georges.
$65,000, and st. Marys, $4,000.
In dairy products Charles county
rated below Prince Georges and Anne
Arundel, and above Calvert and St
ucts Charles was behind st. Marys.
Prince Georges and Anne Arundel, and
ahead of Calvert.
La Plata, the county seat. is new
town, having superseded historic and
romantic Port Tobacco. La Plata lacks
the charm of age, and is without the
centurnes of memories and traditions
that graced and endeared old Port To-
bacco, but like very new and up-to-
date town it preens itself on the VOL
ume of its business, and it's business is
considera BILE. Around the railroad sta
tion are clustered sccore of stores
housed in frame buildings and between
the station and the courthouse are two
banks in small brick buildings two
hotels and several frame dwellings.
The courthouse is the importan'
structure of the town and is of re-.
brick in the style of courthouse arch
lecture which has become the fashion
The courthouses of Maryland countie.
and the new courthouses of the vir-
ginia counties in the region of Wash
ington are very much alike. The coun-
ty Jail stands conveniently close to the
courthouseS and is curious little
brick structure two stories high with
a high mansard roof and heavily bar
red windows. flock of sheep, having
strayed from a nearby farm, were con-
tentedly grazing in the courthouse
suuare-a pleasing rural picture
when The Star man passed through La
Plata.
hop
La Plata. Christ Church. Episcopal. OF
light -colored stone. stands on a plot
adjoining the courthouse square. This
church stood next to the courthouse at
Port Tobacco. but when the court
building burned and the county seat.
after an exceedingly bitter contest,
was transferred to La Plata, Christ
Church at Port Tobacco was torn down
and new church edifice built next TO
the courthouse at the new town.
A few hundred yards south of the
courthouse. on the road leading to
Spring Hill, stands the Church of the
Sacred, Heart. Catholic. 1t is sub !
stantial brick structure with well worn
steps and stills before the doors. The
church stands in a grove of oaks and
the situation must be beautiful in all
other seasons than midwinter. 1t is Il
new church, the corner stone having
been laid in 1901. This church building,
was, like that of the new Christ
Church, proba bly, called into need by
the removal of the county, seat to La
Plata, for the Catholic Church of his
toric interest and reverent memories in
that region is St. Thomas, on the hill
above the steamboat landing at Chapel
Point. on Port Tobacco creek, three
miles below the old village; of Port
Tobacco.
La Plata and Washington are con-
nected by hard and smooth road over
which passes quite a volume of auto
mobile traffic. The roads diverging
from La Plata in all directions are
good, considerable work being done an
nually to improve them.