The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-02-11
WILL A RAILROAD PAY?
A. B. Ross Ennmerates Endless Posi-
bililieS for Development That Would
Create Freight and Wealth.

and interesting letter from Agri-
culturist A. B. Ross. of Bedford,
to W. c. Patterson, Brookside
Farm, this county. The letter
was written in answer to one
from Mr.. Patterson who wished
to get the unbiased, disinterest-
ed views of a practical agricul-
turist regarding the possibilities
of profit the farmers of this coun
ty might expect if they build a
railroad from Fort Loudon to
McConnellsburg. Mr.. Ross does
not attempt to dictate to the
farmers of this county as to
whether they should or should
not, build the proposed road; in
stead, he takes a broad view of
the matter and contents himself
by reminding us of what the pos
sibilities of the County are, and,
in this way, he puts the matter
squarely up to citizens of the
County as to whether they will
avail themselves of the opening
a railroad would make. Briefly
as we can state them, Mr.. Ross's
arguments are as follows: He has
no patience with the business
men who fear that connection
with the Cumberland Valley rail-
road by rail will injure retail bust
ness in McConnellsburg. 'Nev-
er knew a railroad terminus to
hurt itself yet, anyho W." A
man does his business where he
banks.
A board OF trade that would
handle every problem, including
those of the farmer, will hold
and increase business. Appoint
a committee at once to wait on
the new governor and have him
see that the new Department of
Agriculture takes hold quickly
and effectively of actual farm
problems in our county.
Every additional field of Jack
pine that is permitted to grow up
means waste of opportunity and
income. One hundred dollars ju-
diciously spent for Canada blue
grass, and given to the farmer
throughout the county would
start the movement of getting
those unploughable hillsides into
grass, and the grass intomeat,
and the meat into money, and the
money into purchases in McCon-
nellsburg, where the meat must
be taken for shipment.
Mr.. Ross then explains at
length the advantages of a farm
ers' warehouse in McConnells-
burg, should the railroad come.
By no means the least advantage
would be a coldstorage plant.
Infertile eggs, for which we get
fifteen to twenty cents during
months, could be held
for double that sum. This board
of trade could solve all lime and
fertilizer difficulties. A breed
ers' association organized along
tight lines would Standard ze
stock-especially hogs, and auto
matically open a good market.
The State College stands ready to
send instructors to teach a stan
dard method of butter making,
since uniformity in quality insur-
es good prices. In fact, Mr..
Ross's letter bubbles over with
the idea of cooperation. He en-
phasizesssome points by naming
Hiram, and Lie k in G
Creek township districts as wait
ing for the magic wand of coop
GRAFTON to convert these localities
into standardized meat districts.
He insists that the road would
be an outlet for an immense ter
ritory that can be made to yield
marvelously if the owners of the
land can be shown that by unit
ing on something that is suited
to given locality, they can grade
and ship products by carloads, to
districts that do not produce
their commodity, and in this way
reap the benefits that other dis
tricts are getting by this idea of
organizing and working toward
some one purpose.
the Piedmont district. Having
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