Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1915-01-14
It's Now Goodbye To The
Mountains at Cat0Ctin.
Timber Will Be Cut and Used
For Many Purposes.

Beginning in very few weeks, those
who have won't to look at and admire the
beautiful wooded mountains from near
Thurmont to Lewistown, will soon see
them devastated by the ruthless timber
man, for this week sees the installation
of switch at Catoctin Furnace to ac-
commodate a large cooperage concern
which will move its mills to this point
and begin to manufacture the timber in
to marketable lumber.
At the same time the owner, Mr.. Jos.
E. Thropp, will proceed to cut all timber
available for telephone and telegraph
poles.
OF course no one can blame Mr.. Thropp
for turning this valuable timber into
money, but it does seem shame that
such beautiful mountains should be en-
tirely shorn of it's coating of timber.
This would have made one of the ideal
forest reserves of this county, protecting
as it does many streams of water that
find headings in these mountains and
which in turn help to water the valley
below.
1t has been many years since these
mountains have been shorn of timber.
When Col John B. Kunkel was running
his charcoal furnace it was practically
denuded of timber to furnish chorcoal
for the furnaces, but it is now one of the
finest tracts of timber in the county.
While the second growth timber covers
most of the eastern slope of the noun
tain from ratoctin to Lewistown, there
is much virgin timber which has never
had axe laid to its roots. This, too, will
have to go, and many picturesque spots
known so we'll to many of the residents
of this section will melt away in front of
| the woodlands saw and axe.
There are in all about 10, 500 acres OF
timber in what is Known as the Catoctin
| Furnace Tract, but not all is timbered.
There are about 1000 acres Of this tract
that has little but small pines and dwarf
oaks growing on it and is mostly on the
| lOp VI llC WI u pi"eN"N' "''N
rather inclining to the west and north
west This is said to be one of the finest
bodies of land in the county especially
adapted to fruit culture. 1t is free OF
rocks and stones and the soil is of con-
siderable depth. There have been a num-
Der of parties that have endeavored to
purchase portions of this land for fruit
culture, but for one reason or another
Mr.. Thropp failed to sell.
1t seems most likely now that Catoctln
will never produce iron ore or become
the seat of any iron industry, and with
the passing of the mountains it can hard
ly be expected that Mr.. Thropp will uti-
lie it for any purpose other than to sell
it in such parcels as the public might
want for one purpose or another. Ger
tain it is that with all its timber cut off
it will be about as unproductlve property
as one would wish to have, and it will
take good portion of an ordinary life
time for the timber to again grow to an
extent that it would be merchantable.
With the chestnut blight gripping the
mountains it is doubtful if it will ever be
worth anything except for fruit purposes
and for this we believe it should be val.
liable after considerable is spent in clean
ing the ground.
SO it's goodbye to the wooded dells,
and the beautiful mountains of dear old
Catoctin Furnaces. 1t must be so, but
nevertheless, 1t is hard to say goodbye.