The daily banner., 1919-08-25

That the business and farming in
terests of the Eastern Shore of Mary
land are intensely interested in any
ferry system which will bring the
Baltimore market an hour or so clos
er to that section was amply demon
strated the past week in trip made
through the northern end of the
Peninsula. 1t was also demonstrated
that no one ferry system which can
be arranged can save the time neces
sary to make 1t paying venture,
will do for the entire Eastern Shore.
or even for any very large portion OF
it. In other words, any ferry estab-
lished, or the one now in operation,
can serve only a limited section so
far as bringing the business of the
''Shore" to Baltimore or the busi-
ness of Baltimore to the Shore is
concerned, until the transportation
facilities of the "Shore" have ad-
vanced to a point where adequate
railroad connection to the ferries, or
something to take the place of the
railroads, such as trolley lines or
bus routes, are provided. The broad
rivers and deep inlets from the bay
cut the Eastern Shore into separate
sections.
This does not mean, in the opinion
of business men of that section, that
the ferries contemplated and in Op-
Grafton will or will not be paying
ventures. Nor does it mean that the
people of the Eastern Shore are not
anxious for closer trade relations
with Baltimore. As to this there was
not single dissenting opinion, and
all agreed that a bridge across the
bay would be the best solution of
the matter, since, with railroad con-
nections, this would serve the entire
Peninsula.
Just how ferries will aid the Shore
and Baltimore was shown by H. B..
Derrick, county agricultural agent
for Kent county, who said that the
route to Baltimore would be much
shortened by either a ferry from
Rock Hall or Rochester, and that a
trip here could be made in much
less time and at considerably less
expense than to Philadelphia, not
only by Kent county folk, but by a
large part of the population of Caro-
line and Cecil counties and a part of
Delaware. He said, too, that tour
lists from Philadelphia and points
north would prefer the ferry route
to going around by way of Cecilton
and Havre de Grace.
But the big feature pointed out by
Mr.. Derrick would be the revival of
dairy farming and trucking for the
section mentioned, since now it does
not pay the farmers there to go much
into these lines owing to the mac
feasibility of either Philadelphia or
Baltimore. That it would stimulate
traffic locally as well as to and from
Baltimore was also his opinion, since
he said that certain interests are now
preparing to run bus lines over the
State roads to serve most of the
small communities which are tapped
by the main roads leading through
Chestertown. These bus routes will
be formed just as soon as the ferry
is known to be an actuality, he said.
w. Irving Walker, a farmer of the
Rock Hall section, said that if it is
possible to shorten the time to Bal
timOre, ferry at either Rock Hall
or colchester, or any point along the
Kent county shore line, would serve
a territory of approximately 500
square miles of trucking and crop
lands. The area, he said, would in
clude from the Chesapeake to the
Delaware bay. 1t would include the
towns of Rock Hall, Chestertown,
Galena, Millington, Kennedyville and
Lynch, in Kent county; Crumpton,
Sudlersville, Church Hill, and Engle-
side, in Queen Anne; Wyoming, Do
Yer. Cheswolde, Symrna, Clayton and
Hownsend, in Delaware, with Middle
town on a borderland of interests
which might go either to. Baltimore
or northward.
These sections he said are mostly
within 50-miles radius of Balti-
more. and all would be closer to Bal
timore than to Philadelphia in the
matter of time if the ferry is
started. Every thing else being eq
ual, the trade would go TO Balti
more in preference to Philadelphia.
In the territory he outlined he said
there are $4,000 people and a tax
able basis of 100000.
James T. Bright, of Centreville,
who, with Walter T. Wright and,
Capt. C. w Harrison, is interested
in the proposed Peninsula Ferry Co.,
which will ply between Love Point
and Baltimore, said that in his opin-
ion the people of the Eastern Shore
will go the limit to aid in the re
establishment of trade relations with
Baltimore city, since their hearts are
naturally Inclined that way. He said
that with the steamer bis COM
pany had purchased it was expected