The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1921-06-16
CITIZENS PRESSING CLAIM FOR
ROAD FROM BLOOMINGTON
Large Delegation from Southern POr-
ton of County Met Here Thursday


Last Thursday large number of
agriculturalists, residents and coal
operators along the Potomac River
from Bloomington to Henry met the
Board of County Commissioners of
Garrett county in Oakland. The in
terested parties urged upon the COM
missioners the necessity and prospec-
tive benefits to the county and Oak
land, the county seat, of a road fol-
lowing the river from Bloomington to
Henry, and demonstrated to the COM
missioners the practicability and util-
ity of such a thoroughfare.
1t developed at the hearing that
there are nearly eleven thousand res
idents, or nearly SO per cent. of the
total population of the county, along
the route of the proposed roadway
who have no outlet from this extern
sive coal field to Oakland and other
centers. 1t was further shown that
the population of this section is far
greater than that of any other sec
ton of Garrett county insofar as scope
of territory is concerned; and that
the concentrated population of this
coal area would make the most thickly
populated section of the State west
of Cumberland.
The county commissioners gave SER
ious attention to the advocates of the
road and evidenced a sincere interest
in the statements presented and pro-
nounced themselves to be in accord
with the arguments advanced as to the
necessity for such a highway, pro-
vided a way could be devised to con-
struct the road without the cost be-
coming an onerous burden to the tax
payers of the county. 1t was recog-
nized that such highway would be an
invaluable adjunct to the development
of the coal field and would ennure to
the great benefit of the whole county.
At the conclusion of the hearing
the commissioners stated that they
would request an engineer of the
Maryland State Road Commission to
confer with the agriculturalists, oper-
ators and the West Virginia authori-
ties of Mineral and Grant counties,
whose coal fields adjoin those of Gar
rett county, for the purpose of in
vestigating conditions and devising
routes and methods of financing the
proposed highway and of utilizing the
existing bridges and roads that lend
themselves to the proposed project,
and to report their findings to the
county commissioners, whereupon
they. would call another meeting for
further conference between the pro-
ponents of the highway and the coun-
ty commissioners.
The Court House was crowded with
farmers. lawyers. bankers, merchants
and residents of the county, interested
in the development of the coal field.
1t developed that to make the high
way from Bloomington to Kempton
and Thomas complete would mean the
building of approximately eighteen
miles of road, which would provide
main artery from Bloomington to
Kempton and Thomas for present
population of eleven thousand people
and would eventually augment that
population many fold.
The commissioners were addressed
by Messrs. T. NJ. Dodson, w. E. Am
brose and A. Spates Brady on behalf
of the farmers, residents and coal
operators. They were given careful
hearings and by the interrogations of
the commissioners it was evident that
the commissioners were in accord with
the view that such roadway would
materially enhance the interests of
the entire county; would aid in the
development of its valuable natural
resources and would accrue to the
vast benefit of the county, and that
the projected roadway would be a
matter for sincere consideration by
the county authorities, and that if
~ In,1, - L. i
of the road was feasible their good
offices would be exercised to that end.
Among those present at the con-
ference were Messrs. Burt Wilson,
D. w. Wilson. jeremiah Harvey, for
mer County Commissioner Isaac W.
Alternately and many other leading
residents and tax payers; Mr.. R. A.
Smith. of the Hamill Coal and Coke
Co., Kitzmiller. D. A. Althouse, of
the Althouse Coal Co.; DIR. William