Evening star., 1927-10-22
NEW HIGHWAY LINK
OPENED BY R|TCH|E
Governor Removes Last Bar.
rier of Robert Grain Road
Amid Great Ovation.
sx A star correrpondent Of The star.

By a staff Correspondent of The star.
UPPER MARLBORO, October 22.--
While guns doomed their salute and
crowds cheered, Gov. Ritchie this
afternoon dedicated the last section
of the 75-mile Robert Grain Highway.
linking southern Maryland with the
City of Baltimore.
With one dramatic gesture Gov.
Ritchie removed silllen ribbon
stretched across the magnificent con-
crete road north of Marlboro, and
thereby removed the final barrier TO
this latest of Maryland's highways.
connecting the States metropolis with
five OF Maryla nd's most fertile and
progressive counties. namely Prince
Georges, Calvert, Anne Arundel.
Charles and st. Msrys. The black
and yellow robbon was held by Miss
Margaret Grain, young daughter Of
the public-spirited Charles County
citizen for whom the highway was
named, and by John \. MackaII, jr.,
son of the chairman and chief en-
gineer Of the Maryland Roads Com
mission.
Ceremony Is Brief.
The ribbon ceremony was brief, but
picturesque. 1t climaXed q big auto.
InDDlle DdIdOe lHlS JOWIi from
Priests Bridge, over the Patuxent
River. where the Defense and Grain
highways merge, and preceded a
monster old fashioned Maryland"
barbecue and formal dedicatory exer-
cises held at the fair grounds here
later in the afternoon.
AS the procession entered the town
limits, it was Joined by a resplendent
military escort, including the 5th
Maryland Regiment OF the National
Guard, in glittering full dress. the
1st Maryland Regiment OF Guards in
service uniform. the trim cadet corps
of Charlotte Hall Academy, a Legion
naires' drum and bugle corps, and
the Boy Scout Troop of Marlboro.
Five pretentious floats, depicting the
glories and traditions of the counties
Of southern Marylan nd benefited by
the new road, also joined in the line
of march.
proceeding slowly through streets
lined with cheering thousands, and be-
tween rows of buildings gayly deco.
rated with flags and banners, the pro.
cession moved to the other end of
town and around the monument erect.
ed by the Southern Maryland Society
and the Merchants and Manufacture
ers Association of Baltimore to com.
memorate starting of construction on
the road. Thence. with Gov. Richie
and Mayor F. Broenng of Baltimore
in the lead. the procession continued
to the fair grounds and disba nded.
AS the governor entered the grounds
there was flourish OF trumpets and
the clanking of military trappings as
the guardsmen came to attention and
then there doomed forth the COVER.
nor's salute of 19 guns
Thousands at Festival.
Thousands OF men, women and chill
dren, many of them hardy-tanned
iarmer-folk, jammed the grounds of
the barbecue and speech-making.
Fuli-sized carcasses of beef previously
roasted. in barbecue fashion, were
sliced up and distributed free to the
thrOngs, with the housewives of the
five counties acting as hOstesses.
The automobiles forming the parade
assembled early this morning just the
other side of Priests Bridge. bearing
gay streamers and banners, in OBJ.
servance of the gala occasion. Long
before IL O'Clock, the time for the
ribbon ceremony, several hundred of
these cars had formed into long
line, awaiting the arrival of. the
governoS, Mayor BrOening and the
other officials, who were to lead the
parade. The governor was delayed
because Of traffic jams, and the
procession finally started off without
him. The caravan halted at the
decorated archway and ribboned bar
rier. about midway between the bridge
and Marlboro.
With the arrival Of the governor the
brief ceremonies were carried out be-
fore small army of news and movie
cameramen. One movie operator cir
cled overhead in an airplane. Be-
cause of the congestion along the road
to the rear, but few persons witnessed
the actual removal OF the ribbon.
There was no OratOry during this
part of the program.
Local Men Take Part.
The dedicatory addresses began
shortly after 2 o'clock in the large
grandstand, over which a battery of
voice amplifiers had been installed. NJ.
Hampton Magruder, local attorney,
who is chairman of the Southern
Marylan nd committee in charge OF the
celebration, made a few Introductory
remarks, following which invocation
was pronounced by Rt. Rev. Michael
J. Curiey, Archbishop of Baltimore.
Judge Joseph G. Mattingly welcomed
the governor and the other officials in
short address.
At a crier's call for Baltimore
City" Mayor Broening escorted Lord
Baltimore" to the front of the plat
form and introduced him to Gov.
Ritchie, who in turn presented his
lordship to the five young women
representing Miss Calvert County"
Miss Prince Georges County" Miss
Anne Arundel County" Miss Charles
County" and Miss st. Mary's Coun-
ty" The young women carried flags
of their. respective counties, which