The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-03-01

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1t may be that in these fearful
journeyings was born the germ of
thought that nearly century later
was to bear fruit in the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal. Doubtless the wearied
pioneer thought often of the wonder
full river that flows by the county of
his birth, and of the ease of travel on
it as compared with his present toll
some progress. At any rate, as early
as 1774 he conceived the idea of a
canal from Georgetown to Cumber-
land and thence to the west, if a way
could be found through the Alleghe-
MES. The Revolution interrupted this
dream, but the idea stuck, and after
the treaty of peace was ratified-at
Annapolis, by the way, so closely link
ed was this State with the high points
of the great struggled company was
formed to construct the canal with
! Washington as it's head. He retired
from the project when elected Presi-
dent, and it was not until 1850 that,
after many discouragements, the wa
terway was completed and began a
j career of usefulness that lasted un-
til comparatively recently.
Togo back bit to Washington's
visits to Baltimore:
SIN the spring of ITS, with the Col
onies definitely aligned against the
tyranny of George III, the second
Continental Congress convened IN
Philadelphia, for that famous Massa-
chusetts shot already had been heard
around the world. Colonel Washing
ton, then a power in his own State,
set out from Alexandria with the
other Virginia delegates and some
from North Carolina, to this gather
ing On May they reached Balti-
more and were met by three compan-
les of the militia which was to prove
it's mettle in the bloody days to come.
They were escorted to the Fountain
Inn, which stood on part of the site
later occupied by the old Carrolton
Hotel and now by the Southern. Next
day the militia was reviewed by the
distinguished guests and commended
for it's appearance and bearing. An
entertainment was given at the new
court house and there was great fes-
tivity and cheerfulness.
Another pleasant interlude to the
stern business of the day was on Sep
TENDER s, 1881, when the general and
some of his officers came to Baltimore
on their way south to Virginia. Again
they put up at the Fountain Inn. They
were given rousing salute by the
artillery companies and in the evening
every part of the town was illumin-
ated There was a banquet and one of
those famous addresses presented, of
which the preamble said:
"May it please your Excellency, the
citizens and inhabitants of Baltimore,
impressed with the warmest senti-
ments of respect and esteem and with
the most lively sense of the impor-
tant service rendered by you to them
and their country, beg leave to con-
graduate your Exellency upon your
arrival in this town and to express the
general joy diffused through every
breast at the return of your Excel
lency to this place"
Naturally, the general was not the
man to let such sentiments pass with
out reply. He responded thus:
with the warmest sense of graft
tude and affection, l accept your kind
congratulations on my arrival in this
town. Permit me to assure you that
from the pleasure which l feel from
having this opportunity to pay my re-
spects to the worthy inhabitants of
the town of Baltimore l participate
in your sensations of JOY"
In conclusion he said: 81 thank you
most cordially for your prayers and
good wishes for my prosperity. May
the Author of all blessings aid our
united eXertions in the cause of lib
erty and universal peace; and may
the particular blessing of heaven rest
on you and the worthy citizens of this
flourishing city of Baltimore"
In the winter of 17S3,with the fight
ing over, Congress found Philadelphia
an alarming and uncomfortable place,
with the disbanding Pennsylvania
troops in a very sulky state of mind.
So that body removed itself to the
blander city of Annapolis and thither
came Washington to surrender his
commission. Evidently he was not "a
verse to a good meal and a pleasant
evening with his friends, for he stop
ped over in Baltimore and was given
public dinner. He was presented
with the inevitable address, signed by
a committee of prominent citizens, in
reply to which he said:
"The acceptable manner in which
you have welcomed my arrival in the
tGp' Baltimore and the happv
ten which Won have commnni-
cateuN CONGRATULATIONS of ire in
haoltan% lay me under the greatest
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