The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-07-30

yOu lCcilAC CAAc1I III A0SC O6AASAo Az wiz
early days of our republic lacked the
modern steam and electrical machin-
cry that we have, you will say that
they were bridge builders indeed.
In this general neighborhood was
fought the battle of the Monocacy, in
1864. General Jubal Early, Confeder-
ate came down the Shenandoah Valley
with $4,000 men, detached from the
Army of Northern Virginia, to threat
en- Washington and divert Grant from
proceeding against Richmond. Cen
eral Lew Wallace, Federal, advanced
to meet him with emergency forces
gathered in the vicinity of Frederick
and gave battle at the Monocacy. AL
though Wallace was defeated, he sue
ceeded in delaying Early's advance by
"a hours and gave the Federals time
to gather a force with which to sue
cessfully defend the Nations capital.
Frederick, the next town reached,
has been in existence since 1745, and
is of much interest from a historical
standpoint. It was in Frederick that
Barbara Fritchie is said to have
waved the American flag in the face
of Stonewall Jackson. I realize, of
course, that there is some doubt as to
whether Barbara waved any flag at
all, but don't propose to be get mixed
up in that dispute.
Between Frederick and Hagerstown,
you pass over South Mountain where
battle was founght during the war
between the States, and through the
town of Boonsboro where the first
monument was erected to the memory
of George Washington.
Then you ride into Hagerstown, a
| trading center for prosperous farm
ing community and was founded by
Jonathan Hager in 1852.
Out of Hagerstown the road goes
almost straight west towards the
mountains that lie east of Cumber-
land. Indeed, if you go right on to
Wheeling, you will ride through noun
tains for practically all of the way.
On the top of Fairview Mountain is
stone house in which you can get
| the inevitable chicken dinner which is
so persistently advertised along Am
erican roads. If 1 ever start road
side inn-which I might be tempted
to do after l get too useless for any
thing else-I am going to advertise
lamb stew or Hungarian goulash or
something else that will appeal to the
chicken-weary tourist. For me, chick
en- is just chicken. Hereafter, if the
vendor of roadside meals wishes to
tempt me with fowl, it will be neces-
sary to plaster the front gate with
signs proclaiming that ostrich, casso-
wary or emu may be had inside.
On the east side of Fairview you
pass through country associated with
the war between the States. On the
west side of the same mountain you
enter country associated with much
earlier struggle, the French and In
dian War, which took place in 1855.
In the village of Indian Springs you
will find a road which will take you
to old Fort Frederick, which was built
in 1855, in order to protect the colo
nists from the Indian raids that fol-
lowed Braddock's defeat. This old
fort was built of stone and is in a
good state of preservation and well
worth a visit.
From Indian Springs you travel to
Hancock, where you come right down
to the level of the Potomac. Here the
Potomac reaches farthest north, on
account of a great bend. At this
point it is a matter of only five miles
or so across Maryland from West
Virginia to Pennsylvania.
Here, also, river, railroad, highway
and canal are all side by side. In this
connection, it is interesting to note
the competition in transportation that
existed in this part of the country fol
many years. The National Road was
built in the years Immediately follow,
ing 1906, and was used by wagonerS
until railroad transportation made
their business improbable. The Ches'
apeake and Ohio Canal Company wa:
chartered in 1924. The building Of
the B. & o. R. R. was begun in 1928
The building of the canal was Alex.
andria's and Washington's bid for the
trade of the west. The building of the
railroad was Baltimore's answer. The
canal was opened to Cumberland IL
1850 and was in business continually
until 1924, when floods damaged it 81
severely that it was deemed imprac
ticable to rebuild it.
The first railroad train arrived il
Cumberland in 1912 and for the mex
eleven years Cumberland was thu
western terminus of the line.
| Although the railroad put the OLE
pike out of business to such an extern
that grass grew in it in places, the au
tomobile restored it to life. What tn