The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-09-10

A Pittsburgher Bemoans the Fact
That Much of the Natural Beauty
of Scenic Highway In the County
Is Being MARRIED By The Cutting
Away of Trees and Shrubs Skirting
the Roadway.
To the Editor of The Republican.
AS one who, with other Pittsburgh
ers, is greatly interested in the most
delightful mountain district, including
Oakland and Garrett County, 1 take
the liberty of calling your attention
to the matter of preserving the
scenic character of your highways and
preventing, so far as it may be posi-
BILE, the destruction of their pictur-
esque and delightful character by the
cutting of shrubs, saplings, and trees
along the sides of such roads.
So far as the highways of Western
Maryland are concerned, they are
built admirably as to surface and en-
cheering features and it is a pleas
ure to drive over such roads.
You will recall, however, that GER
tain main highways, such as the Ma
tional Highway, have been entirely
denuded of any form of trees, shrubs,
etc., along each side of the road for
possibly forty to one hundred feet,
making travel over the road desolate,
sunny and devoid of any Identification
from roadside trees, etc.
The reason for such condition is
quite apparent. The National High
way roadsides have been given over
to telephone and telegraph poles
which burden and cucumber the roads
without any return therefor whatso-
ever to the people, and in addition
thereto, it is quite evident that the
State Highway Department is cutting
down and destroying and devastating
the roadsides for the only and express
purpose of protecting the poles and
wires of such utilities companies.
Route 81 from Keyser's Ridge to
Oakland has been for some years one
of the most picturesque and beautiful
drives in Western Maryland. The
road is splendidly made, we'll banked
and from an engineering standpoint
is an almost perfect highway.
Its beauty has been enhanced by the
protection heretofore along the high
way of splendid large and growing
trees, sapling and shrubbery of all
kinds, in many places overhanging
and shading the road and giving to
parts of it wild and splendid gran
deur that has been quite unusual.
Last week in passing over the road
l observed several gangs of workmen
engaged with saw and axe cutting
into the roadsides and destroying fine
growing oak trees, cutting down the
shurbbery, removing the saplings and
destroying the beauty of this road
way.
A telegram to the State Highway
Department elected the following re-
ply:
Baltimore, Nd, Aug. 20, 1881.
"W. D. Grimes,
"Mt. Lake Park, Md.
"Your wire received in reference to
trees on Keyser's Ridge-Oakland road.
State forces IN COOPERATION
WITH UTILITIES COMPANIES re-
moving dead trees only, the overhang-
ing limbs of which are menace to
traffic. Underbrush being cleared at
curves to improve vision.
HI. ID. WlLLlAR,
"Chief Engineer State Roads Com
mission of Maryland"
My investigation afterward dis
closed that not only dead trees were
being cut down, which was quite
proper, but that fine living oaks TAX
ing fifty years to grow, were being
ruthlessly destroyed and many of the
fine young saplings and other road
side trees and shrubbery were being
cut out, not only on the inside of the
curves, but on the reverse side, where
no possibility of obstructing vision
was concerned.
The interesting part of the above
telegram is the fact that this is being
done in cooperation with utilities COM
panies. By just what authority or
right the utilities have to thus take
possession of a State Highway and
destroy its appearance and character
is beyond me.
If the utilities companies, telegraph
and telephone companies are in league
with the State Highway engineers,
would think that the matter should be
investigated and an explanation given
as to whether the State roads are thus
to be controlled and used.
1t is quite evident that one of the
power companies is about to take pos
session of the sides of this road for
their telegraph poles and wires and
the destroying and cutting down is
evidently being done for the purpose
of favoring the pole line or lines.
1t is surprising that the people sub
nit to the roads being burdened by
telegraph and telephone and power
poles without cent of compensation
to the State for such use and your at
tention is called to the matter in this
particular instance, as it may encour-
age others to protest against such
usurpations.
Very truly yours,
WILLIAM D. GRIMES.
1109 Park Building, Pittsburgh.
September 1, 1881.