The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-08-17
LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY

LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY
Maryland's western panhandle.
which begins a little to the west Of
Hagerstown, stretches long ways be-
fore it widens out at Cumberland it
is narrow strip-so narrow at Han
cock, in fact, that motorist can cross
it from Pennsylvania to West Virginia
in less than five minutes. But when it
widens out, it expands into one of the
loveliest scenic areas in the United
States.
This area is mostly Garrett county,
and it is part of Maryland. We men
ton the fact because although the peo-
pie from Cumberland west know It
well enough, the rest of the State is
apt to forget it. Garrett county was in
the news Yesterday, in connection
with the formal acquisition by the
State of 1200-acre recreation tract
developed by Federal agencies. 1t is
an occasion to justify setting forth a
few facts. -, Il, /. .. o., NJ
Garrett county, which is roughly tri-
angular in shape, is one of the largest
counties in Maryland, with 664 square
miles. 1t is a mountain county, sitting
astride the broad ridges of the Allie
gheny Mountains. It's altitude ranges
from l 300 feet to 5000 feet above sea
level, with most of the county about
1000 feet or more. geographically it
consists of a series of ridges and val
leys running from southwest to north
east.
Of Garrett county's 438,400 acres
of land, only some $1,000 acres ara
under cultivation. The rest of the
county consists of timber land and
scenery. The timber was cut over in
the rapid exploitation of the county's
natural resources generation or two
ago, but the scenery remains intact.
And such scenery it is! There are
breath-taking views of wooded hill
sides rolling off into the distance.
There are sparkling little lakes set
like gems among the forested hills.
There are cool, shaded streams that
skip and dance their way down the
steep mountain valleys. In short, the
county is a paradise for the summer
vacationist. ;;"4 H.1
Garrett county has fallen on bad
times in recent years, with the near
exhaustion of its coal and timber. But
gradually some of the forest, Lands are
being restored under State ownership
and protection, and recreational areas
are being developed on State and Fed
eral tracts. Already the public parks
and camping grounds are drawing
crowds, and there may come day
when Marylanders who do not know
this beautiful county will be thor
oughly ashamed of their ignorance,
Certainly we hope so.
The following day friday The
Sun editor commented upon the fact
that Oakland had banned the sale of
fireworks. This editorial was as fol
lows:
POINT TO REMEMBER
The sale, storage and shooting of
fireworks are now banned in Oakland,
the charming little county seat OF
Garrett county. The ban is provided in
measure enacted unanimously early
this week and given executive sane
ton almost Immediately afterward
Oakland's new law is in line with a
definite trend. 1t came within four
weeks of the enactment of a similar
ban by the Mayor and City Council of
Cumberland, the county seat of adjoin-
ing Allegany county. And it also fol-
lows by about three weeks the adop-
tion by the Maryland State Firemenis
Association of two resolutions in favor
of Statewide anti-freworks legisla
ton. Maryland needs and must have
an anti-freworks law. A rapidly grow