The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-07-24
A REPLY TO
THE OLD-TIMER
Communicated.

Communicated.
"Reminiscences of By-gone Days"
| in a recent issue of The Midland
Journal was evidently written by
an "old-timer" who has within his
system a few germs of homesick-
ness. A few months ago, a we'll
known novelist, In commenting on
his recent work, remarked, 81 am al
ways a bit nostalgia when l write
of my youth" In these days of stress
and struggle when one has to. listen
to street-corner carping critics ex-
plain the war and side-porch, rock
ing-chair strategists direct the war,
one sometimes feels like paraphras-
ing Mr.. Cross well-known slogan
that comes over the air every Friday
evening at $3.50: wake up, Amer
lea, and listen to the experts. With
all the war regulations, it would
seem there has been placed no cell
ing on idle talk, no rationing of
futile verbiage. 1t is little wonder
that "old-timer" feels like barking
back to the "good old days..
In reading his article, we wonder
ed, however, at times IL he knows
his local history. AS youth he did
his share of skating and coasting-
good, wholesome amusements; prob
ably, studied his books by the light
from an oil lamp before an open
fire; went on to college, where he
spent four years in the quiet aca
demic life of cultured community;
perhaps never returned to his ma
tive heath; perhaps has lived aloof =
as do many academic persons =
| from the community of which he
writes and has not taken the trouble
| to give us the reasons for the
changes that have taken in so many
of the rural parts of our country.
He surely must know about these
things. I hope that he will some
time enlighten us.
There is SO much all around both
historical and scenic that is inter
esting If only we have the eyes to
see it. This is very old section of
the country. / am quite sure that
Cecil county is one of the Oldest
counties in the United States, but
not the part of the county in which
this community is situated. This part
of the county did not became part
of Maryland until the Mason and
Dixon Line was completed in 1867.
Did the bringing into Maryland the
Nottingham lots, originally part
Of Pennsylvania, have any social and
political influence on the growth of
this community? I think it did have
an influence.
If, driving east on Route 1, mo-
torist will turn left at what was
once "Buffington's Store" and go
exactly two miles due north, he will
find himself in Chester county; at
the one and three-quarters mile
mark he will have passed, on his
left, a five-mile Mason and Dixon
Line marker. This marker is one of
oolitic limestone, stone about five
| feet high, with PENIS arms on the
north side and Lord Baltimore's
arms on the south side. At the two,
mile mark on his odometer, the
driver should pull to the side of the
road, shut off his motor, and look
about him. If he could use this
point as center and draw circle
around it with diameter of twenty
five miles, / doubt if he could find a
finer view than the one he is enjoy
ing. On clear Autumn evening the
afterglow brings out the solemn
loneliness of this section; on a day
respondent with sunshine the
whole valley is seen in all it's SPLEEN
dor and brilliance. In the crypt of
st. Paul's cathedral in London, on
the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren,
who designed the edif1ce, are inscrib-
ed these words: eff you would see
his monument, look around. If our
traveller who is looking across the
valley to the hills would see some of
the beauties of his country, all he
has to do is to look about him.
The "old timer" has doubtless
seen this view and others like it
above and beyond the Ridge. But
as he looked into those ravines,
wonder if he knew in those passes
over Goat Hill" stirring and al
most tragic events took place in pre-
Slavery days? Through those passes
and ravines ran an important part
of the Underground Railroad"
whereby fugitive slaves we're con-
veyed from the South to protected
areas in the North. And then these
"runaways" were carried to safety
into Canada. All of these happen
ings were long ago-nearly a hun
dred years ago. Those events are,
however, very fresh in the memory
of one who has recently read that
little romance written by man who
lived in that section, little book
which portrayed the life there at
that time with lucid simplicity. I
Mr.. and Mrs. Herman Slaybaugh
spent the weekend In Fayettesvill,,