The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1944-02-17


Cumberland Val M m ~
ley and in Vir- M
ginia as the Val 'S'aa'''
ley of the Shenandoah. But it is one
continuous and homogeneous valley
well watered by numerous and
beautiful streams, fed by great
springs which gush out of the lime
stone rocks. The soil is most fertile
limestone, carefully and skillfully
titled, and the surface is beautifully
undulating, presenting varied
, scene of hills and dale and plain,
with the blue mountains limiting
the view to the east and the west.
The agricultural productions en-
brace everything belonging to the
latitude and everything is produced
in great perfection"
Thus a description of Hagerstown,
written in a booklet published in
1887, begins. The scene from the
Dry Bridge on South Prospect
street, from the vicinity of st. Johns
Episcopal Church, depicted by the
writer 81 years ago, remains the
same. Other things which the writ
er saw then are still intact. There
is still the same old Black Rock, on
the side of South Mountain, tum-
bled there by nature many ages ago,
favorite lookout in years past. To
the left is the gap through which the
w. Md. Ry. crosses the mountain to
Baltimore.
Hagerstown was laid out by Jona-
than Hager in 1862, the writer re-
calls, and covers several hills
which secure it a good drainage and
a thorough washing out after each
rain. 1t is built upon solid foun-
dation of blue limestone rock"
South Prospect street is on the sum-
nit of high ridge. Nathaniel
Rochester, the founder of Rochester
N. Y, and a prominent man con-
nected with Hagerstown's early his
tory, lived in a house on this street.
The lower sections of the town
range over 500 feet above the level
of tide water.
The streets, it was said, were
made of limestone, broken and laid
down to great depth and topped
with stone crushed very fine, and
then rolled with heavy iron road
roller weighing 80 tons, packing the
streets into a solid and smooth mass
of stones, very durable and as
smooth as asphalt The side walks
were well paved, generally, and
varied in width from to IL feet"
Ten thousand dollars had been
voted by the people to perfect sys-
tenn of drainage by sewers. About
so passenger trains, at that time,
arrived or departed from Hagers-
town every day. No town could
boast of finer livery stables. The
town was supplied with water from
the breast of South Mountain, the
water soft and pure and the water
rents remarkably low. The water
was conducted through large iron
pipes of great capacity, equal to
nearly $4,000 gallons per hour, the
reservoir being 249 feet above the
town. The Water Company was
private concern, regulated to some
extent by the town, which con-
trolled its rates and contributed ST.
900 year to it for the use of water
for fire purposes.
The fact was mentioned that the
city had five well organized and
thoroughly equipped volunteer fire
companies.
AS to taxes and financial condi-
ton, the following was quoted: I'VE
have the handsome cash surplus of
$10,040.47 to the credit of the town,
in addition to the levy and such 9TH
er licenses and market rents as may
be forthcoming" In the same re-
port it was shown the bonded debt
of the town was $4,000 and $1,000,
accrued interest thereon. The an
nual report of the city treasurer,
made on Dec. 81, 1886, showed a
cash balance on hand of $9,735.75
and the total bonded debt $4,000
Hagerstown's fine churches and
schools are given special mention
and there was mention also of an
excellent public library
A paragraph is given to THE
Market and Cost of Living" On
Nov. 4, 1886, patent roller family
Hn11r suaS selling for 81 15 raar bar