The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1953-03-19

This week we present the eighth
in a series of articles taken from the
booklet, "Hagerstown," by Judge T.
j. c. Williams, published in 1887 by
the Mail Publishing Compony.
This weeks inStallment tells the
advantages of Hagerstown as place
for factories, as place of residence
and as a summer resort.
Colonel Scharf in his History of
Western Maryland, uses the follow
ing language: Located in a country
of remarkable fertility, Hagerstown
offers advantages for manufacturing
enterprises equaled by no city in
Maryland. Abundant water power,
close proximity to the coal fields of
Maryland, Virginia and Pennsyl-
vania, railroad connections reaching
into every State, with climate of
unequaled salubrity and exempt
from all miasmatic influence, her flu
ture as a great manufacturing centre
is assured. Already very great pro-
gress has been made in that partic-
ular, and with increased capital, her
men of enterprise, of whom there
are many, will make the great ad-
vantages of the town known and
recognized as the centre of busy in
dustry in every branch. A very
great revolution has of late years
taken place in the manufacturing
business of the country, and instead
of the heavy work being done in
large cities, it has, to a very great
extent, been transferred to the towns
of the interior
Hagerstown, with five intersect-
ing lines of railroads connecting her
directly with Baltimore, Washington,
Philadelphia and New York, the
East and West; the North and South.
exempt from the heavy taxation of
the large cities, and wanting no one
of the great elements of manufac-
turing success, is now increasing her
enterprises with greater rapidity
than any city in Maryland.
Since these words were written
the population of the town has near
ly doubled, and her manufacturing
enterprises have more than doubled.
To the advantage set forth by
Colonel Scharf, may be added many
Others. Coal and water power is not
only abundant, but the raw material
required in nearly every branch of
manufacture is easily obtained, on
more advantageous terms than in
many great manufacturing towns.
Iron ore and pig iron of the very
best quality go through the town
daily to the furnaces and shops of
the north and east. There is a large
smelling furnace at the mouth of
the Antietam, is miles from the
town, in the midst of rich ore beds.
For woodworking establishments
the splendid timber lands along the
Shenandoah Valley railroad fur
niSh all the necessary materials.
Over the same road vast quantities
of cotton are hauled, on the way to
New England. Being that much
nearer the base of supply and having
a better climate and more daylight,
give this locality decided advantages
over New England for the econom-
1cal operation of cotton and wooden
factories. Large quantities of wool
are annually shipped from Hagers-
town, and wooden mill could OBJ
tain a bountiful supply of excellent
material. The same may be said of
tanneries. Hides can be advantage
ously procured, while the supply of
bark in the immediate vicinity is
practically inexhaustible. If there
is any profit in the manufacture of
straw board and paper, Hagerstown
is the place for such an enterprise.
For there is no town where more
unlimited supply of straw can be
had, produced in the immediate
neighborhood.
Add to these the abundance and
excellent character of the labor, and
its cheapness compared with that of
the cities where the expense of liv-
ing being so much greater, the
amount of wages has to be proper
tionate. Another consideration is
the cheapness of property. Land
along the railroads suitable for the
location of factories can be had at a
very small outlay.
A PLACE OF RESIDENCE
Few towns can offer more induce
ments as place of residence. These,
which have already been referred to,
can be briefly enumerated as fol-
lows: Healthfulness, a beautiful
town and still more beautiful coun-
try surrounding it, a pleasant eli
mate, economy in living cheapness
of food and low prices of houses,
schools, churches in abundance, a