The Republican

ELMAN VALLEY R. R. BE EXTENDED SOUTH
Grantsville Territory to Oakland, Thus Giving Rail Connection With that Town
(By G. W. Diefenbach)

GRANTSVILLE, Feb. 9.—The following news item of great interest to Garrett countians, especially those in Grantsville and Oakland, appeared in the daily press under a Philadelphia date line of the 3rd inst.:

"After some years of effort, coupled with a business tenacity that augurs well for future success of the undertaking, Smith H. Bracey, who built 5,000 miles of railroads for the Gould interests and others, now sees success ahead of him with the beginning of a 17-mile extension of the Casselman Valley Railroad from Jennings to Oakland, Md. The addition will tap some 80,000 acres of virgin timber and coal lands. The original road is now 14 miles and runs from Worth, Pa., to Jennings, Md., and until recently was a narrow gauge road. Now this has been rebuilt and changed to a standard gauge road and the promoters say increased business will follow. New ballast, ties and other equipment have placed the road in first-class condition.

"Mr. Bracey is now a modest capitalist and, with an eye to the future, has seen the broader scope and possibilities of this mountain railway that takes in some of the picturesque spots of the George's Creek region. From an original tonnage of 30 cars a month on the Casselman Valley R. R., the operators on the line have now built up a business calling for 300 cars a month. By the new addition to the road it is believed this coal quota will be much enlarged after the region has been developed. For a time, the railroad was shut down.

"One big feature of the new extension will be its easy grade, which Mr. Bracey says will be less than 1 per cent, which will be a big factor in enabling one locomotive to pull a train of coal cars instead of the usual three over and up a steeper grade. As he has constructed roads in 32 States in the Union and knows these engineering conditions as a railroader, coal contractor and builder, the fact that the new extension is to be built on these lines spells real success and progress in this region for the coal industry, his co-workers declare."

"A well known local coalman is one of the directors of the Casselman Valley R. R. in the person of Joseph B. Givin, secretary and treasurer of the Charles D. Norton Coal Co., with offices in the Stephen Girard Building. The headquarters of the railroad are at Grantsville, Md., in Garrett county.

"After being in operation for some time over the 31-mile route, it is believed that a passenger service will be developed along with the coal production."

The foregoing is certainly good news for the central portion of Garrett county, and especially the Casselman Valley. At present there are five producing operations actively engaged, namely: The Myers Coal Co. and J. C. Johnson, at Grantsville; the Morgart Coal Mine Corporation, David Ferrin and Huff & Durst, of Jennings. Mr. S. H. Bracey has been in Grantsville all winter directing rebuilding operations and recently Mr. H. E. Speyer, of Trenton, N. J., was appointed manager of the road. Mr. Speyer is now on the job and directing operations. Both these men are living at the National Hotel here.