THE HOMBIRD LAND AND IMPROUEMENT COMPRNY OF COMBERLflND, MflRYLflND PROSPECTUS OF THE 4 HUMBIRD Land and Improvement Company )-i/8fc^ ' {^^^.^ CUMBERLAND ALLEGANY COUNTY, MARYLAND Office No. 9 South Liberty Street, up stairs. 0? U^"^ ..c^ r^^ Entered according to Act of Congress in the year j8oi, by The Humbird Land and Imi'kovement Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington <^ .^ Description of Humbird Lands. r'HE Humbird Land and Improvement Company offer for sale the lands designated by the accompanying plat, twenty-three acres of vvhich lie on the north side .» of the Baltimore and Ohio lands, which are to be used for yards and shops; one hundred and forty-seven acres adjoin the same property on the south. This property is in close prox- imity to the Crown and Cumberland Steel works and Queen City Glass works, who employ a large wage-earning population. Many of the employees of these establishments are obliged to live at a great distance from their work on account of the lack of dwelling houses ; and the new population to be brought here by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for employment in their shops and yards is to be provided for. The land of the Humbird Company gently slopes towards the Chesapeake and Ohio canal and the Potomac river, mak- ing it suitable for residences, business houses and factories, and at the same time affording cheap and thorough drainage. Many shade trees will be preserved to add to the beauty of the residence sites, and the contiguity of the mountains will make the scenery from every site entrancing. An electric street railway will extend from this property to all parts of the city. This property will be sold in lots varying in size from 50 by 125 feet to 50 by 150 feet, for one-third in cash and the balance in monthly or quarterly instalments, to suit convenience of purchasers. To appreciate the advantages and beauty of this property it should be seen. The officers of the company will take pleasure in showing it at all times, or will furnish full jjarticulars and prices by letter upon application. J. WILSON HUMBIRD, President. No. 9 South Liberty Street, Cumberland, Md. Introduction. !'HE purpose of this prospectus is to put before capital- p^ij^. ists and those seeking homes the claims of Cumberland in as conservative and concise a form as possible. The claims of Cumberland are not fictitious; they are real, substantial and can be seen ; its future is patent, its possibilities potential. It will be seen from the following pages that Cumberland possesses facilities for manufacturing unsurpassed by any city in the State or elsewhere. We have the best coal for steam purposes in the world lying at our very doors, and railroads affording transportation to all parts of the Union. The Ches- apeake and Ohio canal gives us a highway to tide-water, em- ploying a large number of people. The manufacturers now here, and they are considerable, are prosperous, and owing to the large demands made upon them a number have been obliged to enlarge their establishments. All departments of trade are in a healthy and growing condition. Tho.se who come stay. But there is ample room for more. We will not attempt to recount in this brief introductory the advantages that Cumberland presents to those desiring to invest their money in homes or paying enterprises. We simply ask a careful perusal of the following resume. The City of Cumberland. CUMBERLAND, the "Queen City of the Alleghanies," is one of the most beautifully located towns in the South and is the second city in the State, having now a pop- ulation of 13,000. It is situated at the junction of the North Branch of the Potomac river and Wills creek, and is sur- rounded by the most beautiful mountain scenery to be found in the United States. The history of Cumberland is co-extensive with that of the Nation. Washington had his headquarters here. The story is told in history and need not be retold here. The city of Cumberland is the county seat of Allegany county, Maryland, and the main depot of supplies for a large number of towns within a radius of a hundred miles. It is the most important station between Baltimore and Chicago on the main stem of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and is now the end of three divisions of that road. It is the terminus of the Cumberland and Pennsylvania railroad, the Bedford division of the Pennsylvania railroad, the Pittsburg and Connell-sville railroad, the West Virginia Central railroad and the George's Creek and Cumberland railroad, and is also the head of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, over which a large amount of the Cumberland coal from the coal region is shipped to tide-water. The advantages afforded by Cumberland as a location for manufactories are manifold and important. First is that great desideratum, cheap fuel. Cumberland coal is known as the best steam generator in the world and is sold in the city to domestic consumers at $1.50 per ton, and to manufac- turers for ^1.30 per ton, delivered. Another important consideration in connection with the advantages offered by Cumberland to manufacturers is its never-failing supply of pure water, which is furnishetl by the Holly system of water supply and fire protection. It is lighted by gas and electricity. The streets are well paved with stone and fire-brick and many of them shaded with trees. Its elevation being about seven hundred feet above tide level makes the city comparatively free from miasma, and its climate healthy and invigorating. Abundance of choice and beautiful building sites, both for residence and manufacturing purposes, are to be found, in the southern portion of the city owned by the Humbikd Land AND Improvement Company, a plat of which will be seen in the front of this book. Of course it would be impossible to include in this article, in a satisfactory way, all the advantages claimed by Cumber- land ; therefore they will be found under separate and proper heads. Distance from Important Cities. ffT will be seen from the following table that Cumberland is absolutely without competition in trade, of any C^'^ considerable moment, within a radius of over a hundred miles, and that it is within but a few hours' ride ot many of the principal cities of the country, a fact of no small consideration. Miles New York, via Pennsylvania Railroad 384 New York, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 366 Philadelphia, via Pennsylvania Railroad 290 Philadelphia, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 267 Baltimore, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 17S Washington, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 154 Georgetown, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 156 Georgetown, via Chesapeake and Ohio Canal 184 Harrisburg, via Cumberland Valley Railroad 172 Pittsburg, via Pittsburg and Connellsville Railroad 150 Chicago, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 661 St. Louis, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 751 Cincinnatti, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 411 Wheeling, via Baltunore and Ohio Railroad 201 Parkersburg, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 206 Columbus, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 335 Sandusky, via Baltimore and Ohio Rail iMal 41S Cleveland, via I]altimore and Ohio Raiimail nnd C. P 300 Population. (^ INCE the census of 1 870 Cumberland has grown rapidly in population. To-day it numbers within its corporate limits about 13,000 inhabitants, and, including the villages and hamlets adjoining the city, the population is close to 16,000. Scarcity of Dwelling Houses S an evidence of the rapid growth of Cumberland it may 'Tik be said that, although a large number of dwellings ® have been erected within the last year or two, and many are in course of building, yet there are no houses to meet the demand. In many instances two and three families occupy the same dwelling, and rooms over stores, never known to be tenanted, are now occupied. This difficulty will, however, be overcome shortly, as several hundred houses will be erected during the spring, summer and fall to meet the demands of the Baltimore and Ohio employees, who will number 1,200 men, or more, not includ- ing train men, who will locate here. Manufacturing Interests in the City and Vicinity. I 'UMBERLAND, by its geographical location, is destined to become a manufacturing city; nothing can prevent it, excepting lack of capital, and this must, in time, find investment here for the following reasons: First, its various railroad facilities, affording transportation to all parts of the United States. Second, it is at the head of the great Chesapeake and Ohio canal, one of the most famous water-ways in the country, furnishing a cheap means of transportation for our coal and other commodities to tide-water. Third, IT IS IN THE HEART OF THE FINEST COAL FIEDS IN THIS OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY, thereby affording cheap fuel for all purposes. This coal is absolutely free from sulphur, easier to fire and will generate more steam to the ton than any other known coal. Cumberland can count to-day among its factories and plants the following : One large rolling-mill, operated by the Cambria Iron Company. One large steel plant, operated by the Crown and Cumberland Steel Company One large paper mill, with the capacity of ten tons per day. One shafting works, the product of which has become famous. Two large glass fac- tories, employing over three hundred men. Two foundries and machine shops. Three large tanneries. Two sash, door and blind factories. Three large planing mills. Four large breweries. Two distilleries. Six cigar factories. Two fur- niture factories. Two carriage factories. Two cement mills, with a capacity of 1,300 barrels per day. Four brick works. Two marble and granite yards. One ice factory. Two book binderies. Two daily papers. Four weekly papers. Two soap factories. Two lime works. One stone ballast crusher works. One Standard oil distributing depot. In addition to the above, this city has the shops of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, the West Virginia Central and the George's Creek and Cumberland railroad, all employ- ing a large number of men. One of the most recent industries added to the city is that of the Potomac Paper company, and although in operation but less than a year, is running day and night to supply the demand for their product. In the immediate vicinity of Cumberland are located the works of the Standard Savage Fire Brick Works; the fire brick works of the Union Mining company and the Savage Mountain Fire Brick Works, and the car and locomotive works of the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad company. Leases have been made and plans formulated for the con.struction of another cement mill, with a capacity of 500 barrels, which will increase the output of Cumberland cement to 1 ,800 barrels per day. Several of the above-named plants are increasing their capacity as their exigencies may require. Cumberland's magnificent resources of raw material, climate, cheap labor, proximity to the seaboard antl to markets and its railroad facilities have been heralded to the world and out of a horn of plenty a golden stream of wealth will seek its borders for investment. Facilities for Transportation. j''UMBERLAND'S facilities for transportation are unequaled by any city of its size in the Union. It is distinctly a railroad town, having the following railroads running into the city : The Baltimore and Ohio, main line ; the Pittsburg and Connellsville, running to Pittsburg, thence via. the Pittsburg and Western to Cleve- land, Toledo and Chicago, (the end of the division of the Pittsburg and Connellsville being here), the Pennsylvania, con- necting with the main line at Huntingdon, Pa.; the West Virginia Central railway has its terminus here and runs through the rich coal and timber fields of West Virginia. In addition thereto the West Virginia Central propose to extend their line south to connect with the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, and east to connect at Hagerstown with the Cumberland Valley, Western Maryland and Shenandoah Valley railroads. They will then, by these connections, have an outlet east by the Reading railroad. In addition to the above railroads, Cumberland has the Cumberland and Pennsylvania, running from Cumberland through the coal fields of Allegany county to Piedniont, where it connects with the Baltimore and Ohio ; the George's Creek and Cumberland, extending through the same coal fields and terminating at Lonaconing, and the P^ckhart Branch of the Cumberland and Pennsylvania, which runs to other mines in the Cumberland region. Splendid and cheap transportation is also afforded by the Chesapeake and Ohio canal to tide- water from Cumberland. The Cumberland Coal Fields. f[T would be a work of supererogation to attempt to describe the Cumberland coal fields ; they are simply inexhaustible. The coal is a free-burning bituminous coal, containing about 75 per cent, of fixed carbon, with no impurities, slaty or earthy particles. It surpasses all other coals for steam purposes and is used by manufacturers throughout this and eastern states and by the great steamers from Baltimore and New York and other cities. As an evidence of the demand for Cumberland coal 66,643,885 tons have been shipped from this region during the forty-nine years of its operations. The coal shipped from this region in 189O was 4,006,091 tons, an increase over the previous year of 792,205 tons. In addition to the abundant supply of this valuable mineral contained in the Cumberland basin, other mines of similar coal have been opened in the adjoining counties of Pennsyl- vania and West Virginia. Large amounts of coke also come to the city from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This is an item of consumption in the manufacture of iron, &c., that is of no small importance, and when it can be found at the very doors, so to speak, of factories, is of paramount consideration. New B. & O. Shops and Yards. . jiT-'HE Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Compan)% recognizing I(|M the importance of Cumberland as a distributing point for the large territory lying around it, and the further fact that its location made it desirable as the terminus of three of its divisions, namely, the second, third and Pittsburg, proposed to the mayor and council of Cumberland that in consideration of the loan of ^S 150,000, without interest, by the city, the company would make Cumberland the end of the above divisions, and in addition, would purchase a large tract of land within the city limits, upon which they would erect machine shops and round houses. The proposition was submitted to the voters of Cumberland on the 17th of June last and was carried by a majority of four to one, showing that the people of Cumberland appreciated the vast importance of securing these improvements. The company has purchased 90 acres of land, upon which will be erected their yards and shops. The Baltimore and Ohio propose to make Cumberland the Altoona of their road, and to that end have arranged to construct a yard that will contain trackage for 3,000 cars, which, in addition to the yards already here, will give the company splendid facilities for the handling of their immense traffic. The shops will be con- structed after an improved plan of the Pennsylvania Railroad shops at Altoona, Pa., and will give employment to twelve hundred men. The train and other railroad men, numbering at least 1,000, will necessarily make their homes in Cumber- land. From these sources alone an increase of population is confidently expected of 6,000 to 7,000. It necessarily follows that the addition of this population to Cumberland will bring others, of all professions and trades, and it is safe to predict that the building boom during the years 1891 and 1892 will assume immense proportions. Timber Resources. ^IjT^HE great timber State of Maine does not contain a (I|mI- finer or greater variety of timber than lies at the ver\' portals of Cumberland. The West Virginia Central Railway terminating here, runs for miles through as fine timber as can be found in the United States, with varieties such as spruce, pine, hemlock, oak, hickory, maple, chestnut, ash, cherry, poplar and black walnut. On the line of the l-5aItimore and Ohio Railroad westward for over forty miles, there is also a s[)lendid timber field, as well as on the Pittsburg and ConncUsville Railroad. In addition to this there are larire tracts eastward from Cumberland, from which timber is brought to this city over the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. An immense quantity of timber is used in boatbuilding, which is an important feature in the manufactures of Cumberland. Iron and Steel. ff'HE manufacture of iron and steel in Cumberland and p^^ vicinity has been carried on to great extent, showing that both can be made here as cheaply and of as good quality as elsewhere. Superior ores are to be found within a few miles of the city, which can be transported either by rail or by water (Chesa- peake and Ohio canal) at extremely low rates. The Cambria Iron company are now operating the large steel works and rolling mills, leased by that company from the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company. These mills were built here in 1 870 and are among the largest and best equipped in the country. A large number of men are employed at these mills. The Crown and Cumberland Steel Works is also a splendid establishment, containing the most improved machinery. A large number of men find employment here. Glass, Cement, Fire-clay, Etc. 0|r MONO the principal industries in the city are two glass lljnL factories. Together they employ over three hundred fe men, boys arid girls. The glass is of superior quality, both as to clearness and texture, and finds a ready sale in the markets of the country. A well-known scientific writer says of the advantages of Cumberland for the manufacture of glass : " Upon making a careful survey of the advantages of Cumberland it is an unavoidable conclusion that for the manufacture of glass there can be found no locality where are assembled together in greater abundance the varied materials, all adapted to such a purpose, than the city of Cumberland and its immediate vicinity. In manufacturinf:^ Ljlass the only material needed from abroad in any appreciable quantity would be soda ash and crucible stock." Medina sandstone is abundant — there are millions of tons of it — which can be had almost for the asking-. An analysis of it by Prof C. H. Chandler, of Columbia Collei^e, New York, showed 98.35 per cent, of silica and only 042 per cent, of sesquioxide of iron. Professor Chandler wrote : " I am satisfied, therefore, that the sandstone is in every respect well fitted for the manufacture of gla.ss of the best quality." Some idea of the remarkable success of the glass industries of Cumberland may be gathered from the fact that a company was organized here in 1883. with a capital of $15,000; its capital is now ^70,000, over and above all liabilities. For the year 1889 the net earnings of this company were over ;jS 18,000. About J^ 1 8,000 were recently expended in increasing the capacity of this company's plant. Fire-clay is an important product in the Cumberland coal region. Within ten miles of the city there are in constant operation three extensive fire-brick works. The bricks are well known to ironmasters and smelters all over the United States and are considered the best in the countr\' for furnace purposes. There are also a number of deposits of superior potter's clay, which has been scarcely touched, as well as clay for building-brick, the latter to be found in abundance within the city limits. The hydraulic cement manufectured here from rock taken from the hills in the northern part of the city, and known in the market as " Cumberland cement," is pronounced by builders and contractors as second to none, and is u.sed by THE United State.s Government in preference to all OTHERS. It is noted for the energy of its action and vviLi- bear a greater admixture of sand than any other natural cement now in use. Mining in this rock has been carried on for over thirty years, and yet the supply is incx- haustiblc. Such has been the demand for this cement that the Cumberland HydrauHc Cement and Manufacturing Com- pany have increased the capacity of their mill from 500 to 1,000 barrels per day. The Cedar Cliff Cement Company have recently constructed a mill with a capacity of 300 barrels per day. Building stone, of an excellent quality, may be obtained at but little cost within a short distance of the city. But little quarrying is needed, and the stone can be put directly upon the cars or upon wagons. Wholesale and Retail Trade. fHE wholesale distribution of the city and vicinity is represented by two large wholesale groceries, one wholesale notion and dry goods and large whole- sale liquor establishments, all of them doing exclusively a wholesale business. There is a good opening here for a wholesale boot and shoe house, cracker factory, drugs and hardware. The retail stores in all branches are well established, care- fully managed, and among them are some of the largest establishments to be found in the State. Water Supply. ^UMBERL./\ND is bountifully supplied with excellent water by the " Holly system of water supply and fire i protection," the introduction of which cost the city upwards of $150,000. There are also several well regulated and equipped fire companies, self supporting. Churches, Hotels, Banks, Etc. flVHE churches of the city number seventeen, as follows: M One English Lutheran, two German Lutheran, four Hi Methodist, one Baptist, two Catholic (English and German,) one Presbyterian, one Protestant Episcopal, one German Rcfonncd, one Jewish Synagogue, and three colored (two Methodist and one Baptist). There is also a Young Men's Christian Association, with a large and growing mem- bership, a fine library and well equipped gymnasiurli. The hotel accommodations of the city are as good as there are in the State. The fine hotel of the I^altimore and Ohio Railroad Company, the most splendid on the line of the road, is located here, besides, there are several other first-class hotels, the Windsor being the largest and most prominent, and also a number of good restaurants. There are three National Banks in the city, whose capital and surplus aggregate $600,000. Each bank owns its own building, all three of which are substantial and beautiful structures. Splendid educational facilities are provided by the public school sy.stem of the State, the buildings of which are com- modious, light, well ventilated and heated. The other educational institutions are the Allegany County Academy, (endowed,) the Carmelite College, St. Edward's Academy, conducted by the Sisters of Mercy of the Roman Catholic church; a parochial school, connected with the German Catholic church of SS. Peter and Paul's, and several good private schools, male and female. The New York Tribune on Cumberland. " E-xcepting Pittsburg, it would be diflicult to find a city more favorably situated than Cumberland for gigantic achievements in trade. A stranger in the town wearies of the eternal clangor of the bells, and rattle of wheels, and roaring of steam in the iron throat of a hundred locomotives. The hilly streets and maze of railroad tracks and brooks and bridges are confusmg, and the tremendous bluffs that hedge him in look I ileak enough under leaden clouds, with their smooth and snow-covered sides. IJut think what all this represents. The iron ways meet from all points of the compass, bringing ore from a dozen fields, coal to smelt it from immense mines over the hills, sand that is nearly pure silica, and lire-clay for crucibles to transmute it into glass, timber to be turned into houses or newspapers, bark for tanneries, rock for cement, clay for l)ncks, farm produce for the population and orders for supplies from a hundred lowns and hamlets in the neighborhood. The solid ridges that represent the subsidence from ages of Hood contain material for centuries of human industry, and the turbulent stream that winds by the town divides it from the almost untouched hoards of Nature in West Virginia. It is no wonder Cumberland is waking up. The wonder is that it has been so long about it. It is gratifying to believe that in future the town will have some hand in the prosperity that in the past it has owed entirely to others. It is more than a hundred years old, yet but for the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, whose trunk line passes through it, and the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, that ends here, it would probably be no larger than any other way station between Washington and Cincin- nati. It is only when you climb a hill and regard it in a Ijird's-eye view that you realize its possil)i]ities. Its roofs and turrets cluster in the basin of an immense amphitheatre, into which j^rojects the ends of tlie ridges like fingers of an open hand. The buildings straggle up in the open between these fingers and assail the hill-sides and are overhung by beetling crags, and there are tapering smokestacks far along the margin of the creek that divides the town and disappears through a mighty canon towards the north. The north branch of the Potomac forms a loop around the foot of a high knoll that juts out into the middle of the city, and the canal follows its meanderings to the eastward. The scene in summer is superb. — A". V. Tiibunc, Feb. /, iSgi. Finis. N clo.sing thi.s prospectus we would say that the Hunibird Land and Improvement Company will not only ne