204

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

determine, and shall have as many sets of
tracks, switches and turnouts and branches,
each not exceeding twenty miles, as the said
President and Directors may deem necessary;
and the said President and Directors, or a
majority of them, or their agents, may cause
to be made, or contract with others for mak-
ing said railroad tracks, switches, turnouts
and branches, or any part thereof, including
building of bridges, necessary warehouses,
wharves, depots and stations, and fixing scales
and weights and all work whatsoever which
may be necessary to the proper completion
and working of said railroad and branches,
and may acquire any land, earth, stone, gravel
or other material required for any of the pur-
poses aforesaid, by agreement with the owner

Acquire ma.-
terial.

or owners of any land, earth, timber, gravel or
other materials, or any improvements for the
construction or repairs of said road or its works,
for the purchase or use and occupation of the
same; and in case they do not agree, or if the
owner or owners, or any of them, be a feme co-
vert, under age, or non compos mentis, or out
of the county in which the property may be
when such lands or materials may be needed,
on application to a Justice of the Peace of
such county where the road may run, he shall
issue his warrant under his hand and seal, di-
rected to the Sheriff of said county, requiring
him to summon a jury of twenty inhabitants

Valuation by
jury.

of said county, to meet on the land to be
valued on a day specified in said warrant, not
less than five nor more than ten days after
the issuing of the same; and in case any of
the jurors aforesaid do not attend, the said
Sheriff shall instantly summon as many jurors
as may be necessary, with jurors in attend-
ance, and from them each party, his, her or
their agent, and if either be not present in
person or by agent, the Sheriff may strike off
four jurors for each of the absent parties, and
the remaining twelve shall act as the jury of
inquest of damages; and before they act as
such, the said Sheriff shall administer to each