100 Years Ago This Month

October 1921

Oct 6

New State Road

The road leading from Lewistown to Creagerstown, which has been under construction for some time, was thrown open to the public. The road is 4.38 miles long and is built of concrete. The dirt shoulders on each side of the road have not been completed and work is still progressing, but vehicles can now travel on the concrete portion of the highway. It is expected that the shoulder work will be completed in the near future. Work on this road began on March 17, 1919, but due to the prices and lack of labor, the highway was held up. People in that section of the County who use this road have welcomed its completion, for during the time that the work has been underway, persons have been forced to use a detour.

Big Farm Show At Creagerstown

The agricultural show held in Creagerstown last week, under the auspices of the public school of that place, was a record breaker in every respect. There were more exhibitions, greater attendance than ever before, especially of the elderly people. It was clear that the participants were enthusiastic, and interest was greater than any other agricultural exhibit. The number of exhibitors totaled 72. There were 62 individual exhibits and 10 collective exhibits. All the exhibits were arranged in the most attractive matter in the trees surrounding Valley View Hotel in Creagerstown.

Apple Tree Cutter Convicted

After mature deliberations, a jury in the Circuit Court of Frederick County decided that 12 Apple trees belonging to Joseph Young, Woodsboro, and cut down by Sammy Young, first cousin of the former and neighbor, were worth $10 and brought in a verdict for the plaintiff for $10 in the suit. Joseph had brought suit against his cousin for $500.

Boozers Discuss Sharing Hooch

After the destruction of their 200-gallon/day ‘super still’ by revenue agents last month, members of the Emmitsburg Chapter of the Former-Former Boozers Association met with like minded men in Woodsboro to negotiate a ‘redirection’ in the flow of Woodsboro hooch from Frederick City to the northern part of the county until a new still can be made.

Given the prices paid by their Frederick patrons, the Woodsboro ‘brewers’ were less than open to the request. However, with the Emmitsburg contingent providing the ‘lubricant’ for the meeting, eventually a satisfactory arrangement was supposedly met. Unfortunately no one was sober enough to write it down so no one could remember the terms the next day. Regardless, a good time was had by all, and the Woodsboro men are looking forward to a repeat of the negotiations.

Oct 13

Big Blast In Union Bridge

A big blast was set off at the Union Bridge quarry at noon Thursday which dislodged many tons of rocks. There were 21 holes, some as much as 110 feet in depth, and containing 6,500 pounds of dynamite. All fired simultaneously. It is needless to say that the shock was distinctly felt in the town.

School Society Elects Officers

The initial meeting of the Woodsboro School Association was held in the schoolhouse. In addition to an interesting program, officers were elected and plans were discussed to make the coming year one of the most active in the history of the association. During the past year, the organization has taken a lead in school and civic activity in Woodsboro, and events of nominal interest are under consideration for the very near future. Various committees were appointed which will have charge of different lines of activities during the year. After reports had been adopted, the meeting closed with the song ‘God, be with you till we meet again.’

Union Bridge Railroad Trestle Nears Completion

Progress is being made on the new Western Maryland Railroad Bridge at Union Bridge, and within the next week it is expected to be finished. The structure will be 73 feet in height. The pumping station and tank will be erected next but will require the work of the coal building. It is rumored that the railroad shops will be re-opened again after a six-month shutdown.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Keymar have completed arrangements to build a light and power transmission line from a point near Union Bridge to Keymar. Work will begin at an early date.

Blackbirds

Last Sunday evening from 5:30 until 6 o’clock, one continuous ribbon of blackbirds, 10 feet wide, passed from north to south and came to rest in the fields below town. At times, there would be a break in the line when a portion of the flight darted Earthwards, and the entire line from that point forward performed the same feat which gave it an appearance of a wave. At other times, the same maneuver was carried out sideways. For the half hour that the birds were observed, people estimated close to 1,000 passed every minute.

October 20

Body of Private Bunke Returned Home

Mr. & Mrs. Charles Smith of Libertytown received a telegram announcing that Private William Bunke’s body arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey on October 6. They directed the Cemetery Division to turn over the body to Father Kavanagh of St. Peter’s Church, Libertytown. Father Kavanaugh met the body at Hoboken and escorted it to Libertytown. A High Mass was celebrated at St. Peter’s for Bunke and his body was interned in the church’s graveyard.

Residents Seek New Windsor Road

A number of citizens of Union Bridge are cooperating with residents of Johnsville and Libertytown in an effort to have the State Road continued to those towns instead of the New Windsor route. There are decided advantages to this route, among which is the fact that the road from Union Bridge to Libertytown is piked its entire way and is slightly over one and a half miles shorter than the New Windsor route

Winter To Be Severe

Just what sort of winter will the coming winter be? This is a subject that is being discussed freely now as the cool weather approaches and the days grow shorter and shorter. There are the usual differences of opinion. Old prognosticators declare that a severe winter always follows an unusually hot summer, such as the one just passed.

Woodsman who live in the hills and in the country believe the season will be severe. They say that furbearing animals have unusually heavy coats, an unfailing sign. Cornhusks are said to be thicker. Wild animals appear to be busy storing food. Last year when the weather was mild, the animals stored scarcely any food.

Due to the continued warm weather and lack of frost on leaves, trees have not yet taken autumn colors. The season is backward and cold weather will likely come suddenly.

Although the season is backward, the country is beginning to have a Fall appearance. Much corn has been cut and rows of shucks are seen in many fields. Seeding is being done and pumpkins are being hauled to farmers’ barns by the wagons, giving promise of an abundance of material for those favorite pies.

October 27

Leg Broken

Elkins Shipley, catcher for the Brunswick Athletic Association, suffered a broken leg in the Brunswick-Woodsboro game, played at the latter on Saturday, when Woodsboro defeated Brunswick 7 to 2.

It was in the sixth inning with Woodsboro at bat, a man on second, and another runner coming home from third. Shipley received the ball and endeavored to touch the runner as he slid for the plate. In some manner, the cleats hooked up on the plate and the runner slid into him, throwing him heavily to the ground. His right leg was broken between the knee and the ankle. The game was immediately called, and injured player was brought to the Frederick City Hospital in the machine of Leonard Barrick. It was reported at the hospital that Shipley was getting along nicely.

Auto Accidents

The Overland touring car of Harry Kreis of Loys Station and the Ford touring car of William Blocker of York had a head on collision on the Woodsboro Pike on Sunday night. Both machines were damaged to some extent, but no one was hurt. The Overland car escaped with the least damage with only the bumper being bent. A tire on the Ford blew out, the axle was bent, and the radius rod bent.

On Sunday afternoon, Mrs. Maria Roland lost control of her machine while rounding the curve in Lewistown, resulting in the car crashing into a tree on the side of the road. Mrs. Roland was thrown from the car, and in doing so, dislocated her hip as well as suffering other minor injuries. Deputy Shuff said that the number of auto accidents in the county have increased nearly fourfold since the state allowed women the right to drive. "Women," he said, "clearly don’t have the mental ability to operate auto-cars and the roads would be a lot safer for men if the state receded their right to drive and women returned to the rightful homemaking duties."