100 Years Ago This Month

May 1923

May 3

Spring Isn’t Happening

Spring is trying to function in a traditional manner, but the cold nights and cold breezes continue to delay the growth of crops. Many farmers are predicting a short hay crop.

Burned While Fighting Fire

Bradley Stull, of Mountaindale, who was badly burned one day last week are fighting a forest fire in the Catoctin mountains, has developed blood poisoning and was taken to the Frederick City Hospital for treatment.

Stull was burned while fighting the fire along Fishing Creek. It is understood that he was trapped between a double line of fire and his clothing ignited. Several people went to his assistance and distinguish the fire. He was compelled to walk more than 3 miles to his home before receiving treatment.

His leg, from his ankle to his knee, was badly burned. Blood poisoning set in and it was deemed necessary to take him to the hospital without delay. Stull, who is advanced in years, was on duty most of the week fighting the fire.

How Radio Code Is Recorded

A machine that would take down telephone conversations in the absence of anyone in the vicinity of the instrument was placed on the market a number of years ago, but was not successful financially. A similar machine is now being developed to register radio broadcasts. It is quite possibly physically to construct a machine that will register radio conversation. The day may be near when a whole concert can be received during the absence of the owner of a set and reproduced at his pleasure.

Hurled From Auto In Wreck

Stanley Green, 15, sustained a fractured skull and lacerations about the head, and Frank Krebs, 16, suffered severe lacerations about the head when the machine in which they were riding struck a guy wire on a pole near Lewistown Thursday morning about 1 o’clock, causing it to upset and throw the occupants out.

Whether they were blinded by the light from another automobile or the lights on their own machine went out is not known. Green himself is still unconscious and Krebs is in too serous a condition to relate the details of the accident. They were found by Burley Smith, of Walkersville, who came upon the wreck.

It is thought that the machine the two youths where ridding in was driven from the road, striking a guy wire which caused it hit a culvert and turn upside down, throwing the occupants on their heads.

May 10

S’More Snow

Between the hours of one and three o’clock Thursday morning a severe wind and rain storm shook buildings, rattled and banged shutters and made our metal roof sound like a load of scrap iron hurrying over a dilapidated wooden bridge. Wind, rain, hail and snow, all made their appearance and their present felt. A light covering of snow was visible on the mountains when daylight came.

Many small branches were broken from trees, leaves almost covering the street at places. It is said that thunder and lightning was seen and heard during the night.

Boys’ Pig Club Formed

A Boys’ Pig Club, the fifth in the county was organized in Lewistown, Tuesday night. Six members were enrolled and two others who could not attend sent word they wish to be included as members. The meeting, held at the Lewistown School House, was attended by a number of boys and several fathers and mothers.

Each boy was supplied with a bulletin giving specific instructions on how to feed and care for his pig and also a record book in which to keep the cost growing out of raising his pig. Five of the boys present selected Poland China Pigs and one a Duroe. The pigs will be delivered to the boys on Saturday and will be about eight week old.

Scholarship Exams

Examinations were held on last Saturday and will be held again this Saturday for the two scholarships, one to Western Maryland and one to St. John’s College, offered by the Frederick County Board of Education. The scholarships are an offer on the part of the Board of Education to defray all expenses of a four-year college course. One scholarship is to be awarded to the boy making the highest average in the examinations and the other to the girl making the highest average.

The examinations cover the following subjects: mathematics - including algebra and arithmetic, history, science, English and spelling. The requirement for those wishing to take the exams are that they be at least high school graduates. No one under the rank of a high school graduate will be allowed to complete in examinations.

Under the conditions of the scholarship the boy to whom it is awarded will be given an absolutely free course for four years training at St. John’s College. The girl who wins the scholarship will be entitled to similar training at Western Maryland. The scholarships include not only tuition for the entire four years but also carry with them funds to cover room and board and other incidental college expenses. These scholarships are given only every four years.

May 17

More Mountain Fires

A fire in the Catoctin Mountain, three miles west of Catoctin Furnace was sighted on Monday afternoon. The heavy rain on Tuesday afternoon put the finishing touches on the work of the firefighters.

The fire near Catoctin Furnace started in a remote section of the mountain and was very difficult to reach. There were reports of several smaller fires but the locations of these could not be ascertained. The fires are in the same localities as the fires of last week and incendiarism is suspected.

The County Commissioners Monday afternoon offered a reward of $100 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone starting a fire in the mountains.

The Fire Warden said that failure of persons to notify wardens of the existence of a fire is punishable by a fine of $10. He added that he had heard of the Monday afternoon fire two hours before persons residing in their immediate neighborhood had informed him. He also said the law provided that owners of timberland on fire are not released from fighting the flames.

Sugar Rebellion

Governor Albert Richie last Friday night officially declared a statewide rebellion against high sugar prices, shortly after similar declarations by the Governors of Ohio and Kansas.

In an official proclamation he called upon householders in Maryland, and all other users of sugar in the state, to restrict sugar purchases to the smallest possible quantity. "The recent price increase operates with the greatest injustice upon every householder and user of sugar," the proclamation declares. Curtailing buying is urge is the only immediate effective means of restoring a normal market.

Governor Ritchie previously had taken cognizance of the sugar situation in a telegram to President Harding Wednesday, in which he urged a statement from the president, stating it would have a meaningful effect in relieving the high-priced situation.

His proclamation is as follows:

"Whereas the rise in the price of sugar, which cannot possibly be prescribed to any natural cause, operates with the greatest injustice upon every householder and user of sugar in this state and in this country, with respect to one of the necessities of life, and therefore justifies such concerted action on the part of the people as will write the wrong; and,

"Whereas the recent current helmet in the purchase and use of sugar has already resulted in a material reduction in the price therefore; now, therefore, I, Albert Richie, governor Maryland, do earnestly request that house holders of Maryland and all other users of sugar, in the state to continue restricting your purchase and use of sugar to the lowest possible amount, as the only immediate effective means of restoring a normal market and destroying the efforts of those who would prevent one."

Destroying Stills

In connection with the efforts of officials of the law to enforce prohibition, one is struck by the reports of the large number of stills destroyed, and the question actually rises – why not make it a criminal offense to manufacture, or sell, all necessary implements to the manufacturing of liquors?

We do not know how openly the stills are manufactured and sold, but surely few of them are home manufactured exclusively; and even if they are, it seems to us that the necessary parts that cannot be made at home, ought to be under strict supervision as to the uses to which they are to be put after going into private hands.

Unquestionably, the bootleggers are getting a great deal of more or less open help, in the contact of their illegal business; and if a still is openly displayed and sold, as has been reported, it’s like locking the stable after the horse is stolen to permit stills to be sold, then try to hunt them down, destroy them, and punish the users.

May 23

Train Hits Fire Engine

Passenger train number 105 of the Western Maryland Railroad which was scheduled to arrive in Thurmont around 9:30 p.m. got there on Sunday evening about two hours late. The train collided with a fire engine near Union Bridge, which caused the delay. Three firemen were seriously injured. The accident occurred at 8 o’clock when the fire apparatus was responding to an alarm for a small fire. The fire engine was struck by the locomotive and cut in two. Five firemen leaped from the moving truck and were not hurt.

The railroad crossing where the accident occurred has no safety gates; instead the signal of approaching trains is given by an automatic bell. The sound of this was lost in the clamor of the fire engine gongs, it is said.

Protection Of Wildflowers

The protest that have been coming in to the State Department Of Forestry for the past few weeks, against the depopulation of the Woodlands for dogwood, redbud and azalea blossoms call for the widest publicity to the law enacted in 1918 for the protection of wildflowers, trees and shrubs.

This law, chapter 179, acts of 1918, makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by fine, or imprisonment, or both, for any persons to remove, break, or destroy any trees, shrubs, find, or flower, moss or turf from the lands of another without the written consent of such owner, or under his personal direction.

At this season of the year, with dogwood, red bud, azalea and other beautiful wildflowers adorning the roadside and making the woodland attractive, there is a temptation to gather them for decorating automobiles or carrying them home. Flowers gathered in this way and carried in the sun and wind for a few minutes, will wilt and become useless.

The trees that have been mutilated, will cause hundreds, perhaps thousands, who might’ve enjoyed the blossoms on the trees to be deprived of the pleasure of seeing them; the owners property has been despoiled, and the law violated and the violator himself benefited very little, if at all.

The police officials of the state are being asked to stop these violations, and every landowner is asked to cooperate with the authorities to stop this vandalism. Posters carrying the provisions of the law will be furnished to landowners for the protection of their property upon application to the State Department Of Forestry.

May 31

Woodsboro Pike Repairs Finished

The work of patching and repairing Woodsboro Pike from the point of its intersection with the Liberty Pike at Ceresville through the town of Woodsboro was completed by a force of employees of the State Road Commission Saturday afternoon. The work consisted of filling many holes in the road with stone and tar and covering this with a macadam surface. The work was commenced on Wednesday and completed Saturday.

The eight mile long Woodsboro Pike was taken over by the State Road Commission last year. A little over one mile of this highway was resurface by the state last summer. But complaints continued to be made of the condition of the road and it was decided to patch the highway for this year. It is understood that no further improvement will be made on this highway this year.

Thurmont At Woodsboro

Although Eaten outpitched Fox in a pitchers’ duel, by taking advantage of several costly errors at critical times, Woodsboro was able to secure a 2 to 1 victory over Thurmont in an exhibition baseball game at Woodsboro Wednesday afternoon.

Eaton, for Thurmont, pitch to fine game, allowing five hits and having five strikeouts to his credit, some of which came at critical periods. He was going just as strong at the end of the game as at the beginning.

Fox, for Woodsboro, was a surprise. Last year he was out of the game entirely, recuperating from an accident in which he sustain two broken arms and other severe injuries.

Both teams played real baseball from start to finish. Ecker and the infield are working right up to the minute. The outfield needs a little more confidence to put them in good shape to meet all comers. This kind of ball, if continued by both teams, will see Thurmont and Woodsboro heading the list at the close of the season.