January 5

Trouble Ahead For 1924

The year 1924 is likely to be a memorable one in American politics, both in Congress and on the open political field, until the November election. The whole performance will largely be a scramble between selfish interest to ‘get something’ from the government; in other words out of Uncle Sam’s treasury, either that, or to satisfy personal ambition.

It is not a nice thing to say, but it is our belief that the real Simon-pure desire to legislate for the good of the whole country is a very scarce virtue. We do not believe so much in strength in Union, as in union strength; not so much in United We Stand as that we stand united for ourselves.

The tendency in American politics is away from two great parties, holding to clearly defined differences in policy. We no longer hold to party, but are engaged in trying to hang such amendments to party platforms as represent the most promising expedients for ‘getting ours’.

Republicans and Democrats are alike in this. Insurgents on both sides have largely spoiled the negative so long in use for picturing party differences, and, the outlook is that this diversion will have a free ride this year. Sometimes we lament the fact that there are no more great leaders; none big enough to quell the rioting and lead the hosts to victory. But, it isn’t the leaders that are lacking so much as it is that the mob element is increasing that does not want leaders.

No man can lead without followers. No man can advise those who do not want advice. When arrogance, ignorance, selfishness combine in sufficient forms, advice based on experience, and leadership based on intelligence, are important. When misguided men feel that they are the government, and that they need only to combine sufficient strength to rule, then are boasted self-government plan finds itself on the rocks.

The role of the people operates ideally only when, and as long as, the best people are in the majority, and can co-operate – can hold together and outnumber the irresponsible radicals. That is just the danger this country is facing this year, as it never has before, and the hope of the future depends on how far the American people will permit their own selfishness to obscure their own good sense.

Rural Mail Carriers Carrying White Paint

By order of the Post Office Department in Washington, all rural mailboxes were ordered painted white. As the patrons of the routes were very busy, and help scarce, local carriers concluded to purchase paint and brush and paint the mailboxes themselves. They think asking each patron to contribute $.10 to help pay for the paint would not be out of place, and no one so far has objected to giving the small amount. Quite a few have already paid; others are asked to place $.10 in their mailbox, or give it to the carrier.

Mercury’s Rise Prevent Snow

Children with new Christmas bobsleds and an urge to create snowman and battle with Winter’s elements were cheated out of what promised to be an abundance of snow Wednesday night and Thursday morning when a slight rise in temperature change the first few flakes into rain. The precipitation of rain and melted snow and ice was .91 inches.

Survey Is Made Of Furnace Land

The Assistant State Forester completed a three-day survey of the Catoctin Furnace mountain property. The survey was for the purpose of ascertaining the quality of burned wood and dead timber on the track.

It is understood that a conference will be held with the Governor when a report of the survey will be presented. Since the first conference with the owners of the property, Stanley Hauver and Lancelot Jacques, at which it was stated the price of $40,000 for the land, or $50,000 for the land and buildings, was given, the owners have a greed to take a flat sum of three dollars per acre for the entire property. It is understood that the track contains about 9,400 acres.

The prevailing feeling is that the owners and those interested in having the State take over the property might yet agreed on a price. In this event, recommendation will be made to the State authorities to take over the property for forest reserve.

Radio Important Farm Implement

The importance of radio in the production and marketing of agricultural products is brought out in a special survey of about 1,200 farmers just completed by the United States Department of Agriculture. 80% of these farmers said they were interested in receiving both weather and market reports.

More than 50% of the farmers replied that they owned tube sets employing three or more tubes. Approximately 50% of the farmers reported having homemade sets ranging from crystal detectors to tube sets.

More than 75 different makes of sets were found among the manufactured sets purchased, Although the bulk of the sets were confined to about 15 of the leading makes that are more or less widely advertised in radio and general magazines.

The average cost of the manufactured set was $172. Comparably few of the owners of homemade sets operated crystal receivers. The average cost of a crystal set was $11. The average cost of a homemade tube set was $50.

Plan Playground For New Midway

Efforts are being made by the patrons of the public school at New Midway to equip a playground for the children of that community. Nevin Smith, Principal of the school, is taking the initiative in a campaign to raise funds for the purpose.

A spelling bee and a box social will be held on Saturday evening. Patrons of the school and the people of the community have been asked to cooperate in making the affair a success. Pickney Richardson, and Samuel Fogle have been named judges of the spelling bee, and Mr. Smith himself will act as the pronouncer. This will be the first of a series of events held to raise money.

The playground will be located on the school premises and will be available for use by the young people of the village and vicinity the entire summer.

January 12

Winter Weather Finally Arrives

Saturday was a real hurry up day, caused by the cold and wind. Many whom had been congratulating themselves that we would have a mild Winter found lots of things to do that should’ve been done earlier, and all outdoor tasks were done with full speed. Caucusing along the streets and lounging about corners, was considerably absent.

Last Saturday morning an oil stove used for heating purposes, due to the furnace being out of repair, caught fire at the home of the Sisters of Notre Dame, on Frederick Street. Sister Barbara, in removing the stove, was badly burned, particularly about the face and hands and was hurried to Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Baltimore for treatment. The damage to the building was small, due to the prompt measures taken by the fire department.

Saturday night and Sunday morning produce many stories of frozen water pipes and heating experiences; but fortunately not many cases of serious damage or suffering. Those who had good heating plants, and plenty of fuel, had reason for thankfulness. The thermometer registered near zero, the cold being penetrating because of the strong wind all of Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

Emmitsburg Water Company Changes Hands

The Emmitsburg Water Company, for so many years under the control of the Annan and Horner families, has now passed into new hands.

Several prominent businessmen were trying to secure the controlling stock, which was held by Hagerstown people. At the time of the bank’s trouble the shares were turned over to outside parties and it was only just lately that an arrangement could be made whereby the control of this well-known plant should be placed in the hands of the local people.

At the meeting of the Board of Directors held last Monday the following officers were elected for the following year: President, Thomas Hayes; Vice President, Aubrey Patterson; Secretary, Harry Groves; and Treasurer, Edwin Ohler.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Commercial Bank paid $14,500 for those parts of three tracks of land ceased by the sheriff of Adams County under a writ of fieri facias as property of the Annan-Horner Bank of Emmitsburg. The sale took place Saturday afternoon in front of the courthouse with a sheriff acting as auctioneer. Most of the property is located in Liberty Township.

Injured When Auto Hits Phone Pole

Miss Mary Nagel of Thurmont, who suffered a fractured collarbone and a severe cut on her right hip last Monday afternoon, when the automobile that she was riding in left the road and struck a telephone pole, is said to be improving

Four persons were in the automobile, two men and two women. They were returning to Thurmont around 12:30 when suddenly the machine, a Hudson coach, left the road and struck the telephone pole. With the exception of Miss Nagel, the occupants of the machine were not badly hurt. The car, which was considerably damage, is said to belong to Harry Late of Thurmont.

January 19

Farmers’ Wives Benefited

The human and social phase of farm electrification, as opposed to strict economic phase, was stressed at a recent meeting of the Frederick Farmers’ Association.

"We firmly believe that electricity will add from 15 to 20 years to the life of farmer’s wives. Water in the home, pump by electricity, the electric iron, the electric washing machine, vacuum cleaner, range, refrigerator, percolators, curling irons, are all unknown to most farmer’s wives and daughters. Electricity will bring them. And, most important of all to the household, will be the advantage of electric lighting."

Ice In Short Supply

Ice from the streams promises to be a scarce article this Winter, especially due to the fullness of the water. There is time enough yet, but the old rule used to be to harvest a crop before Christmas. But with the mild daytime temperatures, what ice that does form at night is gone by noon.

Fairfield Fireman To Hold Festival

At a largely attended meeting at the Fairfield Fire Company on Tuesday evening, it was decided to hold a festival on Friday and Saturday evenings, January 25 and 26, for the benefit of the company. The proceeds of the festival, which will include an oyster supper on Friday evening and a chicken and waffle supper on Saturday evening, will be put towards reducing the debt of the property recently purchased by the company as a fire engine house. The festival is to be held in the Old Fellows Hall, Fairfield, and one of the features will be radio concerts on both nights. The women of Fairfield have agreed to serve the meals.

Mountain Communities Still Talk Witches

There are witches, but no ghost. This is the firm belief of many persons living in the rural parts of Catoctin Mountain.

The question arose when a teacher in one of the public schools asked her pupils if they believed in witches. A majority of the boys and girls said they did and that their parents did. An interrogation brought to light many queer stories told by the pupils in a general discussion of the subject of how members of their families have been bewitched and the methods used to remove the spell of the witches.

One little girl related that a broomstick placed under the carpet at the door would prevent a witch from exercising her power and that it has been used successfully at her home. A boy said that a spike driven in a fence over which the witch had to cross would cause her to drop dead, and to remove the spike would bring her back to life. Another boy said an old shoe placed over a door would prevent a witch from entering the house, or if she did get in, she would fall dead.

A popular method of curing spells was taking a strand of hair from the person bewitched and placing it in a hole bored in a tree into which a peg is driven. Another plan suggested by one of the pupils was to take a hair from the mane or tail of a horse and crushed them with a stone on a fence. This will break the hand or fingers of the witch, it was claimed.

Many women in the mountain will not purchase articles from women peddlers for fear of being bewitched. The superstitious women believe that if a witch can borrow or take something from a person, the one giving it can be bewitched.

The teacher admitted that she was amazed by the extent of the superstitious beliefs of the children and their parents in regard to witchcraft.

January 26

Slits Women’s Throat

On Sunday evening, Clinton van Brinkle (colored) went to the home of Charles Richardson, near Emmitsburg and demanded from his niece, Annie Richardson (colored), something to drink, which she refused to give him. Denied entry to the house he became angry and forced his way in and cut her throat with a razor. He then notified Dr. Jamison that there was an accident at Richardson’s, but did not tell him that he had done it. The wound was dressed by Dr. Jamison, which required six stitches. Van Brinckle was arrested on Monday by Deputy Sheriff Adelsberger and taken to Frederick City Jail to await the February session of the Grand Jury.

Winter Returns Again

Old King Winter set a new record Sunday night and Monday morning when he shot the Mercury down to a point 5E above zero according to one instrument. It was a sudden drop, which was from a maximum of 43E on Sunday afternoon. Unofficial thermometers situated in other points about the County, showed wildly different temperatures however, one showed at 4E below zero as did one at the drugstore. At some places in the County temperatures ranging from 2E below to a few degrees above zero reported.

The frigid weather was driven through cracks and crannies during the night on the wings of a strong westerly wind, which continued to blow throughout the day, permitting little rise in the temperature under the force of a strong son.

By noon, the thermometer still stood below the 10E mark, and few residents ventured outside of their homes during the morning unless driven by the press a business. Coats were tightly buttoned and hands thrust deeply in pockets by those who were seen in the downtown section during the morning. A number of autos ‘froze up’ along the roads and many households had trouble with frozen pipes.

Fractured Skull Ends In Death

A fracture at the base of the skull from which he never recovered caused the death Thursday, of Henry Bollinger, of Greenmount. Mr. Bollinger had been ill since the accident in which his skull was fractured which occurred on November 11, 1922. Had he lived until Saturday he would have been 74 years old.

Mr. Bollinger was knocked down by an automobile said to have been driven by James Crieger, of Thurmont. The accident occurred on the Emmitsburg Road not far from Mr. Bollinger‘s home, while the age man was in the act of crossing the road. It is said he failed to look behind him when in the act of crossing the road, and failed to heed the warning reported to have been sounded by Mr. Crieger.

The aged man fell heavily on the concrete roadway, fracturing his skull near the base, and for a long time lay in an unconscious and critical condition in the hospital where he was taken after the accident. Mr. Bollinger was born near Emmitsburg, but lived most of his life in the vicinity of Greenmount.

Emmitsburg Boy Arrested

John Wiles, 17 of Emmitsburg, was arrested near Biglerville on a charge of larceny, the specific act being the theft of chickens, according to the warrant. The chickens were stolen from the shed of Theodore Bollinger about three weeks ago. Poultry was also stolen from other persons in the vicinity of Emmitsburg at about the same time.

The day following the disappearance of the poultry, Wiles is alleged to have gone to the general merchandise store of C. A. Harney in Emmitsburg and is said to have sold some of the chickens.

The poultry, it is claimed, was later identified as being among the stolen chickens. Deputy Sherriff Adelsburger was notified and made an investigation. After the theft of the chickens Wiles is said to have left his home and gone to Biglerville, where he was employed as a farmhand.

Klan Ran The Wedding

Mrs. Harry Meiser of Creagerstown, who has filed charges of non-support and assertion against her husband is unable to tell who were the witnesses at her wedding. They were all members of the Ku Klux Klan, she says, and were hooded.

Harry Meiser, with whom she had been keeping steady company for 12 years, had refused to marry her, she said. The Klan took up the matter and one evening conducted the pair to the parsonage of a local church where the wedding ceremony was performed. Meiser promptly left, but recently was apprehended in charge with desertion and non-support.

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