August 5

Bad Day for Blacksmiths

Bernard Welty, of Emmitsburg, suffered a very painful accident while adjusting his horse-shoeing machine. The clutch evidently did not catch and the crank flew back, striking him a hard blow on the nose, breaking it.

Francis Null, of Harney, had the misfortune to get kicked by a horse while shoeing him. The hoof struck him on the side of the face and made an ugly cut on his cheek. It was very fortunate that he was not killed.

Harney Music a Success

The Harney Music Festival was largely attended. Some say it was the biggest crowd that ever attended a public gathering of this kind in this place. The community band with, 53 pieces was present, and furnished some excellent music.

Thunderstorms

Graceham was visited by a very disastrous hailstorm on Saturday, when hail stones the size of large grapes smashed the blades from corn stocks, cut and badly damage other vegetation and shattered windowpanes in numerous buildings. The hail was a company by a violent windstorm, which did damage to trees only.

On Sunday Thurmont and vicinity was the object of a hail and wind storm, hail falling in that place the size of peas and large grapes. The wind uprooted trees, tore big limbs from other trees and did other damage in general. Lightning struck the barn of Howard Eckenrode and set fire to the building. Quick work by Mr. Eckenrode prevented serious damage. A tree in front of Weybright’s Store was blown over and struck the house of Edward Hobbs just across the street and also snapped the telephone wire leading into Roger Studio.

Memorial Meeting

A general meeting of the people at the Mechanics Town District will be held August 12 in the Town hall to hear a recommendations from the memorial committee for memorial to be directed to those who are in the service during the world war and those who gave their lives for their country. At this meeting the citizens will be asked to approve the recommendations, so that steps may be taken to look into the raising of the funds necessary to a wreck such a memorial. A large attendance as requested and the committee especially request that all portions of the district be represented

Thieves At Work

Thieves were at work in Taneytown, taking advantage of the dark streets on Monday night. Unknown parties entered the store of S. C. Ott and carried off about $25 worth of merchandise. They also broke into the Allison service station and stole two new auto tires, gas, oil, &c. At Dr. Brenner‘s a large lock was broken and a thorough investigation was made by the intruding parties

August 12

Child Dies From Dread Disease

Infantile Paralysis, a dreaded disease that has crippled many children in the section, caused the first death in many years this morning when it took the life of Melvin Sanders of Fairfield. The child was ill only a few days when he developed one of the most severe cases seen recently in this region. Last Monday the boy was taken ill and a physician was called. His sickness was not regarded as serious and there were no signs of paralysis. On Wednesday his condition took a turn for the worse but there was no indication of paralysis. This symptom became evident Thursday and the house was quarantined. Melvin was one of a family of eight children of Mrs. George Sanders. Four years ago the father of the family died a mysterious death along the railroad, it generally believed that he was struck by a train. The children were then distributed to various homes in the county by the mother

Arnold Barn Burns

The barn on the farm of the Arnold brothers, near Bridgeport burned to the ground on Friday morning. The fire is supposed to have originated from the steam threshing machine that was working there, but the fire broke out in the end of the straw stack just below the blower, on the opposite side of the building from the engine. The wagon shed and other buildings were saved by the hard work of the threshing hands as well as the threshing outfit itself. Thrashing had not been in progress long before the fire occurred. The dwelling house on the farm was destroyed by fire 15 years ago.

Girls Locate Boozer’s Top Secret Still

It fell to the lot of a number of young girls who are spending the summer at the Buena Vista camp for girls just outside of Emmitsburg, to uncover that for which Revenue Agent and Prohibition Scouts have been searching unsuccessfully for weeks – The Emmitsburg Chapter of the Former- Former Boozers Top Secret still for making corn liquor.

The girls were out for a hike recently and as they passed a secluded spot in the mountains they discovered a trail leading into the bush. They decided to follow it and explore until they discovered to wear into what it led. They had not proceeded a great distance when they came to the end of the rainbow and found the still. It was a well-equipped affair, modern in every respect. It was no amateur article, but was designed to turn out contraband booze for general consumption. It was a good size, having a boiler, copper tubing, reservoir, water tank and all the others elements that go with making up a proper machine for turning corn into white whiskey.

Fearful they might be discovered by the owners of the still and reprimanded for being too inquisitive, they retraced her steps to the road. Just to say reach the highway they encountered a man and excitedly unfolded the tale of there strange discovery, which the stranger absorbs silently and proceeded on his way. As they where neared Buena Vista they were met with a car load of rough looking men, who gave each of the girls a soda pop and candy and told them that they had discovered a top secret government project and they needed to keep what they saw a secret. The Boozers apparently forgot that women, no mater what age, are unable not to gossip, and that’s how we got the story.

August 19

Autos and Lightning

Automobiles, like lightning, too funny stunts. They also compare favorably with lightning in the speed at which some of these stunts are executed. Take, for instance, the case of the machine, driven by a lady (of course) from Creagerstown, that in making the turn at Carroll Street in Thurmont, on boundary Avenue last week, crossed and re-crossed the railroad tracks, then for no apparent reason under the sun, slipped over the pavement and stole the lower half of Johnny Krieger screen door. It was done so quickly that Johnny didn’t even have time to offer it the upper half before it had wheeled around and was gone.

Bank Stock Sale Close Monday.

The subscription for 5,000 shares of the New Emmitsburg State Bank closed on Monday, largely over subscribed. The subscribers total 284, which is not only a splendid showing but ensures that the new bank will begin business under very favorable conditions. The state bank will succeed the old Annan-Horner Bank, the institution, which has for years been one of the most substantial banks in the County. The capital stock of the new bank will be over $30,000 and it will have a surplus of 25,000.

Autos Collide in Harney

Last Sunday night Harney had a little automobile smash up when two Ford’s ran into each other. One machine had the front part torn out from under it and a wheel smash down and generally bent up; the other was only slightly damage and was able to run home. Fortunately no one was really hurt.

August 26

Gorilla Sighted In Fairfield

Sunday evening while driving along the Fairfield Road, Ray Weichert saw a gorilla as it crossed the road not many feet in front of his horse. Not only do the young man see the beast, but the horse as well, and it was a difficulty it was kept from running away. The animal cross the road leisurely, walking on its hind legs, climb a fence and assess appeared into the underbrush. It was described as being about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and smelled to high heaven. When word reached Fairfield, almost every women claimed that the description fits their drunk husbands.

Campers At Gum Spring

Campers are camping at Gum Springs. Gum Spring receive its name from the fact that a large Gum tree marks the site of a pool of cold, clear, sparkling water. It is hidden in a slight depression on the east side of the mountain spur next to and south of Chimney Rock mountain and it’s not so near, nor as easy of access at Sandy Hall, but is decidedly cooler. From the clearing just below Gum Springs may be seeing 100 or more square miles of the fertile monocracy Valley.

Bridge Fire

The Trestle spanning the second mountain gap above Thurmont was set a fire early Monday afternoon, supposedly by one of the large locomotives. It was discovered by Dr. Bernard O’Toole, who happened to be passing by.

The Trestle is built of wood and has upon it several barrels filled with water. Dr. O’Toole emptied one barrel on the fire, but could to get to the second barrel necessitated him going through the fire. This he did, suffering some slight burns and singed hair. After emptying the contents of the second barrel on the fire without extinguishing it, he went to the night watchman shack and telephone the train dispatcher at Hagerstown. He was just in time to stop a long freight at the first telegraph station west of the bridge.

Help was hurried to the scene and the fire extinguished and new ties and rails replaced with a little loss of time to the trains. Dr. O’Toole says the heavy steel rail was red hot and the expansion had bowed it some inches out of line.

Read Prior '100 Years Ago this Month'