100 Years Ago This Month

November 1922

November 3

Women Engaged In Fist Fight

Saturday evening Mrs. Eyler went out in search of her husband. She search for him high and low and finally arrived at the house where Miss Curum resided and ask if ‘hubbie’ had been there. The inquiry was the cause of hot words, which were quickly translated into deeds. Soon both women were pulling each other‘s hair, hitting, scratching, biting and rolling all over the road.

There are no reports as to who came off second best, although Mrs. Eyler carried out of the combat more wounds than her adversary. But somehow the battle ceased. Mrs. Eyler swore out a warrant for Miss Curum’s arrest.

Curum fled into the county nearby. The deputy sheriff and his posse finally founding her hiding in an orchard. When brought before the justice, Miss Curum swore out a warrant for the arrest of her adversary, charging assault and battery. Both combatants were released upon furnishing $100 bond for hearing later.

Harry Eyler learned of the affaire after returning from the mountains where he had been tending to his still. Upon hearing the news, he promptly turned around and returned for ‘supplies,’ so he would be well ‘juiced’ when he faced his wife and girlfriend.

Boy Dies Of Gunshot Wound

Through the careless handling of a gun, Harold Bollinger, the five-year-old son of Harry Bollinger, near Uniontown, received a wound in his left leg Sunday afternoon that resulted in his death two hours later.

It was said that the lad was watching his brother and another youth examining a loaded shotgun. While one of the boys was passing the gun to the other it discharged. The victim received the entire load in his left leg just above the knee.

Dr. Kemp of Uniontown was called and the lad was immediately placed in an automobile and rushed towards the Frederick city hospital, but he died while on the road between Walkersville and Frederick. The wound was of such a character, it was said, that had the boy survived, an amputation of the leg would have been necessary.

Walkersville Plans For Armistice Day

Eloquent plans are being made in Walkersville to observe Armistice Day this year. One of the features of the celebration will be the presentation to the public school of a Bible and a flag by the Glade Valley Council. The school will also be presented with a Red Cross emergency kit by the Woman’s Club. A big parade will be led by the chief Burgess and the commissioners. The Walkersville Band will furnish the music. In the lineup will be the school children, the Woman’s Club, and the Daughters of Liberty.

November 9

Zentz Arrested for Manslaughter

Charles McKinney, of Middleburg was struck on the hip likely by the headlight of the car and throw about 30 feet, sustaining a fractured skull. He died in about an hour without regaining consciousness.

There were only two eyewitnesses to the accident. One of these was Gilbert Fogle, 17, who described it by saying: "I was walking north along the road. Some distance ahead of me was Mr. McKinney going towards his house in the same direction. An automobile passed me, also going north. As it passed the driver, or someone in the car, called ‘Hello Eli’. My father’s name is Eli and the boys around Keymar sometimes call me by that name. I thought it was Kenneth Smith, and answered ‘Hello Kenneth’."

This statement caused suspicion to fall on the young Smith, and the news quickly spread throughout the country that he was the guilty party. The officers, seeking to confirm or negate the suspicion, learned facts that caused them to follow other clues that pointed to another young man, McClellan Zentz of Ladiesburg. At the inquest at least 20 witnesses were on hand to account for every minute of Smith’s time and the jury therefore exonerated him from suspicion.

The coroners’ jury ordered that Zentz be held for further investigation as to responsibility for the death, thought he strongly asserts his innocent and says he was not even in Middleburg at the time.

Lyceum Course Opens

Arrangements have been completed for the Lyceum course of entertainments, which will be presented in Walkersville this winter. The first of the series to be presented Wednesday evening at the Shriner’s Hall will be the Welsh Miners Quintet.

The Lyceum course has been one of the winter’s entertainment futures of Walkersville for several years and has been well patronize. The entertainment is being presented under the auspices of the Walkersville Community Association.

The Welsh have been known as a nation of musicians and these men, from the coalmines of Wales live up to the reputation of their native land, it is said. Each member of the quartet is a soloist and an instrumentalist and an excellent program has been prepared for the Walkersville community.

November 16

Studies Prove Smoking Does Not Effect Health

John Hopkins’ scientists have for three years tried to find the effect of tobacco on the health and they have succeeded in finding nothing very horrible in it.

Eight types of test were used in the study: card sorting, two kinds of mathematical work – addition and multiplication, the operation of an adding machine, an association reaction, dart throwing, a test of steadiness, and finally, billiard playing. Tests were applied to both smokers and non-smokers; data was taken in the experiment sessions both before smoking and after.

It has been concluded that the man who smokes moderately does better work after a smoke than before, because his body is used to and needs stimulation while of the man that does not smoke find it excites the nerves and the consequent work is not so perfect. It was also determine, that in general, smokers were healthier and suffered less from colds and other lung related sicknesses then non-smokers.

Talking Movies Possible

A great invention is in progress that has already been satisfactorily tried out. It is the ‘Pallo Photo Phone’ for the purpose of recording sounds upon a photographic film so that the sound my afterwards be reproduced by light, much as motion pictures are produced. The invention is by the General Electric Company. It is said that even Thomas Edison exclaimed: "what next!" When the invention was explained to him.

A Heavy Blast

A heavy blast was heard in Union Bridge at the cement plant last Saturday was caused by the setting off simultaneously of 49 blasts. Each hole was 6 inches in diameter and sunk to a depth of 90 feet. 13 tons of dynamite where used. This loosened sufficient rock to last the next six or eight months. Already drilling has been commenced for the next large blast.

November 23

Trade Banquet At Union Bridge

The Board of County Commissioners of Frederick County have been invited to attend the annual meeting of the Union Bridge Businessman‘s Association to be held in that town on November 27. The time originally set for the banquet, 7:30 in the evening, was changed to 1:30 in the afternoon in order to allow the visitors an opportunity to inspect the newly completed road between Libertytown and Union Bridge. The stretch between Liberty to Union Bridge has been resurfaced and the celebration of the completion of this new thoroughfare will be consolidated with the annual meeting of the club.

Water Becoming Scarcer

The water question is getting to be a rather serious problem with quite a number of people. Many wells are now entirely dry and the water in streams is not fit to use, even for farm stock. Water in streams are low and has become filthy.

The situation in the Creagerstown is about as bad as any that has been reported. Many wells and springs are dry and numerous others reported to be furnishing a trivial supply. One resident said that he had a spring who pool normally contained about 9 feet of water but at present contains only about 10 inches. The streams in this section are running low and many of the springs along the banks are dry.

The reports from Liberty are not encouraging. While there is no acute shortage, many of the wells are reported dry and the streams are lower than at any other time in history. People are already hauling water and many springs and wells are reported to be drying up rapidly. One farmer said that infrequent showers were keeping the wheat alive, but if no rain fail before the winter situation would be critical.

The situation at Walkersville, while not serious, is not right. The town receives its supply of water from springs at Valentine‘s dam, and the springs are not furnishing enough water for the daily consumption. The water supply in the reserve Reservoir has been entirely exhausted, and the town is consuming all of the water furnished by the springs at present. In addition to this, a large well at the Glade Valley Milling Co. is being drawn on. Water from this well s being pumped into the town’s mains and even with the added supply no reserve is being establish at the reservoir.