100 Years Ago This Month

October 1922

October 6

Meets Sudden Death

Just minutes before the lunch whistle was to sounded Charles Colliflower, of Thurmont, was killed while at work near the Portland Cement plant at Union Bridge. Mr. Colliflower was employed at the new plant being erected for the cement company. From what can be learned of the matter he was at the time helping to sink a pit and was about 18 feet in the ground. The earth caved in and crushed him. Colliflower was buried under three to four feet of dirt. The body was brought to his home on Tuesday evening for burial. Mr. Colliflower is survived by his wife and six children. He was 50 years old.

Woodsboro To Play Taneytown

The Woodsboro baseball team, champions of Frederick County, will play the Taneytown baseball team, the champions of Carroll County, in Taneytown on Saturday afternoon. The return game will be played in Woodsboro, on Saturday the 14th.

Drunken Women Operating Auto

It bad enough that hard workingmen have to deal with the dangers of women drivers, but now they have to deal with drunk women drivers! The first case in Maryland of a woman operating an automobile while under the influence of liquor was heard before the Justice of the Peace in Woodsboro on Monday. Miss Pearl Hoke was the accused, and the police also charge Miss Bess Johnsen who was in the automobile at the time, as under the influence of liquor, and fighting the Hoke girl. Miss Hoke was fine $100 and Miss Johnsen $10. Rumor has it that the ladies were able to raise the money to pay their fines by reveling their source of ‘hooch’ to members of the Woodsboro Boozers Association who have been hard up since the ceasing of their main still by revenue agents in September.

State Road Blocked With Fence

Building of a fence arcos the state Road seem to be the latest idea in the way of a practical joke as some people understand jokes. A barricade of a five-post fence erected across the Emmitsburg State Road between Hansonville in Lewistown, held up traffic for about 20 minutes.

The sheriff’s office was called and the sheriff went to the scene of the barricade and found the fence in the center of the road, but an inquiry among people living nearby failed to reveal anything of the identity of the party who set up the fence on the road.

Sheriff Jones adheres to the theory that the building of the barricade was the work of some boys who looked upon it as a joke. It is not believe that any automobile driver would’ve had the ability to erect the obstruction on the state road before nightfall.

Walkersville Host Women’s Temperance Union Convention

The convention of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union of Maryland was held in Walkersville on October 4, 5 & 6, and gave women of Frederick County the opportunity to hear several nationally known speakers. No effort was spared by the Walkersville Union to cater to the members of the convention. Day sessions where held in the M. E Church, evening sessions in the Reformed Church, and the efficient women’s organization of the United Brethren Church served lunches and suppers.

Hardworking men of Walkersville avoided anything to do with the meetings. Rumor has it that many spent the time gathered around the only remaining still in the Walkersville area strategizing how to increase its output. While several good ideas where identified and agreed upon, no one was sober enough to write them down, but the men all agreed to meet at a later date to think them up again.

October 13

Rain At Last

Rain of the settle variety began falling gently last Saturday. Although the precipitation began in a mild away, it gave every indication as the day advanced of becoming more precipitous. Mild though it was, it proved a boon wherever it fell. It was not long until dusty side roads turn to lanes of mud. Brown pastures again took on a more verdant color, and small streams that had dried up almost entirely were once again flowing.

Mule Kicked Him

Last week, Mr. George Stevens of Creagerstown, got too close to the heels of one of his mules, and said the mule "busted him one" on the point of the jaw. Mr. Stephen says he had stooped over, for some reason or other, and evidently touched the mule on the hind leg. He received an ugly cut on the chin, but otherwise escaped injury.

Child Hurt By Automobile

Last Sunday morning, Betty Lee, the little daughter of Mr. Leo Krieger, ran in front of an automobile driven by Mr. Rory Stine of New Midway and was knocked down and severely injured. Betty was on her way to the Lutheran Sunday school, and when she attempted to cross the street she ran from behind one machine directly into the path of the other. She was taken immediately to Frederick City Hospital where an x-ray examination showed that no bones were broken, but as she suffered a slight concussion, she remained there for several days under treatment. No fault was attached to Mr. Stine for the accident.

House Burns

The home of Luther Ramsburg, of Lewistown, was destroyed by fire last Friday. A fire had been started in the fireplace at about 1:30 and within a few minutes thereafter the attic was found to be a blaze. Neighbors however rushed to the help of the Ramsburgs, but nothing could be done to fight the flames as a bucket brigade could not formed as the only well on the place was dry, as was the cistern, due to the drought.

October 20

Horse Injured

Last week while Mr. Howard Eigenbrode of Graceham was working a team of horses to pull a harrow, one of the animals was caught by the disc and severely cut. Mr. Eigenbrode was walking at the head of the team and didn’t know how it happened, but suppose that the horse, while passing some trees that stood nearby, stopped to eat some of the leaves and the rest of the team pulled a harrow upon it. Blood poison developed and Dr. Martin, veterinarian, of Emmitsburg, was called to attend the animals. At last report the horse was doing fine and enjoying watching its compatriots work while it munches grass in its pasture.

Big Liquor Bust Made At Union Bridge

Joseph Whimert, a well-known farmer near Union Bridge, three years ago a candidate in the Democratic primary for nomination as County Commissioner, is again in the toils. About six months ago federal agents found in the cellar of his home several hundred gallons of mash and a small quantity of moonshine liquor, but no still.

On Monday morning, federal agents, tracing 22 barrels of liquor stolen in Baltimore, descended upon the Whimert farm. According to the State’s Attorney, Whimert admitted that until yesterday there had been on his premises 14 barrels containing some liquid. He states that Whimert says that some strangers with a broken truck ask permission to leave the barrels on his farm; that he had agreed to the request, and that he and his son removed the bangs from the barrels one by one and found that they contained only water, and that the same strangers came with the truck and remove the barrels yesterday morning.

In their search, they found 13 barrels of cider containing sugar and raisins and several barrels containing whiskey. 16 barrels of cider were emptied on the ground. Four barrels containing liquor were confiscated and hauled in a truck to Baltimore. Whimert was brought before the Justice of the Peace and charged with manufacturing and illegally having in his possession intoxicating liquors. He was released on a bail of $2,000.

October 27

Rabies Detected In Woodsboro

Rabies in an aggravated form exists on the farm of George Hall, near Woodsboro. The existence of the dreaded melody has caused much alarm in the community. The manner in which rabies was spread near Woodsboro was described in this way:

"Recently two cows on the hall farm became violently ill. Dr. Smith from Frederick was called this time and made an examination of the animals. One of the dead animals had already been sent to the reduction plan in Union Bridge. Dr. Smith pronounced the disease to be rabies. The head was taken from a second cow and the brain was sent for examination, where the results showed the cow had a very bad case of rabies.

"A shepherd dog have been used on the Hall farm to aid in driving in cattle, and like any other shepherd dog, it had a habit of grabbing the cows by the tails. On September 28th the dog went through it same tactics with the exception that it shook the cow’s tails more than usual. The dog became sick and Eiper Hahn, an employee, carried it to the house, while doing so, Hahn was bitten by the dog.

Hahn was examined by doctors who found no sign of the disease. However out of caution, he will receive the Pasteur treatment. He will be given the 21 treatments by Dr. Etzler of Woodsboro.

Girls Operate Tractors

In a field contests near Walkersville last Saturday, Miss Dorothy Leister, and Miss Hazel Long qualified as experts in the operation of field tractors, and as winners were selected to participate in the big agricultural industrial exhibition to be held in Washington on October 24.

All the young ladies handled the tractors with ability. They used all the gears - forward and reverse. With the ground very rough, the way they manipulated these moving power plants was quite interesting. The most difficult feat was to drive forward and backwards between poles that are placed upright in a straight row.

The exhibition was quite unique. To see the girls, with their bobbed hair dancing on their head as they jolted over the field, in complete control of the machines was most unusual and fascinating. Several of the young ladies are real farmerets and besides being able to drive a tractor can do farm work requiring skills and expertise.