January 6

Oil Indications Strong

Oil has been reached at a depth of 765 feet at the Annie Laura Oil Well Number One in Thurmont. The bailings all showed the presence of oil. It is reported that the last bailing brought to the surface showed a considerable quantity. Just in what quantities it may be found is not known but it is just as well now to find out and settle the question once and for all.

Homebrew Mash For Eggs

Another argument in favor of ‘home brew’ apparently has been discovered in Woodsboro. When his hens got out of the habit of laying, Edward Coyle discontinued the habit of feeding corn syrup and gave them a meal of mash, the by product of his ‘medicinal home brew’.

The following day and every day since, his 12 hens have presented him with an even dozen eggs. Mr. Coyle still has the remains of his neighbors ‘makings’ and says he will increase his flock. The eggs are delicious and while of course, cannot legally be more than 1/2 of 1%, there is a twang to their taste and an aroma to the shells!

January 13

Snowstorm Sweeps County

Blockading county roads, paralyzing telephone and telegraph service, and tying up lines of the local railway companies, the worst blizzard in 14 years swept over Frederick County on Thursday. ‘Snowbound’ describes the plight of the residence in the county today. Beginning with driving sheets of rain and snow, and winds up to 40 miles an hour, the blizzard blew in early yesterday morning. Snow began to fall before 2 o’clock, coming down in huge flakes as large as silver dollars. From that time until late in the evening it snowed, hailed and blew without let up.

It is said that hundreds of telephone poles snapped off under the weight of the snow and sleet that hung on the lines. Cutters and sleighs, and some strange vehicles that flourished in all their glory back in the time before grandma’s great-daughters learned to smoke, where pulled out of dusty corners and put to use. Upsets and stuck cars and trucks were everywhere. Lucky was the family that still had a trusty horse to depend upon.

Crushed By Syrup Barrel

Leslie Fox, of Rocky Ridge, an employee of the Emmitsburg Railroad met with a very serious accident early last Friday morning. Mr. Fox was in the process of transfering a barrel of syrup weighing 740 pounds from the Western Maryland to the Emmitsburg train. He had rolled the barrel up a board and was just ready to roll it into the car, when the board slipped and threw Mr. Fox down on his back. The barrel fell upon him, breaking his right arm between the wrist and the elbow and the left arm twice between the wrist and elbow.

Escapes By Narrow Margin

Mr. and Mrs. Kanode, of near Rocky Ridge, on Saturday afternoon drove their two horse sled to within a few feet of the Western Maryland Railroad crossing before they saw the eastbound train approaching. Mr. Kanode threw the reins to his wife and attempted to go to the head of the horses while the train was passing. In doing so, his feet became entangled in his robes and he fell headfirst in the snow, inches from the wheels of the train.

January 20

Ice Cutting

Ice, 10-inches think is being harvested by farmers throughout the county. Icehouses are being filled and farmers are hopeful of having a record-breaking yield this year. There are rumors that some of the ice is as much as 15-inches thick, but it was impossible to get in touch with the owner of any ice pond that harvested ice that thick. It is said ice forms thicker on dams than anywhere else here about.

Several farmers reported that they had harvested their entire ice crop before the recent thaw, and are hoping for a second crop, and maybe even a third crop. The surface of every stream and creek is sufficiently frozen that women and girls are ice-skating, the boys are playing ice-hockey.

Fairfield Orders Fire Apparatus

At a meeting of the Publicity Committee in charge of collecting funds for the purchase of fire fighting apparatus for the Borough of Fairfield, the members reported that $527 had been collected or pledge. The members immediately organized and ordered a chemical apparatus at the cost of $400. The machine, which is hand-drawn, has a 45 gallon capacity, will throw a three-quarter inch stream a distance of 75 feet for over an hour. The new chemical apparatus is expected to arrive at Fairfield within the next 10 days when a public demonstration will be held and a volunteer fire company formed.

Man Who Left Bride Is Sued For Divorce.

Miss Ella Davis of Thurmont has filed for an absolute divorce from her husband Charles Davis. It will be remembered that in September, Mr. Davis left his bride three days after their marriage, along with a fair bit of her money, stating that he was going to Hagerstown to take part in a Red Cross play. He has not been seen since then.

On January 10, a report from York stated that a man name Charles Davis, posing as a retired army officer had disappear with $100 less than two weeks after marrying a Mrs. Sarah Rockery of that place. Mrs. Rockery and the ‘doctor’ were married on December 16 and on December 28th the man was given $100 by Mrs. Rockery for some new house fixtures he was to purchase, and disappeared. Nothing has been heard from him since.

Barn Burned

The big bank barn on the farm for Mason and Burton Kershner, about a mile east of Emmitsburg, burnt to the ground early Wednesday morning. Harry Dorsey, the tenant, went to the barn with the lantern about 5 o’clock in the morning. While at his work he noticed the lantern splatter and almost go out. When he attempted to blow out the flickering light the lantern exploded, throwing burning oil all over his clothing and on the hay. While extinguishing the fire on his clothes the blaze in the hay spread advanced beyond his control.

January 27

‘Craggystone’ Destroyed By Fire

‘Craggystone’ the beautiful residence of Mr. & Mrs. Isaac Annan, with the exception of the four stonewalls, was completely destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning. Smoke and flames were notice coming from the roof by some of the help around the Annan place and immediately a hurried call was put in for the fire company.

The women help around the hotel Slagle rushed one of the fire reels that have been station in the hotel garage to the scene of the fire, but before the firemen could get the hose in order the flames had made considerable headway. It was not long before the entire population of the community was on hand to give assistance and some good work was done in saving some of the furniture and household goods especially on the first floor. The fire had eaten in too far on the second and third floors to save anything. The spark is supposed to have started from sparks flying from the chimney, settling on the shingled roof. The flame spread rapidly to the two upper floors and little could be done to protect anything of value in that section of the home.

‘Craggystone’ was built by Mr. Isaac Annan, father of the present occupant and was constructed more than 20 years ago. It was one of the finest homes in Frederick County being surrounded with one hundred acres of land.

It was one of the hardest fires that the local fire company has been called upon to combat in a great many years. They worked hard but were handicap for the lack of equipment and it must be said that they accomplished much under the existing circumstances. Realizing the difficulties under which the men were working, the Emmitsburg baseball team had hot coffee and sandwiches dispatched to the scene which stimulated the firefighters to greater efforts in trying to get under control the biggest fire that has hit Emmitsburg in many years.

Cold Wave Continues

This week was the coldest week of the entire winter, the mercury in the official tube sliding down as far as the 4E mark. Once before during the month of December the temperatures went down to the 6E position, but for continue cold weather this weeks holds the record to date this winter. Country roads in many rural sections, are still barely drifted and places close to traffic from the storm of two weeks ago. In some localities rural mail carriers are unable to reach homes and the mail is still being relayed from one house to another. Drifts on the southbound roads have become frozen and hardened. It is reported that many the roads will hardly be open before spring.

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