June 6

Decoration Day Services

Harney’s Decoration Day services were held last Saturday evening. Quite a large crowd of people were present, and being unable to secure a band for the evening the parade was not as large as in previous year; but the young people and children are to be congratulated on the interest they showed in taking part in the parade and placing flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes. While we will admit that the march was not quite up to our standards, this slight defect was more than made up at the service in the church. Good music was provided by the choir, but most notably of all was the address, delivered by Reverend Ritter, of the United Brethren Church.

The Decoration Day exercises in Taneytown where well attended by large numbers of people, but the parade feature is growing smaller each year. Those who should show their interest in keeping alive the significance of the Day seem to prefer doing so without much exertion on their part, as though "parading" is beneath their dignity. Sometimes it is worthwhile to do things that seem common, in order to emphasize greater things.

War College Camps In Full Action

The presence of the War College camp was enlivened this week by the presence in the air, of many airplanes, humming busily in almost all directions, said to number from 15 to 18, and operating largely between Walkersville and Gettysburg.

There are 12 camps between Gettysburg and Washington, and the work is being done by perhaps 300 officers, ranking from lieutenant to colonel. The whole scheme represents a make-believe battlefield, selected because its similarity in typography too an actual scene of war in the future.

The work includes Signal Corps communication, and theoretical maneuvering into positions determine upon by staff officers from headquarters in Gettysburg, immediately opposite the entrance to the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

The Signal Corps has stretched miles of field, telephone wire, and First Army headquarters, Walkersville, has been kept in touch with the movements of the troops. Couriers make use of airplanes, motorcycles, and automobiles. About 25 airplanes are scattered over eight bases. The main aviation field is near Walkersville, where 20 Plains are in use.

The camps have been quite attractive for visitors, who, however, do not gain a great deal of information, except in a very general way as the whole plan represents a school for students, and not a spectacular display for the benefit of the public. It is not a drill proposition, but one of actual inside schoolwork, largely of a private character.

The maneuvering is to educate officers in men in the management and movement of troops in time of war. Orders are sent by telephone, radio and courier to the different bodies of men, and reports are received and tabulated daily by umpires, who decide whether the army has advanced or been driven back.

For the past 10 days local persons were given an opportunity to witness all sorts of aerial stunts by the army flyers and mimic battles were fought in the clouds.

The maneuvers will last through tomorrow and will conclude with a critique in which all the officers will participate.

Wife Asks To Whip Husband

That she be permitted to perform for the Sheriff the duty of applying the lash to the back of her husband, Louis Longebeam, upon whom Justice Bower Monday, imposed a sentence of 15 lashes, was the request made by Mary Longebeam.

"Please let me whip him; I’ll stand on my toes and cut the blood out of his back," Mrs. Longebeam told Justice Bower, as she begged to be allowed to wield the cat-o-nine tails Monday afternoon.

Unless Longebeam appeals the decision of Justice Bower or some unforeseen incident arises, the Sheriff will inflict the punishment sometime today. Person sentence to undergo this form of punishment are first examined by the jail physician. They are then cuffed to bars at the jail and strip to the waist. The lash is then applied.

Longebeam was arrested Sunday evening after his wife said that he had beaten her. Yesterday morning, Mrs. Longebeam testified that her husband struck her in the eye, inflicting a painful cut and breaking her eyeglasses.

Father Sees Son Killed In Mishap

Robert Holt, aged 25, was killed Wednesday evening at Creagerstown when a freight train on the Western Maryland Railroad backed into the car in which he was working unloading stones. The impact sent the car Holt was working in back a short distance. Young Holt immediately caught hold of the break wire of the car, but lost his grip and he fell into the pocket of the car and was buried under a load of stones.

He was pulled from under the load and rushed to the Frederick hospital, but died in route from the internal injuries. The accident was witnessed by his father, and one of his brothers, who were also unloading stone from the same car into a truck. Another employee on the car at the time escaped unhurt.

June 13

A Great Radio Demonstration

The greatest of radio performances was given its first big demonstration this week, in carrying the proceedings of the Republican National Convention, at Cleveland. The proceedings were sent out by 14 broadcasting stations, covering every section of the United States so that listeners in almost every part of the country could hear, word-by-word, the detailed proceedings of the convention, and the noise of the applause and many of the individual voices participating in remarks and expressions.

it was a wonderful boost for radio. In hundreds of newspaper offices, stenographic notes were taken from radios, instead of from telegraph reports. Thereby placing the small papers on equal footing with larger ones who could maintain special correspondents at the convention who could report on private wires at great cost.

In addition, hundreds owning strong radio sets were connected by the use of open telephone lines to thousands of homes not owning radios. The loud-speaking horns making the sounds as audible almost as though spoken directly into the transmitter of the phones.

Taneytown School House Condemned

William Eline, hired by the Board of Education to inspect the Taneytown Public School building, revealed the following conditions:

"I found the southeast corner in a very dangerous condition, in that the foundation was sinking and corner going down. The only remedy for this is to tear this corner completely out and rebuild it on a solid bottom. The east end of the building is bulging out of line more than 5 inches, and other parts of the walls have cracks that run from top to bottom. These faults are due, primarily to the building not being properly bound, and to a weak foundation in spots.

"The floor was found to be in a very shaky condition. The remedy would be to reinforce with steel bolted to the joist. This would require the relaying of all floors. The building is neither properly lighted, nor ventilated.

"The walls of the first story in the rear are not safe to carry the load of the upper story, which accounts for the fact that there is a leakage in the roof that cannot be permanently repaired. I found upon examination of the basement that it seems to be constructed of a very temporary bottom that may give away suddenly.

"The cost of the above repairs, and reconstruction, which will make this building entirely safe and sound in all particulars, will not in my judgment cost less than in the neighborhood of $9,000. It is my judgment that it would be poor business for the Board of Education to recommend the above repairs to this building as a permanent structure, and that it would be better to discard it entirely and build a new building. I hesitate to recommend this building, in its present condition, as safe in which to house children any longer.

Following the issuance of the report, the Board of Education visited the school to examine it for itself. While they seemed to think it looks pretty good, they appeared to have decided to have another inspector examine it and report on its safety before they render a final decision as to what they will do in the matter.

Fruit Shortage May Be A Godsend

The apple crop in Adams County will be from 60 to 70% of last year. The decrease in the production may be a blessing rather than a curse, and the prospects for a profit on the crops are perhaps better than any previous year.

These opinions were advanced by Chester Tyson, of Flora Dale, one of the leading apple growers of the County. "The apple situation today in Adams County is none too good," Mr. Tyson said. The crop is decidedly below expectations," he said.

"There have been other seasons, when there has been more rainy and colder weather, than this year, which have still come through with better crops than the present year indicates. The odd part of the local situation is that one man, with an orchard, not in especially good condition, will have a good crop of fruit, while the man, with the orchard next to him, which has been exceptionally well kept, will have a poor yield. That is what is puzzling many of the growers."

Mr. Tyson said the probable cause of the unusual condition could be that some orchards in the County are blighted by black scab and cedar rust.

Mr. Tyson said "the outlook for other fruits is not any brighter than for apples and the economic laws of supply and demand, will work to the advantage of the growers this year, and the additional price fruit will bring in will more than make up for reduced size of the crop."

Mr. Tyson emphasized the importance of the work being carried on by the Extension Research Laboratory in Arendtsville. There, one expert is studying insects, and another plant diseases. Farmers and fruit growers benefit from their findings and advice. "The County is indeed fortunate in obtaining the information available there." Mr. Tyson said.

June 20

Is Advertising Killing Newspapers?

We read a lengthy article the other day about advertising killing local newspapers – by padding them to overflowing with the most overshadowing form of advertising and taking readers eyes off the written words in articles.

The subject is pertinent to several lines of argument relative to the influence of advertising on the honesty and dependency of the press relative to its influence on public sentiment. The average reader, perhaps, resents bulky newspapers, made so by advertising. The average reader wants to get at the news, in readable shape, without being forced to hunted it out of the many sectioned ‘poster pages’, and is ready with the opinion that there is "nothing in" the papers anymore, but advertising.

But, this objection – aggravating as it may appear – is the least, so far as advertising is concerned. The thing that really counts, is, that newspapers may be influenced, in what we call their editorial policy, by advertising patronage – the revenue from it – not only as relates to the daily opinion, formulated in the editorials, but in the selection and prominence, given to news articles, and how the current news of the day is presented.

It is as much an editorial policy to feature – for instance – the failure of prohibition, and minimize the benefits of it, as though openly wet editorials are written. Readers are influenced, perhaps more by "the news", then by carefully stated editorial opinions. What happens impresses itself more on the average mind, then on some writer’s opinion. So, we must look into the make-up of a paper, more than to its editorial page, to find out the influence the paper is emphasizing.

Perhaps, after all, not withstanding the cost of advertising, it is still too cheap. It might result in more readers, and more popular newspapers – if the cost of advertising space was doubled or tripled in order to cut it down, on account of the high cost. Smaller and better newspapers are demanded by readers, pretty generally, and perhaps advertisers would be fully well off by using less space.

Truck Falls Into Creek

Restler Smith, 32, of Pen Mar, was killed instantly Sunday morning when the truck in which he was riding, struck the bridge over Miney Branch Creek near Zora, and toppled into the Creek, pinning him under 2 feet of water. Oliver Stottlemeyer, 36, of Cascade, driver of the machine, was also caught in the wreckage, but managed to keep his head out of the water until he was rescued.

After hitting the bridge, the truck left the road and went over the embankment and dropped 15 feet to the bed of the stream, upsetting in its fall. A box in the rear of the truck struck Mr. Smith in the head killing him instantly.

According to Stottlemeyer‘s testimony, he was driving about 20 miles an hour. Just before crossing the bridge, which is situated at the foot of a slight grade, the road makes a sharp turn. Stottlemeyer declared that Smith grab the steering wheel as the machine went around the curve, and the next thing he knew he was in the water calling for help.

While Stottlemeyer was exonerated from all blame in connection with Smith’s death by the corners jury, the State Police who made an investigation of the accident, said that Stottlemeyer would be arrested for manslaughter and operating a motor vehicle, under the influence of intoxicating liquors.

At the coroner’s inquest, however, Stottlemeyer declared he had not been drinking, and that he had never drank liquor. He testified that he didn’t know if Smith drank, or if he had been drinking before starting the trip.

Clarence McLean, who lives near the scene of the accident, was the first person to reach the truck after it catapulted over the side of the bridge. In testimony given before the corner’s jury, he said he heard a car go past his home at a pretty good gate, which he fixed at about 30 miles an hour.

"I was getting out of bed when my wife called to me that a car had gone over the bridge," McLean declared. "I ran down to the bridge and found Smith under the car, with blood coming out of his mouth. Stottlemeyer was fast under the truck, but his head was sticking out of the water, and he could talk.

"Ralph Stately came along, and we got Stottlemeyer out. Smith’s head was underwater, and he looked as though he was dead."

Taneytown Carnival Well Attended

The Taneytown Fireman’s Carnival has attracted reasonably large crowds all week and will close on Saturday night. The Emmitsburg and Westminister fire trucks, with visitors from both places, attended the carnival on Thursday night.

Fairfield Bank To Open June 25

The new and enlarged home of the Fairfield National Bank will open for business next Wednesday morning, with a reception to be held for the general public and officers and Directors of all other banks in Adams County on Tuesday evening, June 24.

The new bank is located on Main Street, about one block from its present structure, where the institution has been located since inception 15 years ago. Although small, the new bank is complete in every detail and embodies many of the features of banks, much larger. The building, of brick construction, is 32 feet wide, with a depth of 48 feet.

The main banking room, vault and customer rooms occupy the front part of the building, which is two stories high. On the second floor, in the rear of the building, is the director’s room, properly appointed with mahogany furniture. Mahogany is used throughout the woodwork on the main banking floor.

The vault has 18 inch concrete walls, reinforced with steel, and it said to be fire and burglarproof. There is a burglarproof door on the vault, being of steel, 8 inches thick. The bank is equipped with a state of the art burglar alarm system. The system is so arranged that persons endeavoring to drill through any portion of the vault, enter the doors or any of the windows will immediately set off an alarm bell located on the outside of the bank.

Fireman’s Picnic Planning Underway

Plans are underway for the annual Emmitsburg Fireman’s picnic on the Fourth of July. A committee has been appointed by the Vigilant Hose Company and has been busy in arranging details that will be in keeping with a real old time of years ago when the Fourth of July annual picnic was a attended by people for miles around. The committee this year realizing the sentiment desiring an old time celebration, will try to have features and attractions that will meet with the approval of all.

June 27

46 Shots Removed From Back

Shot in the back as he was trying to enter the store of George Miller, in Fountain Dale, Sunday night, John Parish, 45, was brought to the Adams County Jail after 46 buck shots pellets, had been removed by Dr. Henderson in Fairfield.

Powers, according to the authorities, will be charged with attempted burglary. Miller was released on his own recognizance, pending investigation of the shooting.

According to Miller, Miller had become suspicious of Parish’s action in and around his store at Fountain Dale, and decided to watch him Sunday night after closing his place of business for the day.

Between 9:30 and 10 o’clock that night, as he watched the store from a darkened window of his home about 50 feet away, he saw a man’s figure moving around the store trying to doors and windows, as though endeavoring to affect his entrance.

Miller leveled his shotgun on the would-be intruder and fired, most of the shot taken effect on Parish’s back. Parish fell over and started moaning, while Miller ran out to investigate.

By the time the State Police arrived at Fountain Dale, Miller had taken the wounded man to the office of Dr. Henderson in Fairfield, who removed 46 buckshots from Parish’s back, but seven or eight were so deeply embedded in the flesh that he was unable to extract them.

After having been given necessary medical attention, Parish was brought by the State police to the County jail.

Telephone Rates To Increase

The C&P Telephone Co. has issued a detailed statement in which is covered the reasons for the increase in rates to subscribers, the first part of which relates to the total investment of the company in equipment, with gross revenues and expenses covered the past five years, showing a rate of return of 5% on an investment of $27,587,000.

The average investment in each telephone in Maryland is given as $202, an increase in five years from $151; and the increase in cost of construction and materials as almost 100% more than in 1918.

In general, the rates will be increased as follows:

• For Business – the monthly cost of an individual line will increase from $3.50 to $3.75. The cost of a four-party line will increase from $2.50 to $3.
• For residences - the monthly cost of an individual line will increase from $2.75 to $3. The cost of a four-party line will increase from $1.75 to $2.
• The cost for rural party lines will increase from $1.50 to $1.75/month.

Read Prior '100 Years Ago this Month'