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100 Years Ago This Month

November 1917

November 2

First Snow In Emmitsburg

Severity, equal perhaps to any storm of the past summer; a thunder, lightning, rain and windstorm struck early Saturday evening and for nearly an hour the area Mother Nature had everyone’s attention. October of this year is also the coldest October since the establishment of the Frederick weather observation office. 25E is the lowest mark reached. During Saturday’s storm the vicinity was also visited with a snow flurry, which lasted for about an hour followed by considerable amounts of hail, some stones being the size of ordinary marbles. A very large amount of damage was done to properties, the main laws being the breaking of windowpanes by the hail, and the blowing over of chimney tops and young trees by the wind.

Troop Orders

Pvt. Charles Ohler, a member of Company L., 313th infantry, has been ordered to France to serve as a truck driver. Private Ohler was mustered into the infantry as an experienced automobile mechanic and left for New York on Tuesday, where he will set sail for a European port. John Schley, of Eyler’s Valley is now in France. He is a member of the signal section of the Aviation Corps. Robert Hahn has been honorably discharged on account of physical disabilities. On Monday, Luther Kugler left for Camp Meade. Mr. Kugler was Emmitsburg's only contribution to the second draft of the new national army.

Halloween Celebration

As usual, the Halloween celebration in Emmitsburg took place on Wednesday evening. Besides the removing of front gates, doorsteps and shutters, and making the town look as ridiculous as possible, the event was a rather quiet one. The youngsters, adopting the Hoover plan of saving corn, had resourced to the throwing of confetti. In front of the public school building, on Frederick Street, trash, in the form of stones, tin cans and rails, was piled sky-high; this evidently was the work of some mischievous boys. In the social way the festival was celebrated by the older set in the way of dances and parties, there being several in different parts of the town.

November 9

Rapid Progress In Road Work

The Potomac Engineering and Construction Co., who have the contract for the concrete work in Emmitsburg, are pushing the work before cold weather. Practically all of Frederick Street is finished and now the entire force of men is engaged in grading and preparing the Square for the cement work. On Thursday morning work was begun on Gettysburg Street.

Hospital Donation Date

Tuesday, 15 November is the last donation day for the Frederick City Hospital and Mrs. Andrew Annan, who is Emmitsburg's representative on the board, will be glad to receive groceries, jellies, preserves, fruit - in fact any foodstuffs the good people of Emmitsburg may give to this worthy cause. The Frederick City Hospital has done much for the people of this district. Hardly a month goes by that there is not a patient from this locality being treated for free. It is therefore urgently hoped that local citizens will liberally respond.

Election Day

Everything in Emmitsburg was quiet on Tuesday - quieter than on any election day in years. A great many qualified voters remained in the fields, husking corn. Some who were at work but a short distance from the polls utterly disregarded the appeals of their party and refused to cast their votes.

November 16

Old Flintlock Uncovered

While digging up the cobbles for the new cement roadway on Gettysburg Street, Felix Adams uncovered a flintlock rifle from the old times. He presented the old relic to the Chronicle Museum

Gardening Specimens

Last week, Mr. Carrigan presented to this office two parsnips that beat the records. The vegetables measured about 38 inches and 29 inches respectively, and together weighed about eight pounds. Two large ears of corn from the fields of local farmers were also brought to the Chronicle office. One from the farm of Mr. Moses Baumgartner was 15 ½ inches in length and an ear of corn from the Roddy Farm measured 14 1/2 inches in length. The cobs are small, the grains are regular and well filled to the very tips.

Big Increase In Canned Goods

Imposters claiming to be government agents have attempted to buy a large amount of home canned housewife products in parts of the area, according to reports. Frederick authorities contacted counterparts in Washington and were told that no one had been sanctioned to act as agents for Washington and that Washington would send out experts to check their operations.

Boozers’ Stuck With Liquor For Troops

The movement of troops from their camp at Gettysburg and the lifting of the Federal order on Friday which stopped the sale of liquor within a half-mile of the camp, closing all of Gettysburg hotels’ bars, threw a real loop into the plans of the Former Former Boozers to cash in on the troops’ unquenchable thrust for John Barleycorn. Stills in the area have been going full tilt for the past two weeks, taking up much of the areas prized corn, and the first shipment of "hooch" was being readied for delivery. A meeting was held at the Hotel Slagel’s saloon to decide how best to utilize the excess booze. The results of the meeting were not available before this edition of the chronicle was printed

Turkeys In Good Supply

Contrary to rumors, the turkey crop in Adams County is not short but is the largest in five years, according to wholesale poultry dealers. There is a plentiful supply of turkeys in the lower end of Adams County and residents say that the birds are more numerous than they have been in years.

November 23

Public Sale

On Friday, November 30, the heirs of the late Robert Wantz will sell at public sale on the premises, one mile east of Emmitsburg, just off the Gettysburg Road, a well improved farm containing 29 acres, improved by a seven room weather boarded house, barn, wagon shed, automobile garage, chicken houses, etc. also horses, cattle, chickens, wagons, farming implements, wheat, corn, hay, fodder, lumber and household furnishings.

Boozers' Corn Squeezing Contest

We apologize for this paper being issued a day late. On Friday, just as we were getting ready to go to press, the Chronicle office was inundated by Former Former Boozers bringing into our office their corn squeezing for us to judge. A table was set up outside our offices and all the honorable men of the town were invited to join in the judging. Apparently this was the option taken by the Boozer last week to dispose of their excess hooch. Some on the entries were as smooth has honey, others tasted like gasoline, but all has the same effect – killing any motivation we had to get the paper out. After our tenth sampling round we found ourselves on the Square entertaining ignoring please from disgusted wives, girlfriends and on looking suffragettes with obscene drinking songs and generally made a nuance of ourselves into the early hours on Saturday. So please excuse any spelling errors in the paper as we are in no condition to catch them this morning.

November 30

$500 For Streets

On Monday, Burgess Stewart Annan and Commissioner William Morrison appealed to the County Commissioners for an appropriation for the improvement of the streets of Emmitsburg. On motion of the County Commissioner Witter the sum of $500 was voted for that purpose.

More About Corn

There seems to be lots of friendly rivalry among the farmers in this vicinity regarding the size of corn they raise. 14 and 15-inch ears would normally be prize winners but there is now on display in the Chronicle window one that measures just 20 inches. This year it has won the green ribbon.

Fire On Stahley Property

On Monday, the house owned by Mr. John Stahley of near Emmitsburg caught fire, but through the timely efforts of neighbors the buildings were saved from complete destruction.

Union Thanksgiving Service

The Union service of all the Protestant churches was held in the Presbyterian Church on Thursday morning. The honor list of all the young men who have entered the service from Emmitsburg was rendered and addresses were made by the local pastors. High Mass was celebrated in St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Thursday morning at which a great number of the congregation was present to thank God for the many favors bestowed upon them in the world in general during the past year.

Troop News

Mr. Quinn Florence of Emmitsburg, who has been employed in Union Bridge and Thurmont has enlisted in the Aviation Corps. Charles Rowe of West Main St., left Thursday for Fort Meade to join the new national army. First Lieut. Thomas Troxel asked to be transferred to the regular Army, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on Sunday.

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