USA > Maryland > Montgomery County > Sandy Spring > Annals of Sandy Spring history of a rural community in Maryland, Volume 1 > Part 21
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Eleventh Month, 1881. The most exciting event of this month was the State and county election, at which one of the Friends of Sandy Spring, Joseph T. Moore, was chosen Senator for Montgomery County.
The engineers for a new railroad appeared on the old ground ; they did not fool us much this time!
A proposition was made in the Monthly Meeting, which
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was afterwards approved, to have family lots in the grave- yard.
The First-Day School was removed to the Lyceum; where some 40 girls and boys attend with profit.
Caroline H. Miller gives another excellent address in meeting, being an exhortation to the young people to de- vote themselves to pursuits of a more improving character than the pleasures for which there is a growing attraction.
A little girl arrives at Granville Farquhar's; her name is "Faith."
Twelfth Month, 1881. A general aspect of green over the face of nature, rather peculiar for the commencement of winter.
The sympathies of the whole neighborhood were greatly moved by the ravages of diphtheria in the family of a highly-respected neighbor, John Brady. Within less than a week four of his children, all grown, were carried to our graveyard. Notwithstanding the danger of infec- tion, two of our young friends, Lucy Fawcett and Hannah B. Brooke, went to the fearful dwelling to assist the suffering ones-the former remaining two months.
On the 26th of this month, Cleorah Palmer, the widow of our old family physician, passed away to "the Spirit Land," after being afflicted with delicate health for several months; a truly kind and thoughtful friend and neighbor.
First Month, 1882. A new director, Henry M. Murray, of Anne Arundel County, was elected to our Fire Insur- ance Company.
No ice came for a long time ; but about the 25th we got a fair abundance. It is worth while to state the fact that several of our ice-houses have had a supply of this now essential article for every year of the past thirty.
At the Farmers' Convention, on the 12th, 150 men
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collected and discussed the interesting subjects of their business. This institution is no longer confined to the reports of our Clubs.
Second Month. Henry C. Hallowell delivered a lecture on Health, being the first of the Lyceum course this. winter. It is pleasant to see the literary hall again in use ; and upon a subject which is at last discovered to be one worthy the attention of the people.
Third Month. In the absence of other material for this last month of the year, I have to record a list kept by one of our lady friends, of the number of " Visitors to Sandy Spring" within the past twelve months. She reports the number at 750-coming from ten States and England,
Year's Statistical Report: Births, boys, 7; girls, 3; total 10; deaths, 8; marriages, 0.
CHAPTER XX.
FROM FOURTH MONTH, 3D, 1882, TO FOURTH MONTH, 2D, 1883.
Conclusions of the Lyceum Company to print the " Annals" - The . Last always melancholy -Gibbon's Decline and Fall - Meta- morphoses from the War, its epithets " scattered to the wind " -Difficulties of the Historian-Cold May -Close of F. D. S .- The army worm - Pleuro-pneumonia - Infants' party-The three weddings at Rockland-Great crops of corn -Fruit scarce - Telephone makes slow progress - Horticultural Exhi- bition at its best - Potato rot -" Benevolent Aid Society"- " Heat is life, and cold is death !" - Higher grade school at "Sherwood "-Rise of the farmers-The R. R. look to the " Narrow Gauge " -The " Bank " and ". F. I. Co." -Obitu- aries- Last tribute by C. H. M. to Garfield.
The proceedings of our last Annual Meeting are brought up afresh in your memories by the report of the Secretary, and the decision in regard to printing the "Annals of
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Twenty Years" must now be made. Whatsoever be the conclusion at which we arrive, it is certain that the His- torical Sketch here laid before you by the present writer will be the last. This word, however or whenever it is used, has a pathos of its own which I am confident you have all experienced. The readers of Walter Scott's finest poem-and who has not read "the Lady of the Lake" ?- must remember the lines-
" It is the last time-'tis the last," He muttered thrice-" the last time e'er That angel voice shall Roderick hear."
The pathos of this oft-repeated word is naturally much more deeply felt on this occasion by the writer than by any who listen to him. In the same spirit he cannot forbear quoting a few celebrated lines-in form prose, but truly poetic in dignity of style. They are the author's . leavetaking of "Gibbon's Rome"; and thus rather more appropriate now than was Roderick's sigh of love. Gibbon describes what he calls his "final deliverance" after twenty years' devotion to his great History.
He writes : " It was on the day, or rather night, of the 27th of June, 1787, between the hours of eleven and twelve, that I wrote the last lines of the last page, in a summer-house in my garden. After laying down my pen I took several turns in a 'berceau,' or covered walk of acacias, which commands a prospect of the country, the lake and the mountains. The air was temperate, the sky was serene, the silver orb of the moon was reflected from the waters, and all nature was silent. I will not dis- semble first emotions of joy on the recovery of my freedom and, perhaps, the establishment of my fame. But my pride was soon humbled, and a sober melancholy was
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spread over my mind by the idea that I had taken an everlasting leave of an old and agreeable companion; and that whatsoever might be the future date of my History, the life of the historian must be short and precarious."
There have been few writers of history who would venture to institute any sort of comparison between their works and " the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." It is quite needless to say that I have done nothing of the kind. But there has long been a particular attraction that drew my thoughts in writing the latter chapters of these Annals, to the melancholy view of Gibbon's great work; and the recent revision of those chapters has served somewhat to deepen the mournful impression. Not that I perceive such decided indications of decline among us as would justify the fancy even, that the evi- dent progress in our special business, in our growing institutions, and in other improvements of high character -all which are to be described without exaggeration further on in this chapter-that these last are to be doubted as more than overshadowing all gloomy prospects, not even fancy will allow. You will naturally be quite ready to attribute the sombre coloring spread over some parts of the present narrative, if any such there should be, to the difference which is unavoidable between the eyes that look out upon objects at the age of fifty and those which are dimmed by gazing around for seventy years. Having nearly attained the latter era, your once lively historian has reached the experience of the solid Frenchman, who declared that indeed " this world would be a very happy place to live in if it were not for its pleasures."
Looking back over the long period since these Annals commenced, and reflecting upon the various changes
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which are presented to the mind, one can hardly fail to perceive that the Sandy Spring of 1863 has been passing through certain metamorphoses indispensably required by the active movements of the busy world. During the first two years we were necessarily in the midst of a tremen- dons war. This experience, so strange and uncongenial to the principles and habits of the larger portion of our people, must have given a certain twist to the neighbor- hood which it would probably never wholly lose. War is a tremendously stirring influence; while its natural tendency would seem to be separation, it sometimes serves to unite. The latter effect was produced in this region ; and to such extent that it pains the writer to read now the expression of "rebel," which he freely used in the earlier pages of this history. All feelings of a hostile character are scattered to the winds; bitter enemies in those days are warm friends in these. In this spirit our neighborhood has moved on; losing in the natural order some of its valuable members by death, receiving other valuable accessions from new settlers and from the grow- ing strength of our own energetic youth ; extending our borders by closer acquaintance with pleasant neighbors; increasing the profits of our regular business by improving the soil, by new machinery, new stock and new material for feeding them, by new ways of operating with greater profit on the same old articles.
From year to year it has been the aim of these annals to sketch the changes, and, especially, the progress of things and people in and around Sandy Spring: A great difficulty has occurred in drawing the lines that bound the neighborhood. So cordial are the social feelings of our people generally, that the effort once made to produce a map of the neighborhood, which failed at that time from
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certain causes, appears now to be almost impracticable. The roads and the streams can be laid down with sufficient accuracy, but where will you find two of our own people who would fill the statistie column with the same names ? Several attempts at forming a census are exhibited in the annals, showing an increasing population ; but the increase evidently exceeds the natural order, and must be owing, as it ought, to the growth of social influences. Neither sect, nor politics, nor aristocracy, not even county lines, define the limits of the neighborhood of Sandy Spring. The last attempt at a census was made for the first of the Fourth Month, 1879; when the number of persons was stated at 407-the families 85.
The year closing on this day has been a stirring period ; events being made the more exciting by their more than usually opposite characters of grief and joy. These inci- dents of human life have both come with features so strongly marked as to produce a deep impression upon us all. Leaving cach event to its proper place in the record, we will go on with the usual monthly calendar.
Fourth Month (April), 1882-(to commence with the first act of the year). It was concluded at the Annual Meeting of the Lyceum that the historian should con- tinue his official work another year, with a view to possible publication.
The first note made by our respected friend who has been so important an adjunct in preserving the emotional statistics of these annals, is, as she says, "a sad one: Again the angel of death has passed over our neighborhood ; and Eliza Brooke, wife of George E. Brooke, has left us for ' the Beautiful Land'; loved and respected in a wide circle, she will long be missed, not only by her family and relations, but by her many. friends. She was brought to
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Brooke Grove a bride in the springtime of the year 1840; and at the same season her loving eyes were closed forever -having been married just 42 years and one week."
On the morning of the 26th, Cornelia, wife of Philip T. Stabler, presented him with twins-two little girls. Certainly our neighborhood is in a very flourishing con- dition ; two sets of twins having been born in less than a year.
Fifth Month (May). Ann R. Stabler, wife of Edward Stabler, died on the morning of the 3d of this month, having reached the age of 84 years. A kind and loving spirit passed away to its heavenly home; after having lived more than 58 years in the same house. Therein all her children-ten in number-were born, all are living still. She was grandmother to the twins above spoken of, but had never seen them. A sketch of her life was printed by her husband and sent to many of her friends.
The weather of May was not very May-like. At its com- mencement the Benevolent Aid Society appointed a meet- ing to provide clothing ; the thermometer starting at +4°, with ice in the night. On the afternoon of the 2d, a very pleasant and large horticultural meeting was held at Fall- ing Green, though the weather was rather uncongenial for commencing the rosy spectacle. Indeed, roses suffered that night, where exposed to a temperature of 34°. The t gardens were faithfully attended to, so far as wet grounds permitted.
The prettiest and most charming event of this May month was exhibited on the 21st, in the women's side of the meeting house, it being the closing scene of the First- day school. A large collection of girls, with a smaller number of boys, who had attended faithfully through the season at their profitable imorning exercises, listened to
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short speeches, and received the prizes they had merited. The same afternoon, at a few steps' distance, occurred the funeral of Richard Tucker, an old resident of the vicinity. Another old resident, T. Jefferson Higgins, died on the 18th of the 12th month. He had won the sincere regard of our people.
Sixth month ( June ). Our Quarterly Meeting has nat- urally received from our friend the first notice of events in this month, claiming that "it was a very good one; un- usually quiet and orderly on the porches and around the house; the committee appointed by the meeting to keep order did their part very faithfully."
For the first event of June, another hand writes: "Two formidable visitations break suddenly upon the neighbor- hood; the army worm and the pleuro-pneumonia. The first was an entire novelty to all of us under 50 years old. The earliest conversation on the subject which I heard from was on the 18th of this month, at Edward P. Thomas's, and so uncertain its character at first as to use the expression 'pseudo-army worm.' The mischief was considerable in a few places, chiefly on the grass and oats, while neither wheat nor corn appeared to suffer seriously. The stay of the unlovely worm was brief." Pleuro-pneu- monia on one farm, that of Win. W. Moore, proved quite a serious affair. The official gentleman, Mr. Le May, paid two or three visits, but the legal arrangements intended to bear upon losses by this much dreaded disease appear to be less satisfactory than is desirable. This month gave us a considerable amount of cool weather. Of the 6th there is this record, "An unusual das : thermometer 51º, but no frost, which was actually feared."
The most lively incident of the whole month was the "Infants' party," on the 16th. It was given, we may say,
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by Marion Farquhar, who was just one year old. The in- fants present were seven, with five other little children, and divers connections, including grandparents of course.
Rockland School closed in a very interesting and pleas- ing manner to all concerned, including the girls them- selves. On the 28th Samuel Wetherald and Florence Sullivan were married, in Ashton Church.
7th month (July ). The most pleasant peculiarity of the weather this hottest of all months of the year, was this time an unusual coolness. This did not produce an un- usual degree of healthfulness, but had rather a contrary tendency. The physicians were very busy, and in the end had the great satisfaction of seeing their patients restored.
There was a lively and memorable portion of the month, on which my respectable colleague comments in these words: " The three beautiful weddings at Rockland ! how can I write about them ? I will leave the full particulars to another hand, for it was an occasion long to be remem- bered, especially by the very many who were present there." The peculiar interest of the celebration consisted in this : the most important periods in the life of six individuals were singularly ( and very conveniently ) joined in one. The marriage of the two young people, John C. Bentley and Cornelia Hallowell, taking place on the green sward and under the shady trees, was, of course, an event of the most consequence; while the "silver weddings" of the bride's parents, and of her mother's sister, added to the presence of a hundred near relatives, of whom a large num- ber had come from beyond the Mississippi to congratulate the happy parties, rendered the ceremony unique, as well as highly interesting ; and when in the evening, the lawn lit with lanterns, and the dwelling with liveliest lamps, were filled by an added crowd of friends and neighbors
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near 300 strong, the happy event was complete to the sat- isfaction of ali.
It is pleasant to remember that the month was closed by a successful exhibition at the Grange Hall, which was got up in the cause of benevolence.
8th month ( August ). On the 4th of this month the twins of l'. T. and Cornelia Stabler were buried in the same coffin, having died about twelve hours apart, but not in this neighborhood.
Rains fall of the sort very congenial to corn, which now shows how great the crop is to be. The grasses are simi- larly favored, so that agriculture may be said to be aup. The value of ensilage is coming to be fully appreciated, and suitable preparations made to provide properly for one of the greatest agricultural discoveries of modern times.
Fruits, especially apples, are very scarce ; peaches, par- tially distributed among a favored few.
The scheme for a telephone was again vigorously started. It does not seem to make progress, except in the hands of James P. Stabler, whose inventive genius promises to be an honor to his name and neighborhood.
Ninth month (September). The tribute due to a dear old friend, who died in this month, will be rendered hereafter from the expressive sketch of Caroline H. Miller.
The continuance of the rains kept the corn too green to be cut at the usual period, and caused delay to seeding. Malarious influences still prevail. The Horticultural Fair was pronounced the most successful during the whole seventeen years. The President, who had been the life of it, showed his energy in another form by erecting buildings for the benefit and improvement of his prosperous school at Rockland. Two other very appro- 23
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priate buildings were put up by Charles Stabler and Samuel P. Thomas.
Tenth month (October). Our friend mentions, as her only record in this month, a wedding on the 5th which she denominates " a very pleasant one, that passed off very nicely in every respect," -- the parties being Wm. C. Riggs and Annie S. Hallowell.
The three events in which our own business was concerned are the facts that corn was cut in this month, scarcely ever so late before; that no frost came worthy of notice ; lastly, that the rot in potatoes is found to be a very serious infliction ; this loss has not been so heavy for a number of years-owing, no doubt, to the rains.
Eleventh month (November). My senior associate " does not remember anything of extra note occurring in this month." The Clubs and other Associations took place as usual, also a revival of a precious, rational, improving " Reading Circle." But there is a portion of our citizens who found the carly part of the month more interesting than agreeable. I refer to the politicians; many of whom were disappointed by the election; and yet not so badly "disappointed." Several of us thought that good may come of it.
The Benevolent Aid Society resumed its hallowed mission ; that is to say, the ladies did; the men rather avoided conspicuous position ; they allow women to be conspicuous in some matters, I should say,. "in their sphere."
Winter came on as it always does. The weather, which is the presentation of its leading phenomena, is the proper theme of your meteorologist; and he doubtless treats of the degrees of the thermometer, of the snow that shelters the wheat and troubles the old, and the sleighing that
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charms the young. How different the impression made on us at the two periods of life! The explanation was made half a century ago by one of those- self-taught men of genius that come occasionally to give a shock to the learned, who, while affecting to despise the rustic, are not ashamed to borrow and profit by his discoveries. It was Samuel Thompson that was the author of the great maxim "Heat is life, and cold is death." No wonder that we who are nearing life's upper border, should regard winter in rather a different light from that which shines on and warmns the young.
Although the temperature of the winter of 'S2-'83 has been far from the severity of several seasons fixed in our memories, it is certain the season was not a genial one ; neither in the heart of winter nor the month that foretells, without bringing on, the spring. As I write-on the 24th of March-my eyes are dazzled with the snow spread widely over the fields, and I have just exchanged salutes (not congratulations) with a company that came in the sleigh. Without indulging in complainings that are wrong and useless, we may be allowed-we cannot avoid grieving for sickness and death. Both have been with us to an extent beyond common experience.
Before giving expression to the natural emotions excited by our sad loss, it seems only proper and right to refer to the pleasant topics and the earnest efforts toward im- provement of the people which have also characterized the cruel portion of the year. Toward the beginning of the monthly records, allusion was made to the charming close of last year's First-Day School. The resumption of last fall was rather later than usual; but since it began and got fairly under way it may be said to have proceeded with more satisfaction than ever. The voluntary coming
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of 40 or 50 little girls and boys into a school devoted wholly to their improvement in that learning and those qualities that are the best for the life on which they have just entered, cannot fail of receiving the approbation of all.
Perhaps the gratifying success of this juvenile moral school has assisted to arouse the whole community of Sandy Spring, including some who are no longer residents, to a vigorous exertion of their best efforts to procure a school of higher grade, composed of both sexes, than any we have ever had. Help has come from nearly all directions. Our friend Mary Roberts at once made the generous bequest of the land, which her husband, no longer with us, would so freely have bestowed. The essential pecuniary means is now secured, and there remains to be obtained only the one most important figure of all,-a well qualified teacher, to take the most useful post in human society. Next in
importance to these promising improvements of an intel- lectual character, showing that our people are resolved not to neglect their progress in mental pursuits, there has been strong evidence that the main business of our lives has lost nothing of its interest. Agricultural improve- ments abound everywhere in the variety of machinery pro- cured regardless of cost, in new stock of pure breed, and in substituting one farm product for another less profit- able. The use of ensilage, lately pronounced by high auth- ority to be the greatest discovery of modern times, is an encouraging proof that farmers deserve the disrespectful epithet of " old fogies " no longer. The spirit of improve- ment has spread all around the once neglected and forlorn fields of old Montgomery. A pleasant and lively evidence of this fresh spirit was exhibited at the last meeting of the Farmers' Convention in this hall, where a gathering of nearly two hundred practical agriculturists manifested the
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interest which they felt in actual improvements, and the determination that they should go on and prosper. Depend upon it, a force almost electric is being aroused over the whole land, to raise not only the soil but also the men who cultivate it, up to the elevated position which is their rightful piace in a world that depends wholly upon them for existence.
It is with great pleasure that the last chapter of the Annals which contains so many disappointed hopes of get- ting a railroad for Sandy Spring, shall not be left by the old writer without some reference to future possibilities that the object so long desired may yet be attained. The scheme is possible now, because it looks no longer to other selfish corporations, but to its own energies. The practi- cability of " narrow gauge roads" being fully established, and the cost being thus brought within our reach, what shall hinder ?
The railroad is one of the very desirable improvements for Sandy Spring that is in anticipation,-it may be "long a coming," but there are two accomplished facts, the Fire Insurance Company, and the "Savings Institution," that have actually reached an elevated position, the statement of which is restful and reviving to the weary hand of your old historian.
The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Montgomery County will, in another month, have been in successful op- eration just thirty-five years; Edward Stabler being con- tinuous President, and Robert R. Moore, Secretary, with the office at Sandy Spring. It has had property insured in every county of the State, to the total amount, January 1, 1883, of over fourteen and a half millions of dollars, and holding premium notes over a million. The losses by fire on these notes annually have been a little over three
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