USA > Maryland > Montgomery County > Sandy Spring > Annals of Sandy Spring history of a rural community in Maryland, Volume III > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
About the first of November, Thomas J. Lea and wife went to take charge of the farm at the Shepherd- Pratt Asylum ; and on the 18 of the month Frank T. Lea brought his wife and baby to Sandy Spring to make an indefinite stay while they tried to recover from the effects of life on the equator. Once here, he decided to try missionary work among the African population of this part of the world, and he secured the room over Brown's bicycle shop at Sandy Spring as his headquarters.
190
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
On November fourth, Charles F. Brooke sent five beagle hounds to the field trials of the National Beagle Club held on the estate of William C. Whitney, on Long Island. The dogs took $75.00 in prizes, and the National Challenge Cup, presented to the Club by Mr. Rockfeller. The latter they only hold for the year. Two of these fine animals were sold from the Club for $100.00.
During the month our neighborhood was invaded by the American Telephone Company running a line from New York to Washington, which has done more to change the face of nature along its route than any agency that has been at work in Sandy Spring since the gale in '96. Buying their right of way along the Brighton road, and the W. C. and A. Turnpike for a song, they proceeded to cut and slash the trees in their way with utter recklessness, and many a stately oak and chestnut, poplar, cedar and cherry tree was laid low by those irresponsible axemen. The work was done with wonderful thoroughness and dis- patch, and ten days after the appearance of the work- men a line of huge poles joined by ten copper wires replaced our much regretted trees.
It was difficult to find accommodations hereabouts for fifty men with their wagons and teams, but vari- ous Sandy Spring matrons, after much persuasion, took in small gangs, who proved to be men of fine appetites and inoffensive conduct, who said "nobody hadn't never treated them better nowhere." We of the neighborhood hardly felt ready to return the compliment !
¥
191
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
On November 5, Elizabeth Miller, daughter of Elizabeth P. M. and William Taylor Thom, was born at Oakleigh.
A few days later her mother became very ill, and after three weeks of suffering she passed beyond the reach of earthly cares and labors at midnight on the 24 November.
The second child of Benjamin H. and Sarah T. Miller, Elizabeth P. M. Thom was born at Mr. Airy, August 13, 1867. Her early education was received in various small schools in Sandy Spring, and as she grew older she studied at Rockland and Sherwood. She then spent three winters at Hollins Institute, Va .; where her school days closed in June, 1887.
There she led the school, and one who knew and loved her well during that time says : She was "a true college girl. Full of life, health, vigor, no pleasure escaped her; her inventive mind and bright, fun- loving nature were constantly on the alert, getting all the good from pure sources, and drinking from all the springs out of which flowed the honorable, refined pleasures of college life. Full to the brim with col- lege spirit, an enthusiastic worker in all the organiza- tions of the school * * * loving, sympathetic, gentle, full of quiet dignity, a staunch and unselfish friend, a breather of pure principles, a teacher by example and practice, of all that is high-toned and lovable and sweet in girlhood. Such was Bessie Miller as a Hollins girl!" (M. S. B.)
October 23, 1888, she married William Taylor
192
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
Thom, and the next three years were spent in Roa- noke, Va., before they removed to Sandy Spring to live. "She accepted the happiness and responsibili- ties, the joys and cares of married life, with a serene and quiet mind * * * As a mother her tender- ness and wisdom knew no bounds. Five little ones looked up to her with eyes of trust, and thought her face the most beautiful in all the world, and knew her hand as the most gentle; but she was denied the happiness of leading them very far along life's road, for God looked upon her work as finished, though to us it seemed but just begun, and called her to Him- self." (M. S. B.)
She was at several times connected with the man- agement of Sherwood school, which she raised to a higher grade of effectiveness than it had before at- tained.
"While our Sandy Spring neighborhood has held within its borders more than the usual share of talented and virtuous men and women ; while we give full measure of praise to other dear ones who have passed to the Better Land, and to those of us who are left to carry on life's work around us; yet it can be truly said that there is not one, no not a single one, of all the persons who have lived in this community, who, according to the highest and truest tests, can rank above Bessie Miller Thom. Whether as daugh- ter, sister, friend, wife, mother, teacher or woman, she filled and adorned each sphere in a manner sel- dom or never found before. Quiet and unobstrusive, she yet made and left a deeper impress upon the
193
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
minds and hearts of our young people than has per- haps any other citizen of twice her years. Nor was this sweet, improving and elevating influence con- fined to our own circle; it spread far outside, and families living many miles away share our grief and personal bereavement. Her talent and origi- nality made her the soul, center, and charm of the particular Society to which she belonged; her tact and skill were so remarkable that the unruly pupil was orderly in her presence, and the dullest one was sure to learn, while all were drawn to her by the silken cord of love. Yet never for a moment did she neglect home duties.
"* * * Her memory and works cannot die ; and if the smallest particle of matter cannot be destroyed. how sure we may be that the grandest, loveliest and best thing in the world-a soul like hers-is des- tined for immortality. And immortality would not be worthy the name if it did not carry with it reunion with those we love." (A. F.).
. Winter set in early this year, November being cold almost all through, and C. F. Kirk cut ice at Thanksgiving; the cold continued uncompromisingly as long as it could.
All the rains of the winter were fierce down-pours, washing the fields severely in many places, and rais- ing the streams to the highest high water mark.
December 11, Osburn Newton, son of Mary Hal- lowell and Newton Stabler was born at Rockland.
December 8, an incident occurred which was of no
Y :
194
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
material importance, but which yet seems interest- ing enough for mention; a party of pedestrians, ex- ploring the hills along the Patuxent on Riverside farm, came face to face with a deer, to their mutual astonishment, and to the disgust of the deer, which fled through the laurel bushes at full speed. The five persons who saw it had their word doubted when they told the tale, but when we heard that several deer had recently escaped from Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, the most skeptical were convinced of the probability of the story; and it was with genuine re- gret that we heard of a deer being shot near Middle River in Howard County, a few days later.
Our whole social structure was so racked by the at- tempts last year to rob the bank, that we are all on the qui rive, and when any unwonted disturbance oc- curs at night burglars are our first thought. There- fore, on New Year's eve, when one of our prominent citizens, driving along Norwood pike at a late hour, heard a loud explosion from the village of Sandy Spring, the bank was of course his first thought, and driving rapidly toward it he perceived that the build- ing was dark ! What his sensations were must be left to the' imagination, but he stopped in front of the bank, and listened and watched for some time for further developments.
He was not the only one so occupied, for S. B. Wetherald and Hillis Robison, the official guardians of the bank, had also been roused by the report, and were crouched by a neighboring fence with rifles ready for service.
.
195
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
All three of these gentlemen listened breathlessly till their patience gave out, and then they moved off to bed, as there seemed nothing more to follow.
Morning showed the fastening of doors, windows and safe at the bank intact, and time developed the fact that Dr. Iddings had been celebrating the birth of the new year by firing a huge cannon cracker. The explosion had extinguished the lights in his own house, and probably that at the bank at the same time !
Early in the New Year Newton and Mary H. Stab- ler moved from The Highlands to Elburn.
During January the following little incident oc- curred under the personal observation of the historian. While approaching the meeting house one Sunday morning she saw a gentleman walking from the wom- en's end of the porch towards the men's door, just as a lady drove up to the hitching rail halfway to the Ly- ceum. Neither of these things was unusual in itself, but what happened next was the remarkable part of the matter. The gentleman was not too shortsighted or too preoccupied to see the lady ; he hurried-actual- ly hurried-halfway from the meeting house to the Lyceum to help her, arriving in time to assist her to alight, and to tie her horse! Time was when such a thing might not have caused remark in Sandy Spring, but "times change, and men change with them."
During this month Joseph T. Moore was made a director of the Rockville National Bank.
On the evening of January 23, Frank T. Lea gave a very pleasant lecture in the Lyceum on the Congo
196
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
and his experiences there as a missionary. He had many curios from that region to emphasize and illu- strate his remarks.
At her home, Charley Forest, near Sandy Spring on January 25, Eliza Downey died, after an illness of only a few days.
One who was in a position to know writes of her:
"For nearly five years she was a regular pupil at Sherwood; always conscientious about her work, ever ready to respond to duty's calls. No student was more worthy of our high admiration and loving re- membrance."
January 29, came the first real snow of the winter; six or eight inches fell, but the drifts we anticipated were, fortunately, prevented by a rain and thaw February 1, followed by a fall of 22° in temperature next day. Steady cold weather from that time on made and preserved good sleighing for over three weeks.
. February 21-22, brought the end of the sleighing and one of the severest sleet storms on record here; shade trees were almost as badly injured as in the gale in '96, but by the end of the second day warmer weather released the limbs from their icy burden.
The February weather record ends only with the month, for on the 28 we had a tremendous rain storm in the morning, vigorous thunder and lightning at intervals all day, and evening brought a most glorious spectacle. As the sun neared the horizon it broke through clouds and vapor, filling the western sky and
197
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
the world beneath it with an ineffable golden radi- ance, while to the eastward there was such a display of rainbows as is seldom seen even once in a lifetime. Two complete arches spanned the sky, one of which showed three distinct sets of the prismatic hues.
On February 5, Sandy Spring and much of the surrounding country experienced such a shaking up that every one thought we had had a sharp earthquake shock, until we learned that there had been a tre- mendous explosion of dynamite in Prince George's County.
"On the 23 of February, Caroline L. Kummer died, in the eighty-first year of her age, at Fairfield, the home of her brother-in-law, Edward Peirce, where she had lived for nearly forty years.
"She was born in Bethlehem, Pa., December 30, 1821. In the Moravian Seminary of this town, was laid the foundation of an education that through her long life was a benefit to others as well as a pleasure to herself. After the age of eight it was never nec- esary for her to study another spelling lesson. A . constant reader and blessed with a most retentive memory, she became as years passed by, almost an encyclopedia of knowledge, to whom her friends could constantly refer. A sheet of music was to her what a page of printed English is to most of us, and to within a short time of her death she was willing to play the piano for her friends with the touch and style of her early days.
"She taught in the Bethlehem Seminary for six years, and afterwards in various other places, at last
198
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
with great care and interest teaching her nieces at Fairfield together with a few neighboring children.
"She was church organist wherever she chanced to be living, and she held that post at St. Luke's Church, Brighton, from its founding in 1871 until her sight became impaired in 1888.
"Though little known in the neighborhood of Sandy Spring, in fact unknown to many because of the quiet life she led, yet to the members of St. Luke's church she was a familiar figure to the time of her death. She was a Sunday school teacher there for seventeen years, going faithfully in all kinds of weather. Two of her former Sunday scholars helped bear her to her last resting place, while others at a distance spoke feelingly of the influence for good that her teaching had exerted upon their lives." (H. J. B.)
The Farmers' Convention, February 25, was as usual, favored with weather; deluges of rain, rivers of melting snow, mud and slush galore, did all they could to put a damper on the occasion, but though the attendance was somewhat small, the interest was not less than usual. Robert H. Miller spoke on the raising of early potatoes, A. G. Thomas on "Our Forests," Henry H. Miller on wheat raising, and Mr. Neal of the Delaware Experiment Station, on the culture and curing of cow-pea hay. Several com- mittees reported : that on the railroad, offering $500 reward for anyone discovered setting stakes or grad- ing for the Washington and Gettysbrug R. R .!
February 26, John R. Lethbridge for several years
199
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
the vigilant keeper of the Sandy Spring toll gate, died of pneumonia; and he was buried in the meet- ing-house yard.
February 26, Alban Brooke, having rented his farm, sold at auction his farm implements, stock, etc.
March 9, at his home near Holland's Corner, Amos Holland died, age, seventy-one years.
He was the son of Isaac and Lydia Holland, and was born and lived all his life in Sandy Spring, with- in a mile of his birthplace. His was a singularly uneventful carcer; he was twice married and during the years of his second widowerhood his sister Vir- ginia and her husband Lewis Steer came to make a home for him.
A man of few words, but of very positive char- acter, his lifelong industry, energy and thrift made him a prosperous farmer, and he completely dis- proved the theory that neatness is incompatible with success in that calling. That he was a "good pro- vider" all will testify who enjoyed the bountiful hos- pitality of his table; and a love of children was an- other of his marked traits.
March 10, a daughter was born to William and Ada Skinner at Myrtlebank, and she was named Ada Florence.
March 16, Lizzie Hardesty, an industrious and worthy colored woman, was released from a life of suffering.
She was severely burned in childhood, and for lack of proper care she became incurably lame. What
200
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
many less energetic characters would have accepted as an insurmountable bar to work, she ignored, and though she could only move by the aid of her crutch, she was a valuable servant and a self-supporting citi- zen to within a short time of her death, when she be- came bed ridden.
All who knew her might gain a profitable lesson from the memory of her courage, industry and en- ergy.
The usual spring mad dog scare has not been lack- ing this year ; on March 15, a mad dog was killed at Sandy Spring, and some days later another supposed to be mad went through the country biting a number of more or less valuable dogs that had to be killed in consequence.
March 22, there was a rummage sale at Alloway, for the benefit of the Sherwood Gymnasium fund, that netted $30.00 for the cause; on the 26 the work of tearing down the old house at Alloway began, and it was soon completed. The only thing that reconciles us to the destruction of a building so full of pleasant associations and of material attractions as this home- stead, is the thought that a new and more beautiful and commodious mansion is to take its place, and be- come the home of Annie Miller Shoemaker, Isabel and Janet Miller, who will return to their native place and live with their father W. P. Miller, after years · of residence in Germantown.
Before the work began at Alloway, Robert H. and Mariana S. Miller and their family moved to the
201
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
Highlands, which they considerably improved pre- paratory to making it their home.
When the frost came out of the ground during the end of February and the beginning of March, the roads were unspeakably bad. The county roads equalled anything on record-the "stage" took to a buggy and declined to haul passengers, the turnpikes trembled at every footfall, and every passing wheel made the surface of the road wave like the sea. In many places the "bottom dropped out" entirely, mak- ing a busy time for the managers of the pikes. They however, showed great energy and promptness in re- pairing the breaks, and soon the traveling was good again.
April 5, Eliza Bacon, a faithful and industrious colored woman, well known throughout Sandy Spring, died, aged ninety years.
The Baltimore Conference just ended, has removed Rev. H. P. West from his labors in our neighbor- hood, and he will be succeeded by Rev. Henry Clay Smith.
On January 13, the enterprising principal of Sher- wood suggested to her pupils the possibility of get- ting a gymnasium for the school, and the children immediately set about raising the necessary money.
Many plans were proposed and discussed by the school committee and others, but the only one that seemed possible at present was to buy the old Rock- land school-room and bring it to Sherwood. That de- cided on, the work of collecting money went forward
202
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
more vigorously than ever, and the crowning effort was the entertainment on April 4, at the Lyceum.
The people who crowded the house were well re- paid for coming to see the beautiful hoop drill by sixteen girls, and the bright and well-acted farce, A Perplexing Situation, besides which there were some good music and other features of interest. .
The proceeds of the evening swelled the Gymna- sium fund to over $200.00, and the work of moving began immediately afterwards.
With this much-needed improvement assured, the faculty and students of Sherwood will now have to try and decide whether an endowment fund or an efficient heating plant for the school shall be the next object of their efforts ! Nothing seems too large for them to undertake.
April 15, the Quarterly Meeting of the Anti- Saloon League was held at the Lyceum. While the League executive committee was in session in the morning, there was a W. C. T. U. conference in the meeting-house, and later the two bodies united most harmoniously over the beautiful luncheon set forth for them by some of the neighborhood ladies in the Mission room. The public meeting in the afternoon was well attended, and very pleasant and interesting, through the chief speakers expected did not appear.
On April 19, Isaiah Coar, for many years a resi- dent in Sandy Spring, died at the home of his son John, in Howard County.
He was a mason by trade, and had a hand in the
203
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
building of many homes here, and his genial manner made him many friends. He was a great reader, and kept himself well informed on the questions of the day.
The last event noted for the year is the opening of an ice-cream department at the Belmont Dairy in Washington.
No chapter of our Annals can be complete without some detail concerning crops, and, as usual they were of various success in the past twelvemonth. The fore- bodings concerning the wheat were hardly fulfilled, as threshing brought forth more grain than the farm- ers anticipated, but the quality was not first rate, and " the weevil did it great damage both in the stack and in the bin.
The hay crop was poor, and potatoes, except on one or two farms, were a failure. Corn, however, was excellent, and abundant ; and pasture, because of fre- quent rains, was unusually fine.
Cow peas were very conspicuous as a field crop all through the neighborhood, and many tons of them were cured for hay, which seems to be as acceptable to the stock, as the plant is beneficial to the soil in which it grows.
Next to our agricultural interests in financial im- . portance to Sandy Spring are our business en'er- prises. Of our banks "one having authority" says :
"True to its colors, 'old gold and green backs,' the Savings Institution, the pioneer financial house in the county, has kept pace with the strides of time, with-
204
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING.
out a wrinkle or its brow or a frown upon its visage. A steady advance has been made in its size and value-192 new accounts have been opened in the past year, or two more than in the first year of its ex- istence, indicating that prosperity and confidence have not deserted it.
"The gain in deposits for the year has been $58,- 000.00, making the total holdings $657,500.00; and while the large city banks have reduced their rate of interest to 3%, we continue to pay 4%, and accumu- late surplus.
"The infant First National Bank is fast outgrow- ing its swaddling suit; and with the business of an appreciative community the officers are kept busy during banking hours.
"Having a deposit of $48,500.00, subject to check, and net earnings of $2,800.00, the outlook is good for the future success and usefulness of this enter- prise." (A. G. T.)
The Mutual Fire Insurance Company, it is re- ported, "has had a good year, though its losses were rather heavier than for the two preceding ones. The statement issued in January showed an invested sur- plus of $90,000.00, which has only been exceeded four or five times in the fifty-four years of the com- pany's existence.
"The total amount of insurance in force has again declined: being $56,000.00 less than the previous year, and $4,850.000.00 less than the high water mark reached in January, 1894. Even now, how-
205
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING. .
ever, it is larger by 50% than that shown by any other company in Maryland, outside of Baltimore City. The only change made in the board of di- rectors during the year was the election of Edwin Warfield in place of J. D. Alcock, who has moved to Pennsylvania." (A. F.)
"The Enterprise Telephone Company" according to an official statement, "is growing steadily, and its service, compared with that of other country com- panies, is considered very good. During the past year it has added the long-distance feature by becom- ing a sub-licensee of the C. & P. Co .; and messages have been successfully received and sent as far as Atlanta, Ga., New York and Philadelphia. The number of 'phones in our system is about one hundred and fifty." (H. H. M.)
During the year there have been an unusual num- ber of real estate transfers : Peyton Brown bought of Thomas Leizear the plot of ground at Alloway cor- ner, on which he built the house already mentioned in this record.
Robert H. Miller bought The Highlands of Wil- liam Lea; and sold his farm further down the pike to Charles T. Hill. He also sold part of the Alloway farm to Caleb Stabler.
Dr. William R. Tatum and wife sold their place above Brighton to Ernest Bowman, and bought of Edward C. Gilpin the Fawley farm, which they have re-christened Hillside, and M. M. and Lydia W. Haviland bought, also of Edward C. Gilpin, the
.
206
ANNALS OF SANDY SPRING,
property lying between Hillside and Haviland's Mill, which they call Avoca.
Charles W. Brown bought of Allan Farquhar the old wheel-wright shop at Sandy Spring, and the house adjoining it, using the lower part of the former for a bicycle shop, and building on the lot in front of it a store.
Samuel Bond sold his business at Oakdale to the Harris Brothers, and Isaiah Coar sold his business at Ednor to George F. Phair, of Spencerville.
James Johnson bought a lot of the Glencoe farm at Ednor of John Thomas, paying $1,000.00 for an acre, the highest price for land on record about here.
Warwick M. Stabler sold his farm near Cloverley P. O. to Granville Harding.
Within a few months William S. and Mary C. Brooke have returned to our neighborhood, and made their home at Willow Grove. R. Rowland and Mar- garet G. T. Moore have left Suffolk, Va., and brought their family to Plainfield.
Sandy Spring likes to keep up with the times, and within a few months about fifteen of our neighbors have subscribed to the Booklovers' Library, and find it a very satisfactory institution, warranted to suit all tastes.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.