USA > Maryland > Montgomery County > Sandy Spring > Annals of Sandy Spring history of a rural community in Maryland, Volume III > Part 19
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"The fact was clearly brought out that not only is our climate quite as good for the production and eur- ing of the seed, but that the method of curing the ` corn which has been developed on Roslyn farm is
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more economical and up-to-date than the way they do it on the old New England farms.
"The results of these studies were published in a bulletin which has been widely distributed and which is likely to lead to a substantial increase in the sweet- corn industry of our State." (A. S.)
July 15, Beulah Darby gave an impromptu recital at Edgewood, to the great satisfaction of her many friends and admirers who had a chance to hear her again on that occasion. Her sweet voice and charm- ing presence add greatly to the effect of whatever selection she recites.
July 27, Frank Janney was married in Baltimore to Cora Barker.
During the early summer Sandy Spring was more stirred by the announcement of engagements than at any time for years. They came out on all sides with the greatest possible effect, sparing neither age nor youth, until the bewildered public did not know what to look for next, and we only succeeded in com- manding our wits in time to grapple with the ques- tion of wedding presents in the fall. When the mat- rimonial campaign was over, the amount of avail- able material (masculine) for such use in future was less than even Sandy Spring has ever known before! So few marriageable men are left among us that it would border too closely on personality to be per- missible to state just what their number is!
By the 1 August the neighborhood was full of boarders. It seemed as if hardly a house escaped
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them, and the housekeepers rejoiced in abundant corn, tomatoes, lima beans and frying chickens.
August 8, Amalie Clare, daughter of Ulric and Mary Janney Hutton, was born.
August 9, the Warfield family left Bon Air to re- turn to their home at Glenwood, Howard County, but the house was not left long untenanted, as R. Rowland and Margaret G. T. Moore moved in with their families on the 26 August.
Also on the 9 August a party of nine from Sandy Spring started to Toronto, Canada, to attend the Friends' General Conference, which they reported the most interesting ever held.
Along about this time some of our enterprising citizens began to talk of a scheme to start an automo- bile stage line between here and Washington, and they went so far as to hold a meeting at Alloway to consider the matter; but upon investigation it was found to be impracticable, with the machines and the roads as they are now.
On August 20, as the Insurance Company had possession of the Lyceum, Sherwood gymnasium was the scene of the annual sale of fancy work, flowers, etc. The room was tastefully arranged and deco- rated, the beverage that "cheers but not inebriates" was served in attractive fashion, and it was a pleas- ant social occasion as well as a paying business ven- ture.
August 21, Anna F., daughter of Clarence L. and Rose M. Gilpin, was born at Della Brooke.
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From August 23-26, the most successful fair on record was held at Rockville. Though Sandy Spring exhibitors were few, the display was fine, and the attendance was phenomenal-estimated as high as 16,000 on Thursday. The total receipts were over $9,800.00, nearly $2,500.00 of which were clear gain, and went to pay off the company's indebted- ness. As for the morals of the show, they seem to have been considerably better than on some former occasions ..
On August 25, Charles King died at his home in Sandy Spring after a long illness, patiently borne, and was buried in Woodside Cemetery.
August is the season when the voice of the traction engine is heard in the land, and the timid drivers of nervous horses go about looking for trouble; but the steam thresher is a wonderful help to the farmer, and this summer it has received new improvements. An automatic feeder has lessened the threshing gang by two hands, and the threshed grain is weighed by another self-acting contrivance, so that it only has to be received and carried from the machine to the bin.
September 7, Ruthy Hill, widow of the late Remus Q. Hill, died at an advanced age. She was one of a type, fast disappearing, that might be taken as a model by her race to their advantage.
There was a very creditable Horticultural Exhibi- tion held at Sharp Street on September S. with a goodly array of cakes, preserves, etc., to keep the fruits and vegetables company.
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But the project to revive the Horticultural Exhibi- tion at the Lyceum failed. A few enthusiastic spir- its worked diligently, and succeeded in getting dele- gates appointed from the different societies to make definite plans for the meeting and to carry them out. The project was never vivacious, and when it was saddled with a proposal to make the exhibition an assembling point for specimens to be sent to the St. Louis Fair for use on Maryland Day, that broke its back. The feeble rudiment of the executive commit- tee that met could only pluck up energy enough to decide to do nothing.
September 12, Sherwood School opened, with Ida P. Stabler, Principal; Sallie P. Brooke and Harriet Sheppard, assistants. The enrollment of pupils was smaller than for some years, but it increased some- what later, and the school has been less interrupted · by sickness than usual, no epidemic of any kind at- tacking the children during the winter.
On the 20 September, the Mutual Fire Insurance Company moved into its handsome new building, which makes the business quarter of the village of Sandy Spring look shabbier than ever in contrast with its beauty and elegance. Both inside and out it is a structure of which the neighborhood may well be proud.
September 21, at the home of the bride's parents, James T. and Georgeanna Henderson, Ella May Hen- derson and R. T. West were married by the Rev. HI. P. West, and went to live in Washington.
The foliage began to turn about the 8 October,
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growing steadily in beauty as the oaks put on their deep, rich tints, which were the finest feature of the autumn pageant this year.
On the evening of October 3, George A. Willson's barn, quite a new one, was burned, with eleven calves, all his wagons, harness, etc., two great silos just filled, and all the winter's provender for over three-score cattle. The cows and horses were fortunately saved.
The work of rebuilding began at once under the direction of Mr. Linthicum of Frederick County, and on December 1 a hundred men collected to raise the frame of the new structure. A barn-raising is always a season of anxious interest, for there are so many dangers to be met; but for the first time in this community, so far as the historian has been able to learn, a serious accident on such an occasion occurred on this day. Mr. Linthicum fell about fifteen feet, striking the back of his head, which caused concus- sion of the brain, and for many weeks he was very ill, though he at last recovered. This accident and the bad weather which set in almost immediately after, so retarded the work on the barn that it was not under cover until late in March, and it is not yet fin- ished; but it is one of the largest farm buildings in this section, 107 by-40 feet, with a wing thirty feet long.
October 5 was a very unusual day in these annals, for it was marked by two weddings. The historian generally has to make the most of two weddings a year. This time, however, we have a proud total of seven.
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On the morning of the 5 October, Frank T. Leizear and Elizabeth Robison were married at Sweetbrier, the home of M. T. and Isabel Fussell, by Rev. Wil- liam Henderson, and after their wedding trip they went to live at his mother's home in Sandy Spring.
On the evening of the same day, Margaret K. Mas- sey and Dr. Nathan Winslow were married at Ava- lon, the home of Mary E. Gilpin, by Rev. J. M. Wilbur of Philadelphia, and went to live in Balti- more.
October 8-10, came the Orthodox Friends' Quar- terly Meeting at the Ashton meeting-house. Howard Hoge of Virginia, Annie D. Stabler of Harford County, and other speakers addressed good congrega- tions on the 9-10; and an interesting peace conference was held on the 8 October.
All through the summer, beginning in June, there had been a trickling stream of travel from Sandy Spring to St. Louis to the Louisiana Purchase Expo- sition ; and in October it increased to imposing pro- portions when a party of seventeen at one time set out to view its wonders. And wonderful it surely was, far exceeding even the Chicago Fair in magni- tude and in the quality and variety of its exhibits, though the Court of Honor remains unrivaled in the memories of those who had the privilege of seeing both the Columbian and the Louisiana Purchase Ex- positions. In all there were thirty-one Sandy Spring- ers who went to St. Louis.
October 25, at the home of Belle Johnson, her daughter Jessie was married to J. Wallace Bond, by
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Rev. H. C. Smith, and they have made a home for themselves in the village of Ashton.
On the 25 October, the Quarterly Meeting of the Anti-Saloon League was held at the Lyceum, with a fair attendance, which ought to have been better on such a fine autumn day. Mr. Grise, State Superin- tendent of the League, was the chief speaker, and the neighborhood furnished a good luncheon at Cozy Corner, kindly loaned for the purpose by Sallie E. Taylor.
November 16, at Mirival, the home of Dr. F. W. Elbrey, his daughter Edith C. was married to Guy Campbell Ewing, of Norfolk. Rev. C. I. La Roche, of Beltsville, performed the ceremony, and the young couple went to live in Norfolk, Va.
"Martha R. Stabler, daughter of Roger and Sarah T. Brooke, and wife of Frederic Stabler, died on the 20 November, 1904, at the residence of her eldest son, Tarlton B. Stabler.
"Pattie Brooke, in her youth and early woman- hood, was the light of her parent's home at Willow Grove. She was the eldest daughter in a large family of children, and her ready hands found many duties. which she performed with ease and proficiency.
"She developed a fondness for study, and her bright mind found pleasure and profit in literature throughout her life. Her disposition was very social. and it was as natural to her to sing, as to the birds of the air. She had a voice of much power and sweet- ness, and some of the dear old songs were so fully as-
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sociated with her that her companions only wished to hear them sung by her.
"On November 6, 1866, she was married to Fred- eric Stabler, and they started home-making in an- other section of the neighborhood, where her hus- band's brothers and sister were settled, thus adding another couple to the harmonious Manor fraternity. Their door was ever open to relative and friend, and many a city visitor found the enjoyment of restored health under the hospitable roof of Oak Hill. For her generous heart, the comfort of having was the pleasure of sharing. No one ever sought her assist- ance or sympathy in vain.
"Three children were born to them, Tarlton B., Rose M. and Caleb, all of whom their devoted mother lived to see in homes of their own, where her loving care still extended.
"She had a strong attachment to her religious meeting at Sandy Spring, where she was as constant an attendant as her health permitted. We sadly miss her from our circle, yet we feel that her spirit was transplanted 'to the realms on high' where rest and peace and exceeding joy await the faithful, and that her life, well spent on earth, is receiving its regard. (M. B. M.)
Also on the 20 November, Mary J., wife of Louis H. Duvall, of Spencerville, passed from earth.
Although not actually a resident of Sandy Spring. she was well known to many of our people, for she was active in the temperance movement, and ready
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to help in any good work. She will be keenly missed and long remembered by many outside of her own immediate circle of relatives and friends.
November 25, the Sandy Spring Book Club sold its books that had just finished their two and a half years' round. The attendance at the sale was small, and in spite of the lively and insinuating remarks of the auctioneer, Mortimer O. Stabler, the books sold cheap. The Club took a new departure this year, dividing its members into two circuits and providing them with duplicate sets of books.
November is fast making a record for itself as one of our winter months; last year we froze up "for keeps" on November 9, and this year on the 13, came such a snow storm as was never known here at that season. Large flakes fell for nearly the whole day, and even on a rain-soacked surface, and with a temp- erature above freezing, it collected to a depth of sev- eral inches on the level, with considerable drifts in places. It clung to every thing it touched, making fairy scenes of orchard, woodland and thicket, but its beauty was hardly appreciated by the telephone company. Trees broken by the storm snapped the wires, that also parted elsewhere under the weight of snow ; poles were uprooted, the system was demoral- ized for a week or more, and only restored to order at heavy cost.
The Wednesday Club on December 29 gave an en- tertainment which drew a crowded house, so that a good sum was realized towards paying for a set of the
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New International Encyclopedia, which the Club and Sherwood school bought in partnership.
The Club's committee provided an excellent pro- gram, consisting of beautiful tableaux, mainly Gib- son pictures, some music, a clever monologue by Edith Shoemaker and a capital little play, A Christ- mas Chime, by an "all star" caste-Faith Farquhar, Mary C. Bentley, William S. Brooke, and Herbert O. Stabler. A more finished piece of amateur acting is seldom seen on any stage.
December 7, Julia, daughter of Albert G. and Julia M. Palmer, was born at Meadow Brook.
All winter springs, wells and streams were very low, and on the Manor particularily, ice ponds were dry, but where they were full, much thick ice was cut before the middle of December. The Bond brothers pumped water into their pond with a gasoline engine, and when it had frozen over they pulled the ice off with the same power.
If 1904 be remembered for its cold weather, 1905 will long be memorable for its snow.
Beginning with an all-day snow storm on Novem- ber 13, and two weeks sleighing before Christmas, the ground was not entirely bare until the 28 March. The number of days on which snow fell, and the number of weeks of sleighing soon went beyond the historian's arithmetic. The mercury vibrated with animation between the freezing point and 0°, some- times going below, but seldom above those limits, till even the most ardent winter lover came to long for a
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change, and to envy our friends who coulld seek milder climes.
In the middle of the night of January 3, the house of Ulric and Mary Janney Hutton was found to be on fire, and the family escaped with difficulty, only partly dressed, into one of the fiercest storms of the winter. They took refuge with Amy and Elise Hutton, who lived not far away, and the help and sympathy of their friends were extended to them in full measure, as almost nothing was saved from the burning building.
January 17, Miss Christine Tinling, of England, gave, at a parlor meeting, at Mt. Airy, one of a series of four addresses in the county, under the auspices of the W. C. T. U., and she was very well received.
During December and January a mad-dog scare prevailed ; several dogs were killed on suspicion, and a number of cows were bitten and actually had hydro- phobia. But even the darkest cloud has a silver lin- ing, and the panic had a very favorable effect on the colored population, keeping them at home at night, and preventing much Christmas carousing. As some one remarked, "A mad-dog scare is equal to a reform school."
The severe winter seemed to have a stimulating effect on the social life of the neighborhood; for ex- ample, during the eight days including January 14- 21, there were fourteen social events in Sandy Spring.
On 24 January came the first real blizzard of the
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year. A slight skim of snow covered the ground at daybreak, but no more fell until mid afternoon. Then it was continuous for over twenty-four hours, with such furious wind that the snow flew in every direc- tion except down. The roads were so blocked that travel was difficult, and until the 28 we had only one chance mail a day, and by that time thirteen bushels of mail matter had collected at Laurel, waiting for a chance to come up.
Sherwood school was closed for three days on ac- count of the drifts, and for the same reason the County Grange failed to meet at Brighton on the 26 January.
That was one of the regular Saving's Bank days, but only Fred L. Thomas and one member of the weekly committee succeeded in getting to the bank, where but for two energetic women, who ventured forth to attend to business, they might have had to spend the afternoon tete-a-tete!
On January 27, the first day's meetings of the Farmers' Institute were missed because the speakers could not get up from Washington in time, but on the 28 Director Amoss had a fair audience to meet his workers-Messrs. Miller, of Ohio, Hutt, of the Mary- land Experiment Station, and our old friend Mr. Van Alsteyn, of New York. Two interesting ses- sions were held at Olney Grange Hall, and the W. C. T. U. furnished an excellent luncheon at noon.
All the month of February was full of weather ---
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cold, snow, hail and sleet, with perfect sleighing; and glistening moonlight nights.
During February Maybelle L. Fussell-who, with her parents, was spending the winter in Baltimore- took part in an elecution contest at Towson, under the auspices of the W. C. T. U., and won a gold medal over six contestants.
Mordecai T. Fussell, for several years pleasantly identified with Sandy Spring, has recently assumed direction of the Fussell's ice-cream establishment in Washington, taking with him as an assistant, Herbert Cuff, known to the neighborhood by his work in Ash- ton store. Ashton has suffered another loss in the past year, in the departure of Oden Robey, for some years a clerk there.
One of the most interesting events of the year is thus described by one who took an active part in it : "Not since the Conference days of 1901 has Sandy Spring Meeting enjoyed such an inpouring of inspi- ration and encouragement as during February 11-12, when it was our privilege and pleasure to have with us Dr. Jesse H. Holmes of Swarthmore and Edward C. Wilson of Baltimore Friends' School. Feeling the need of assistance along the lines of our First-day School work, these friends had been invited to meet with the teachers and others interested in the welfare of our school.
"They held a short conference with the teachers at the home of John C. Bentley on Seventh-day fore- noon, the subject of discussion being the new lesson
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leaves and the method of presenting the lessons there- in suggested.
"At a meeting in the afternoon, presided over by our superintendent, Catherine Thomas, they spoke in the interest of the First-day School work, chiefly of its aim and of its comparative value to other inter- ests.
"The short discussion that followed dealt with the subject of adult class work. In the evening Dr. Holmes gave an illustrated talk on Judea. Both these meetings, as well as the regular First-day meet- ing, were very well attended.
"It is impossible to estimate the value of such con- ferences, or to pass on to others the special words of the messages presented to us, but of their helpfulness to individuals, and of their influence for more inter- ested and more vital work in our First-day School there can be no question * * * and we feel sure that the inspiration derived from such spiritual in- struction as we received during this conference will help our school fill a most important place in the meeting and in the neighborhood." (I. P. S., in Friends' Intelligencer.)
On February 14, the coldest day of the season -- mercury 0° and below - the thirty-second annual Farmers' Convention was held at the Lyceum. About 150 men, mostly representative farmers of Sandy Spring and neighboring places, were in attendance.
The advisability of establishing the office of County Treasurer and of applying for State aid for roads,
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and the perennial topic of a Sandy Spring railroad, were all discussed with animation. Francis Snowden and Maurice J. Stabler read papers giving their ex- perience in feeding cows, and time was given to con- sidering the comparative profits of shipping whole milk and cream at present prices of feed and product.
Roger B. Farquhar's valuable paper on "Sheep Raising" led to the appointment of a committee to investigate means of abating the dog nuisance, by license or otherwise.
Asa M. Stabler presented a paper on fruit grow- ing and crop raising versus grazing and stock feeding on a 100-acre farm; and an interesting letter on for- estry from George T. Waters of Laytonsville was read.
On February 24, Beulah Henderson, for some years teacher of the Sandy Spring School, resigned her po- sition, and was succeeded by Charlotte Humphreys, and on April 10, the whole Henderson family moved to Woodside, and Walter Dorsey and family took the Sherwood Mill and house.
During this month word came to us that two of our former neighbors, each for years a part of Sandy Spring, had passed from earth. Jane H. Scofield, wife of William Scofield, died at San Antonio, Texas, and on February 7, Sarah Brown Levering, widow of the late Gideon Gilpin, died in Baltimore.
The cold and snow have made the winter particu- larly hard on the birds, which have come around the houses more than usual in search of food and shelter.
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Many persons have fed the small birds regularly, but the crows have died by scores, if not by hundreds, many of them being blinded by the glare of the snow. One cold morning an owl and a 'possum were found to have taken refuge in the Belmont barn over night.
The unusual in Nature is always interesting, even when it comes in so unattractive a creature as the skunk-an animal so rare in this region as to have been considered practically extinct; but recently in the neighborhood of Falling Green they have reap- peared in considerable numbers and made themselves a nuisance by eating chickens. Over a dozen of the little beasts were killed in a short time.
March 4, Inauguration Day, was, for once, mild and fair, with actual sunshine for the most part. "Teddy's luck" was in the ascendant still another time, and to judge by appearances in Washington on the 3-4-5 March, half the population of the country might have been there to do him honor. Sandy Spring was well represented in the crowd of spectators, and it even fell in line and marched with the procession in the persons of Samuel P. Thomas with the M. A. C. cadet corps, S. B. Wetherald with the D. C. N. G., and "Jim" Scott's "Sandy Spring Cornet Band." Apropos of the last named, one sable mother came nigh to bursting with pride while describing the ap- pearance of her boy in the parade, "in his rigimentals with his kittle drum."
The whole day was a grand success, from the Presi- dent's noble inaugural address to the fireworks and the ball, but such exceptional weather only goes to
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prove the rule that March is no proper season for such a celebration !
On March 4, Eliza N. Moore, Dollie E. Vedder, Caroline L. and Catherine L. Brooke sailed from New York for Gibraltar, there to begin European tours more or less extended.
March 5, Robert Rowland, son of Tarlton B. and Rebecca T. Stabler, was born at Amersley.
March S, the annual meeting of the Savings Insti- tution was held, and some statistics given there by the treasurer indicate that Dr. Osler's theory is not of universal application; for, of the twenty-two di- rectors of the bank all are over fifty, nine over sixty, six over seventy, while the President is eighty-six. Yet it is a remarkably flourishing organization.
March 15 was such a day of painful excitement as none of us ever wish to see again. Shortly after mid- night of the 14, Corrie M. Brooke was roused by a bright light, to find that their sheep-house was ablaze. In the absence of her husband, Charles F. Brooke. she roused the household, and gave the alarm by tele- phone. A crowd soon collected, but in spite of their efforts most of the farm buildings burned. Besides the sheep-house and twenty-three sheep and lambs, two barns, the corn-and-carriage houses, four valua- ble dogs, 200 barrels of corn and a quantity of hay were destroyed; but the horses, cows, wagon and har- ness were saved. Careless smoking is supposed to have caused this heavy loss.
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