25 Years Ago
Editorial – Is There A Gasoline Shortage?— With Congress getting its “back up” at last over the energy crisis, oil companies are being forced to reveal that their storage tanks are overflowing and that they actually have more gasoline on hand than at this time last year. Yet, through a foolish and totally unfathomable policy of the energy administration, gasoline stations in numbers of localities are being denied the amounts of gasoline that customers need to carry out their normal operations of travel — many times with serious implications to their work and their means of earning a livelihood. There is every evidence that there is enough gasoline to permit normal operation of these stations, but under the monthly quota established they are prevented from receiving what they need to maintain their businesses. Just what is back of this ridiculous contrived shortage? Is it, as some suggest, a political maneuver to take people’s attention off the “watergate” mess? Or is it, as seems much more likely, a deliberate attempt to force up prices and give the oil companies larger profits, in order that the government can collect higher taxes from them? Community Reporter, January 25, 1974.
50 Years Ago
Train Wreck At Sykesville – Three Men Injured When A B. & O. Freight Engine Was Derailed; 26 Cars Piled Up—Three trainmen were seriously scalded by steam Saturday afternoon when a freight train was derailed on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad At Sykesville and a section of the rail pierced the locomotive boiler. Twenty-six cars of the 73 car train were derailed. Eight cars were overturned and witnesses said that they were “a mass of twisted wreckage”. Officials of the B. & O. said, that the old main line now used only for freight traffic, will probably be closed by the wreckage until late in the afternoon. According to State police, the three injured men were riding in the cab of the locomotive at the time of the accident. Democratic Advocate, January 28, 1949.
75 Years Ago
Basket Ball—Dropping in two pointers with regularity, the Blue Ridge College girls’ basketball team easily defeated the Westminster High School sextet, 24 to 13 at New Windsor, Friday. Clever shooting from the floor by Miss Garber and Miss McKinney spelled defeat for the younger lassies, who fought valiantly, but could not cope with the tight defense of the winners. Miss Myerly found the net for three neat shots from the floor, while Miss Jones was a dead shot at the 15-foot line, making good on four of her five chances. The winning combination is priming for the next battle, booked for February 1 with the Western Maryland girls at the New Windsor court. Democratic Advocate, January 18, 1924.
100 Years Ago
The wagon-house of J. M. Harden, on the Nicodemus road, near Reisterstown, was destroyed by fire at an early hour last Saturday morning. The loss is $1,250 and the insurance $850. Mr. Harden thinks the building was set on fire by an enemy. The wagon house contained farming implements and a buggy, all of which were destroyed. The building was located about 200 feet from Mr. Harden’s dwelling house. The fire was discovered shortly before 2 o’clock by Mrs. Harden, just as the roof of the building fell in with a crash. About two years ago a son of Mr. Harden shot a man in the leg, who, he alleges, was in the act of setting fire to his father’s threshing machine. Democratic Advocate, January 28, 1899.