The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1921-03-25
GEO. HUGHES EASTER
EGG
IS los YEARS OLD THOMAS LOCEARD
LABELED IT IN lSi6-HAs THREE
OTHER EGGS OF RIPE AGE-ALSO
HAs PRESERVED BEARD or Mr.. LOCK-
ARD WHICH WAS u INCHES-aAS
Il CHILDREN NEVER ATTENDED A
DANCE on THEATRE.

/ (Taken from the Baltimore News OF
/ March 22J
I While residents OF three counties
are up In arms as to the rIghtful and
original "belling place OF the famous
/ bell buzzafd Of Maryland. another
! rumor comes from fair Carroll coun-
GS, and this time the cause of the
/ feud Is not a buzzard. but an egg.
Just a plain egg. but with a past
oh, what q past! for this egg is said
to be 106 years old and its owner.
George u Hughes, farmer OF Car
rollton. Md. came all the way 10
1 baltimore yesterday to tell the
world" he had the Oldest Easter egg
a-goin
You see. Mr. Hughes said. "last
year near Easter time | happened to
pick up paper and read where
man had an egg that was % years old.
and that he claimed the champion
ship. Well. I just laughed at the
time cause | knew my egg was 50
much older there was no comparison.
u am 60 Years old myself. and
my mother gave the egg 10 me before
she died SIX years ago. II had been
in the family - years before that.
iiut the other day a neighbor told
me this same man was going to have
piece IN the paper about his egg.
so Il made me plumb mad, AN 7
Just ran down 10 town to show you
paper people an egg that 10 really
old.
"This other farmer lives ao.ne-
where in Carroll county, too. Funny
he never heard OF this egg of mine
Here Mr.. Hughes frowned. carefully
took an old faded box from basket
he carried and opened the I'D
There" be continued, look at that"
Inside. carefully wrapped In what
looked like q bundle Of red excelsior.
we're four dyed eggs The reporter
pioked up the champion egg. after as
suring tho owner his hands were
steady. ard turned Il over II has q
rick brown color and the lettering in
Iscribed upon II Is very distinct
Scratched on the she'll was april Is.
1915 Thomas Lockard"
Mr. Hughes exclaimed that Thomas
I4ockard was his great-unele. who
originally colored the egg with the
juice Of onion skins. When Mr., Lock-
ard died II was passed 10 his niece.
Elizabeth Lockard. who afterward be-
came Mrs Sarah A, Hughes, the
present owners mother.
Before Mrs. Hughes died she gave
him the egg. together with It's his
tory and exaeted q promise from him
20 preserve II There we're three other
eggs IN the box that bore dates that
proved them 10 be rs. "a and Sc years
old, respectively All were dyed a
rich brown color
As Mr. Hughes replaced the red
dish looking bundle that has covered
the oldest egg for l05 years, the re-
porter asked what that" was.
THAT sir. is Tom Loekard's beard.
7 u MAS cut off when he died and was
~ Inches long II has boen with the
( egg ever since And II this Carroll
icouutlHn, with his Sf-yenr-Old egg,
has anything 20 come up 10 that I'D
ike 10 see it.
MIR Hughes IL rather unique
character and when warmed up to
conversation il very interesting.
Father OF family Of t2 children. 10
of whom are girls. he says he has
none None of HIS daughters has
/ NftH 70 "a AhtAtit uF uAUttf
In his whole life Mr.. hughes said.
I he has never seen a danee~and
doesn't want to. either His father
was opposed to theatres and dances.
and so has he raised his family Five
Of the daughters are marFied and five
are at home with him They have no
( inclination. lie said. 10 90 to dances
and have never asked about them.
( In conclusion Mr. Hughes said:
we are just plain folks and | don't
I want to make an argument or any
thing, but that other fellow tI'ye for
gotten his namel made me SO tar
nation mad with his claims 10 the
oldest egg in Maryland that ! just
had 90 come down and tell you all
+ that he is wrong and his egg is an
infant side lof mine.
That's all. sir Good day"