Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1945-09-13

by r. Bentley Thomas, of Sandy
Spring, of trip taken by himself
and Jack Bentley, (of baseball
fame) in search of data on Bent
ley clocks and family history. And
incidentally of Historical Associa-
lions which set a yardstick for
the newly organized Montgomery
County Historical Society. We
present Mr.. Thomas:
The main object of this trip was
to obtain information about our
great great grandfather, Caleb
Bentley and our great uncle Eli,
his brother, both clock makers and
silversmiths. Caleb was later the
leading spirit in the foundation of
the factory town of Triadelphia :
the ruins of which are now buried
beneath Triadelphia Lake.
These brothers were born in
Chester County, Pa. They emf
grated to Maryland in the early
1905 Eli settled down in fancy
town and Caleb in Sandy Spring.
We had planned to go to fancy
town via Westminster to get what
information we could about uncle
Eli, then drive to West Chester to
look at some old Bentley homes
near Doe Run and Lionville under
the guidance of Francis d. Brinton
an historian and antiquarian of
Chester County, Pa, who had ask
ed US to stay at his home.
Arriving at Westminster we
went to the home of the Carroll
County Historical Society. Mrs.
Amelia AMMAN, custodian, showed
us around and answered most of
our rapid fire questions. Cornered
on an inquiry about Uncle Eli, she
remarked, "If only Mrs. John
Smith of Taneytown were here she
would know all the answers.
Hardly had she spoken, when in the
same breath she SAID "Why here
she is now!" and in the door walk
ed Mrs. Smith as if someone had
punched magic button.
| Mrs. Smith surely knows
way around Carroll County. 80
said many of our questions coui1
be answered at the Courthouse so
she took US in tow and we walked
to the county building. There the
clerkaof the court, a Mr.. Shoe
maker showed US the plat on fancy
town. on which we found the site
of Uncle Ellis home the old house
was long gone. While looking up
these records Judge Neale Parke
came in : he has the bearing and
looks much like the late Joseph
T. Moore, ST., of Sandy Spring.
We also saw in the record room
Herbert Snyder one of the few
people know in Carroll.
We could not find any Bentley
clocks in Westminster but learned
there was one not far out that was
still running. Mr.. Brinton had
written me that the postmaster at
Taneytown was the man to see as
he knew where all the Bentley
clocks were and was much interest
ed in the history of Carroll County.
Mr.. Burke took us to see four Eli
Bentley clocks all different and
all running but one. One of these
clocks had an ingenious string ar
rangement by which one could tell
the time at night simply by pulling
the string when the clock would
respond by striking the hour near
est the half.
1t was then rs minutes of three
so it struck three ten minutes
earlier it would have struck two,
Jack then took US all to lunch and
we had an interesting time learn
ing that the old Baptist Church
where Uncle Eli probohly Worship
ped was no more and that the
grave yard had grown up into a
wilderness. Mr.. Burke promised
to go out there and let US know
if he found Uncle Ellis grave.
Before we leave Carroll County
| want to tell you about their His
tOrical Society which has fine old
house right in the heart of West
minister, built in 1907. It was last
occupied by two maiden ladies who
established undying fame, not only
by their many acts of kindness, but
from the fact that their we'll, which
we saw in the rear yard, was the
mainstay Of the town in a year Of
terrible drought even passing
travellers were invited to stop and
refresh themselves and their
horses. The house is well filled
with historical relics of Carroll.
We have spoken Of the custodian,
Mrs. Amelia Amman. She and Mrs.
Smith invited Jack and me to come
back soon and give a lecture on
Eli Bentley and his clocks before
their Historical Society Can you
imagine that? Jack said we