The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1949-11-03
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS
by
Ida 10 Martin

Gus town. And this was the time
when patriotism ran high, and the
spirit of commemorative the great
General and President, Washing
ton, was taking solid form.
Some time ago l described the
building of the first monument to
Washington, the one near Boons-
bOro. Although this was the first
one completed, it seems that it was
not the first one started. Appar-
emily the great monument in Wash
ington, D., c., was under way at that
time, or at least there were definite
plans and fund to finance the work,
for we find that the voters of this
County donated sum of money for
the expressed purpose of being
towards the completion of the
Washington Monument at Washing
ton City, D. c."
But to us of Washington County,
the action that just preceded this
donation is of more interest. In
1921, just six years before the mon
ument at Boonsboro was built, it
was proposed, in Hagerstown, to
erect a monument to General Wash
ington in the public square. This
proposal was complete enough to
contain provisions for a statue and
a water fountain, and it was sup
posed to have been constructed of
Washington County Marble. If this
monument had been erected, I'm
wondering whether its presence in
the square today would benefit or
hinder the solving of traffic prob
lens. 1t was just after the falling
through of these plans that the do
nation to the completion of the mon
ument at Washington City was made.
1t seems that some of the other
problems confronting our Hagers-
town of today are not exactly new.
In 1905 we had in Hagerstown a
notorious gambling resort" a tav-
eTn on Potomac Street. The pro-
prietor of this tavern was described
as being very gentlemanly person,
pleasing in his manners, but also al
ways determined to win his intend
ed victims money, whether by fair
means or foul. On at least one oc-
casion there was a woman who anne
into the tavern and collared her
husband, and took him out. That's
another one 1 have heard of more
recently. In this tavern there were
often fierce fights and brawls" All
Of which again proves that old adage:
There's nothing new under the
Sun"
At this time it was a long ac-
cepted custom that Tuesdays were
Public Day. This was the custom
in practically all the towns, espec-
tally in western Maryland. The
people of the entire community
gather in the town to transact bust
ness, and to talk politics. And
here is another thing that is sur
prisingly like the way we find it
today. On these days when the
town were crowded, and there was
money changing hands, there were
always the "peripatetic takers" re-
heving people of their cash, or as
they put it in those days, plying
thriving trade in 'thimble- rigging
and other games shrewdly calcu-
lated to deceive the unwary and ease
them of their cash" Now l wonder
if anyone can tell me just what sort
of game was Misunderstanding" Of
course little more refined methods
are used today, but the purpose and
the results are the same. 1t would
do us all good to read the confess
sions of some of these sharks" We
all think a person is just plain
dumb" to give his life's savings to
a smooth talking stranger who
promises to double it, but the meth
DDS of the modern fakir are just as
sure in their results.
Another object of much interest
at that time has completely dis
appeared today. That was the old
Oak Spring on West Franklin Street,
which was popular place. 1t was
fenced in, and the spring cleared
out, and we find city ordinances
about its use, especially forbidding
boys from lettering about it. 1
guess it was alright for men. But
today there is no trace of its loca-
ton.
Sometime after the beginning of
the 1905 there was a tinsmith by
the name of Jacob Yeakle, who car
ried on his business in log house
on West Washington Street. He was
an excellent horseman, and always
had stable of several fine horses.
IL .xyoc cold IF hin, fbo< he roIo I;l~o