Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1950-01-05

the first half of the goth century,
but the old Sentinel, now beginning
the last five of it's 100 years o.
continued existence here in Rock
vile, just must get in the game.
First the weather. Monday Jan
uary 1, 1900 there was snow or
the ground-creeks were frozer
over and the temperature was
officially 3 above zero. Compare
this with the balmy so degrees
Of Sunday January 1, 1950-slight.
ly cloudy with rain in the evening
Reading the few 1900 issues We
have in our files the world al
large seemed to look for a goth
century of unlimited peace, pros
perity and social developments
did not seem to anticipate the
wonderful progress which has
given US our modern improvements
neither did it dream of the pat
ernalistic government toward
which we are now drifting.
But let's look at the Sentinel
and see what was going on in
upper Montgomery in 1900.
At the turn of the century the
statement of the amount of the
levy, which. was $125, $4,000 fol-
the year, by the County Commits
Sioners contained such figures as
the following:
Expenses of the Circuit Court
amounted to $4,99S.35. Thomas
Dawson, then Clerk, received
$2,584.34. There were five County
Commissioners, ]. w. Walker, E.
A. McAtee, r. R. Darby, S. K
Bready, R. T. Ray, and only two
clerks, w. w. Welsh and R. G.
Hilton, with combined salaries
amounting to $2,927.73. Twelve
constables earned $836.45, collec-
lively. Expenses of the Court
House and Jail amounted to
$3,661.42, the fuel bill for both,
(wood and coal) only $4,000. $40
went to the Local Board of Health.
Orphans Court expenses were in
the amount of 1856. Judges were
c. H. Griffith, L. A. Darby and
c. R. Murphy. H. C. Allnutt, Re-
gister of Wills, received $876.9S.
ALLEGATIONS to Public Schools
amounted to 100000. A total of
S20,516.33 was expended for roads,
1t was amazing to find that
only Rockville had a population
requiring two precincts. There
12 polling places = Laytonsville
in E. H. Houck's shop; Clarksburg
in Miles store; Poolesville, Halls
Hotel; Rockville, at w. R. Pun
phrey's store, and Grand Jury
Room; Colesville, Mrs. Waters
vacant house; Jamestown, Crit
fith's store; Bethesda, Keiser's new
building; Olney, Grange Hall;
Gaithersburg, Humphreys store;
Potomac, Stones Hall; GAINESVILLE
Grange Hall; Damascus, Mounts
Shop; Wheaton, Cissel's store,
(Silver Spring was then only a
stop on the railroad).
Real estate, in those days, was
"dirt cheap" A farm of 1874 acres
near Burtonsville, formerly known
as the Ridgely Farm. with "good
'"nd, dwelling and outbuilding, fine
fruit, large timber, very valuable,
was offered for SIS per acre-easy
terms of payment. Another bar
gain was thirteen acres, improved
by 7-roc.m house, stable, water,
shade and fruits near the Rock
vile depot-$2,00O. Also an i'm
proved 146-acre farm for $4,000,
offered by Thomas Dawson.
The ad of David H. Bouic, Rock
vile, raised the question as to
whether he was selling" or keep
ing" something. The ad ran 81
am keeping the finest quality of
cakes | have ever kept, the finest
i'll the market, and as cheap or
cheaper than you can make them.
Try them" He also offered "Im-
proved Soap-it is the best soap
made for removing grease from
anything-I sell it at 5 cents a
cake" And not to be "sneezed at"
was a "Boss Lantern" which he
offered for ten cents-the wind
connot blow them out, the ad read.
Life was burden, one ad
began-"nearly distracted. doctors
and medicine failed-CURED BY
TWO BOTTLES. The remedy
turned out to be a blood, liver and
nerve tonic, however, and not what
might at first be thought.
Reisinger's Bakery was selling
bread a cents a Loaf loaves for
rs cents. Ice cream $1.00 a gallon.
Washington stores, too, adver-
tised in the Sentinel.
Sak's. & Co., Lansburghs, the
Boston Store Woodward G. 10th
rop) and Kings Palace ran ads
all wool serge, cheviot and fancy
dress goods 25 and 30 cents a yard.
Boys dress pants to age II, $1.75
Boys suits for S.. Hahns were
offering "fine shoes" SIPS to $2.49
pair.
Among some of the personal"
items found in the Sentinel at
the turn of the century:
Mrs. John Boyer of Baltimore
is "resticating' with Mrs. Noah