davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Post Office Mural DrelU
Wrath of Rockville Reader

Chief of Police Charles M.
Orme was fired and three police
men were temporarily suspended
for failing to halt a Montgomery
Avenue riot against a Jehovah's
Witnesses meeting June 10, 1910,
Ten arrested rioters, however,
were acquitted.
The religious sect was gather
in a room above the grocery
store at 222 East Montgomery
Avenue. About 8 pm. policemen
L. B. Thompson and Charles
Peters were dispatched to investi-
gate crowd gathering in front
of the building. One member of
the crowd carried an American
flag.
Officer Thompson was per-
suaded to enter the meeting and
request the Jehovah's Witnesses
salute the flag. He returned to
the street and declared that the
sect had refused to salute the
flag because it was against their
religious tenets.
The crowd stormed past the
officers, up the stairs and into
the meeting. Again the sect re-
fused to salute. The crowd pre-
ceded to break up the meeting,
destroy literature, smash phono-
graph records and overturn fur
niture. Damage was estimated
at S25.
Police Sergt. Guy Jones took
two sect members, Fowler Ste
vens and Bernard L. Rowe, into
protective custody. When the
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

Robertson and Wendall Turner
for Councilmen."
These candidates then drew up
a platform with the aid of vol
unteer committee. The platform
was approved at a public meet
ing on Feb. %.
That this platform was no
mere scrap OF paper" is evident
IN the fact that the achievements
OF the Mayor and Council are
still being evaluated in the HgnU
of it.
Its main point was a Master
Plan for the development OF
rockville to be worked out with
the cooperation of a number OF
citizens advisory groups. New
streets, parks, recreation facln
ues, off-street parking, and
water and sewer system were
specifically mentioned. Improve
ment of city administration and
finance and moderniZation of the
city charter were also spelled out.
At the same time that Cog was
signing members from all over
town and conducting its own high
ly organized campaign, the citi.
zens associations and the women's
clubs were. doing their part in
stimulating public interest. All
states were given a chance to air
their views and political rallies
became a part of the local picture,
At the same time, a drive to eX-
tend registration times and places
was successfully waged by four
of the citizens goups, Rockville,
Silver Rock, Progressive ana
Twinbrook.
AS a result the election of
May 3 broke all records; of the
3,I38 voters registered, 2,495
voted. The egg candidates won
with Mayor HOvsepian getting
1,179 votes.
The cog leaders who helped
bring about this victory are:
John Rausch, Chairman; Mrs.
Virginia Hinton, Vice Chairman;
Harry Taylor Secretary; Mrs.
Hansen, Treasurer; Campaign
Committee: Herman Hartman,
Chairman; Clyde Hardin, Frank
Ecker, David Cahoon, Ralph viii
liams, Michael Davis, Jr., and
Barnard Welsh; Committee Chair.
men: Carl Brown, Charles FoW.
Ter, Carl Ness, Albert Stoughton,
Chauncey Reed, Leslie Able, Rob
bert Miller Dr.. Norman Boas
and Chris Henderson.
After a great deal ~ thought
and weiphinr Of pros and cons
it was decided TO make Citizens
for Good Government a perma
nent organization.
AS a result, a general member.
! ship meeting was called for oct.
IA, 1854 to elect an Executive
Board, whose members are Frank
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

mob dispersed, they were re-
leased.
Two days after the riot, ten
men were arrested and charged
with disorderly conduct and I'M
lawful assembly. Buck Cornwell,
Jack Maddox, Goldsboro Bur
rows, John E. Barrett, George
Mullican, Joseph Fisher, James
Foster, Benjamin A. Burroughs,
Roscoe Cope, and Raymond Davis
were released on $3.50 bond each.
A month later the men were
acquitted after ten hour trial.
One hundred ten witnesses testi.
fled. A jury declared the alleged
rioters were at the scene "out of
curiosity or happened along be-
cause of being up town on bust
ness"
The fate of Chief Orme was not
as pleasant. BY a vote of 80
the Board of County Commits
missioners voted to dismiss the
chief. Commissioner T. Earle
Hampton stated, 1.-THE fact that
the chief displayed no great in
terest in the fact that there was
trouble in Rockville is evidenced
because in his statement to the
board he made no effort to ex-
plain why he took so long in ar
irving there" 1t was alleged
that Chief Orme did not arrive
in Rockville from his Gathers
burg home until the mob had dis
persed.
Charged with failure to pre-,
vent a riot" Officer Thompson
was fined $3.50 and Officer Peters
was fined $3.50. The men were
returned to the force with rec
concentrations that they be as
signed separate posts. Officer
Jones, a 20-year police veteran,
was cleared. Chief Orme was
later reinstated.
ALI three policemen were tried
before a Police Trial Board of
Police Commissioner r. Watt
Farmer, Police Civil Service
Commissioner B. Peyton Whalen
and former Police Judge Harold
c. Smith.
The United States Department
of Justice Investigated the riot
against the Is Jehovah's Witness
es but after the dismissal of
Chief Orme, States Attorney Ben
G. Wilkinson declared, 1.-THE De-
partment of Justice is still investi-
eating the facts but / think it
will be satisfied that the Board
of County Commissioners has
taken adequate steps through adj
ministrative action in diSmissing
the Chief of Police and that 1
have instituted appropriate pro-
tective action"
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

Prescott. He was introduced by
DR.. George L. Edmonds, general
chairman of the dedication com
mittee. Other speakers included
the Honorable William C. Walsh,
Representative William D. Byron,
Senator GeorgesL. Radcliffe and
the Honorable Francis Petrol,
Secretary of State.
What the SENTINEL called
zone of the most colorful parades
ever Witnessed in Rockville" pre-
coded the dedication. Parade
Marshal was Capt. Ward w.
Caddington.
The post office officially open
ed for business on September 5,
1889. Postmaster was DR.. George
L. Edmonds. His staff included:
Henry A. Dawson, Assistant
Postmaster, and Lowry Riggs,
Bernard j. Poss, Howard o. Nc
Gahan and Theodore A. Ricketts,,
clerks.
The gross income of the Rock
Vile Post Office was $25, 1000 a
year in those days. Each month
about $4,000 worth of money
orders we're issued and about
$12, 900 we're redeemed.
Judging by comments of the
day the most striking feature of
the new post office was the bank
of 512 Individual mail boxes
equipped with key locks instead
of combination locks.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

to and from the southern resorts.
Before Maryland frightened up
its marriage laws, Rockville was
popular with young Washington
couples who wanted to get mar
ried. All they had to do was
catch the streetcar in, downtown
Washington and ride right out
to the courthouse.
When these couples turned up
at the hotel, Mrs. Roger took
them in hand. Since most of the
county clerks boarded at the
hotel at some time in their
careers, getting a license was
easy enough, even if the court
house was closed.
The license taken care Of, Mrs.
Roger directed the bride and
bridegroom to Rockville's various
churches. If they had no pre-
ference as to denomination, she
would call up one of the local
ministers and hold the wedding
right in the hotel.
The Rogers, the Robeys, or any
of the guests who felt SO inclined
served as witnesses to the cere.
mony.
Misunderstanding sales
men who worked out of the
various county stores 49, usually
stopped at Montgomery House
when they were in the Rockville
area. In the evenings, the sales
men and the town folk gathered
on the shady front porch of the
hotel to talk things over.
That front porch was just
about the best spot in town for
anyone who wanted to be we'll
informed. 1t was close enough
to the courthouse to get all the
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Ex-First Lady
Spoke to Open
Alta Vista Home

The attendance and speech of
Mrs. Herbert Hoover at the dedi-
cation of the Baptist Home for
Children at Alta Vista was re-
ported in the SENTINEL of Nov.
20, 1881.
The Presidents wife dressed
in a green suit with a gray fox
scarf and a small velvet hat that
shoIltd an amber hat pin on the
side" wished the children "a very
happy life" in the new home.
The $250,000 institution, con-
sisting of two English-style dor
mitories and several attendant
buildings, was erected with a
contribution from philanthropist
Edwin Gould. The county built
a mile-long road to the Home and
the Washington Suburban SAM
tary Commission provided free
water and sewage services.
In addition to the brief address
by Mrs. Hoover, and speeches by
Judge Kathryn Sellers Of the Dis
trict Juvenile Court, and Daniel
c. Roper of the District Board OF
Education, the dedicatory pro-
gram consisted of entertainment
by children of the Home.
Supervising the opening day
festivities were Board of Trustees
Chairman E. Hilton Jackson and
board members c. Clinton James,
George Bryan, Claude Livingston,
Charles Werner, and Robert NJ
Miller.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Now Closed, Milo Theatre Opened
To Plaudits of All of Rockville

Unable to compete with the new
giant screen projection processes,
Ntelevision, and seat-slashing van
dals, the Milo Theater closed it's
doors in July of this year. Less
than 20 years ago the movie
house opened with one of the
most elaborate celebrations ever
seen in Rockville.
The theater,S together with a
Peoples Drug Store and Piggy
Wiggly Food Store, occupied the
ground floor of a new 100000
building erected by Rufus E.
Milor on the site of an old hotel
opposite the Court House. Of
fees were rented on the second
floor. Behind the building was
a parking lot for 300 automobiles.
Over 1000 people attended the
two opening night performances
in October of 1885. Sidney Lust,
proprietor of the new theater,
selected Anna Karenina" star
ring Greta Carlo and Frederick
March, as the opening night film.
The SENTINEL reported, "The
whole town of Rockville turned
out to visit it's most modern and
recent enterprise"
The first weeks program in
cluded Red Heads on Parade"
with John Boles, Dixie Lee MRS.
Bling Crosby, and 48 dazzling
redhead beauties, welcome
Home, with James Dunn and Ar
lene Judge" and "Brewster's Mil
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Built in 1888

Undecided jurors, clipping
sWeethearts, travelling statesmen,
Florida. bound tourists all. of
these filled rooms of the Mont
gomery House back in the days
when it vase Rockville'S leading
hotel.
The Montgomery House was
built around 1888, when business
was booming in the most impor-
tant town of the six-year-old
county. 1t stood on Court House
Square, where the movie house is
now.
John Kelchner bought the
hotel in the 18S0's when he was
elected sheriff of the county and
had to move to Rockville from
Brookeville.
After his death in 1909, his
widow and two daughters took
over. The daughters and their
husbands ran the hotel, and the
two families - the Rogers and
the Robeys - moved right in.
E. L. Roger, who is now re-
tired and lives in Rockville on
Maryland Avenue, recalls the
booming business the hotel did
under his management. The big
28-room building, made of bricks
brought from England as ballast
in the holds of ships, had 18 bed
rooms, two baths, two kitchens,
two parlors and two dining
rooms.
The place was almost always
filled with a variety of guests,
) besides the seven or eight per-
manent boarders. When court
was in session. Mr.. Roger was
often called upon to put up mem
bers of hung juries.
On Tuesdays, when the County
Commissioners met, all h e
people from the surrounding
country who had favors to ask
or gripes to voice converged on
Rockville. Since most of them
planned to have dinner - served
at noon - at Montgomery House.
the dining room was busy.
Henry Jackson, a colored man
who worked at the hotel, would
walk out to the sidewalk and
ring the old dinner bell. The
bell was clearly heard in the
courthouse across the street, and
hungry men wotrid come run
ming to the hotel.
After putting away as much
food as they could eat, the guests
paid the so cent tab. Overnight
guests paid $3.50 a day, including
meals. And there were no bell.
hops to tip.
Between 1915 and 1920, in the
days of the big Florida BOOM
s. Rockville was on the direct route
h from the north to Florida, and
Mr.. Roger had to turn away
tourists seeking rooms.
Some families liked the Mont.
gomery House so well that they
planned to stop there on the way
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

Rockville did not become an
Alli-America City last February
overnight or through the action
of any one group of its citizens.
1t was the result of a deep.
rooted trend in the city's develop.
ment in the past eight years to.
wards Good Government based on
democratic principles; a trend that
did not stop with the presentation
of the award to Mayor Dickran
HovSepian.
The founding of the Rockville
Civic Association in February,
1947 was the result of the first
upsurge of civic interest. At
that time it was directed at lib
eralizing registration and vot-
ing regulations, which then had
a resident requirement of three
to five years.
Among the early members OF
this association were Herman
Hartman, Leslie Able, Hugh
Davidson First chairrnan), Ralph
Williams, Irving McNair, Walter
Taylor, DR.. Jarvis, Vernon and
Ruth Riley, Boyd and Ellen Laid
and Roy Sherman.
The long resident requirement
had the expected result of keep
ing down the number of voters Sc
that two-thirds of the $50 register
ed in 1947 were the original names
at the opening of the led
ger in 1928. In 1913, from popu
lation of 5000, those registered
numbered $50 and 240 of these
actually voted.
In that year, the State Legisla
ture as a result of a petition cir
culated the previous year by the
association and signed by 300
people, reduced the residence re
quirement to one year. At the
same time, Rockville's non.parti
san elections were exempted from
the Hatch Act so that the mum
bers of Federal employees, begin
ming to pour into the town, were
able to participate.
BY 1858, the population, in
creased by almost 10000, was
faced with a severe water short
age and sewer ban by the State
Health Department. City Council
meetings which up to then hac
been conducted in the slow tempo
of small town were suddenly
overwhelmed by hundreds of citi
zens asking insistant and un
answerable questions.
A Citizens Action Committed
was formed that included mer
and women from all sections, new
and old, of the rapidly expanding
city. On the roster were Stanley
Smiegel, Herman Hartman, Frank
Ecker, Leslie Able, Michael Davis
Gerhard Drechsler, Warren Milor
Frank Stalfort, Clyde Hardin
John Rausch, Dickran Hovsepian
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

lions with Jack Buchanan and
Lii Damita." On the Saturday
after its opening the Milo offer
ed chapter one of a TarZan serial.
Each youngster attending receiv-
ed free "Tarzan ice cream cup"
Leon Kraft, experienced at
theaters in the Carolinas and
Washington, was manager of the
Milo. Carl w. Tucker and ].
Warren Milor operated the pro-
lection booth.
Admission in those days was
30 cents for adults and 20 cents
for children!
Mr.. Lust apparently took great
pride in his ushers, for he stated
in the SENTINEL, 1.-THE house
attaches, under modified military
discipline, will be happy to per-
form any reasonable service de-
sired, with gratuities. Each has
been thoroughly trained to serve
you with courtesy and expedi-
ency."
Four pages of ads placed by
local merchants in The SEN
TINEL welcomed the new theat-
err. A group of Hollywood stars,
including Shirley Temple, Jean
Harlow, Clark Gable, Lionel Bar
rymore, Robert Montgomery,
Ronald Coleman, Warner GLAND,
Rochelle Hudson, Freddie Barth-
olomew, and Alice Faye, sent con-
gratulatory kilograms which The
SENTINEL reprinted.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

to watch whenever she sat down
to practice that she couldn't con-
centrate on the notes.
Mr.. Roger, now IS, sold the
hotel in 1923 and went into the
grocery business, because run
ming the big place became a
strain on his health. The new
owners changed the name to
Dixie Tavern, gave it a coat. of
paint, and started to serve
drinks. -.... 7.... 80.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Friends House
In Sandy Spring
Was Really Hot

It's possible that the express
sion "There'll be a hot time in the
old town tonight" originated at
the Friends Meeting House in
Sandy Spring.
After much argument about it
being "a piece of hurtful indul-
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Many Businesses

Versatility was the keynote for
18th century entrepeneurs. One
Spencerville merchant announced
in an 1860 number of the SEN
TINEL that he was engaged in
the wheelrighting and machine
business, and undertaking.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

Ecker, Mrs. Merle Smith, Leslie
Able, Michael Davis, Stanley
Smiegel, 10 Allen, Chauncey
Reed, Herman Hartman, David
Cahoon, Mrs. Alfred Kay, Henry
Redkey and Ralph Williams.
Frank Ecker was chosen by the
Board to be its Chairman.
At second membership meet.
ing on Nov. 30, the permanent by.
laws of the organization were ap.
proved. Its primary purpose is to
promote the election of compe.
tent persons to the offices of
Mayor and Council in the 1856
election. It shall make plans for
that campaign at a meeting of the
general membership called for
that purpose not later than No.
vember IS, 1855.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
Built in 1854
Built in 1854
Famous Stable
Burned Down
Back in 1884

A famous stable, owned by
prominent men and occupied by
freedom.starved horses was de-
stroyed March II, 1884, when the
Rock Creek Riding Club in Sill.
yer Spring burned down.
Francis p. Blair, a member Of
President Andrew Jackson's cab.
met and editor of the Washington
Globe, erected the stable in 1854.
1t was operated as a dairy by
the elder Blair's son, Montgom.
cry Blair, who was Postmaster
General under President Abra.
ham Lincoln. The estate on which
the stable was located had been
passed down through the family,
and at the time of the fire was
owned by former United States
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

gence" the stole Friends decided
to equip their meeting place with
stove. The weather was warm
for the first meeting after the
heating unit had been installed
and no fire was made. The eld-
ers tossed their coats across the
cold stove. n
The next meeting day, however,
was coll one. One of the ED
crs strobe into the meeting,
flung his coat over the furnace,
and took his seat. A few NOM
ents later the member looked ov-
er to see his outer garment en-
veloped in smoke" This time the
stove had been lit!
Evening star., 1955-08-28
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Evening star., 1955-08-28

VNHE quartet below look if they're giving rendition
of that old Army ballad, II Don't Want No More OF
Army Life, Gee But | Want To Go Home. Actually.
they're just emerging from gas-mask training class at Fort
Dix N. j., with live gas The Army finds salutary
Montana farmer-stockman., 1955-10-15
Grain Sanitation
More Stringent

MORE STRINGENT sanitary require
ments on wheat will become effective
July 1, 1856, the beginning of the 1856
crop year, according to an announce
ment from Leo S. Kolstad, State Agri-
cultural Sterilization and Conservation
administrative officer
Under new standards established by
the Food and Drug administration one
or more rodent pellets per pint OF
wheat or one per cent or more of
insect damaged kernels will be the
basis for legal action against filth
contaminated wheat. Present sanitation
standards provide that the basis of
legal action shall be two or more ro-
dent pellets or an equivalent amount OF
communicating filth per pint of wheat
or two per cent or more of insect dam
age
In announcing the new standards,
George p. Larrick, commissioner OF
food and drugs, said, "The stated
levels are not intended for use in judg-
ing wheat containing filth as the result
of deliberate mixing of dirty wheat
with clean wheat in an attempt TO d.
lutte the contamination, nor to wheat
contaminated as result of continued
unsanitary storage conditions, as sucn
practices are vioIative per Sc. -
The new levels viii be effective dur
ing the 1856 crop year Ito July 1857 af
which time the program will again De
reviewed.
Montana farmer-stockman., 1955-10-15

Two 10 three times It's weight OF water
or even more. Cutting or chopping
straw does not increase its absorptive
power materially. For dairy cows even
larger quantities of cut straw than
uncut may be needed because the UNI
cut will stay in place better.
IT takes from A to 8 pounds of straw
per head daily for dairy cows in
stanchions while 1,OO0-pound fattening
steers in open sheds viii require to
s pounds daily. On this basis I viii
need in the neighborhood of 40 tons
of straw for the winter and | have
produced only about 20 tons on my
own farm.
This has been dandy year for the
dryland wheat farmers. My neighbors
to the south have hundreds of acres
of straw lying in windows miles long
on land which yielded 40 bushels of
wheat to the acre and which they
would like to have off the land. So
made a deal to bale 1000 bales of
straw, 200 to be delivered to the wheat
farmer, which is all he will need for
his use, and the balance may have
for the taking.
The straw project required one man
with an automatic wire tie baler four
days to tie up the 1000 bales. Baling
straw is much slower than baling hay
Montana farmer-stockman., 1955-10-15
On My Farm
Day-to-Day Operations
Of o DairynaSss-Feeder
ALBERT KING

This Is my first attempt at writ
Ing q magazine column but, as
small farm operator, / will attempt
10 report my day-to-day ACTIVITIES
successes and failures i'm such "a
way as might be of practical value
to other Montana operators.
I'd be glad to hear from other
farmers and to discuss their prob
Ierns. What answers can't sug-
gest from my own experience III
try to get from other sources.
ALBERT King