25-50-100 Years Ago -- Aug. 28
Aug. 28—100 Years Ago
Aug. 28, 1923
The amount of money found by Lee Houser near Hagerstown is now said to be $2,000 in gold and an undetermined sum in notes. Houser has stated to a newspaper man that there was $2,000 in gold and also a roll of bills which were so mildewed as to be unrecognizable. Houser is planning to send the money to Washington to have it treated by numismatics so as to determine the amount.
Washington, Aug. 27 — Department of Justice agents will endeavor to determine whether gold coins, reported to have been dug up recently near Hagerstown, Md., by a road worker is the property of Grover C. Bergdoll, Philadelphia, draft evader, now in Germany. William J. Burts, chief of the department's bureau of investigation for agents, "well-vested and experienced in the Bergdoll case will investigate the whole occurrence in the vicinity of Hagerstown." Thomas W. Miller, alien property custodian, declared "the U.S. government, through his office, will be interested" if the money proves to be Bergdoll's.
At its first showing in Maryland, "Human Wreckage," the movie which was produced by Mrs. Wallace Reid after the tragic death of her famous husband, made a deep impression here at the City Opera House on Monday night. The story deals with the pernicious effect of the drug habit, how it undermines a victim physically, mentally and morally. It also brings out how widespread is the evil, from the slums of the great city to the pinnacle of society. American has only recently awakened to the menace of dope.
50 Years Ago
Aug. 28, 1973
"Just because we're underground doesn't mean we should be underpaid," says John Williams, co-chairman of a group of about 100 employees of American Telephone and Telegraph in Monrovia who sponsored a billboard sign on the east end of Frederick. The message on the billboard — "Welcome to a Third Rate Community" — is not meant to belittle Frederick or Fredericktonians, but rather is aimed at the telephone company, both the local C&P and the Bell System, Williams said. The Monrovia workers, most of whom are involved in handling long-lines interstate calls, charge they are the victims of economic discrimination by their employer.
The Frederick metropolitan areas, including Walkersville, Mount Pleasant, Braddock Heights and Yellow Springs, will have house to house garbage collection twice a week if the county adopts the solid waster management recommendations of the study just completed by the Baker-Wibberly Engineering Company of Hagerstown. The study also recommends that all but two of the eight refuse disposal sites now in the county be closed as soon as feasible sanitary alternatives become available. Only the Reich's Ford and Fort Detrick landfills would remain open.
25 Years Ago
Aug. 28, 1998
Several candidates for Frederick County Commissioner have taken campaign contributions from developers, builders, real estate lawyers or agents, according to financial reports. Accepting donations from special interest groups is nothing new. Most candidates agree that fundraising is a campaign necessity and those with land use interests are among the most generous givers. But some say taking money from builders or developers creates a potential for ethical problems. "You're kidding yourself if you think people who give you money are not going to come back and look for their reward," said Commissioner David Gray.
Students who are suspended from Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle School this year won't get an afternoon lounging in front of the television. They'll get a day of homework help, tutors, mentors and community service projects. The program is the brainchild of Sushil Bhatacharjee, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Frederick County. He said he expects about 250 suspended students of TJ this year.
(Editor's Note: The News-Post does not have access to archives from 20 years ago for April 16 through December 2003. The "20 Years Ago" summary will return Jan. 1, 2024.)
