20-50-100 Years Ago — Sept. 2 | News – Frederick News Post

The price of chickens are high indeed. We all know that but the price has suddenly raised as far as Samuel Long, near Thurmont, is concerned for last night while he was engaged in catching some for market one of the fowls became frightened and flew against a lantern, which was carried by one of the Long family. The lantern exploded and started a very disastrous fire. Before anything could be done the flames had spread and the entire barn was consumed.

Capt. John Schley, who celebrated his eighty-first birthday Saturday, August 23, at the Deaconess Hospital, talks entertainingly to his visitors and spends ours in writing personal notes to the army friends who remembered his birthday anniversary. Capt. Schley was born and reared in Frederick, Md., the home of Barbara Fritchie and knew well the heroine of the dramatic historical incident and speaks familiarly of the Fritchie Glove Factories which stood on opposite corners in the old town, owned by brothers of “Barbara.” When the civil war broke out, he enlisted in the 11th Indiana Regulars in the three months’ service under Gen. Lew Wallace, later receiving a commission as second lieutenant in the 5th Maryland, under his brother Col William Lewis Schley. He had four brothers in the civil war, and three in the Mexican war, one of whom, David Schley, has never been heard from since.

50 Years Ago

Sept. 2, 1969

Arson was the apparent cause of a general alarm fire which caused extensive damage to Parkway School last night. Several youths were seen in the building by the night watchman, Bernard Ambush, just as the blaze began about 10 p.m. in a downstairs utility closet. Ambush said he pursued one youth, who was wearing a black shirt and light blue pants. He sent his dog after another one but called it off because he was afraid it might seriously injure him.

The chairman of the Frederick City and County Taxpayers League contends on the even of the group’s next public meeting — at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Farmers Picnic Woods near Petersville — that the county’s $5.5 million bond issue “is not necessary.”

William D. Aldridge, former FHS coach, died Saturday at Queen Anne’s Hospital in Chestertown. He was 69. He was the son of the late George Washington and Mary Frances Keating Aldridge. In 1922, after graduating from St. Johns College in Annapolis, Aldridge came to Frederick to coach at the Boy’s High School. He stayed at the school as baseball coach until 1932.

20 Years Ago

Sept. 2, 1999

The Common Market board of directors has voted against a plan to relocate the natural health food store in downtown Frederick from Md. 85. The board agreed that the plan did not have enough support among its members, William Lebherz, board president, said Wednesday.

The Thurmont Community Ambulance Service Inc. plans to ask the Frederick County Commissioners to set up a special tax district that would be assessed an extra 8 cents on its property tax rate to fund career emergency personnel. The average homeowner in Thurmont could expect an additional $40 in taxes a year if the district is established and the rate is set at 8 cents per $100 of assessed value. One penny on Thurmont’s current tax rate would generate about $19,000.