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Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com www.TheCatoctinBanner.com The Catoctin Banner Newspaper August 2018 Page 35
1917
by James Rada, Jr.
The Jinx of Old Fr ederick Road
Old Frederick Road used to be Near midnight on Saturday, neither car could drive properly, One of the female passengers
the main thoroughfare between Charles Fogle was driving a seven- they both wound up in a ditch. flew through the roof of the car
Thurmont and Frederick in 1917. It passenger Overland automobile, The drivers weren’t injured, and while Shoemaker was trapped
wasn’t the safest roadway, though. carrying Archie Elrode, Clarence the cars were driveable once they beneath it.
The Catoctin Clarion claimed it School, Grayson Schell, and Arthur were pulled from the ditch and C. W. Lidie was passing nearby
had a “jinx” on it. As evidence, Clabaugh. He crashed into a carriage disconnected. and saw the accident. He stopped
it offered four different mishaps carrying Mr. and Mrs. Frank Angle The final incident was the most- his own car and rushed over to help
suffered on the road during a and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Cramer, unusual of the four. Late Sunday Shoemaker out from beneath his
September weekend. Not only were all of Walkersville. afternoon, G. W. Shoemaker was vehicle and administer first aid. The
they different accidents, they were No one was seriously hurt, driving a car carrying Harry Trout, car was damaged, although it was
different types of accidents. although the carriage was Earl Heifleigh, Hallie Crum, and salvageable. No one was seriously
The first problem happened completely destroyed and the car Bertha Crum. Near Catoctin injured except the cow.
Saturday evening when a car struck badly damaged. According to the Furnace, a cow made a sudden turn Lidie sent his family home to
Thomas Baker while he was crossing Clarion, “The tires were stripped and walked into the road before Thurmont while he drove the
the road. Baker was thrown back from both right wheels and the front Shoemaker could avoid it. The car passengers of the wrecked car to
over the front-wheel fender, and the axle forced back under the center of hit the cow, knocking it down, and their homes in Liberty.
only injuries he suffered was when the car. The fenders on the right side the front tires of the car passed Car vs. person, car vs. carriage,
he scratched his face on the road were crushed.” over the animal. car vs. car, and car vs. cow. The
surface. The apparent cause of the On Sunday during the day, two “Objecting to being underneath, road jinx didn’t discriminate.
accident was that the driver of the cars hooked their front wheels the cow gave a hump and tossed Luckily, no one was killed in any
vehicle couldn’t see Baker, because together somehow while traveling the car to the side of the road and of these accidents, which may be
the lights from oncoming traffic down the state road about a half into a ditch,” the Catoctin Clarion because the cars weren’t traveling at
were too bright and blinded him. mile south of Thurmont. Because reported. the speeds they do nowadays.
