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I*terteACROSS THE DESKSIXTY YEARS Ago Ten North End Teenagers Organized The Cardinal Club That Owns Spacious Clubhouse On Extensive Grounds At Mouth Of Town Creek And Potomac River — Diamond Jubilee Celebrated Today.rreIdeyri -shv**(5J.e1,u* *Of the many private clubs and associations that were in existence when 1 came to Cumberland a half century ago, onlyone is still active. That is the Cardinal Club that observes its 60th anniversary today at the club house on Town Creek with an open house and reunion entertainment. Today's anniversary celebration was preceded by a Diamond jubilee banquet last night in Apple Inn, Paw Paw, W. Va.Among the clubs and societies active here before World War I were the Fort Cumberland Club, the Shawnee Canoe Club. Girls Friendly Society. Queen City Scribes, Knights of Good-fellowship (KOG). Wavcrly Social Club and many others inaddition to nationally established fraternal organizations which, of course, still exist.In 1907 a group of teenagers residing in the North End got together and formed, without any adult supervision, a social club that emphasized outdoor recreation and such sports as swimming, fishing and hunting. The ten original members were Frank K. Smith. Robert and Conrad Fell on. Theodore Halter, Albert B. Mullan. Carl F. Sell* mutz, John B. and Joseph F. Schaaf, Robert S. Stogtnaicr and J. Henry Schadc. During the first week of September informal meetings were held at at several homes, and on September 10, 1907 the first formal organization was set up at a meeting in the home of the parents of Frank E. and J. George Smith. The Cardinal Athletic Club was adopted as the name and officers were elected. These were Frank E. Smith, president: Albert B. Mullan, vice president. Robert V. Stegmaier, financial secretary; John B. Schaaf. treasurer; Carl F. Schmidz. recording secretary; a ml J. Henry Schade, mar-shall.From that humble beginningBO years ago, the present Cardinal Chib (the Athletic part of the title was dropped in 1921) now owns over 200 acres of scenic camp ground at the mouth of Town Creek and the Polomae River; a spacious clubhouse, and all manner of up-to-date facilities and conveniences.Theodore Haller is the only one of the original ten stiil living but two long time members are William H. (Bill) Marean (who joined in 1910) and Perry Rosen merkle (whose membership dates from 1913).Clifton H. Hafer is the current president; Dr. George L. Fogtman, vice president; Perry Roscnmcrkle, secretary; William C. Harrison, treasurer; and John W. Deelz, James W. Bishop and William H. Marean, directors.On four occasions Ihe Cardinal Club has played host to Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and the Canal Hikers Association, first in 1954 when flic original hikers walked from Cumberland to Washington; a second time in Mild; again in 19(54, and most recently this year on the thirteenth anniversary of (he historic original hike.First club rooms were in the Miller building, North Centre Street. Dances, boxing bouts and band practice were held there. Yes. the Cardinal Club had its own brass band and won first honors with its uniformed marching unit when Cumberland's Great While Way was opened in 1915.A perusal of the early minutes is especially revealing when it is kept in mind that ihe organizers were teenagers before World War I. Here arc some ’■gems’’ that show the serious approach of (hose North End boys three score years ago:It was ordered that the punching hag in Miller's Hall be taken down on Sundays.A committee was named inniques Bring Meaninging Of U.S. HistoryV t*Vvae■i-rla•mnr-er5(10ftite\• -rx6s*l-ft1-CN* *eoiteelementary and secondaryschool rltilflren.Tho story of our American Revolution is a series of vignettes. all reflect mg incidents of heroism, of battles fought ,«r lost, and nf British infamy. Nut many elementary school children know (ho vfory behind the Boston Tea Party.’The war r.f JSI2. which was rcallv the conclusion of the Revolutionary Mar. receives loss examinationfor relevancy to our national history.Fnr a long time the wroncs of slavery in the prc Civil War years were largely neglected. 5t was this casual teaching nf history which prevented Americans from knowing not merely the deep injustices bn) the economic stories and the burden «tmorality winch slavery imposed. Even now. not many Americansunderstand (In- historical implication nf »he great out-mi graft on of several million small Negro farmers and farm laborers who were sepcraled entirely from participating in the American processes in government and who were given little education. Lndcr the now system special, trained teachers will he able to present documents from the slavery period and from that of reconstruction. The- students will learn some real Ivstory.•Io]\n Brown's raid on Harpers ferry usually is treated as, an isolated aci r»f violence by a madman. There is very littleteaching of the relevance between history and efforts in extend slavery into the West, norIs there for many elementary and secondary school students any (caching nf the New England abolitionists and the inspiration which Brown gave la abolition generally in New England. John Brown's diaries long have been available, but they have not been taught.Rare, indeed, is the student who knows that period of his country’s history in which the powerful business lobbies elected a majority of ihe congressmen through their control of state legislatures. Records and diaries nf the men who built the nation's railroads and canals ami created the oil and steel industries have always been available, hul unused.Tn past years history Impks were even more slanted and inadequate. Modern history honks will include maps and lexis on peoples in other parts of the world and how their history has affected that of this country. Visual aids of new excellence will also be available. New York City will inaugurate some of these new teaching techniques this fall. Other states already are planning them. But indications ard that apathetic school boards in a majority of the states will go along wilh the old style bonks, which teach very little history,,c tttw, Fuhii5h*r*‘Hall S^niitc-ile)February I90g {0 see about putting an electric light in the men's room.After s lengthy debate, it wasvoted to subscribe to the Police Gazette at a dollar a year.Six cuspidors were purchasedand a new dipper for the water bucket was approved.When 1908 wound up showing a treasury balance of S9.45, it was voted to open an account in the Commercial Savings Bank! In 1910 the bank balance was S43.ll.Before purchasing Uie valuable properly (hat extends from State Route 51 (Oldtown Road) to Town Creek .and the Potomac River, the club members had summer camping locations at such varied sites as Mdlcson's Mill on (he South Branch; Orleans Crossroads on the West Virginia side of Ihe Potomac; Wharton’s Farm near Little Orleans: the Reynolds Farm near Hancock on the C O Canal: the Mead Bowers Farm 11 miles south of Paw Paw and on the Big Cacajion River. Sonic of these early camps drew 100 or more patrons.When World War 1 engulfed the world in 1917-1318, thirteen Cardinal Club members answered the -Call To Arms and all returned, only one being wounded in' action.In 1919 there was started the building fund that eventually accounted for the first attractive property. The land was purchased and deeded to the Cardinal Club July 1, 1921. A club bouse was built and a scheduled program of improvements inaugurated.The present dam was built in 1935 to provide a place for boating. fishing and swimming, and lo furnish the Western Maryland Railway Co. a supply of water for the tank erected nearby. The railroad pays « yearly rental for water rights and keeps the dam in rcpair.The St. Patrick's Day flood of I93f destroyed the club house and its contents. A year later a larger club house was completed but the members shouldered a debt of Sg.OflO to accomplish the comeback after Hie shattering damage inflicted by the flood.Having surmounted floods, wars, depressions and several fires, the Cardinal Club, now ten yeais advanced on it? see-end half century, is celebrating it? Diamond Jubilee with confidence and dclcrnniiaiimi.In 1929 social membership was authorized in addition to the equity members who own the property and the club assets.Tiie site occupied by the Cardinal Club is historic in several ways. Through it marched Gen. Edward Braddock and his British Army; also George Washington and his colonial troops: Indian warriors, and traders, trappers and settlers. Buried on its grounds in unmarked graves are scores of canal and railroad workers who were killed in accidents and died of diseaseduring construction work between Paw Raw and Cumberland in the tgtns and ISYKTiic names of original members are perpetuated in today's membership by sons and grandsons. The names of Schade, Brode. Marean. Roscnmerkle, Jordan. Mullan, Stcgmaier, Garlitz, Young. Eylcr. Schmulz, Yandegrift and others appear in two generations.The North End teenagers of 1937-190S budded well, and today’s members may well pay tribute to their predecessors of the Cardinal Club, as they gather in the clubhouse where Town Creek empties into the Potomac near a beautiful stretch of the C O Canal.
Newspaper Details
Cumberland Times
Cumberland, Maryland, US
Sun, Sep 03, 1967
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
MD, USA 31 Dec 2020
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