Page:Brunswick 100 Years of Memories.pdf/116

...

HOVERMALE PHARMA CY Howard Hovermale was born in Brunswick and first lived on New York Hill on Park Avenue, next to the church. Married, he lived on the southeast corner of Florida Avenue and Brunswick Street while waiting for his house at 406 West Potomac Street. Mr. Hovermale received a degree in pharmacy in the early 1900' sand operated his business across from the present firehall in the west room of a twostory; two-apartm ent building. Louise Mills Funk recalls delivering his lunch in a small basket every day for a while, when she was a small girl; for each trip he paid her a nickel. The business was leased to Paul Harrison and Raymond Kelly after Mr. Hovermale 's death in 1930. The new renters hired a pharmacist from Baltimore, Md., Dr. Roddick. The business did not survive. The store was offered to Bets Mills, who at the time owned a confectionery store at 300 West Potomac Street, where the Ambulance Building now stands. At this time, Bill Wenner bought Bets' corner store, so Bets took over Mrs. Hovermale' s business. For a short time he operated both stores. The Hovermale building was adjacent to the Imperial Theatre. Bets did a lot of business with the children who attended the movies. Penny candy, snowballs, ice cream cones, etc., were the main items during those Depression years."Beese" had been helping Bets - even at his first store. Bets, who umpired baseball games, was struck in the head by a foul ball, which caused him trouble ten or twelve years later. The pressure that built up could not be relieved, so he eventually gave up the business. Beese bought the store and ran it. Next, Julia and Bootsie Barger assumed management of the store for a short time, after which Leroy Brubaker, of "B" Street, took over. In more recent years, Good Will was housed in the same storeroom when the fire occurred that destroyed the entire building. The first floor housed the Roelke and Dixon Grocery Store on the east side. After this store moved, that room was occupied by Harrington' s Shoe Repair Shop and the Nicodemus /Porternew spaper distributors until the explosive fire that started in the basement from paint products.

ICE- MANUFA CTURING AND DELIVERY Having ice was not always as easy as pouring water into an ice cube tray. In the early 1900's ice was made at the Hygeia Ice Plant, which was behind Litten Chevrolet, slightly west, close to the railroad. This seems to be the only place ice was made in town. A Mr. Flicker (or Fleager) managed the plant. Pat Werking remembers it to be still in business in 1942. The well is reported to still be there. Other ice was brought in for sale from Frederick and Charles Town. This required delivery, and several firms were in the ice delivery business. Taylor was one. (See following article.) Tommy and Pete Tucker sold ice manufactur ed at Hygeia. Mr. Will "Fritz" Barker delivered ice, first with horse and wagon, later with truck. His headquarters was on Ninth Avenue near the New York Hill Market. Howard Crowl reports that he too ran an ice truck and used an old-time street car bell. John Mills, father of Russell and Hillery, delivered ice. He is said to have had an ice house and milk store across from Winebrenne r's. Mr. Huffman, also John Derflinger, delivered ice. Bill Gisrael delivered ice to businesses. As with vegetable and other trucks, people say that horses pulling the ice wagons would walk on down to the next stop while their driver was tending to the business at hand.

ICE AND MR. BEAMS

S - Louise "Beese" Mills Funk

Below the coffin factory, which was of rusted metal, as Gretchen Rollison remembers it, and was located at the intersection of Maryland A venue and Petersville Road where an apartment now stands, Mr. Beams stowed chunks of ice. They were stored in straw. If anyone came requesting 10, 15, or 10 pounds of ice, he would go right back there and sell it to him. Kids would buy a ten-cent block, take it home and shave snowballs to sell to the neighborhood for a penny. Mother would prepare the flavoring. Mr. Beams also sold ice cream over town. He lived in the double house next to the coffin factory, at 21-23 Petersville Road.

W -BLC -MMM

S - Gretchen Rollison W-MMM

117