"Coney"

Having nothing at all to do with the distinguished looking gentleman above, I'd like to talk about my pet for starters. We will get to the Col. Sanders-looking guy above in a minute.

​So, it has been a week of freedom, unbridled joy and relief for my cat Bilbo. Last Sunday, I removed the e-collar he's been wearing since late summer. The "cone of shame" was necessary to keep said feline from reopening a wound on his front right paw. After significant healing in August, the collar was removed, but after being left alone for just two hours, this docile, and intelligent, cat completely undid weeks of self-repair on that paw wound. Back went on the cone after just a two-hour respite.

Bilbo the cat

​Bilbo went about his business with the translucent headpiece. One month later, he was given a second chance for e-collar removal. This time, gauze was put over the wound area (devoid of fur) in hopes that it would deter Bilbo from reopening the wound again. Stupid move on the human's part, as he easily chewed through the gauze and re-attacked the scabbed over trouble spot.

Now the cone would be left on Bilbo for nearly the entire month of October. It became so commonplace that I began referring to my 4-legged housemate as "Coney," instead of his preferred Lord of the Rings inspired name (Bilbo Baggins) that came with him when adopted from the Frederick County Humane Society over a decade ago.

Now I know Bilbo is simply an animal and its hard to change those survival instincts within. It was a sad situation, but he seemed to accept his fate and the cone didn't seem to be slowing him down from a daily regimen of sleeping, eating and occasionally scratching things. My plan included removing the e-collar by month's end after a scheduled vet check-up in late October and consultation on a potential strategy to keep him from opening up the wound for a third time.

Amazingly, just days before the visit, I came home to find Bil on a back porch couch cushion with blood smeared all over himself and said cushion. He now possessed a mysterious, oozing wound on his chest area. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be in pain, however the situation was quite perplexing, having me wonder how in the world he could have reached this area with the cone affixed?

A trip to the pet emergency hospital directly afterwards revealed that Bilbo had suffered a ruptured abscess, one that had gone unnoticed beforehand obviously. The subsequent burst left a heck of a mess, leaving Bil in a precarious situation of not being able to care for himself because of the cumbersome cone not allowing him to reach anything as he would have lapped up the fluid as cats are self-cleaning professionals.

The hospital vet theorized that Bilbo had likely been in a recent scrap with another cat, or woodland creature, as he sometimes leaves the yard temporarily by hopping my six-foot privacy fence. He comes back with no problem, however this practice has been limited of late thanks to having an obnoxious cone on his head. The vet cleaned Bilbo up and pointed out the puncture marks, but with all rabies shots current, there was no fear of complications and a prognosis of full recovery after cleaning and sterilizing the wound. I, of course, felt guilty knowing that the cone had inhibited the poor guy's ability to defend himself against his mystery yard opponent.

Anyway, although his right paw was looking great, this new setback would dictate at least three more weeks "under the cone." 

"the dreaded cone"

Well here we are nearly a month later. The cone was officially removed last weekend, and Bilbo was heavily surveilled for the first two days. Slowly, I left him unsupervised, and he did not disappoint. He had plenty of "laundry" to attend to (licking himself), and this chore kept him occupied for that pivotal first 48 hours without the e-collar in place.

I did have two major hairballs to attend to on my carpet Monday night, but I didn't care as Bil's wound areas remained unscathed. And they have continued to stay that way throughout all last week. Best of all, Bilbo seems so very relieved not to have something either hanging over his head, and more so, hanging around his neck. 

While out walking the grounds of our lovely garden cemetery earlier this week, I took special notice of a fitting moniker on an old marble stone. This was solely based on my personal happenings at home that I just recounted. I was in Area E, on the side of a hill offering a scenic view of Loats baseball field with Costco in the distance. As I looked the opposite direction towards Catoctin Mountain, I saw the word "cone" carved upon the face of a marble gravestone. It was that of  Spencer Cone Jones.

Who the heck is this guy! I was not familiar with this gentleman at all, but would soon learn that he was quite well known to many during his lifetime, as was his father who is buried just steps away. This "Cone" was a lawyer and former politician of the late 19th century , and received much of his early education in Frederick. He would gain greater acclaim for being a public servant representing his native Montgomery County. A two-time mayor of Rockville, Spencer Cone Jones was a Civil War veteran who would also gain election to serve as a leading member of Maryland's General Assembly. 

1850 US Census showing 13-year old Spencer Cone Jones living with his family on West Patrick Street in Frederick

​My research on this fellow was pretty easy as I was aided by finding a biography from Bernard C. Steiner's "Men of Mark in Maryland: Biographies of Leading Men in the State" published by Johnson-Wynne Co., Washington DC in 1907. Here is what Mr. Steiner, also buried in our cemetery and longtime librarian of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library, had to say about my subject:

​"Spencer Cone Jones, banker and lawyer, was born at Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland, July 3, 1836, the son of Reverend Joseph H. Jones, a Baptist clergyman, and Elizabeth (Clagett) Jones. He was educated at the Rockville Academy, at the Frederick public schools and at Frederick College, the old county academy. He then read law with William J. Ross of Frederick and was admitted to the bar of Frederick County."

Frederick Examiner (May 18, 1859)

Frederick Examiner (Oct 19, 1859)

Frederick Examiner (Feb 22, 1860)

Frederick Examiner (May 24, 1860)

​"During the War between the States, he enlisted in Company D, 1st Maryland Cavalry, Confederate States Army, and served as a private to the close of the contest. He then went to Texas and taught school near Huntsville for two years. Returning to Maryland in 1868, he began the practice of law at Rockville, where he has resided to the present time."

Civil War record of Jones with the 1st Maryland CSA Cavalry

​Spencer C. Jones began to practice law here in town, but the Civil War interrupted  his plans. A Confederate sympathizer, he enlisted in Company D of the First Maryland Cavalry as was stated by Steiner. From our database, I learned that Spencer was arrested by Federal troops at Maryland Heights on May 26th, 1862 and charged with treasonable conspiracy. He was imprisoned for eight months, being held at various periods in the city jail at Baltimore, Fort McHenry, and Fort Delaware. 

When he was first arrested, he was listed as prisoner of war in Baltimore City Jail. Jones was subsequently transferred back and forth between Fort McHenry and Fort Delaware for interrogation. During this period, he was listed at various times as either a prisoner of war or a political prisoner. This interested me greatly because I had two GGG grandfathers who served as prison guards for the Union Army at Fort Delaware, and my GGG grandmother was a laundress and cook there.

Fort Delaware State Park in the Delaware River just off Delaware City, DE

Spencer Cone Jones  was released from Fort McHenry on December 16th, 1862. He enlisted into the Rebel forces again at Harrisonburg, VA on May 1st, 1863, but was captured on July 4th, 1863 at Monterey Pass, PA just after the Battle of Gettysburg. A document on Fold3 reports that Jones' horse was killed underneath him in battle here. He was imprisoned for a few more months in Baltimore, but was exchanged in a prisoner swap.  In February of 1864, he was charged in the Frederick County Circuit Court for levying war, and in 1865 was disbarred from the Frederick County Bar. Apparently, he served out the remainder of the Civil War in Virginia and was present at the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in April, 1865.  The state dropped all charges on Mr. Jones in March 1866. 

After the war, Spencer Cone Jones taught school near Huntsville, Texas, not returning to Maryland until after the adoption of the state constitution of 1867. He remained vocal and influential among former Southern sympathizers, speaking at meetings of war veterans, including the dedication of a memorial to the Confederate dead in Winchester, VA.

Speaking of Confederate monuments, Spencer Cone Jones had a hand, or other body part, in the Rockville Confederate Monument that was removed from Rockville Court Square a few years back. The statue was unveiled and dedicated on June 3rd, 1913. This date was Jefferson Davis’ birthday and 50 years after the Battle of Gettysburg, a time when reconciliation and ceremonies were important to surviving veterans on both sides of the Civil War.

Judge Edward C. Peter and Rockville Mayor Lee Offutt made keynote speeches at the dedication. It has been suggested, but not documented, that the soldier’s head was modeled after Spencer Cone Jones, father-in-law of an official in the foundry that cast the statue. 

Rockville Confederate Monument as photographed in 1927.

​Let's return back to Bernard Steiner's narrative on Mr. Jones:

"On December 21, 1871, he was married to Ellen, daughter of John and Elizabeth S. Brewer. Mrs. Jones died on July 21, 1876, leaving one daughter, Elizabeth, who is married to Thomas R. Falvy of New Orleans. In Rockville, Mr. Jones soon built up a large practice and in 1871 he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the office of state's attorney for Montgomery County. In 1875 he was re-elected and, in 1879, he was elected clerk of the State Court of Appeals. A second term in this position was given him by the vote of the people of the State in 1885 and, in 1892, he was chosen by the legislature as state treasurer. To this position he was reelected in 1894 and was renominated in 1896, but failed of election, as there was a Republican majority in the General Assembly. Mr. Jones was twice elected mayor of Rockville, in 1898 and 1900. He resigned this office, on being elected a member of the state senate in 1901." 

Cumberland Evening Times (Jan 6, 1904)

​"During the session of 1902, he was chairman of the finance committee, and during that session of 1904, he was president of the senate. His unfailing courtesy, business-like manner and firm decision of character made him an excellent presiding officer. For several years he has been one of the leaders of his party in the state and his name has been frequently mentioned for the gubernatorial nomination. From the organization of the Montgomery County National Bank, May 21, 1884, to the present time, Mr. Jones has been one of its directors and he has been its president since January 1892."

Spencer Cone Jones

​"He affiliates with the Baptist church, and is a Mason and Knight of Pythias, in both of which societies he has occupied the higher offices. Mr. Jones is vice-president of the Board of Visitors of the State School for the Deaf at Frederick."

I wanted to learn a little more about Mr. Jones' time in the Maryland Senate and found the following passage in the Maryland Archives as it  appears the Maryland State House Annex building was his idea.

"Jones took a leadership role in the construction of the State House Annex at the beginning of the twentieth century. As a state senator, Jones served on the Executive Committee of the State House Building Commission. On the Building Commission, he frequently participated in meetings regarding the funding and contracts for the State House refurbishment and construction of the State House Annex. In August 1902, the Baltimore Sun reported that the idea for the Annex was Jones' and that he submitted the appropriations bill to fund the restoration and construction. Jones' original bill requested $400,000, but at the request of the Governor and Treasury officials, he changed his request to $250,000, with the understanding that any additional money would be provided during the next legislative session."​

Exterior of the Maryland State House Annex

​"Jones was elected President of the State Senate on January 4, 1904, and gave a speech that emphasized the importance of completing construction on the State House:

'So with the sunshine of prosperity, honor and usefulness upon us should we hesitate to make this house a beautiful, lasting and appropriate expression of our gratitude for, and pride in, the achievements of our people? It is with sadness that we are compelled by the necessities of the situation to vacate the old Senate Chamber, memorable in the history of the State, and in which cluster associations which strike a tender chord in the heart of every true Marylander. Let us have it restored as near as, possible to its original condition and sacredly preserve it as the holiest of all in this temple of our liberties.' (Archives of Maryland, Vol. 401, pp. 10)

​A major focus of Jones' speech was that the Legislature should provide the necessary funding to complete the work on the State House and that such work must maintain the original character of the building."

​Even despite some alleged "funny business" during the election, Jones' term in the Senate ended with his defeat in a primary by Blair Lee in 1905.

Frederick News (Aug 7, 1905)

Baltimore Sun (Aug 7, 1905)

​Spencer Cone Jones lived the bulk of his adult life as a widower. His wife, Ellen, had died back in July 1876 and was laid to rest in Rockville Baptist Church Cemetery. Spencer continued to live in Rockville afterwards, and can be found on the northwest corner of Washington and Jefferson streets in the 1910 census with his profession listed as president of the Montgomery County National Bank. The property would eventually be sold to the Baptist Church of Rockville.

​He would regularly leave Maryland to spend winters living with his daughter Elizabeth, and her husband, Thomas R. Falvy, in New Orleans. This is where Spencer Cone Jones would die on April 1st, 1915. His body would be sent to Frederick for burial in the family plot in Mount Olivet in Area E/Lot 48 next to his wife and parents. She had been re-interred to Mount Olivet in May, 1888.

Jones' obituary in the Cumberland Evening Times (Sept. 4, 1915)

Spencer's grave stands in the center of the Falvys (left) and his wife Ellen (right).

Spencer's daughter and son-in-law (the Falvys) would be interred Mount Olivet upon their deaths within the family plot originally purchased at the time of Spencer's mother's death in the 1860s.

​Just a parting word on Spencer's father, Rev. Joseph Hawkins Jones, born December 3rd, 1798 in Fairfax VA. He was the son of Charles Jones of Ireland (immigrated to the US in 1793) and Prudence Hawkins of Providence, Rhode Island. Joseph Hawkins Jones was ordained a minister in the Baptist Church in 1820 and served in Rockville.  Both are buried directly behind Spencer.

Rev. Jones married Elizabeth Clagett of Montgomery County in 1821 and had at least five known children in addition to Spencer (who was the youngest). All are buried with him and his wife in the family plot in Area E/Lot 48: Ann Elizabeth Jones (1825-1888), Susan Prudence (1827-1828), John Hawkins Jones (1829-1830), another John Hawkins Jones (1831-1833), and a second Susan Prudence (1833-1834) The four children who never reached maturity were moved here in 1907 from their original burial place in Rockville.

I learned more about Rev. Jones' career and death from the following information compiled from the archival minutes of Barnesville Baptist Church (Barnesville, MD):

"In 1845, after 24 years of service Mr. Jones resigned his pastorate of Rockville Baptist Church and moved to Frederick, Maryland. While living there, he preached at Barnesville in school houses &c, and after the close of the Civil War, a church was organized at that place and regularly supplied by him, and a meeting house was built under his auspices. Much of this time he was actively engaged in missionary work in Frederick County distributing Bibles among the destitute and needy and preaching at other regular appointments.

In 1864 his wife, who had been a help-mate in all his labors of love for more than 40 years, departed this life. This severe trial, with a rather delicate state of health, induced him to spend his winters with his son-Judge Clagett Jones of King & Queen Co., Va. About 1871, the house of worship near Barnesville was erected as a monument to his faithful life work. Thence he was called home to his Father’s house on above, Dec. 31, 1871."

Barnesville Baptist Church in 1948. The church is still in active use today and is located at 7917 Barnesville Road in Barnesvlle, Montgomery County

​"He was a man of strong faith and untiring energy. Where ever a sense of duty led, there he was bound to go and do his best. He was never known to fail in meeting his appointments, unless something beyond his control prevented. His was a remarkably kind heart, with a strong tenacity for what he conscientiously believed, and he candidly proclaimed his convictions of what was right. His preaching and conversations seemed more bent on instructing and comforting Christians than the converting of sinners. His style of preaching was similar to that of the venerable Jeremiah Moore—“well versed in scripture, often giving lucid explanations of different passages. Christian experience was with him a favorite theme. His life was an ornament to religion as a man, a Christian, a preacher, he was an honor to his Country, the Church, his family and himself. He was cheerful even when suffering and joyful during his last illness, his last words were 'Happy, happy, happy.' "

Rev. Joseph Hawkins Jones died in King and Queen County, VA on December 31st, 1871 at age 73, and would be buried in Mount Olivet four days later.

Grave of Rev. Joseph H Jones(1798-1871) Area E/Lot 48

Elizabeth Clagett Jones (1794-1864)

Jones children removed to Mount Olivet from Rockville in 1907

Elizabeth Jones (1825-1888)

What's in a Name?
I had to go down another rabbit hole to see how Spencer Jones gained his "conical" name. It was a quick search that led me to a man named Spencer H. Cone. ​

​Spencer Houghton Cone was an American clergyman born April 13th, 1785 in Princeton, New Jersey. He entered Princeton University at the age of twelve, but two years later, because of his father’s illness, left his studies. At sixteen he was master in a school at Burlington, NJ and next moved to Philadelphia. Finding his salary insufficient to support his family, he first studied law, but abandoned it and turned to the stage. This vocation did not especially appeal to him, and was strongly opposed by his devout mother who considered it not respectable. He first appeared in "Mahomet" in 1805 and subsequently was successful on the stage. But this profession was distasteful to him and he soon left it.

Rev. Spencer H. Cone (1785-1855)

​In 1812, Spencer H. Cone joined the Baltimore American newspaper as treasurer and bookkeeper. Soon afterward, in connection with his brother-in-law, John Norvell, he purchased and published the Baltimore Whig. During the War of 1812, he was at the Battle of Bladensburg with Norvell and the account of this experience has been chronicled in "Some Account of the Life of Spencer Houghton Cone, A Baptist Preacher in America," published in New York in 1856.
 
Cone then became a clerk in the treasury department in Washington. After moving there, he began to preach with remarkable success. He was converted to the Baptist Church in 1814. In 1815-1816 he became Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives. About 1823, Pastor Cone moved to the Oliver Street Church, New York, where he remained for eighteen years. He then became pastor of the 1st Baptist church there. In 1832, Spencer Cone became president of the Baptist triennial convention, and was re-elected until 1841. From 1837 till 1850, he was president of the American and Foreign Bible society. On the formation of the American Bible Union, Cone was made its president, and so continued until his death on August 28, 1855.
 
At the zenith of his career, he was probably the most popular and influential Baptist minister in the United States. It's no wonder that a man of profound faith such as Rev. Joseph Hawkins Jones would name his son after Rev. Cone. It is likely to assume, that he  (Rev. Jones) met/knew this man during his lifetime.

In closing, I find it fascinating that my subject had such a connection to the Baptist Church in name, family and spirit. The central tenet of the Baptist faith tradition "teaches that people are born again when they believe that Jesus died for their sin, and was buried, and rose again." 

As for my cat Bilbo, he too, must feel "Born again" in having his cone removed. At this moment, he seems to have found a grocery bag to hang out in. From the looks of him, he continues to seem "Happy, happy, happy!"

Bilbo Baggins(in bag) formerly known as "Coney the Cat"