| YEARS GONE BY ARCHIVES |
| The Pottsville Republican of January 5, 1909 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN OVERRUN BY TRAMPS Thirty Two of Them Took Possession of the Town Schuylkill Haven was overrun by tramps yesterday and before matters were settled the town had some exciting escapades, one of the number dropped into a grocery store conducted by Carl Bitzer on Saint John Street, demanding money, stating he was a cripple. Upon being refused he threatened to burn down the house and store. His was more than Mr. Bitzer's good nature could endure. He jumped over the counter whereupon the lame tramp sprinted. The tramp made the same demand s at other places along the same street and in consequence he was arrested. Another one of the same gang, minus an arm, begged from house to house. Later it was found that the minus arm was hidden under his coat. Two of the gang was arrested last night, handcuffed and taken to jail by Chief Burgess and Constable Butz. In all a total of thirty two tramps were in the town yesterday. Fifteen left on the night freight train, passing through Schuylkill Haven at 5:15 in the evening. It seems the gang were working the different towns north of the mountain to such an extent that they were driven out by the citizens. ANOTHER SERIOUS RUNAWAY One of John Brown's teams hauling sills from Spring Garden took fright and ran into Main Street colliding in front of Starr and Company's store, with a four mule log team driven by Charles Smith of Germantown. The animals were not hurt but they were pretty badly mixed up and their harness was considerably broken. Mr. Smith escaped unhurt and John Strauch, driver of liveryman Brown's team, jumped in time to escape serious injury but suffered some bruises. The team became frightened at the tooting of an automobile horn and started off at a furious rate. The Pottsville Republican of January 6, 1909 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN COUNCIL Town Council Held an Interesting Session A regular stated meeting of Town Council was held on Monday evening with the following members present: Messrs. Bubeck, Heim, Keller, Lautenbacher, McKeown, Rooney, Saul and President Schumacher. Secretary Runkle, Solicitor Noecker and Supervisor Knarr were also present. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. Chairman Saul of the Electric Committee reported the plant in first class condition, A slight breakdown during December caused lights to be off for a brief time but repairs were quickly made. Chairman Lautenbacher of the Special water Committee stated that President Treat and Manager Aldrich of the Schuylkill Haven Gas and water Company had called upon him relative to the borough's water supply. They declined the borough's proposition to lease to them the borough's water rights on the Shappell farm, but they notified him that they had made contracts for the sinking of artesian wells which would furnish an ample supply of pure water. They guarantee to furnish plenty of water even if they have to spend $10,000 or $15,000 to do it. An ordinance passed second reading for the increase of the borough's indebtedness to the amount of $11,000 for the duplicating of the electric light plant and the holding of an election so that the citizens may vote upon the question. A resolution was read authorizing a vote at the February election by the citizens on the subject of the sale of the electric light plant, the question to be submitted in the following form: "Shall the borough sell its electric light plant?, that those in favor of selling said plant shall vote "Yes" and those opposed shall vote "No". The resolution was adopted. On motion of Mr' Saul, the Bell telephone be removed from ex-Superintendent Marshall's residence and placed in the residence of Mr. Werner who is acting as Superintendent. Attention was called to the dangerous condition of cribbing at the turn of saint John and Liberty Streets. The Road Committee was instructed to make repairs and bill the Trolley Company for collection. A communication from Supervisor Kinsey of the Philadelphia and Reading was received notifying council that the company will remove the small wooden bridge on Broadway and will fill in the stream. Pending repairs the bridge will be braced and made safe for traffic. The Pottsville Republican of January 7, 1909 The School Board held its regular monthly meeting on Monday evening, President Jones in the chair. After the reading and approval of the previous minutes,the treasurer's report was read. The Book and supply Committee reported having received a copy of "The Patriotism of Schuylkill County" from Mrs. A. P. Garrett as a donation to the High School library. It is a concise history of all the military organizations from Schuylkill Count that took part in the Civil War. To preserve it intact better, the committee recommended that it be rebound. The committee also recommended the purchase of a copy of "The History of the 48th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers." Messrs. Minnig and Reinhart reported minor repairs having been made. The latter reported several additional repairs needed in the South ward building. The chair appointed him as a special committeeman to look after the South Ward building repairs. Several parents who were summoned before the boar because of truancy charges and others who had come on account of matters of their own were heard. Several students nonattendance was excused on grounds of good reasons being furnished. The excuses of a few were not accepted. Officer Butz was authorized to act as the board's prosecutor in cases arising under the compulsory attendance law. The principals report was next read. After the reading of Professor Herzog's recommendations, President Jones addressed the board upon the subject of a new high school building. He urged every director to create public opinion in his ward towards that end and stated that the building, which should be of the latest and best type, must come soon as our schools are rapidly growing and there are no more school rooms available. The directors heartily endorsed his remarks and agreed that the state appropriation should be used toward the high school. It was reported that Christmas programs were rendered in all the schools. On motion of Heim and Reinhart, it was ordered that suitable programs be rendered in each school for Lincoln and Washington's birthdays. School will be dismissed when the programs are over. Directors present were: Reinhart, Bast, Hoffman, Heim, Holton, Smith, Eiler Crossley, Jones, Minnig, Berkheiser, Principal Heckert, Treasurer Keiber and Janitor Hoffman. The Pottsville Republican of January 11, 1909 BROKE WINDOW PANES IN MILL Saturday evening some unknown person or persons with malicious intent broke nearly every pane of glass in the large box factory of Saul and Zang at Schuylkill Haven. Mr. Saul stated he thought it was the work of someone who probably held some grievance against his firm and he has offered a reward of $25 that will lead to the arrest of the guilty person. The Pottsville Republican of January 16, 1909 DEATH OF "UNCLE" ALEX DOUDLE Death last evening removed from Schuylkill Haven one of its most prominent citizens, Alexander Doudle. For a period of twenty five years he held the position of baggage master at Schuylkill Haven station and later on was extra crossing watchman under the P and R Railroad. Mr. Doudle, who was well known to the citizens of Schuylkill County, was a friend to all. During the past several years he had lived a retired life, owing to his ill health and many a home contains an emblem of his skill, which in his leisure hours he would carve. Several days ago he had the misfortune to fall on an icy pavement in Schuylkill Haven and injure himself. This together with his ill health hastened his death. Mr. Doudle was in his sixty fourth year. He is survived by his widow and one brother John, who recently wrote a history of the Civil War. The Pottsville Republican of January 17, 1909 The owners of Fairmount are making preparations for a big boom in real estate as soon as spring opens. They have built several houses on the plot, have sold quite a number of the lots and as soon as the winter is ended and settled weather is assured they expect to sell a large number of the lots and to do some more building. A number of lot owners also intend to build and the old Boyer farm, which has been turned into a very pretty and most desirable addition to the borough, will present a scene of activity all summer long. The Pottsville Republican of January 20, 1909 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SCHOOL NOTES The $15 prize money won by the schools in the Halloween parade has been used to purchase three dozen magnifying glasses and a collecting can for use in the botany classes. The goods are on hand now and ready for use. The class in botany began that study on Monday. The teachers met in special session on Monday after school to go over the registers list of school children. Not many names were unaccounted for by he time all others were checked off. The attendance report for the month was a little poorer than the previous month. The holiday season is always a drawback on attendance especially the week of Christmas. The attendance on enrollment for the term is 886 or 64 more then the same month last term. A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association has been called by the president of that body for Saturday evening. Plans for commencement are to be taken under consideration. The Pottsville Republican of January 27, 1909 On Friday evening of last week a sleighing party left the mill of J. F. Bast in three large sleighs, the number of persons being fifty six. There was much merriment during the evening. The yell of the party was, "Who are we, who are we, we are the employees of J. F. B." On account of the melting of the snow, they could not go further then Friedensburg and then returned to J. J. Stoyer's hotel at Long Run, where the evening was spent with music and games. At nine o'clock they proceeded to the dancing hall where a sumptuous chicken and waffle supper was partaken of. HORSES RUN AMUCK Hay Wagon Scatters Feed and Destruction in its Path At ten o'clock this morning the residents of Main Street, Schuylkill Haven witnessed a most exciting runaway. A big hay wagon drawn by two bay horses tore down the street at breakneck speed scattering destruction in their path. The team belongs to Oscar Kimmel and was driven by Samuel Meck of Reddale, who was on his way to town with a load of hay. At the halfway house the team took fright and ran away. At the corner of Fairview and Main Streets they collided with Fidler's milk wagon and almost completely wrecked that vehicle. Mr. Fidler escaped injury as did also his team. At Margaretta Street the heavy wagon ran over and instantly killed a big black watchdog belonging to Mrs. Carl Sheaf. Down in front of Dr. Moore's house the wagon slid into the gutter owing to the icy condition of the street and struck the curbstone knocking a tire completely off of one of the rear wheels. At Saint Peter Street the heavy wagon collided with milkman Flammer's wagon and threw that wagon across Main Street. The team continued on to the railroad narrowly missing several other wagons when they were finally stopped. The team escaped injury but the hay wagon is very badly damaged and the load of hay is scattered along the road from the halfway house to the Reading railway crossing at Main Street. Mr. Meck, who was driving the team at the time it took fright, was thrown off and escaped injury. He walked into town arriving half an hour after the runaway and claimed his horses and wagon. The horses were finally caught by Robert Yoder and James Feeley just below the Reading station. |
| The Pottsville Republican of January 2, 1934 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN MEN AT WORK ON CLEARING CITY WATER SHED About eighty men from Schuylkill Haven and vicinity are at work on the two civil works projects, namely the clearing of the city water shed in Panther valley and the improvement of the athletic field. The work on the field is being done on the portion already started. Top soil is being taken from the hill on the unfinished part and placed on the west part of the plot. Under the snow there is only several inches of frost and real progress is being made. The Pottsville Republican of January 8, 1934 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SCOUTS WILL MEET TO MAKE FUTURE PLANS A meeting of all the local Boy Scouts was held Monday afternoon in the high school auditorium following the regular sessions of the schools. The boys were given a clear idea of the plans for the local troops for the year. These plans include the forming of a number of church troops and there will be many new scouts to train. There is much the older boys can do in this work. It is expected that the Boy Scout work in Schuylkill Haven will be put over in a bigger and better way than ever before. The plan here is in line with the general work in Schuylkill County. The Pottsville Republican of January 10, 1934 CWA WORK BEING DONE ON SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SCHOOL BUILDING A representative of the Berwick Lumber Company, who were the contractors on the East Ward school building at Schuylkill Haven, were here Tuesday. Plans were made and about six men were put to work water proofing the brick. Ever since the building was constructed, the water has soaked through the brick and eventually this condition might seriously damage the structure. This is a C. W. A. project. About a dozen men are at work on a C. W. A. project on the old baseball field at Connors. It is understood that this is to be a government emergency landing field for airplanes. The Pottsville Republican of January 11, 1934 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN MAN ACQUITTED Walter Youst, Schuylkill Haven, was acquitted on charges of receiving stolen goods and the costs were placed on the county, Delton Watkins, representing the J. B. Watkins Company of Pottsville. The commonwealth alleged that Youst received quantities of stolen cigars and cigarettes that had been stolen from the Watkins wholesale house. Einsig and several others are serving time for the charge. Youst denied that he knew the merchandise had been stolen. DRIVER ACQUITTED Edward Foulk of Schuylkill Haven was acquitted by a jury on charges of assault and battery by automobile. The prosecution was brought by a South Centre Street woman, who alleged that on November 8, 1933, at 11:30 o'clock in the night she was crossing the street near her home, when the defendant happened along operating his car and struck her. Foulk testified that while he did hit her, it was not due to any fault of his, that he took her to her home, came back three days later and offered to pay the doctor bill and that he was then arrested. V. J. Dalton, Schuylkill Haven attorney, was for the acquitted man and Assistant District Attorney Stutzman for the defendant. The Pottsville Republican of January 20, 1934 TO EXTEND GAS LINES At the adjourned meeting of the Schuylkill Haven Borough Council, CWA work on the borough gas lines, costing about $11,000, was recommended. The gas lines would be extended as follows: extension of a three inch gas line from a point near the Reading tracks to Caldwell Street, to Orchard Avenue, to Schuylkill Street and to Front Street in Cressona and to continue back to point of starting; the extension of the gas main up Garfield Avenue to Willow Terrace; extension of the gas line to Edgewood. About $8500 of the $11,000 would be labor cost. This improvement would net many new gas customers, would help the borough business and be a very acceptable improvement to many householders who want to use gas but can not get it, as there is no service to their part of town. Another recommendation is to improve Parkway between Columbia street and Penn Street. Labor would be used at a cost of about $1200. Another proposal is that of widening Caldwell Street which is too narrow for safe travel. An additional fire hydrant on North Berne Street may also be included. The Pottsville Republican of January 24, 1934 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN BOY SEVERELY HURT Thomas Tray, the nine year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Tray, of Caldwell Street in Schuylkill Haven, was seriously injured and is in a critical condition in the Good Samaritan Hospital, suffering with fractures of both legs and a possible fracture of the skull, received shortly before noon, when he was struck by a machine driven by James Wetzel of Schuylkill Haven. The child was on his way home from parochial school when he ran in front of the truck as it was being driven along the straightaway near the Buechley Lumber Yards. The driver, James Wetzel, was unable to avoid hitting the child and the lenses of the headlights were shattered by the impact which hurled the child. The machine is a meat delivery truck owned by Harry Yost of Schuylkill Haven. |