| YEARS GONE BY ARCHIVES |
| The Pottsville Republican of June 3, 1908 TOWN COUNCIL HELD AN INTERESTING AND BUSY SESSION A regular stated meeting of the Schuylkill Haven Town Council was held on Monday evening, June 1st, with the following members present: Bubeck, Caffrey, Heim, Keller, Lautenbacher, McKeon, Meck, Mengle, Raush, Rooney, and Saul. President Schumacher, Secretary Runkle, Solicitor Noecker, Supervisor Roan, Electrician Marshall and Chief Burgess Baker were also present. A communication was received from General Superintendent Dice of the P and R Railroad to the effect that he had instructed Superintendent Keffer to place safety gates at the Union Street crossing. Chairman Keller of the Light Committee reported new lines to the Schuylkill Mountain and Long Run are completed and giving satisfaction. Poles are in position for lights on Fairview Street and an arc light is suggested for the corner of Market and Margaretta Streets, a cluster of incandescent lights is suggested at Saint Peter and William Streets, an incandescent light at Holton’s store and three incandescents at the Saul and Stanton addition. Lights suggested were ordered. Chairman Heim of the Road Committee reported having done only necessary repairs, used a carload of limestone on Main and Saint John Streets, heavy filling on Union Street, filling for which was secured from Chief Burgess Baker at fifty cents per load delivered and about 125 loads were used. New pipe line from Runkle stable to the canal is completed. Mr. Lautenbacher reported a great amount of water comes down Union Street at Rickson’s and his motion carried that a pipe be placed so as to carry the water to the other side of the street. He also reported unsafe pavements on Union Street near High Street. Mr. McKeown reported Dock Street is too dark. Chairman Keller of the Light Committee stated that lights will be placed on the opposite side of the street and trees will be trimmed where necessary. Mr. Bubeck reported that about a year ago the burgess was directed to notify the people on Centre Avenue to curb and pave and nothing has been done. This was referred to the burgess. Mr. Lautenbacher asked permission to lay a crossing at his candy factory on Margaretta Street and a motion carried it. Mr. Mengle thought the ordinance should be enforced relative to restoration of streets by the Gas and Water Company or others who open the streets. On motion of Mr. Heim, the Water Company will be notified to repair Main Street near the railroad which was dug up several months ago. Mr. Lautenbacher, in reference to a recent fire on High Street, stated that there was no pressure and he wanted to know if there was anything in the agreement with the Water Company that compelled the borough to wait at the time of a fire until a man could hook up a horse and drive up to the water dam and turn on the water. Mr. Bubeck said that Superintendent Werner of the Water Company stated that the water was not turned off and that he went up to the pumping station to have the pumps ready for operation in case they were needed. He also said he was willing to place a pressure gauge in the Schuylkill Hose Company’s house to show the pressure at all times. Mr. Lautenbacher reported the congregation on street corners of crowds of young men, using all kinds of language and making the streets unfit for ladies to pass. He thought it is up to the Council and the burgess to preserve order. The Pottsville Republican of June 9, 1908 The promiscuous shooting in the borough with flobert rifles has become such a menace to the safety of the public that it is time to call a halt. Several narrow escapes have recently been reported and on Saturday evening a lady sitting on the front porch of her residence was subjected to a severe nervous shock by hearing the crack of a rifle shot and the whizzing of the bullet within a few inches of her head. This is the second close call this lady has had and other members of her family have had narrow escapes. Within two weeks time persons have been seen by the writer or reported to him, shooting at cats or birds in their back yards, shooting at mark in their yards and shooting across a public street in the borough of Schuylkill Haven at a mark and this latter offense on a Sunday afternoon. In each of the instances named there were children and grown persons in the immediate neighborhood who might have been fatally injured. Several years ago the State Legislature made it a misdemeanor punishable by a heavy fine and imprisonment to shoot a flobert rifle in a city borough or township or along public roads. If a few arrests were made under this law, it would have the effect of putting a stop to this dangerous practice. Our borough authorities are very lax in the enforcement of the laws, but a few determined citizens with the good of the whole community at heart, can break up the flobert rifle shooting with a few arrests. It is time that such a course will doubtless result in the enmity of the person arrested and perhaps of some of his friends but the ill will of a few is nothing compared to the probable loss of a life or the serious injury or maiming of some person. The Pottsville Republican of June 17, 1908 An adjourned meeting of the School Board was held Monday evening. This was also a joint meeting with the teachers. President Jones and Secretary Hoffman were in their respective chairs. Directors Crossley, Minnig, Heim, Reinhart, Berkheiser, Smith, Bast, Eiler and Holton were in attendance. The teachers present were Misses, Mortimer, Ebling Lenker, Mabelle and Edith Weiss and Messers. Wildermuth, Ziegenfuse and Heckert. The report on the Committee on Organization and Studies stated that since Jacob’s practical Speller is completed in grammar school, a new book, the Modern Business Speller, should be put into the high school. Since only two or three of the seven book Caeser’s was used, it is recommended the change be made to the four book series which is cheaper. Following several other suggested changes, a motion to adopt all books recommended by the committee was carried unanimously. The Building and Repairs Committee next reported having written to school furnishing houses for prices on desks and has received two responses. Mr. Allwein, a representative of one of these firms, appeared before the board and submitted prices on “Improved Triumph” desks. He was given an order for 112 of these desks. The stone steps at the north wing entrance to the main building and walks around the building are to be repaired. Architect Reilly presented the plans for the addition to the South Ward building and read the specifications. These were adopted on the motion of Smith and Heim. Bast and Crossley moved to advertise for bids in not less then two papers for the addition. The resignation of Allen Bubeck, grade four in the North Ward, was read and accepted. He intends on going to college and the vacancy will be filled at the next meeting. All parents having children to start school in September should see to it that they are vaccinated and certificates secured to enter school. Pupils studying this summer for reexamination in August will inform the principal of their wish to be reexamined before August 30. The Pottsville Republican of June 23, 1908 The Traction Company has a large force of men at work repairing its tracks on Dock Street. Cars have run off the track quite frequently of late on this thoroughfare and the company finds it necessary to re-lay a part of the track. The track and the street will both be placed in first class shape. The borough highway department has about finished necessary repairs to the streets and has ordered a lot of brick and will shortly start a gang of men at work laying gutters. It was a very wise move of council to do away with the old cobblestone gutter and substitute brick as the latter is cheaper, looks better, lasts longer and is cleaner, there being no hollows to hold stagnant water and no projections to catch and hold rubbish. The Pottsville Republican of June 13, 1933 FOUND RELIC OF CANAL DAYS IN TREE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN William Bowen, Parkway, Schuylkill Haven, in sawing up the limbs of an old plum tree on the Zulick property on West Main and Canal Streets, cut into some iron. Investigation showed the metal to be the shoe of a mule. The shoe had evidently been hung on the limb of the tree, then young, and the growth had entirely covered it. The shoe is probably a relic of the old canal days, as the canal ran past the property and the old mule yard, blacksmith shop and stables were located just across from the property. The entire square was taken up from the Kiehner property on West Main and Canal Streets to the home of Daniel Sharadin at West Union Street. At one time a disastrous fire there cost the lives of many of the horses and mules. At the shop of Edward Bittler, a wooden bridge crossed the canal and the mules drawing the boats had to pass around it. An old dry dock for temporary repairs of boats was at the spot now occupied by the Meck Knitting Mills and below it was a boat yard. The canal passing along West Main Street at the Williams Garage and Greenawald properties was lined with big willow trees and was one of the beauty spots in town. The Pottsville Republican of June 19, 1933 GANGLOFF FOR JUDGE OF ORPHANS COURT Judge of the Orphan’s Court G. E. Gangloff announces his candidacy for the office he has filled during the past year, when he was named to succeed Judge MacHenry Wilhelm, who resigned on account of ill health, and which later resulted in his death. Judge Gangloff is a resident of Schuylkill Haven. He is a veteran of the Spanish War and the World War, being an overseas veteran. In the Spanish war he served in the Puerto Rico campaign. The judge is one of the most estimable and popular residents of the county. His appointment came more or less as a surprise, as he had not participated actively in politics in a way which would have led him to become an outstanding candidate. The appointment, however, was one of pure merit and one of the most popular with all classes of citizens that could possibly have been made. Petitions will be circulated Wednesday to place him on the ballot as a candidate, and indications are that without any effort he will have the most generously signed petition ever presented by any candidate. The “Republican” is glad to join with his many thousands of friends in the whole hearted endorsement of his candidacy. |