| YEARS GONE BY ARCHIVES |
| Pottsville Republican of April 2, 1913 KILLED FIRST SNAKE OF SEASON On Tuesday morning while stopping for passengers, Oscar Bicht, conductor on the Schuylkill Haven car, and Thomas Collins, an employee of the electric road, who was riding on the front platform, saw a snake near the track at Seven Stars. The men at once got the track bar and killed it. They described it as being a black snake and say it was four and a half feet long. It was easily killed, showing no fight whatsoever, the cold weather seeming to have stunned it. Pottsville Republican of April 5, 1913 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SCHOOL NOTES We have a number of school children who stay home from school during the day but go to the movies in the evening. The next day an excuse alleging illness is brought to the teacher. Either there is a deep shade of doubt enveloping that excuse or the child recovers very suddenly. We believe the latter is frequently the case. Won't this suggest a panacea for childhood's ailments to our physicians? It is hard to understand why parents are so inconsistent. We hold that if a child is too ill to attend school, it is too ill to go to a pleasure resort. Even if that child was slightly indisposed during the day and feels quite well in the evening it would be far better for him or her to stay at home in the evening and rest than to go to a place of amusement and get the nervous system all stirred up by highly exciting scenes. Slight indispositions are usually nervous affections anyway. The school board held a short special meeting on Friday night. The North Ward brick building and four private dwellings on the same line of sewers and flooded cellars. The property owners, including the board, decided that the matter must be attended to at once and decided to have the drain dug up if necessary. On Monday, however, the water had left the cellars. On account of the heavy rain storm and the very high winds on Thursday, the schools were dismissed at noon. The high school baseball schedule is about ready. A number of games have been arranged with Minersville, Saint Clair and Pottsville high schools. The manager is trying to get Orwigsburg and Hamburg on the schedule. Pottsville Republican of April 8, 1913 COUNCIL MEETS The borough council met last evening with all but two members present. Regular business was transacted. The contract for the new engine, motor and equipment for the electric light plant was awarded to Jere Woodring and Company for $11,800. Lawyer J. A. Stauffer was present in behalf of S. B. Detweiler. He had blueprints made by surveyor George Butz and Geary made the blueprints for the borough, which were somewhat different. J. A. Noecker, solicitor, was ordered to adjust the matter so that Mr. Detweiler can start his building. The grading of Dock Street passed second reading. The ordinance committee was directed to adopt a new grade for Liberty Street. Pottsville Republican of April 9, 1913 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN GIRLS ALARMED - MAN AND TWO WOMEN BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN WHITE SLAVERS For the past two weeks Schuylkill Haven has had what they thought at first was a cloak man but later developed into a more serious affair. Young girls who were going home in the evening were halted by this supposed cloak man who tried to induce them to go along. Several days ago two women were seen meeting a strange man and the people began to grow suspicious. These two women were boarding at a place in Schuylkill Haven under the pretense of being there for their health, they being on a diet. The boarding mistress later put them out, it being reported that they were endeavoring to get their daughter to go with them. The officers of that place were of the opinion that they were a couple of white slave dealers and watched every move that all three made. This got to be common conversation in that town and evidently hearing of and fearing arrest, they made a very hasty departure, nothing being heard of them today. During the past week, many of the girls were afraid to venture out, others went out with their brothers on the watch for their attackers. On upper Main Street, where several attacks were made, the girls were especially afraid to venture out after dark without some chaperon. Pottsville Republican of April 12, 1913 SCHOOL BOARD NEWS The school board met in regular monthly session. The Schuylkill Haven Foundry was exonerated from the 1912 taxes. Webber, chairman of the Building Committee, reported having seen the property owners interested in the sewer that flooded the cellar of the North Ward building and all agreed to have the matter attended to. Principal Heckert was appointed to the enumeration of school children and to prepare lists of pupils for the teachers during vacation. The Building Committee was instructed to purchase three more carloads of coal for next term's supply. One carload was delivered this week. At the recommendation of the first grade teachers, it was decided to permit the first graders to keep their readers, excepting the good books, which shall be used next year. Also that the life of a reader in this grade should be considered one year instead of two as heretofore. The books seldom last that long for little folks. When a tuition pupil is quarantined and misses school during the period of exclusion, a month's tuition shall be deducted. On Monday our school started int o the eighth month. Surely the term is flying very speedily. Some boys and girls are just beginning to realize what opportunities they have neglected and would gladly make up for the loss during the last two months. For some it will be sadly too late. The high school baseball team plays Saint Clair on the home grounds Thursday afternoon of next week. The home games will nearly all be played on Thursday afternoons at four o'clock. The public should patronize these games so that expenses can be met. These boys are getting into training for future service in the town's baseball affairs. Our ball team is made up of quite young material and we ask the attendants at the games to be lavish in their applause and very sparing in harsh criticism, for these young boys need encouragement. Help the boys along. Pottsville Republican of April 30, 1913 NEW ASYLUM READY FOR JULY 1 When the new insane asylum at Schuylkill Haven will be open appears to be problematical according to the opinion of the officials who are in touch with the work although July 1 appears to be the date around which the removal of the patients from other asylums in the state will take place. No plans have been laid as of yet and it is a question whether the removal will come under the direction of the commissioners and controller or the trustees. At the present time there are a number of contracts to be filled for furniture, supplies, crockery and other utensils and according to the specifications, these will take in the neighborhood of three months to fill. The building will not be officially accepted before July and then the matter of the removal will take place. It is generally believed that the trustees, when the building is turned over, will take up the proposition of removing the patients. How this will be done is yet to be decided, although several plans have been proposed. At first the proposition involved the hiring and equipping of a special train but the transportation of several hundred of the patients together with the attendants is considered to be a big job for the prompt and efficient conduct of the work. The county is fortunate in having at present time the services of a man who has been through the mill. Dr. Bowers and his suggestions will probably be carried out. Dr. Bowers had charge of the transportation of the insane from Norristown to Rittersville when that institution was completed and he handled the patients in groups of 25 to 50. This involved only the assistance of a few attendants and the work was carried out quickly and with as little discomfort as possible. This is considered to be the most feasible plan and will no doubt be carried out. In the mean time conditions at the county asylum are very crowded, there being over a hundred patients in the institution at this time. The county officials are doing all in their power to get the new building completed and as fast as the work is completed the commissioners and controller are inspecting the same and accepting it. When the final contract is completed the building will be in shape for the removal and the matter of accepting the building and turning it over to the trustees will be rushed through. The officials are awake to the necessity of having proper accommodations and if possible the work will be completed before the date although July 1 is conceded to be the earliest possible date at which the work could be done without any hindrance whatever. |
| APRIL 1913 |