| YEARS GONE BY ARCHIVES |
| The Call of April 6, 1917 PAXSON AVENUE MUST BE REPAIRED Town Council has at last been moved to action in the matter of having Paxson Avenue put in at least passable condition. This action was taken at the meeting Monday evening and although the street in question is private property and the borough, therefore, not having any jurisdiction over the same, an effort is to be made to have the original owners of the street, Messrs. Paxson and Houck, comply with their agreement made with the borough and put the street in better condition. The solicitor was instructed to notify Messrs. Paxson and Houck that unless they complied with their agreement to this effect, the matter will be taken to court. The subject was brought up by Councilman McKeon who stated the condition of the avenue made it almost impossible for pedestrians or teams to travel on the same. Mr. McKeon stated the portion of this street opened by the borough has already cost more money than most of the streets in town considering the short length and that this money was expended with the understanding that the owners of the ground on the other side of the alley would put their portion of the street to grade. That these men have failed to do so and now the property owners expect the council to do what the original owners of the property have failed to do. In reply to several questions the solicitor stated that the portion of the street referred to, on account of being private property, the borough had no control or authority over it; that the borough could not accept it even if it so desired unless the owners would surrender their rights to it; that the borough could not make Paxson and Houck fix the street because it was private property; that one portion of the street had been marked some time ago with signs to the effect that it was no public thoroughfare; that council could not close up its portion of the thoroughfare. President Moore was of the opinion that by moral persuasion, council might be able to induce Messrs. Paxson and Houck to place this portion of the avenue in good condition. The president also stated that the public had been misinformed on conditions at the avenue and that therefore council was being blamed for what Messrs. Paxson and Houck had failed to do. Other council members stated the time for moral persuasion was over long already and that more drastic measures were required. ADMIRER REMAINS UNTIL A LATE HOUR Residents on Haven Street near the Pennsylvania freight station are up in arms over the actions of a young admirer of a Haven Street girl. This young man who possesses an auto, comes to this section several times each week. Instead of parking his machine directly in front of the home of his love, the machine is placed in the front of another family's home. No later than Wednesday night last this was done and it was after three o'clock Thursday morning before the machine was taken away. The majority of the Haven Street people keep respectable hours and furthermore, do not care to have their slumbers disturbed at this hour. The next time the offense is repeated, the number of the machine will be taken and the name of the owner made public. MAY REPAIR RIVER WALL A petition signed by property owners on the north side of Main Street between Saint Peter and Dock Streets in which council was petitioned to have the wall along the river at the rear of their properties repaired was presented and read. Messrs. Graver, Lenker and Lautenbacher, representing the property owners, were present and spoke of how the wall is in bad condition and liable to fall into the river at any time. That landslides have occurred several times and that each time the alley is made smaller. That the alley is traveled quite hard and is a great convenience to teamsters. The best part of three quarters of an hour was occupied in the discussion of the matter. Council had the question of building a retaining wall at this point under discussion heretofore and after procuring from an engineer an estimate cost of rebuilding and building a new wall, because of the great cost, dropped the matter. On motion of Stanton and Sterner the matter be left in the hands of the Highway Committee and this committee to consult with an engineer and procure an estimate of having a wall built or learn the best method of preventing future trouble at this point. The Call of April 13, 1917 IN THE MATTER OF A NEW COMPANY HERE The local committee appointed for the purpose of trying to get a National Guard company for this town is still on the job but it finds that for the moment it is up against an insurmountable object. During the week the War Department at Washington issued an order to the effect that new National Guard cannot be organized and will not be recognized in towns or cities which do not now have armories. Whether this order will stand indefinitely depends entirely on what action Congress will take on the army question. If a large increase in the National Guard will be authorized it is entirely probable that the government then will accept companies organized in towns which do not now possess armories. The committee has been assured by the Adjutant General of this state that when the War Department gives the necessary authority, Schuylkill Haven will be given the first chance to organize a company for the National Guard. However, as above stated, this authority can not come until Congress takes some definite action on the army measures now before it. The formation of two companies of engineers out of Company C at Pottsville is also held up by the War Department. A large number of men from town as well as from Cressona and other adjacent places have put in their applications for enlistment in one of these two companies. There seems to be no doubt that the two companies will be organized eventually and in that event an effort will be made to place all the Schuylkill Haven men and those from the towns nearby in one and the same company and thus make it practically a Schuylkill Haven company. We will not have enough properly qualified local engineers to officer this company but it is hoped that our war with Germany will raise some of our men to the proper requirements so that when vacancies occur in the future we will have local men to fill them. In this way the one company eventually will be a Schuylkill Haven company and when that period occurs it should be an easy matter to induce this state to build an armory here and then move the company here and thus leave one company at Pottsville and one here. The Call of April 20, 1917 MICHEL COMPENSATION CLAIM DISALLOWED A decision was rendered this morning by referee Paul W. Houck, of Pottsville, denying to Mrs. Fred Michel, compensation for the death of her husband. Mrs. Michel claimed compensation from Michel Brothers, claiming that her husband was killed while performing work for the firm. It will be recalled that Fred Michel was killed on the night of January 7th, on the state road between Schuylkill Haven and Pottsville, when his auto collided with another machine. At the same time, Marian Umbenhauer, Amy Meck, Earl Kline and Aaron Burnett were injured. The decision of referee Houck does not go into detail, simply stating that the claim is disallowed and that the deceased was not in the employ of his employees or working for the furthering of their interests when the death occurred. STORAGE YARDS EMPTY For the first time in many years the storage yard at Landingville has been cleaned up of all the fuel that has been stored there. This yard has a storage capacity of one million, five hundred thousand tons and there were times when the yard was well filled. The urgent demand for coal during the winter and early spring has caused the yard to be emptied. During the a double shift was employed and as high as three hundred cars were loaded and shipped out every twenty four hours. IMPROVEMENTS AT TRUST COMPANY During the past week a number of improvements have been made to the interior of the Schuylkill haven trust Company. The desk of cashier McSparren has been moved to a side, a new railing has been erected, thus allowing a free passageway to the back of the bank without inconveniencing the employees. A number of the electric light fixtures have been changed. The improvements certainly add to the general appearance of the Trust Company. WORKING SCHEME ON PEOPLE The attention of the residents of Schuylkill Haven and the surrounding towns is called to a new scheme that is being worked by strangers to relieve the people of their hard earned cash. One day a letter will be received with inducements to invest in a stick proposition and the following day a long distance telephone message urges the prospective customer to invest at once before it is too late, as the stock is going fast. You are asked to pay two dollars a share as a deposit in your bank to the credit of the schemers. Remember what Barnum said, "A sucker is born every minute." Don't bite. TERRIBLE STENCH FROM THE CREEK On Friday last, the health officer, John Butz, and several citizens of the town, were called to the borough electric light plant for no other reason then to detect the horrible conditions under which the employees of this plant must work owing to the stench that rises from the creek flowing from the County Home. It was next to impossible to stay for a single moment in the boiler room and the stench was beginning to penetrate into th engine room. The small dam to the rear of the boiler house was overflowing and this stench was carried on down past the home of Reverend Smoll to the Berger mills and then into the Schuylkill canal. It was the opinion of the heath officer, that the employees of the Almshouse were again allowing the sewerage to flow into the creek, which is a direct violation of an injunction. If the proper authorities do not deem this nuisance something to be immediately abated and stopped for all times, the matter should be taken to the state authorities and their services solicited. The Call of April 27, 1917 RESIDENT DESERTS WIFE Residents on Centre Avenue are up in arms against a resident who has deserted his invalid wife. Sometime Sunday morning last without saying a word to any of his friends or even to his wife, he is alleged to have packed a small grip and boarded a trolley car. Up to the present time his whereabouts are unknown. Several weeks ago, the wife, through misfortune was compelled to undergo a very serious operation. While a patient in the hospital she was visited frequently by the husband. Since her return he has displayed a rather cool nature but nothing was thought of it until his disappearance on Sunday. Should some of the residents come in contact with the husband, it is feared that he might be handled roughly and taught an example. If there was ever a time in the life of this woman that she needs the assistance of a husband, it is at the present time. For the sake of the unfortunate wife, The Call refrains from mentioning names but the case is known to a large number of the residents. WORK CONTINUED ON COAL BANK Work on the hauling of the dirt bank from the vicinity of the base ball grounds has again been resumed. For several weeks, this work was stopped owing to the non demand of this kind of fuel in New York and vicinity. Orders are on hand that will insure work for at least the next two weeks or even longer. Eight teams are now employed and nearly a dozen cars are being loaded daily. PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTES The spirit of the times has manifested itself among a large number of the boys at the high school and they are more than anxious to effect an organization and go under military training. At the present time there are more than fifty boys in the high school whose ages average between 15 and 19 years. These boys are not delighted with the fact that the scholars of other high schools in the county are being drilled in military tactics and the use of the gun, while they are sitting idly by. All that is necessary is for the boys to procure some competent drill master, one who has had actual experience and then to band themselves together and work under military rules. A military education to a boy is not estimated in dollars and cents and it has been the means, on more than one occasion, of making a man of the boy. During the coming week let the project be earnestly discussed by the male students and then let them act. Surely there are members of the Guards who would be willing to drill the high school boys. The next meeting of the school board will find nearly a score of parents before the members in an endeavor to satisfactorily explain the absence of their children. A number of these parents are old offenders and labor under the impression that they are pulling the wool over the eyes of the directors. In several instances that is really the case and the directors have stood for the same. Now they mean to put a stop to it by either sending the child to some institution or compelling the parents or guardians to pay the fine and cost before a justice of the peace. |
| ADS FROM THE CALL IN APRIL 1917 |
