| YEARS GONE BY ARCHIVES |
| Pottsville Republican of December 5, 1912 COUNCIL NEWS Chief Burgess Hartman of Schuylkill Haven, informed council at their regular meeting Monday evening, that he had been informed by Attorney C. E. Berger, representing J. Harry Filbert, that equity proceedings would be instituted against the borough to restrain them from interfering with the property of Mr. Filbert along Dock Street. Some time ago the borough employed an engineer to ascertain whether the property of Mr. Filbert extended beyond the line. The report to council was to the effect that the rear of this property extended but a number of inches, according to the information in the hands of the engineer and according to the survey. Burgess Hartman was instructed to notify Mr. Filbert that unless the same was given prompt attention and the nuisance removed, that the borough would do the work and then collect the amount through law. The time limit for doing the work has expired but in view of the fact that equity proceedings are about to be started, the chief burgess was of the opinion that it would be better to wait. He therefore requested council to instruct their solicitor to be ready to go ahead with the same when the time arrived. This council did and the borough will put forth every effort to have the wall moved back to the required line. The outcome of the suit will be awaited with great interest by the majority of the residents of the borough, as it will have a tendency to improve the condition of this street. STREET A PRIVATE ONE Complaint was made to the chief burgess about the unsafe condition of Paxson Avenue in front of the houses on that street. It was stated that teamsters are afraid to go over the street for fear of injuring their horses or breaking their wagons. It was stated that at places holes are so deep that water collects and makes a swimming pond of the place. The burgess was informed by council that the street is a private one, has never been accepted by council and therefore council has no jurisdiction in the matter. In case of an accident, it would be necessary to look to the owners of the street for damages and not the borough. ROAD COMMITTEE REPORTS The Road Committee reported that during the past month, they had repaired both Liberty and Columbia Streets by placing gravel and cinders on the same. Sewer pipes were placed on Berne and Dock Streets while a number of streets were cleaned and repaired. Council was informed that at certain places along the road leading to the top of the Schuylkill Mountain, there are no safeguards and that for a distance of nearly three hundred feet. Council discussed at length the proper kind of railing to use and then left the matter in the hands of the committee. The chief burgess and a number of members of council were informed that since Saint John Street has been paved, the sewer leading from the residence of Miss Elizabeth Hesser has been blocked and at times there is water to the depth of a foot or more in the cellar. Council could not see how the paving of the street affected the drainage in any way, as the street was not dug deeper than a depth of nine or ten inches, while the sewer in question is several feet below the street level. It was the opinion of the council that the private sewer constructed by Michel and bast some time ago caused the inconvenience and that is no fault of the borough. Council some time ago sent a man to investigate and he could find no cause as far as the borough was concerned. The gutter in front of the property of David Runkle on Union Street, which for months past has been called to the attention of council, will now be repaired. The owner of the property contends that the gutter was raised by the supervisor and that in winter time, instead of the drainage water running away, it collects and freezes, which in turn blocks the pipes. Main Street residents complained to the Board of Health that the street is not sprinkled before cleaning and that the dust raised from the same enters their homes, making the surroundings unsanitary. Council was informed that this occurred only once or twice and that when the weather was cold and the water froze as soon as it was put on the street. However the matter will be watched in the future. Pottsville Republican of December 7, 1912 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SCHOOL BOARD The school board held an interesting session and reorganized. All the directors and officers were present with the exception of Samuel Bast who was ill. President Jones not being present for the opening of the meeting, Vice President Paxson took the chair. After the roll call and reading of the minutes, the secretary reported having notified all applying architect's of the board's choice of an architect to prepare plans and specifications for the new high school building. Mr. Paxson reported that the Board of Health requested the supervising principal to report to the physician of the Board of Health, cases of suspected contagious diseases where no doctor has been called to take charge of the case. Chairman Webber of the Building and Repairs committee reported that the ceiling of number thirteen stairway would be repaired during vacation. Architect Reilley's letter accepting his appointment as architect and the terms stipulated was read and filed. The school month is up on Wednesday of this week. The reports are ready for the secretary's approval on Thursday morning. A schedule for the teachers visiting of schools was presented to each director. More cases of measles were reported. Fumigation for Friday night was ordered. The board adjourned. In the reorganization, Jones was named as temporary chairman and immediately afterwards, elected president again and Paxson was elected vice president. All the janitors were reelected to serve until the first Monday in July. C. E. Berger was elected solicitor to act in that relation until July. There were some good programs rendered the day before Thanksgiving. The lectures by Professor L. Hummel were not well attended. This was no fault of the professor for the discourses were learned, instructive and interesting all through. Very helpful facts on the choice of a life companion were given on Saturday night. The professor illustrated his lecture with a matrimonial class. He has also examined a good many heads throughout town. The truancy cases were not called up at the board meeting this time because there were not a sufficient number of cases on hand to take up the matter. All cases are continued. Measles are in town. Keep your children away from them. A little care on the part of parents will prevent an epidemic. Keep away from houses placarded. Two new cases were reported on Monday. The school building will be thoroughly fumigated on Saturday including the pupils books. The teachers at their meeting on Monday evening, agreed to a rule that is to be carried out hereafter. No presents will be given by the teachers to their pupils on Christmas and other holidays during the school year and the pupils shall bring no gifts to the teachers. Cards are included in this. Exceptions are made in the case of first and second grade schools with which no third grade pupils are mixed. There are several reasons for this rule. It has been found that the quite small children really enjoy and are benefited by the gift giving but from third grade on up, pupils are found who do not appreciate the gifts, some tearing up beautiful cards before the teachers eyes. Many children give gifts because they see others give them and parents are annoyed a great deal by their children's clamoring for money to buy these gifts when they can't afford it. The gift giving is also a heavy drain on the teachers' slender purse. Pupils and teachers alike having so many presents to exchange at Christmas time will find this rule a relief. One of the worst features of the pupils gift bringing is the fact that on the part of the teacher, it involves a sense of obligation hard to overcome by the spirit of fairness. Some parents and children also think though they may not express the thought publicly, that special favors are due the gift given. All that is not good for the school. Pottsville Republican of December 12, 1912 600 POUNDS OF TURKEY FOR ALMSHOUSE The inmates of the Schuylkill County Almshouse will have turkey for dinner on Christmas Day, six hundred pounds of it will be furnished at the rate of three cents per pound. This was the bid of the Armour Company of Shenandoah submitted to the county commissioners. It was the lowest bid. Besides turkey, the inhabitants of the county home will have additional extras on the bill of fare for that day while the children at the institution will have a Christmas tree and will receive presents. Candy and oranges will be little extra sweet meats for the additional pleasures of the unfortunate. Pottsville Republican of December 13, 1912 SCHOOL NOTES The school board held an adjourned meeting on Thursday night. Architect Reilly was present and was given the number of rooms and their arrangement as desired in the new building. From these suggestions, Mr. Reilly will draw up preliminary plans and a sketch for exhibition. Two public meetings were determined upon. One will be Saturday evening, December 14th, in Keystone Hall and the other some time after New Year. Mr. Butz was reelected truant officer. The directors decided to hold a public meeting in Keystone Hall on Saturday of this week for the purpose of discussing the new building. Everybody is invited to be present and ask questions. An effort will be made to show the necessity of a new building and properly to inform the public of existing conditions and what is required. Let everybody come out. Yes, Santa Claus was with us again and he is always welcome. The heart of every boy and girl in school was made happy by the presence of this genial and generous personage. How the little faces lit up and beamed at his appearance. it was again through the invitation of Doutrich and Company that Santa visited the schools on Thursday afternoon. He distributed his gifts as usual and received the promises "to be good for another year" from the boys and girls. |