| YEARS GONE BY ARCHIVES |
| The Call of July 10 1914 COUNCIL NEWS Town council at its meeting Monday evening took an important step to provide for the health of the children of the town by providing for them a suitable playground, or a playground other than the streets which have out of necessity been utilized by them. The action came at the end of the session. It was a surprise to many councilmen but a still greater surprise to the town is the announcement that a committee has actually been instructed to place a playground in condition and to secure some necessary paraphernalia. The site selected is the old canal bed along Canal Street. This canal bed for almost two squares has been filled to level with the street. It will require nothing more than a covering of good earth and leveling off to make an ideal spot. It is also proposed to plant trees along both sides of the old canal bed and in years this spot should be a delightful one. The proposition met with instant approval of every councilman and the vote on the question of taking action as stated above was passed unanimously. President G. H. Moore and Arthur Yost, chairman of the Highway Committee, have for some time had the matter under consideration and have been investigating the possibilities of providing a playground for Schuylkill Haven. It was upon their recommendation that action was taken. Probably the next most important action taken by the council was the acceptance of the Dock Street paving. The contract between the borough and the contractor states that the Road Committee shall certify that the work has been completed according to specification and their entire satisfaction. While the committee did not certify in this exact manner, it was explained by the solicitor that their signing the report of the engineer setting forth the amount of work done and the amount of money due the contractor was the same and could be considered as approval of the work. The matter of the cleaning of paved streets was discussed. It was stated the system now if effect, that of one man being constantly on the job, was proving satisfactory and would be a saving over the old method of having the streets cleaned once a week by a force of men. As the matter of purchasing a street sweeper had been laid on the table at the last meeting, a motion carried to drop the proposition to purchase a street sweeper. Some of the councilmen, however, thought that a street sprinkler should be purchased. Another very important matter upon which action was taken was the traffic ordinance. The ordinance regulating traffic and speed of vehicles was passed upon second reading. An amendment was made to the ordinance, granting the trolley company the privilege of stopping its cars on the far side of the crossing at the corner of Main and Dock Streets. The company claimed if the cars were stopped on the near side as required by the ordinance, coming up Main Street, on account of the grade, it would be very difficult to again start them out. The ordinance as passed fixed the speed of automobiles at 24 miles per hour but the state allows that upon placing the signs along the streets, every quarter of a mile, on which is printed the speed limit of 15 miles per hour, the rate of speed can be reduced to 15 instead of 24. On motion of Berkheiser and Hoffman, the Road Committee was instructed to secure and place the signs. The Water Committee reported placing new fire plugs at the following locations: the residence of Jacob Berger on Dock Street, at the McWilliams property on Dock Street, at the Liberty Hose House on Columbia Street and at H. J. Dohner's on Main Street. Instructions were also given to repair all tops of plugs that are in bad condition. The Call of July 17, 1914 TO HAVE CARNIVAL The Citizen's Band will have a midway or carnival this season. Arrangements have been progressing for the past several weeks and are now in such shape that the same is practically assured. The carnival will be an altogether different basis than the former street carnival. The coming carnival will not be a street carnival but will be more on the order of a midway. A contract has been made with the Moss Amusement Company and the date decided upon is the week of July 27th. This company has greatly increased their paraphernalia and outfit, having secured all clean and perfectly legitimate amusements. All the fake stuff has been done away with. A number of high class amusements compose the outfit together with a motor drome, ferris wheel, merry go round, and trained dogs and ponies. A license has been granted for the same and a site selected. It will be held on the vacant lot on lower Main Street opposite the roller rink. Further particulars will appear in these columns next week. TEAM STOPS RUNAWAY The peculiar sight of a team of horses stopping another runaway horse was witnessed by Main Streeters this morning. The horse of Michel Brothers, becoming scared at a passing train started a mad dash from the P & R station. Coming on up to Main Street the horse ran into the team of the Pottsville Supply Company standing along the curb. The tongue of the supply company wagon somehow caught in the harness of the Michel horse and brought it to a complete standstill. The horses of the Pottsville firm escaped with a few very slight bruises. Had the Michel horse continued up town much damage might have been done and perhaps someone injured as there were a large number of teams on the street at the time. SCHOOL NOTES A special meeting of the school board was held on Wednesday night for the purpose of considering sanitary matters and such other matters as may arise. On motion of Stauffer and Stager, two Murdoch Bubble Fountains were ordered and to be installed in the main building. Mr. Stauffer also reported that the oil for the oiling of the school floors has been ordered, and the bill for the same is here. Director Stager reported that he and Principal Heckert together with the janitors inspected the several buildings to note repairs needed. The secretary read the list as prepared on the tour of inspection. Some of those repairs were directed to be attended to at once and on others prices of costs are to be inquired into by the Building Committee. Principal Heckert reported that vacation is rapidly passing and some boys and girls who are to start school in September are not yet vaccinated. Attend to that matter promptly. Do not let the dog days stop you in this. The enumerator of school children finds many dwelling houses in course of construction which may be occupied by the time school starts. Citizens will confer a favor on the enumerator and benefit the school district financially if they will inform him of any families with children between 6 and 16 who move into town so that he may register such children. The Call of July 24, 1914 BOY SCOUTS RETURN HOME A happy, sunburned, tired and smiling bunch of troopers alighted at Schuylkill Haven on Thursday morning, from the eleven o'clock train. Bystanders near the station at first thought the National Guard had been sent to town but several familiar faces were noticed and a more careful investigation and inquiry revealed that they were the Boy Scouts returning from a two weeks camping trip. All the boys reported having had a splendid time and cannot speak too highly of the excellent time and the care shown them by their Scoutmaster, reverend C. E. Hays. The Call of July 31, 1914 AUTOIST HAS NARROW ESCAPE Thomas Carr, of town, who recently purchased a Ford automobile had a narrow escape from serious injury and probable death the fore part of the week. Just as he was driving along at the high bank near the Pennsy tracks coming into Saint Clair, he failed to make the turn properly. The machine struck the guard rail or iron rope of the fence. The rope prevented the machine from dropping to the railroad tracks below. Both wheels of the car were torn off and the machine damaged in a number of places. |
| JULY 1914 |