| YEARS GONE BY ARCHIVES |
| The Call of July 2, 1920 SIX HUNDRED BATHERS AT WILLOW LAKE As per last week's announcement in these columns, the official and formal opening of Willow Lake at this place was held Sunday afternoon. There were about six hundred persons who made efforts to cool off in the dams. They came in trolleys, teams and wagons. Many from town walked to the lake. The carousel proved a big attraction and from two to ten o'clock carried fourteen hundred passengers. This attraction will be in operation every evening from seven to nine o'clock and on Saturdays from two until ten o'clock. It is expected the roof will be completed on the carousel building by Sunday. The bath houses have also been completed. The date for the first dance will be announced later. FIRST JULY FOURTH ACCIDENT The first July Fourth accident reported to us was that on the fore part of the week which may result seriously. It was that which befell Mr. Webber, a young married man of South Berne Street. A cracker which failed to explode was broken in half and was to be used as a "hisser." Somehow or other Webber held the broken ends toward him and applied a match. Before he could drop it there were two perfect streams of fire that hissed from it and being in a direct line with his face and eyes, he was badly burned. For a day and a half he was altogether blind. It is understood his sight is again returning. RAILROAD EMPLOYEES HELD MEETING A largely attended meeting of all the railroad employees in this section was held in Keystone Hall on Sunday morning. A surprise was sprung by the appearance of Superintendent Tyson and Mr. Abbott. They were not expected to be present. Both appealed to the men to refrain from going on strike. A vote was taken later and it was decided to go back to work. The company began to call crews on Sunday evening about eight o'clock. A brotherhood meeting in Pottsville in the afternoon was attended by a large number of local members. KILLED THREE BLACK SNAKES The vacant space adjoining the town hall was cleaned up and put in more presentable condition by the borough highway department this week. During the week three large black snakes were encountered. One of them had wrapped itself round and about the leg of one of the workmen, William Riebsaamen. Luckily for him, street cleaner Levi Warner used his push broom and with several well directed blows caused it to beat a retreat. While so doing it was dispatched. It was first thought one of the snakes measured fully six feet but it was later discovered that two of them had been laid end to end. ARCH AT CONNOR TO BE WIDENED The arch at Connor on the state highway was one of the three condemned as public nuisances by the grand jury. Steps will be taken to abate them. This arch has always been considered very dangerous. Just what action will be taken or how soon the danger may be lessened is problematical. The Call of July 9, 1920 WATER DAM MUST LEAK Solicitor Noecker stated he paid a visit to the water dam on July 5th and found the water to be sixteen to eighteen feet from the spillway. A good stream is flowing into the dam but that in the valley below the dam there is also a good stream running away which would seem to indicate that there is a leak in the dam. He suggested that the fact be ascertained as to whether the dam was leaking or not. If it was, the amount of water leaking away or going to waste would go far towards furnishing the additional supply needed. FOURTH OF JULY MISHAPS Esther, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Smith, escaped probable painful and serious burns by her presence of mind in pulling her dress and undergarments from her body on the evening of July 5th. In some way or other the back of her dress became ignited from a red light or tableaux. Margaret Boyer received painful burns and a wound on the hand from a Roman candle which instead of shooting its charge away from her and into the air, burst in her hand. Mrs. Clarence Moser escaped burning her hair by her quick action. Part of a chaser jumped and landed on her head and immediately ignited her hair. A lock was burned before it could be extinguished. TO CONDUCT BOARDING HOUSE The South ward Columbia House conducted by Rufus Krammes for some time, has been leased by the owner, Mrs. Amanda Bautsch to Mrs. Emma Bast of Columbia Street. She will take charge immediately. After some interior changes, improvements and remodeling the same will be conducted as a boarding and lodging house. Some twenty five to thirty five persons can be accommodated at this place. There is little doubt but what there will be many applications for room and board at this place as board in this town is almost unobtainable at any price. The Call of July 16, 1920 1363 HOUSES IN SCHUYLKILL HAVEN How many houses are there in Schuylkill Haven? This question has been frequently asked and no one has seemed to be in position to give definite and correct information. The Fire Chief, C. S. Commings, recently made a complete canvass of the town and compiled quite a bit of interesting information along this line. There are 1363 houses in the town according to the chief's report. There are 80 in the West Ward, 411 in the South Ward, 540 in the East Ward and 332 in the North Ward. There are 113 stables and sheds, there being 2 in the West, 36 in the South, 55 in the East and 20 in the North. The surprisingly small number of 33 garages is reported. Evidently not every building housing an automobile is considered a garage. The South Ward has 16 official garages, the East Ward has 15 and the North Ward but 2. There are 37 factory buildings, 19 being in the South Ward, 11 in the East Ward and 7 in the North Ward. There is one gas plant in the West Ward and a rolling mill in the South Ward. Whether the Reading shops is considered in the North Ward is not known. There are also ten churches and four school buildings and three fire houses. The Call of July 23, 1920 WILL DEDICATE THE PIPE ORGAN SUNDAY The pipe organ in the Saint Matthew Lutheran Church will be dedicated with special services this coming Sunday. In the morning the Reverend Sutcliffe will preach a special sermon appropriate to the occasion. The dedication of the instrument will also take place at this service. There will be special singing by the choir. In the evening the service will be one entirely of singing by an augmented choir, selections on the organ and other musical numbers. THIEVES STEAL TEN SPRING CHICKENS From the chicken coop of Dave Bittle of Saint John Street, unknown persons the other evening selected ten of the finest of his 23 chickens. All the chicks stolen were white rocks and the pride of the flock. No trace of the missing chicks or their abductors could be found. Dave, however, is contenting himself with the knowledge that he has so arranged matters that upon the next visit of the thieves to his hen house, his brother, O. A. Bittle, the undertaker, will have one or more corpses to put under the sod. REPAIRING CURBS ON BERNE STREET This week contractor John Meck was at work straightening the curbs on the west side of North Berne Street. Following this operation the borough will put down a concrete pavement. When this work is completed one of the menaces to health as well as a decidedly obnoxious nuisance on this street will have been eliminated. Thanks to both property owners who paid for the resetting of the curbs and the borough which will pay for the guttering. The Call of July 30, 1920 RAIN OR OIL WANTED To be a resident along Centre Avenue at this time is nothing to be desired. We had always thought this section of the town was an ideal place to reside. This summer it has proven otherwise all due to the failure to put oil on the street. The dust is several inches thick and with autos passing almost every other minute this dust is stirred up and wafted into homes. It is altogether out of the question for persons to sit on their front porches to enjoy whatever breath of air that might be stirring and to have windows open means ruination to carpets, wallpaper and furniture. The only remedy seems to be a good rain. This however gives but temporary relief. As the council does not seem to be very much concerned over the question of putting oil on this street, it is likely the residents will get together and oil the street themselves as the conditions have become unbearable and intolerable. COAL SCATTERED OVER CROSSING While a south bound coal train was passing the Main Street crossing about four o'clock in the morning on Monday, one of the pockets of a car opened up and as a result about ten to fifteen tons of coal were dumped on the crossing and the immediate vicinity before the train was brought to a stop. Workmen had the same cleaned up and moved away by ten o'clock. Most of the coal was crushed to powder by the cars following the broken one. GREATLY IMPROVED MILL APPEARANCE Under the direction of Messrs. Ivan and Willis Reed, with Mr. Jacob Reed acting in an advisory capacity, the male employees of the Union Knitting Mill have for the past week or two been busy repainting the exterior of the building. The improved appearance is very noticeable and the bosses and employees on the job are to be congratulated on their ability to handle a job of this size and character. |