YEARS GONE BY ARCHIVES |
The Pottsville Republican of October 5, 1909 The Municipal League, which has not held a meeting for several months owing to the apathy of its members, will on Thursday evening of next week make an effort to get together again and map out a plan of operations for the fall and winter. One matter that will be taken up at next week's meeting is the movement to obtain better trolley terminal facilities at Pottsville for Schuylkill Haven people. It is expected that the Municipal League will take the initiative in this matter and will present to the Traction Company very good sufficient reasons why the Schuylkill Haven patrons of the road should be given accommodations. Almost everyone uses the trolley to a greater or less extent and every passenger is inconvenienced just in proportion to the frequency with which he or she travels over that road by being dumped at the Pottsville borough limits instead of being carried through the town. The Schuylkill Haven and Orwigsburg cars should go through Pottsville to the old waiting room on North Centre Street or should go up Market Street to the Garfield Square turnout. Either arrangement would be satisfactory and the people of Schuylkill Haven can secure the accommodation if they will take up the matter promptly and in the right way. Town Council held its regular meeting Monday with the following present: Mengle, Meck, Keller, Berger, McKeon, Umbenhower, Bubeck, Saul, Moore, President Lautenbacher, Secretary Schumacher, Solicitor Noecker, Superintendent Becker, Treasurer Keller and Surveyor Butz. Burgess Hartman stated that while the street paving is in progress the alley leading from Dock Street at Saint Matthew's Lutheran Church to Saint John Street at the First National Bank is used by teams, automobiles and other vehicles and asked that Council place electric lights along that thoroughfare as it is narrow, dark and dangerous at night. Referred to Electric Light Committee. The Burgess in his report stated that the people of Pleasant Row would not lay pavements and asked Council to authorize him to compel them to do so. On motion of Saul the Burgess was authorized to send notice to people on Pleasant Row to lay pavements. Mr. Roan, the contractor for the Main Street paving, stated that since there were so many ditches dug along Main Street where the street is to be paved it would be almost impossible to guarantee his paving over the same and stated that if a six inch extra layer, making twelve inches in all, of concrete were spread over the ditches from the trolley sills to the curb, he thought it would be all right and stated that it would require eighty cubic yards of concrete at four dollars a cubic yard. On motion of Saul and Keller, the Road Committee, enter into contract with contractor to make concrete nine inches instead of twelve inches from Hoy's corner to end of sewer and wherever necessary at not more than four dollars per cubic yard, including excavation. Mr. Roan also stated that the Water Company could not furnish water and asked where he could get some. On motion of Bubeck, the Road Committee was instructed to see Mr. Werner and ask him to make some arrangements with Mr. Roan for water. Chief Burgess Hartman's full report is as follows: The trial of John Busco, an inmate of the almshouse, and Beehan and two tramps whom I arrested the previous month took place. All were guilty and sentenced to prison by the court. Complaints have been made to me about the bad condition of some pavements in Pleasant Row. These should be repaired before freezing weather sets in. Mrs. Robert Sterner fell on one of these pavements twice recently and have notified me in case of an injury by falling on some of these pavements they will hold the borough responsible. I am loath to order this done unless Council so directs me because in future if I notify anyone to relay pavements and they fail to do so I shall proceed under the borough ordinance to have same done and expect Council to pay the bill and afterward collect same with penalty from property owners. I make this statement so that in case that I must proceed against anyone I will feel that Council is with me and will not shift responsibility but stand back of me. Since our Main Street is closed a great many teams, etc. come down the alley from the Lutheran church to the bank. This alley is very dark and narrow. Several accidents were barely averted owing to the darkness of the alley. Several incandescent lights should be strung temporarily along this alley and thus make it safe for drivers. I ask that this be done. During September I arrested a representative of L. Hummel for indiscriminately throwing circulars around. He was fined two dollars. I also arrested James Sheafer for digging up the streets without a permit. He was fined five dollars. I issued forty six permits for twenty four dollars received. In relation to Pleasant Row I should also have said that the gutter is very bad and water does not run away, lies in pools and has become stagnant. A stench arises therefrom and is right along the school house. It surely is a nuisance. The curbs should be reset by the property owners before the borough relays the gutter. The Pottsville Republican of October 6, 1909 John Heebner, employed at the P and R car shops, while at work on Tuesday afternoon was struck on the head and seriously injured by a plank that slipped and fell from the top of a car. He was removed to Dr. A. H. Detweiler's office where his injuries were dressed temporarily and he was then taken to the Pottsville Hospital. It is feared that his skull is fractured. He has a wife, who was a Miss Hoppes, and five small children. Dr. Gillette of town, on Tuesday night entertained the Southern Schuylkill Medical Society at his home on Dock Street. Dr. D. W. Morgan read a paper on "The Anatomy of the Stomach", Dr. R. W. Lenker on "The Physiology of the Stomach" and Dr. H. H. Stewart on "Acute Gastritis". At the close of the discussions dinner was served. Those present were: Drs. Binckley of Orwigsburg; Santee, Cressona: Stewart, Friedensburg; Morgan, Auburn; R. W. Lenker, C. Lenker, Wiest, Heim, Detweiler, Moore and Gillette of town. The Pottsville Republican of October 14, 1909 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SHORTS The Municipal League will meet in regular session on Thursday evening of this week and a full attendance of members is desired as business of considerable importance will be transacted. There are various matters of public interest that require the attention of our citizens and these will receive consideration at the meeting. There is something doing on the part of the Schuylkill Haven Gas and Water Company with reference to furnishing the town with a larger supply of water but the officials are reticent. It is known however, that an engineer corps has made surveys that would indicate the probability of a large new storage reservoir being located on the company's present water property. It is said the sites have been located for several new artesian wells and at least one of them is to go down below sea level, which would be between 750 and 800 feet. Captain Chase of Eagles Mere, a water expert who has been put on the job by the Water Company, has paid several visits here and one or more of the surveys was made under his direction. The Pottsville Republican of October 19, 1909 Hazel, the little daughter of D. M. Wagner, had a foot mashed in a peculiar manner on Monday. She was standing on the sidewalk in front of her father's store on Main Street watching teamsters unloading curbstones in the street. One big stone, as it was shoved off the wagon, hit a crowbar and threw it with great force onto the pavement, landing on the child's foot. The little girl suffers great pain. The curbstones have been received and are now being set along Main Street and the merchants along that thoroughfare hope that there will be no further delay to the street paving. Supervisor Becker, who is laying the borough sewer to carry the surface water that accumulates at the corner of Main and Dock Streets is making quick time with the job. He has already started the pipe down the Lutheran Church alley and will finish the work this week. SCHOOL NOTES The seniors of the High School were very successful in their ice cream, cake and candy sale held at the residence of P. T. Hoy on Saturday night. The contributions were liberal and the patronage good. Many people were served. Nearly all the cakes were sold before they were brought and the candy sold very rapidly. It was too cold to sell much ice cream. The class is very highly pleased and well satisfied with the amount of the net proceeds which is fifty dollars, much more than anticipated. The members of the class and the High School faculty wish to thank all the kind friends for the assistance given and to all who gave them such liberal patronage. This money will be used for a commencement fund instead of raising such a fund by advertisements on the commencement program. The fourth and fifth grade teachers held a meeting on Tuesday afternoon of this week to consider lightening the work in arithmetic. This work is now being laid out for the various grades. Good results are following from the change made in the study programs at the schools. We would advise parents to urge their children to bring their readers home to read aloud at home evenings. By such exercise better expression and deeper thought power is developed by the child. The Pottsville Republican of October 28, 1909 SCHUYLKILL HAVEN SHORTS - MANY TOPICS OF INTEREST FROM THE ODD CORNER OF THE BOROUGH George and Ralph Runkle returned on Saturday from a two month trip to the Pacific coast and they speak in glowing terms of the West with its opportunities, its possibilities and the grandeur of the scenery. Most of the time on the coast was spent in Los Angeles but they took in all the principal sights along the routes going and returning. While at Denver Colorado on the return trip they ran over to Byers and spent several days with Dr. Frank McWilliams, formerly of town, who has built up a quite lucrative practice. Saint John Street property owners already see the advantages of the Main Street brick paving and, it is understood, will endeavor to have several squares of that street paved next year. Town Council's idea is to pave two or three squares of street every year until all the principal streets in town are paved. The Lautenbacher Candy Factory this week installed a chocolate coating machine with a capacity of thirty tons per day. About a dozen people are required to feed machines rapacious mow and take away the coated candies but the machine and its dozen assistants will do the work of 150 candy coaters. The Lautenbacher Candy Factory is now fully equipped and has more orders on hand then it can fill. It is the town's youngest industry but it is the most lusty youngster of the bunch, having outgrown its quarters ten times in less then two years with the indications that the present large factory building will be too small before another season comes around. J. C. Lautenbacher, the proprietor, has his two son in laws, Thomas Tindle and Howard Hirlman in charge of the plant which now employs forty hands and is on the lookouit for still more help. |