a a
INK SLINGS.
—Spring is only fifteen days off.
—Congress has adjourned and gone
Thome. Nobody is sorry and the coun-
try needs the rest it will have until
December.
—Do you think Wayne B. Wheeler
will ever become the American St.
Patrick? Will he finally get the
snakes chased out of the country?
—The groundhog slipped a little
during the fore part of the week, but
‘he had done so well up to that time
that he was entitled to a day or so off.
—It’s cold, but it’s far better so.
Better have what’s left of winter now
than in April and May. Better that
‘the buds be kept back until there is
not so much danger of their being nip-
ped by frosts.
—Earthquakes may be all right
‘when they are rocking houses hun-
dreds of miles distant but when they
come right in to Pennsylvania they
are geting a little too close to home
for our peace of mind.
—The State Senate, on Monday,
passed the United dry bill by a vote of
‘twenty-seven to seventeen and it was
immediately sent to the House for ac-
tion. Our Senator, William S. Betts,
voted for the bill. We note that Sen-
ator Richard S. Quigley, of the Clin-
‘ton district, voted against it.
—The “Afaletics” have been in
‘training only two weeks at Ft. Mey-
ers, Fla., and have the American
league pennant won already. The
“Macks” are very nice that way. They
always get their glory out of the flag
early so as not to interfere with those
who want it for keeps later.
—President Coolidge is in office now
«on his own credentials. No longer
need he feel obligated to carry out
policies inherited through the tragedy
that made him an accidental Presi-
dent. Success or failure of his ad-
ministration will depend almost en-
tirely on whether he will be able to
show leadership strong and versatile
enough to dominate the new Congress.
It was elected to support him. Wheth-
er it will do so will be the test of
Coolidge as a President.
— Public ownership is a great snit
for them that get jobs, but it costs
money, because there are usually two
employees to do what one finds easy
under private operation of industry.
‘In Germany, recently, a worker on the
public railways was seen with a great
satchel full of marks. He had never
been known to work and when asked
where he got it, replied: “I'm em-
ployed on the railroad. I go along
with the man who taps the car wheels
to hear if they are sound. I'm his
listener.”
—Report has it that this Will Wood,
.of California, whom Governor Pinchot
is about to make successor to Dr.
‘Becht, state superintendent of public
instruction, is a Hi Johnson brand of
educator. Since Mr. Wood is under
fire in his own State at the present
time it looks more like politics than
education that urges the Governor to
offer him asylum in Pennsylvania. The
Governor and the school system have
both suffered in consequence of the
resignation of Dr. Finegan and it is
to be hoped that he is not about to
make another so disastrous a blunder.
—The Governor's offer to add
another million to his estimate of
what the hospitals should be given if
the Legislature will pass his budget
bill, as presented, has a curious look.
“The public will quite naturally want
to know where the Governor has so
large a slice of State revenue hidden
away and why, if he has it, it has been
concealed for use in buying the Legis-
lature. The transaction certainly
doesn’t inure to public confidence in
the Governor’s good faith in his ear-
lier announcements of the amounts
that could safely be counted on for the
“hospitals.
— Ordinarily we pay no attention to
anonymous contributions. One that
reached our desk under postmark of
Bellefonte, on Monday morning, so
perfectly emphasizes a point on the
defeated child labor amendment we
attempted to make in this column two
weeks ago that we violate the rule far
enough to thank the unknown sender.
Of course, it was intended as a chal-
lenge of our contention that tinkering
with the federal constitution is
fraught with many dangers and, un-
less curbed, is destined to rob the
States of the few sovereign rights still
remaining to them. Our correspond-
ent enclosed a clipping of a communi-
cation by Florence Evans, which ap-
peared in the Sunday edition of a
Philadelphia paper. The lady says
“that some persons reveal their utter
ignorance in the arguments they give
against the amendment.” We don’t
“know or we don’t care whether we are
to understand that we have revealed
ours. What we do want to show is
‘that she confirms the very point we
made when we asked what right the
people of Arizona or Maine have to
tell Pennsylvanians how they must
raise their children, as they would
have had, had the amendment been
pussed. After admitting that Penn-
sylvania has very good child labor
regulations on her own statute books
Miss Evans insists that the amend-
‘ment should have been passed as “it
was aimed at more backward States.”
In other words she wants a law that
will give her power to help regulate
children whom she has never seen,
whose environment and condition she
probably has no knowledge of and
whose parents certainly know what is
‘best for them without the aid of her
advice.
AN enor
®
i
7H
VOL. 70.
STATE RIGHTS AN
i———
D FEDERAL UNION.
BELLEFONTE, PA.. MARCH 6. 1925.
Another Bill Ripe for Slaughter.
The Legislative bulletin calls atten-
tion to another piece of legislation
pending in the House of Representa-
tives which calls loudly for popular
condemnation. It was introduced by
Representative Hess, of Lancaster, and
authorizes county commissioners to
enter into contracts, without advertis-
ing, “to repair or build any county
bridges that cost less than $1000.00.”
This measure might be called a me-
dium of legalizing graft in progres-
sive form. In 1913 such procedure
was legalized to the amount of $250.-
00. By an act of the session of 1919
the limit was raised to $500.00 and
there is a record of letting a bridge
contract in sections so that a struec-
ture that cost several thousand dol-
lars was contracted for without pub-
licity.
The Hess bill, known as House Bill
No. 730, increases the amount of ex-
penditures on construction or repairs
of bridges to $1000.00, and by adopt-
ing the piecemeal system would make
it possible for county commissioners
to contract for expensive viaducts
without taking the public into their
confidence through the medium of ad-
vertising. It would afford great op-
portunities for elastic consciences to
favor political or personal friends in
the distribution of official patronage,
and unhappily there are a good many
consciences of that kind in control of
the public business of the Common-
wealth. Bills of the same import in-
troduced by Mr. Metzgar and Mr.
Holtzman indicate that the advantage
is appreciated.
It may be believed that much vic-
ious legislation of this kind is sup-
ported by Senators and Representa-
tives in the General Assembly uncon-
sciously. That is, the evil effects are
overlooked in the casual examination
of the texts as they appear on the
calendars. The sponsors of the meas-
ures understand them thoroughly but
others with only a languid interest in
them take for granted that they mean
well and vote for their passage. The
log-rolling method which prevails in
every Legislative body helps along,
for anxiety to pass local bills induces
trades that work infinite harm. The
Legislative bulletin was a much need-
ed enterprise and we sincerely hope it’
will be read carefully and followed
faithfully.
——It is announced that the pur- |
pose of electing Nick Longworth to
the Speakership is to restore the old
system of Bossism in Congress. But
Nick’s record hardly justifies the
choice. As floor leader he was always
compromising.
Bad Legislation at Harrisburg.
The Pennsylvania Newspaper Pub-
lishers’ association recently issued
from the office of its Legislative com-
mittee a bulletin containing much in-
formation of value, not only to news-
paper publishers, but to the public.
The first number of the Bulletin with
which the “Watchman” has been fa-
vored calls attention to several vicious
measures now pending, conspicuous
among which is an act concerning
counties and county officers. It covers
532 pages and repeals 435 existing
laws. If it were limited in operation
to the repealing provisions there
would be little reason for opposition,
for a good many of the laws it pro-
poses to repeal are bad and ought to |
be stricken out of the statute books.
But the proposea legislation spon- |
sored by Representative Clarence A.
Whitehouse, of Schuylkill county,
seems to discriminate in favor of the
bad and against the good measures
marked for repeal, and contains
provisions more mischievous than
were ever dreamed of previous to the
last session, when Mr. Whitehouse
originally sprung the idea. It con-
tains provisions for the organization
and maintenance at public expense of
a lot of organizations which might,
and probably would, do infinite harm
to the interests of the people. It
would create a State organization of
county commissioners, of county con-
trollers, of sheriffs, of district attor-
neys and of probation officers, all of |
which to be at public expense.
The possibilities of harm in such |
legislation is showa in the activities
of an organization already in opera-
tion composed of tax collectors. There
is on the calendar of the House a bill
providing for important reforms in
the laws for the collection of taxes.
It would vastly decrease the expense
of this necessary service. It is
charged, and apparently upon sub-
stantial grounds, that the organiza-
tion of tax collectors has a large sum
of money and organized a lobby to de-
feat this measure by corrupt methods.
The other proposed organizations may
not have similar purposes in mind
but the danger that they would adopt
‘strange bedfellows.”
! throes to keep it up, but in the end
. Surprising Statement of the Governor |
them in an' emergency admonishes us
that the Whitehouse bill is bad.
——1It is charitable to assume that
Osborne Wood’s late successes on
Wall street turned his head.
Vare’s Senatorial Hopes Still Active.
Those who imagine that the rebuke
administered to Congressman Bill
Vare, as expressed in the vote of the
Pennsylvania delegation in the con-
test for Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives, the other evening, will
divert him from his purpose to “kid-
nap” the Senatorial nomination next |
year, are reckoning without their host.
Possession of the Senatorial toga has |
been a long cherished ambition of
Brother Bill. Former Governor
Sproul’s refusal to appoint him to
fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Senator Penrose created an enmity
that will never be removed. The en-
tire Vare family swore vengeance
against Mr. Sproul and organized a
vendetta against his political aspira-
tions. That opposition is still active.
The rebuke administered to Mr.
Vare was certain and severe. He be-
lieved that because of his long service
in Congress and his considerable
wealth he could influence all, or nearly
all, his colleagues in the House to pro-
mote his most cherished ambition and
pledged the support of the delegation
to Mr. Madden for Speaker. As a
matter of fact Madden was the fitter
man for the office, and his elevation
would be of vast advantage to Vare
and incidentally help Vare’s friends in
the delegation. But his unauthorized
commitment proved offensive to many
and in resentment twenty-three of the
thirty-six voted for Longworth after
Vare had made a personal quarrel
over the matter with Senator Reed.
But the result will not deter Mr.
Vare from making a fight for the Sen-
atorial nomination next year. Nor
does it make his defeat in such a con-
test certain. The selection is by pop-
ular vote and Vare feels that he can
“chalk up” as many votes in Philadel-
phia as there are men and women of
voting age and tombstones in the var-
ious cemeteries. With this force se-
cure he has only to maintain his pres-
ent alliance with Grundy and Max |
Leslie to organize a formidable con-
tingent, and Grundy and Leslie are
not sticklers for pedigree in public of-
fice. Of course, Vare’s chances are
somewhat impaired by the result of
the Speakership fight but they are!
not entirely lost. .
Polities make |
—Washington dispatches say that
the Sixty-eighth Congress made a rec-
ord by the quietude by which it died.
Nothing but blah from start to finish
naturally it was too weak in its death
the Sixty-eighth did make a record.
In a statement issued by Governor
Pinchot, at Harrisburg on Tuesday
afternoon, we find this surprising
statement: “I have been asked by a
committee of the Legislative League
if, in case the budget is passed sub-
stantially as submitted, I will take the
responsibility of finding additional
funds for charities. My answer is
that if the budget is passed substan-
tially as submitted I will take that re-
sponsibility to the extent of $1,000,-
000.” He gave no intimation as to
where the money is to come from or
how it will be obtained. Probably he
knows where there is a tree that
grows gold or greenbacks and that it
is accessible only to him. In any
event he makes the promise without
reservation.
There is entirely too much mystery
concerning the finances of Pennsylva-
nia and more juggling of figures than
is helpful. The Auditor General and
State Treasurer, the fiscal officers, es-
timate the revenues at $124,000,000 in
round figures for the biennium, and
the Governor and budget master de-
clare the amount will reach $132,000,-
000, a difference of $8,000,000. Both
authorities vehemently claim their fig-
ures are accurate and the Governor
appeals to the Legislature for appro-
priations to the limit of his estimate.
The Auditor General protests that
such apropriations will cause a defi-
cit. The chairmen of the Appropria-
tions committees favor a compromise
which will “split the difference.”
Now the Governor proposes to open
a trading post with the Legislature
and offers a bonus of a million dollars
if his budget is passed “substantially
as submitted.” This is an enticing
proposition to those seeking appropri-
ations for local institutions. Each in-
terested individual may hope that it
will help him. But if they are wise
they will insist on a guarantee, or at
least some substantial evidence that
the million is available. If it is to be
acquired by cutting other appropria-
tions of the pleasure of the Gover-
nor some worthy institutions may suf-
fer. If the source of supply is in the
“shaking of some plum tree” invisible
and unidentified, it becomes a danger-
Governor Getting His Own Way,
It seems that after all Governor
Pinchot did have his own way in the
matter of official representation at the
inauguration. In the absence of a
record it is impossible to say how
many of his invited guests participat-
ed in the parade and enjoyed the hos-
itality of his Washington mansion.
5 the legislation is not completed it
not be officially stated how much
of the expense of his party will be
aid out of the State Treasury. But
t can with perfect safety be predict-
ed that the exact amount of money
asked for in the budget for the pur-
pose of entertaining his personal
friends in Washington will be appro-
priated.
On the first announcement of the
Governor’s purpose to give a more or
less elaborate inauguration party at
a cost of $10,000, to a few friends of
his own selection, there were signs of
an unpleasant not to say humiliating
reaction. The Senate indicated its
resentment by unanimously adopting
a resolution to take the whole Gen-
eral Assembly to Washington at pub-
lic expense and the House of Repre-
sentatives expressed its indignation
by passing a resolution cutting the
expense appropriation of the Gover-
nor’s party to $5000, palpably an in-
adequate sum. But upon reflection
that the Governor has a good deal of
influence in fixing the amount of
other appropriations both resolutions
were buried.
The fact is that the Governor is
slowly but surely getting the Legis-
lature “under his thumb,” and before
the session is ended he will have the
Senators and Representatives reduc-
ed to the measures of servility that
marked the proceedings of the last ses-
sion. Mr. Pinchot is too wise a polit-
ical tactician for the legislative lead-
ers to compete with. They gave him
a rude shock at the organization,
probably because he wasn’t looking
for anything of the kind. But he
| speedily gathered himself . together
and since that time has been drawing
rings and curley cues all around those
who imagined he was “down and out.”
e-church.at Patterson, N.J.,
the Rev. David Hughes Edwards made,
what to some sounded like a very
startling statement. He said “Patter-
son is cursed with too many churches.”
We know nothing of conditions in
that most communities are over-
churched. Several years ago we pre-
sented figures proving that Bellefonte,
| for example, has church capacity for
five times the town’s entire popula-
tion. Eleven denominations with an
annual outlay of probably one hun-
dred thousand dollars, are doing no
more than five might do were it not
for mere doctrinal differences as to
how it should be done. Under such
conditions it is only natural that there
should be over-lapping in church work
and much energy and material sub-
stance wasted in denominational com-
petition.
——An esteemed contemporary
says “Pennsylvania political chiefs
have demonstrated ability to make
new allignments and espouse various
causes with speed.” So they have,
and new alignments are liable to be
made any moment now that Vare ap-
pears to be in “the discard.”
——The United dry bill is moving
forward, and though several amend-
ments have been made it will be satis-
factory to His Excellency when fin-
ished.
— President Coolidge is annoyed
over the discussion of the French
debt. It may be added that a good
many others are tired of the subject.
——The unanimous vote of the
State Senate on the “omnibus road
bill” is a hint to the Governor that his
veto two years ago was not approved.
——Careful reading of the evi-
dence taken thus far leads to the sus-
picion that Judge Berkey was injudi-
cious, to say the least.
pa ie itd
——The cold weather of the latter
part of last week and beginning of
this was a very decided reminder that
winter is still with us.
——Now that the bond enabling act
has been passed unanimously let us
hope the detour evil will be abated, in
part, at least.
——Those Centre county farmers
who started plowing last week are
now hugging the stove, trying to keep
warm.
ous expedient.
While not officially informed it
is a safe guess that Mr. Vare was not |
at either the Governor’s or the Sena-
tor’s reception in Washington on Wed-
nesday.
——The county auditors are near-
ing the end of their work in auditing
the county accounts.
——We have again had to go out-
side the State for a head of the
schools,
1
——In resigning his pastorate of a’
Patterson, but we have long believed
NO. 10.
| Germany’s First President.
Irom the Philadelphia Record.
Germany has produced many great-
! er statesmen than President Frieder-
| ich Ebert, who has just passed away,
but yet it must be said that he filled a
most difficult role with success, and
{ that he has merited the deep grati-
| tude of the new republic. When chaos
threatened after the ignominious ab-
! dication of Kaiser William, in Novem-
| ber, 1918, and the militant Socialist
element, grasping the reins of power,
| turned to Ebert, one of its members in
| the Reichstag, it made an unexpect-
' edly wise choice in making him Presi-
dent. Few nations have had to con-
tend with greater obstacles than Ger-
many in the last six years, and it is
largely due to Ebert’s wisdom and
| firmness that it has passed safely
through monarchist plots, proletarian
' revolts, French interference, Bavarian
threats of secession and many other
trials that would try the abilities of
the most gifted statesman. Through
| all these troubles President Ebert kept
his head, and it is probably largely
due to his practical sagacity and his
| unselfish devotion to the public wel-
{ fare that the young republic has been
"able to survive all these perils.
His success has been all the more
remarkable when it is remembered
' that he was of lowly origin, and that
. he had to contend against all the class
and aristocratic prejudices fostered by
many generations of the Hohenzollern
regime. The adherents of the older
jorder would naturally be against a
{ man who was by trade a harness-mak-
. er, and their conspiracies and opposi-
tion have been among the causes re-
tarding national recuperation. The
success with which Ebert has over-
come all these obstacles and has up-
held the Republican Constitution be-
comes all the more remarkable when
it is contrasted with Austria’s long
agony, the Bolshevist rule of Bela
Kun in Hungary, Poland’s vicissitudes
and the other difficulties of the newly-
formed republics.
All honor to Friederich Ebert, who
remained steadfast in the faith. Ger-
many will be fortunate if all its future
Presidents will show themselves
equally devoted to the common weal
and without selfish ambitions.
A Good Place for Calvin’s Ax.
From the Baltimore Sun.
There was a decent and there w
an indecent way in which Cen
increase the salary of its members.
The scathing criticism by a member
of the Senate as to the methods adopt-
ed leaves no room for doubt as to how
the public will regard the action just
: taken.
| Senator Willis, of Ohio, asserted
i that the thing was done surreptitious-
ly, a few Senators taking advantage
of the absence of the main body to
“put over a matter important en ugh
to warrant free and open discussion.”
Of course, that is true.
Representative Crisp, of Georgia, in
the House rightly said that Members
were voting to put money in their own
pockets when they had run for office
without intimating such a design.
The public has reason to be indig-
nant in the circumstances. It is al-
ways hostile to suggestions that mem-
bers of Legislative bodies shall ben-
efit by increases in pay which they
vote themselves. If the House wished
to show even pretense of regard for
public cpinion, it should have advanc-
ed the period when higher pay goes
into effect until the Congress of 1925.
That would have absolved it, at least,
of voting to raid the treasury and im-
mediately carrying the scheme into
execution.
The matter presents opportunity to
the President to rebuke a high-handed
proceeding. His repeated demands for
economy, up and down the line, justify
this course. The way the grab has
been jammed through, which is little
short of a scandal, gives further ex-
cuse, if one were needed, for placing
the seal of disapproval on it.
A veto would be a wholesome lesson
and thoroughly appreciated by the
taxpayer.
Watch Nursery Stock.
From the Altoona Tribune.
The time of year is here when far-
mers, gardeners and orchardists are
purchasing stock. Therefore the time
is here also for a timely warning
against unscrupulous nursery stock
salesmen. The State Department of
Agriculture declares “this is the time
of year when fake representatives of
nurserymen play their trade by going
from door to door especially in subur-
ban and country districts selling
nursery trees, shrubs and plants.”
The department called attention to
the card certificate which is issued all
“reputable agents” and advised that
unless an agent can display this card
no order should be placed with him.
It called attention to the fact that the
certificates are void after October 1,
1925, and suggested care in making
sure the agent has a valid card.
Muscle Shoals.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
Why not have the government op-
erate Muscle Shoals while Congress
is debating the question of its ulti-
mate destination? If the government
made a bad fist of operation, the Ford
advocates would have a fine argument
right at hand. If the government suc-
ceeded, no one would be the loser.
eo eid itis
—If you can’t find it in the “Watch-
man” it isn’t true.
!SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Efforts to save a team of horses on
Tuesday, while working at his father’s
sawmill near Somerset, resulted in Parker
A. Saylor, aged 43, losing his life when a
tree fell upon him.
—Specifying that her husband ‘poked
fun at my cooking and flirted with my
friends when they visited me,” Mrs. Edna
May Miller, of Bryn Mawr, has been grant-
ed a divorce in the Delaware county court
on the grounds of “cruel and barbarous
treatment.”
—If Wellsboro business men can be
be made to see the proposition in the right
light, a $25,000 canning factory, to em-
ploy forty hands, will materialize. It
will specialize at the start on tomatoes,
spinach and beets, for which there is
said to be sharp demand, and later
other products will be added.
—As she was putting the fininhing
touches to a birthday cake she baked for
her son, John, Mrs. Ella Sweeney, of
Philadelphia, received news of his death
on Monday. The youth, a brakeman on
the Pennsylvania railroad, was knlled as
the freight train of which he was one of
the crew, drew into the local yards.
—Police officials are looking for Walter
Berger, of Erie, in connection with the dis-
appearance of $648 from the clothes of B.
F. Rice, also of that city. Rice was
knocked unconscious in an automobile ac-
cident at Girard one day last week, and
when he became conscious in a Conneaut
hospital the money was gone and also Ber-
ger.
—Upon their arrival home from Florida
last Wednesday afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. S.
Edwin Trout and daughter, Miss Evelyn,
of Pottstown, reported the loss of $2000 in
cash and jewels, which were stolen from
Mrs. Trout’'s handbag. A thief snatched
the handbag as the train stopped at Os-
cala, Florida. She struggled with the man,
but was unable to save the bag. Police in
the south were notified.
—Three armed men entered the Brad-
dock office of the Green Top Taxicab com-
pany, at Braddock, on Sunday night, and
robbed William Weiss, owner, and Benja-
min rossman, manager, of jewelry valued
at $2,100, according to report made to po-
lice. The robbers were frightened off by
the approach of a pedestrian before they
could obtain the contents of the office safe
declared to contain $2,000 in cash.
—Officials of the Pottsville board of
health are anxiously looking for Harold
W. Hyde, who escaped from quarantine in
that city last Wednesday, and is now at
large in the State with a pronounced case
of scarlet fever. All the resources of the
State board of health are being used to
capture Hyde, who is accompanied by his
wife. “When you read this we will be 200
miles away and still going,” is the message
Hyde left to the health officers.
—East Pike township, Washington coun-
ty, is made the defendant in a damage suit
for $30,000 in an action instituted on Fri-
day by Mrs. Cora R. Leadbetter, of East
Pike Run township. She asks the large
sum as the result of the death of her hus-
band, Robert L. Leadbetter, who was kill-
ed last August when his dutomobile went
over an embankment on the Coal Center-
Belle Vernon road. The township is held
negligent for not having
the precipice.
ork 3{ damages for the
death of her husband, Charles Franklin
Sheffer, who died in the York hospital on
August 1, 1924, as the result of an accident
on July 22 last year. The suit is brought
under the federal employees liability act,
it being claimed that Sheffer, a railroad
man at the time, was engaged in inter-
state commerce.
—The old stone bridge in Mann's Nar-
rows on the Pikes Peak highway between
Reedsville and Yeagertown about four
miles west. of Lewistown, collapsed on
Monday as a loaded moving van was going
across. Motorists between Harrisburg and
Pittsburg, west, and Bellefonte and Wil-
liamsport north, now face a fifty mile de-
tour by way of McVeytown and the Wil-
liam Penn highway. The bridge was more
than 100 years old. While the van was
moving across it crumpled up like a jack-
knife. ;
—Life had been one continuous dance
since his marriage in 1915, Oscar D. Minor,
of Pittsburgh, declared in a petition for
divorce filed in court in which he asks sep-
aration from his wife, Mary Minor, whom
he charges with desertion. Minor, in his
petition, declared his wife atteended 2a
dance practically every night and insisted
upon his accompanying her. One evening
in 1921 he refused, the petition said, and
the wife left home. Attorney M. Barney
Cohen, in a master’s report, recommended
that a divorce be granted.
—Mrs. Mary C. Porter, of Gladden, Al-
legheny county, was widowed on Monday,
just six days after her marriage to Francis
X. Porter, a stock broker. The widow,
who was Miss Mary C. McGrath, was mar-
ried to Porter on a sick bed last week. All
arrangements had been made for the mar-
riage ceremony when Potter was put to
bed suffering from a severe cold. Neither
wanted to postpene the wedding and a
priest was called in. A few hours after
the ceremony Porter's illness developed
into pneumonia, causing his death.
—Efforts are now under way to establish
a postoffice at Juniata Terrace, the modern
village of the Viscose company at Lewis-
town Junction, where there are 3000 peo-
ple to be served. Mrs. Elsie M. Davis has
applied to the Postoffice Department at
Washington, D. C,, for the appointment of
postmistress and has asked that the office
be located in her store and restaurant,
which is adjacent to the Pennsylvania
Railroad station and convenient to the pro-
posed patrons. Present facilities require
the walk of two miles circular, 16 cents
trolly fare or await the passage of the ru-
ral route at 2:30 p. m. each day.
—When he tripped and fell while skat-
ing on Ridley creek, near Media, Pa.
on Sunday, Herman Rohrer, 25 years
old, of Paradise, Pa., broke through the
thin ice covering the creek and was
drowned before help could arrive. The
body was taken from twelve feet of water
twenty minutes later by members of the
Media Fire company, who were summoned
by Hensel Wright, Jr., who had been skat-
ing with Rohrer. The two had been skat-
ing at Palmer's dam, and when they
started home they struck out across Rid-
ley creek for a short cut. When Rohrer
tripped and fell through the ice, Wright
attempted to help him, but was unable to
get close to him because of the thinness
of the ice. Rohrer had been employed on
the farm of Edward B. Crieghton, on the
Creek road.