1
|
INK SLINGS |
|
|
Memories.
We have just completed the
“Fifty Years Ago in Centre County.”
It is Saturday might, August 9, the
family’s God knows where and it’s
too hot to go to bed. There's some |
near something on ice in the re-
frigerator, but it is not nearly so |
near as some of the memories that '
pouring over the Watchman of 1880
make some of the incidents there
recorded seem to us tonight.
That was the year of the cam-
paign between Hancock and English
and Garfield and Arthur. Them were
the days when Democrats in Centre
county had guts. Then the pioneer
Fishers, Herrings, Ducks, Groves,
Jamisons, Dursts, Emericks, Ripkas,
Meyers, Smiths, Condos, Hostermans,
Mussers, Mingles, and dozens of
others we might name, were immune
to such “bunk” as Roosevelt later
seduced Penns Valley with and Pin-
chot lures them with now. They
were Democrats. They believed, like
we do, that temperance wasa thing
most to be desired, but it never oc-
curred to them to make it a politi-
cal issue. When the party calledit
was nothing for them to hitch up
the spring wagon and haul eight or
ten others from fifieen to twenty
miles to Bellefonte, parade half the
night and spend the rest of it driv-
ing back home. Penns Valley was
the Gibraltar of Democracy then.
Every township in it had three or
four big, outstanding men whose
lives were so clean and successful
that they were oracles to the com-
munity in which they resided.
The campaign of 1880 was the
first of which we have a really vivid
recollection. There were the “Han-
cock Legion” and the “Garfield
Guards.” The Democrats paraded
with blue and white capes and carried
torches fashioned like a star. The
Republicans wore red capes and
had torches with a blow-pipe running
down the handle so that any of
them who didn’t cheer all his wind
away could blow in the pipe and
make the torch flare. The cam-
paign started in August and every
week there was a big meeting some-
where. If it wasn’t in Centre coun-
ty it was in Tyrone or Lock Haven
or even so far away as Williamsport
and trains of flat cars, with just
boards from side to side for seats,
would be crowded with hordes of
enthusiasts going to parade and
show their devotion to political
principles they espoused. Penns
Valley always led the way, for
there were real Democrats in Penns
Valley then.
The late Hammon Sechler was the
generalissimo of the Hancock Le-
gions of our county and he rec-
ognized our attempt to organize a
Junior Hancock Legion in the West
ward of Bellefonte. He went so far
as to give us two dozen of those
wonderful star torches. We manag-
ed to get a snare and a bass drum
and with such accoutrement had no
difficulty in getting more boys than
we had torches for. Because we were
all such little fellows toting the
base drum was a problem until
«pack” Cowdrick came down from
his home up on east Linn street one
night and joined up. “Pack” was
a big boy for his age and he could
carry and beat that bass drum like
Josh Foulk never knew how it could
he dome. “Pack’s” father had a
brick yard out at this end of Cole.
ville. That was probably the reason
he suggested that we parade out there
one night, However that may have
been the Legion formed on the
broad steps in front of the old
United Brethren church and with
torches flaring, drums beating and
hearts racing it proceeded north on
Thomas street. Everything went
well until we got up along the cat-
tle sheds at the west of the old fair
grounds and then from the hill just
west of where the Bellefonte Central
shops now stand came such a show-
er of stones as only a Vesuvius in
most violent eruption could emit.
Of course we Legionaries took to
cover. All but “Pack.” When a
stone went through both heads of
that bass drum he saw red and
made for the hill. We are not quite
clear about what followed, but we
think the rest of us made for home.
Two days later we heard that
“pack” had licked every kid in
Bggtown, but we couldn't react to
that triumph of the Junior Legion
because we were then cooped up in the
“parlor” at home with a virulent
case of diphtheria, Old Dr. Hibler
was the family physician and we
can see him now dipping that
camel’s hair brush down into a
bottle of caustic, holding our mouth
open and swabbing our throat with
the stuff that fumed going down
and smoked coming out.
We survived the diphtheria, but we
have never gotten over the loss of the
thrill that we missed when Mr.
" Sechler took our Junior Legion along
with those grand old Penns Valley
Democrats to Lock Haven to parade
at a political meeting.
That was fifty years ago. To-
night we are wondering what the
galaxy of Penns Valley's great Dem-
ocrats of those days would think of
their sons and their grandsons, their
daughters and grand daughters who
have fallen for Pinchot’s “bunk.”
he er
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Bounty claims paid by the Game
Commission during July included one
wild cat and 45 gray foxes.
—Irvin Graybill, Middleburg, has re-
signed as chairman of the board of
trustees of ,the State Colony for Epilep~
tics at Selinsgrove.
—Officers of the Game Commission
brought 165 prosecutions during July.
The majority were made for the pos-
session of guns or dogs by aliens.
—Forty food merchants in counties
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
scattered throughout the State were
prosecuted during June and July for
VOL. 75.
Fishing for Vare’s Support
The expected negotiations between
' Gifford Pinchot and the Vare ma-
chine are already in progress. Last
| week Auditor General Charles A.
| Waters and his special deputy Sam
| Lewis visited Mr. Pinchot at his
‘home. Two or three days later they
‘held a conference with William 8.
Vare at his Philadelphia office.
Neither the Pinchot emissaries nor
| Mr. Vare would reveal the subject
‘of their conversations or the purpose
'of their mission. But it requires no
' unusual gifts in the art of deduction
to solve the problem.
Waters and Lewis were ardent
'and active supporters of Pinchot and
Grundy in the primary campaign.
| Previously Waters had been a ser-
| vile follower of Vare and Lewis and an
equally docile supporter of Grundy.
In the mix-up
| appointment of Grundy to the Sen-
'ate, Grundy and Waters announced
themselves in favor of Lewis
Governor. When the Mellons and
Governor Fisher declared war
‘against Lewis the Auditor General
‘and his special deputy turned in for
i Pinchot and Grundy. But there was
{no question of principle involved in
‘the switching. It was purely a
‘matter of sparring for personal ad-
, vantage.
| © When the question of the nomi-
‘nation of Pinchot or Brown arose
‘both these shifty politicians took the
| Pinchot side because it was obvious-
‘ly the most promising. Subsequent
developments, however, cast a shad-
ow of doubt upon the Pinchot
prospects and Waters and Lewis
which followed the |
for
|
Facts About Unemployment
The
New York State
fraudulent statistics
manner that may be understood by
any one who takes the trouble to
reason. The aim of the adminis-
tration before and since the census
figures were made public was to
minimize the gravity of the in-
dustrial situation. As a medium of
accomplishing this result the Depart-
ment of Commerce
a bulletin stating that the census
| figures show only four per cent of
unemployment. But workers who
‘have been ‘laid off,” those “fur.
‘loughed” with the promise of re.
' employment when conditions improve,
are not included in the unemployed
list,
It appears, moreover, that the
| four per cent scheduled in the cen-
! sus returns is not four per cent of
the wage earners willing to work
but of the population of the country.
including men, women and children
of all ages. Amn unemployment
roster on that basis would be some-
thing to be proud of in any indus-
trial country. But it does not ex-
press, or even approximate, the un-
employment that is and has been for
'some time a grave cause of com-
plaint and concern to the industrial
life of the country. The New York
commissioner says: “When we speak
of unemployed in percentages we
mean as compared with the total
number of workers in the com-
munity.” That would express the
‘actual facts.
| through Charles E. Dorworth, secre-
recently issued:
‘conceived the idea of enlisting Vare | pogsibly an inclination to fool the
in their force. They knew that pyplic is a characteristic of the en-
there is only one way of reaching gineering mind. But that purpose is
Vare and that is spoils of office and not likely to be achieved in this in-
| promises of future service.
this purpose in mind they went 10 informed to swallow such rubbish.
with Vare and having secured that |gctyal number of unemployed work-
the conference with Vare followed, |ers. The census figures place it at
the result of which is still a mys-|apout two and a-half millions, while
tery. |labor organizations and others in-
At ithe end of the conference MT. | terested in the matter estimate it at
Vare refused to give information |petween four and six millions. But
were equally secretive. Mr. Pinchot | responsibility for the present con-
promptly declared that he had not !gition. Neither the President nor
sent the emissaries to Vare. He Congress has taken. any steps 4o
didn’t have to. They volunteered | remedy the evil though Democratic |
for the sinister service. But he gengtor Wagner pointed out the
hasn't said that he didn’t consent to gay ?
their going or thathe is not willing |
to ratify any bargain they are able |
to make with him, however corrupt '
it may be, He served Vare before
——One by one the auto speed
racers are paying the death penalty
With ! stance. The average man isitoo well |.
Pinchot to get his consent to a deal ' Opinions differ widely as to the|
concerning it and Waters and Lewis there can be no two opinions as to :
BELLEFONTE, PA.. AUGUST 15. 1930.’
selling all sorts of products—from cheese
sticks to salad dressing—artificially col-
ored.
NO. 32.
Water.
Impressed by press reports from
of unemploy- | various sections of the State over
ment throughout the country in a |the scarcity of water for
domestic
use burgess Hardman P. Harris,
tary of forests and waters, made an
, official tender to Governor Fisher of
water from Bellefonte’s big spring for
any community or communities in
which the water situation has be-
come a menace to health. The
Sheffield Farms company has also
tendered the free use of a number
of its glasslined express cars for the
purpose of transporting the water.
These cars are 6000 gallons capacity
and the water will be furnished
f. 0. b. Bellefonte.
Governor Fisher acknowledged
the offer by telegram and stated
that he would convey the informa-
tion to suffering communities and
also officials of the State Board of
! Health, so if ithe necessity for ship-
ment of water to any community
is deemed advisable they
know - where an ample supply
be obtained.
As stated in the Watchman
‘week, the Bellefonte spring has
been affected in the least by the
prolonged drought. It’s normal flow
‘is 11,500,000 gallons daily and, as
local consumption does not exceed
can
last
not
BE it means that 8,500,000, at
the very least, are flowing away
every twenty-four hours. This
would be sufficient to furnish many
communities with water for domes-
‘tic purposes.
has been no call for any of the
water.
ili
A Spring That Flows Only During
the Night.
The prolonged drought has fo-
cused public attention on water
supplies everywhere.. Springs, wells,
cisterns and streams, such common
place things under ordinary weather
conditions, are being watched now
with a new interest.
Many singular conditions have
‘developed in consequence of the
J rought. Strange as it may seem
and to secure a re-election to the
office of Governor he would serve
him again.
———— ee.
of valueless hazard. Robert Whalon,
‘of Chicago, president of the Auto-
, mobile Racing association, is the
latest victim.
opposed to second term Presidents | Surprising Story of Grundy.
some years ago. But that was be.
fore he got invitations to
House breakfasts.
) The most interesting and probably
White the most surprising development of
| the pending Senate investigation of
ithe Republican primary election in
| Pennsylvania was the evidence of
Lad Royal C. Stevens, of Philadelphia,
In fulfillment of his promise made who testified that Senater Schall, of
several weeks ago to the President i Minnesota, was offered $50,000, “if
Claudius H. Huston has resigned the 'he would cease his attacks on Sen-
chairmanship of the Republican ‘ator Grundy of Pennsylvania over
National committee. It wasn’t a the tariff act.” Senator Schall is a
voluntary act or a cheerful service Republican representing one of the
“for the good of the party.” It was States which Grundy had described
a sacrifice of personal pride and as “backward” and a member of the
laudable ambition to save the party ! group whom Senator Moses, of New
and shield other party leaders from | Hampshire, had stigmatized as “sons
Chairman Huston Out.
popular indignation and just censure.
His offense was a too literal acqui-
escence in the policy of the party.
He did exactly what Calvin Coolidge
wanted him to do and what Herbert
Hoover wanted done, and he was ap-
pointed to the office of chairman as
a reward for the service.
Before he became chairman of the
Republican National committee, and
while he was an assistant to Mr.
Hoover in the Department of Com-
merce, Mr. Huston became active
in a sinister purpose of the Republi-
can party to transfer the immensely
valuable government property
Muscle Shoals to the power trust,
That Mr. Coolidge was in sympathy
with that service of Mr. Huston is
Norris resolution to prevent its con-
summation. That Mr. Hoover was of
the same mind on the subject is
amply proved by his recent letter to
Congressman Reece, of Tennessee.
But to save themselves from popular
execration these eminent Republican
leaders “nailed Huston to the cross.”
We have no inclination to exoner-
ate Huston from blame. As an of-
ficial of the government at the time
he wickedly and wilfully betrayed
the people of the country. And he
deliberately misappropriated part of
the lobby fund. But Herbert Hoover
knew all about his malfeasances, and
in full possession of the information
not only urged him to accept the
chairmanship but forced the commit.
tee to bestow it upon him. Huston's
offense is the party’s crime and
though Huston for an unexplained
reason has consented to be the goat,
the perfidy attaches to all the party
leaders and to the party.
at’
shown by his pocket veto of the
of wild jackasses.” In resentment
of these opprobrious epithets Sen-
{ator Schall had indulged in some
uscomplimentary references to Grun-
dy.
| “According to Mr. Stephens the
‘money to procure this service for
| Grundy would be obtained by sub-
i scriptions from the members of the
| Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ associ-
{ation, of which Mr. Grundy had
been president up until the time he
was appointed Senator in Congress
‘by Governor Fisher. Mr. Stevens
'informed the Nye committee, more-
‘over, that “the story had come from
‘Senator Schall himself,” and asked
that each of the 2700 members of the
, Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ associa-
tion be subpoenaed and interrogated.
| Chairman Nye promised to call Sen-
‘ator Schall and question him con.
! cerning the matter. It might be a
‘good idea to call Mr. Grundy, also.
{It would give him another chance to
slur the Senate,
{ The surprising feature of this de.
| velopment rests in the fact that
Senator Grundy was, let us say
| “annoyed” by the strictures of his
Senatorial colleagues. Those most
| familar with his habits of thought
‘had come to the impression that he
iis impervious to criticism and the
| press reports of his conduct at the
(time described him as smilingly in-
| different to the animadversions cast
‘upon him. But if he or his friends
{ were willing to give up so large a
‘sum of money to silence one critic
it becomes necessary to reverse this
| widely diffused popular opinion of
{the Senator. He must be quite sen-
| sitive as well as free with his own
| money or that of other people.
lding out that have been dry at
other seasons when the rainfall was
| apparently much greater than it has
{been for the past eight weeks.
| The freak case of all is a spring
on the property of W. D. Kerstet-
‘ter, in Sugar Valley, near Tylers-
| ville. According to the mem.
ory of older residents of that local-
ity the spring has rarely failed. Now,
| however, it is working only half
time. During the day not a drop of
water flows from it, but at night
the flow is quite copious.
In consequence of this unexplain-
ed performance the Kerstetter house-
hold has to draw water at night
and save it for use next day.
West Penn Electric Co, Buys the
Republic Electric.
The West Penn Electric company
closed a deal, last week, for the pur-
chase of the Republic Electric com-
pany, of Howard, subject of course
to the approval of the Public Serv-
ice Commission. The Republic Elec-
tric company was originally the
Centre Electric company, which was
organized and established by How-
ard business men, leaders among
whom were the Webers. It was sold
a year or two ago to the Republic
Electric company, composed mostly
of Coatesville capitalists.
The company has in the neigh-
borhood of two hundred patrons,
confined principally to Howard and
immediate vicinity. As the West
Penn already has service lines down
Bald Eagle valley connecting up
with the Howard circuit will be an
easy job once the purchase is ap-
proved by the Public Service Com-
mission.
It is also rumored that the West
Penn either has or is about to close
a deal for the purchase of the Re-
novo Electric company.
——Hoover is aging rapidly ac-
cording to press reports. Maybe it
is worry rather than time that is
deepening the lines on his face. Mak-
ing promises impossible of fulfillment
is a prolific source of trouble,
——TFleischman, the yeast mag-
nate, may have to “raise” $100,000
because of his unfilfullment prom-
ise to marry Madge Mitchell, a
movie star.
——Senator Fess, the new Re-
publican chairman, may depend on
the sympathy of his predecessor in
office, even if he gets no other
reward.
——Centre county's share of the
gasoline tax for the first six
months of 1930 was $12,550.30.
will
So far, however, there |
know of lots of cisterns still _—Wayn SL ne
; “at opened on Tuesday last and is now
{pry Communities Can Get Bellefonte | FIFTY YEARS AGO
industrial commissioner of |
has exposed the:
IN CENTRE COUNTY.
| Items from the Watchman issue of
|e 20, 1880.
{ -—The first all county meeting of
| the campaign will be held here next
: Tuesday night. Among the speak-
| ers scheduled are Robert P. Dechert,
tour nominee for Auditor General;
Lewis C. Cassidy, of Philadelphia;
Governor Curtin, Hon. Milton Speer,
, of Huntingdon; Hon. W. S. Stenger,
of Chambersburg, and Hon. Riley P.
Allen, of Williamsport.
—All Democrats having torches or
lamps in their possession are re-
“quested to bring them in for the
| big parade, next Tuesday night.
| —There will be a meeting of all
members who have recently signed
| the Murphy pledge at the = rooms
‘of the Y. M. C. A, this Friday
evening. It is for the purpose of
forming a permanent organization
i The committee calling the meeting
comprises R. A. Laird, R. J. Doak,
J. M. Kephart, Theodore Deschner,
John Powers, James Schofield, C.
F. Richard and Robert McKnight.
—Yesterday was a somewhat
showery and gloomy day.
—There were two political meet-
ings in Gregg township on Thurs-
day evening of last week, one Re-
publican and the other Democratic.
Gen. Beaver, of this place, manag-
ed the first and W. A. Kerlin, of
Millheim, the other. = The Kerlin
meeting was far ahead and knocked
the spots off the General's demon-
stration. The noted miller, Kerlin,
himself addressed the Democratic
meetings and they say he can beat
Beaver all to pieces on a speech.
—The outcome of the Francis
‘Murphy temperance meetings here
was a list of 555 who signed the
pledge never to drink again—(Ed-
itor's Note—We are wondering what
the sainted old apostle of temper-
ance could do if he were to spend
two weeks getting pledge signers
in Bellefonte now.
Market Reports from Pleasant
Gap—The wheat crop is but me.
dium. Oats near a full crop. Corn
is looking well. Butter is some-
what better and stronger. Eggs are
mostly like the Republican party
(rotten)! cabbage is going into head,
but because of the dry weather
most of it is like Garfield’s—shows in
signs of bustin’!
—Wayne Station camp meeting
in full blast. About 250 tents are
‘occupied. Among the Centre coun-
‘tians having tents are Mrs, Switzer
{and daughters, of Philipsburg; Mrs.
| Sourbeck, of Bellefonte; and G. W.
{Gray and family, Buffalo Run. The
{Pine Station camp meeting closed
! yesterday. Joseph Baker and fam-
ily, of Lemont, were the only peo-
ple from Centre county having a
! tent there.
—Miss Louise Rouse, of York, Pa., will
leave at the end of this week on a 9000
mile trip over land, sea and air to claim
a husband in India. She is to become
the bride of the Rev. Alexander Foh-
linchten, a missionary of the Lutheran
church.
—J. E. Brown and George High, of
Lock Haven, were fined a total of $600
by an alderman when they entered pleas
of guilty to spot-lighting deer on the
Jersey Shore-Coudersport pike. The men
were caught in the act of shooting the
deer by game protectors.
—Auto tag production at the Western
State penitentiary at Pittsburgh has been
speeded up for the 1931 tags. The re-
port indicates that the hunters’ tags
have been completed and shipped out
of the institution and that all the efforts
are now being concentrated on the auto
tags to avoid a possible rush in the fall.
—In an effort to kill a groundhog with
the butt end of a 22-calibre rifle, Jesse
Stover, 41, of York county, received the
shot from the rifle in his stomach. Stov-
er had wounded the animal and in try-
ing to despatch it, struck the ground
with the weapon, causing the shock to
trip the hammer. The accident occurred
Sunday in Carroll county, Maryland. He
was admitted to the Hanover hospital,
and his condition is critical.
—Charles Gutshall, a sergeant of police
for the Pennsylvania railroad at Altoona,
was at his home at Mount Union over
Sunday and had retired for the night
when he heard a noise at the rear door.
He went down the steps and found a
man halfway in a window. The in-
truder started to leave but was over-
taken by the officer in the yard. The
man was identified as Harry Varner, of
Mt. Union. He was lodged in jail for
court.
—After working for several hours to
lift off the heavy outer door of a 500-
pound safe at the State House bakery in
Reading, loading it on one of the com-
pany’s own trucks and taking it to a
suburb, where they smashed an inside
door, thieves found it contained only $3.
The empty safe surrounded by a litter of
paper, was found on Hill road, on Mt.
Penn. Bakery officials said they banked
their money every night and lock the in-
ner safe door only to protect valuable
papers.
—Francis A. Witmer, of Sunbury, for
years one of a group of Republican lead-
ers in Northumberland county, has been
dismissed by Auditor General Charles A.
Waters, as inheritance tax appraiser in
Northumberland county. Witmer in the
primary supported the Davis-Brown tick-
et, and it is reported the appointement
i§ "to ‘be given to a Shamokin man who
'was active in the Grundy and Pinchot
| campaign last spring. Witmer is a
| brother of the late Federal Judge Charles
R. Witmer.
—The outlook is more encouraging at
the North American Refractories com-
| pany’s plant at Mount Union now than
it has been for a number of weeks.
; There were more men called for work
the past week than had been called for
| some time. This plant was formerly
—Mr, James Murray, who was the the United States Refractories Corpora-
first cashier of the banking house tion, but was sold a few weeks ago to
of Humes, McAllister, Hale & Co, the North American Refractories com-
in 1854, has been in Bellefonte for 'pany. It is one of the largest plants
the last week for wa visit with friends '' manufacturing silica brick in this section
and to assist Francis Murphy in his of the State.
temperance work. Mr. Murray is a: —Plans are being completed as rapidly
Democrat of Democrats and neces- | as possible for the entertainment of the
sarily found much time to spend in 'great army of American Legion veterans
this office. which will gather in Harrisburg for their
—Mr. George Weaver, of this! annual encampment during the latter
place, a brakeman on the Snow part of next week. It is understood that
Shoe railroad, received in one of 10,000 cots have been secured through
his eyes a hot cinder from the loco- | the National Guard headquarters and
motive on Monday last. All efforts ' 5000 of these with other equipment will
to remove it were unavailing. In be placed in the spacious Farm Show
the morning he came to town and |building. The remainder will be set up
consulted Dr. Dobbins who we be- | in different halls so that the former sol-
lieve gave him relief. | diers shall be as comfortable as possible
—The Lock Haven school board during their stay in that city.
has elected a female principal and
and Miss Sallie Rhoads.
—A valuable cow belonging to
Mr. W. S. Tripple, of Spring street,
fell into ditch that is being digged
to convey walter pipes to the house
of Monroe Armor on Bunker Hill,
on Tuesday night, and, being un-
able to get out, died right there.
(Editor's note—While it is reason-
ably certain that this wasn’t the
cow with the crumpled horn that
tossed the cat, etc, it is our be-
lief that it was the cow that fur-
nished the milk for the firm founda-
tions of the local correspondent of
the Altoona Mirror and we think
Ruth should put a flag at half-mast
next Sunday.
— Bellefonte fire companies were
called out three times during the
past week by grass fires on Half-
moon hill, one on Tuesday burning
ran over the entire south side of the
hill before it was extinguished. It is
rumored that all the fires were
started by small boys just to create
a little excitement, If this is cor-
rect the parents of the guilty lads
should apply a paddle at the proper
place, and that might be excitement
enough to last until the next rain-
fall.
sree op sia Sirs
—W. Harrison Walker was notified,
on Wednesday, that he has been ap-
pointed a member of the Kiwanis
International committee on the un-
der_privileged child. Mr. Walker is
now chairman of the State commit-
tee and his appointment on the in-
ternational committee is in recogni-
tion of the interest he has always
manifested in children in the un-
der-privileged class.
assistant, to wit: Miss Agnes Reilly |
| —Franklin P. McFarland, Hollidays-
burg coal operator who died recently, be-
queathed sums to various institutions
and employees, according to the will
filed for probate on Monday. His stenog-
rapher and housekeeper each receive $2500
and a clerk receives $1000. A bequest of
$5000 is given to Hollidaysburg Baptist
church, $1000 given to the Altoona hospi-
tal and $500 each given the Hollidays-
burg Y.M. C. A. and Y. W. C A The
sum of $1000 is given the Baptist orphan-
age, Pittsburgh. Thomas B. McFarland,
Hollidaysburg, and Harry F. McFarland,
Renovo, brothers, will divide the residue
of the estate.
—The title of the world’s heaviest
sleeper has been bestowed upon a trav-
eling man who stopped at the Watson
Inn, Watsontown. Harold McNutt, Balti-
more, slept for almost an hour unmind-
ful of a fire in the mattress under him,
When George Gare, night clerk, smelled
smoke he investigated and found that it
was coming out of McNutt's room. He
knocked, but the man slept. Gare fore-
ed the door and found clouds of smoke
rolling from the mattress. He yanked
the man out of bed and tossed the
mattress out of the window. The sleeper
admitted he had been smoking a cigarette
when he retired.
—Burglars = broke into the Strouss
Hirshberg Department Store, one of the
largest in New Castle, forced open the
safe, took out the inner safe, weighing
about 400 pounds, and carted it away, it
was discovered when the store was
opened one morning last week. Persons
who saw a truck drive out of the rear
of the building did not suspect that a
robbery was being committed. The bur-
glars evidently used the elevator in the
store to get the safe to the first floor,
loaded it abroad an auto truck of the
company in the warehouse in the rear
of the store and drove away. The truck
was found abandoned four miles from
the city the next day. About $500 in
cash and checks were in the safe,