The r that P. Gi Meek edited and published for fifty-seven years and
now published by his Estate at the. Watchin Printing T10umy Dorion ears al
Editors.
CHARLES L. GATES
Published weekly, every Friday morn. Te
GEORGE R. MEEK
~No communications
A Entered at the postoffice, Belle- published ess accompanied by the real
PE. Sanend able Jostallies. i name of the writer. _— a
~Until further In ordering dress always
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ty It is important that publisher
Paid before expiration of year - 175 when bseri wishes the
Paid after expiration of year - 2.00 Aad aan such Sata
A sam of the “Watchman will the subscription paid up to
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THE NEW YEAR.
H. G. Wells is credited with having made the
1932 is to be the blackest year in the history of the world.
hope the very able writer and publicist didn’t know what he
talking about when he made that direful prophesy.
1931 is the year that humanity will use as the standard by which
to measure such distress as may be yet to come and while there are
those who may think they can’t survive anything worse than it was
they are of the class that measures everything by the dollar yard
stick.
Each year leaves us richer, at least in some pleasant memories,
some added friendships and some visions of greater usefulness. Af-
ter all they are the worth while, the finer things in life and if
world has had the vision of greater usefulness all that is needed to
make the New Year better than the old one was is to translate that
vision into action.
To those who today resolve to do it the \Watchman
Happy New Year and it knows that they will have it.
that
prediction
Let us
was
wishes a
WAS IT WORTH $366,000.00
The special session of the Legislature of Pennsylvania adjourn-
ed, sine die, at noon on Wednesday, the -Representatives and Sena-
tors have all headed homeward and the taxpayers of the State are
holding the bag, as usual.
For eight weeks the Pinchot forces and the Republican State
organization fenced for political vantage, the real purpose for which
the session was called being secondary in their consideration.
It is to be regretted that after spending so much time and near-
ly $400,000.00 no more constructive legislation was enacted, but re- |
sponsibility for the debacle of 1931 can be charged to the Governor
for exactly the same reason that laid that of 1926 at his door.
Five years ago Governor Pinchot called the Legislature into ex-
tra session to act on what he was pleased to call eight cardinal
points. They had to do with giant power, regulation of the anthra-
cite industry, election reform and other matters. The body remain-
ed in session thirty-seven days, cost $273,561 and five minor acts
went onto the statute books as the net result of it,
The call for the session just ended embodied nineteen
points, the principal ones being a $120,000,000
creased taxes on cigarettes, gasoline and bill boards.
Governor's major suggestions have been carried out.
If ever there was an emergency that called for constructive leg-
islation it was on the State while its Governor and its representatives
in the Legislature fiddled at Harrisburg. Of what consequence was
finding relief for unemployment in the State compared with the dan-
ger of a Pinchot building up a machine that might threaten the pow-
er of the regular organization?
Something might have been accomplished, notwithstanding,
had it not been for the exaggerated ego of the Governor, himself.
Just as was the case in 1926 he took the position that he would cram
his program down the legislative throat. It was to be what he sug-
gested or nothing.
people to represent them at
cardinal
bond issue, in-
None of the
Harrisburg, were to transform them-
selves into rubber stamps with which a super mind would make its.
conceptions law, because it thinks that vox Gifi is vox populi.
When the Governor discovered that even Legislators sometimes
display back-bones more rigid than used bath towels he offered to
compromise, just as he did in 1926, but then it was too late.
The exigencies of Republican politics in Pennsylvania at the
moment demand a killing and the instant Gifford weakened started
the death knell of his nineteen cardinal points. Had he assumed a
conciliatory, rather than a dictatorial, role at the opening of the ses-
manner of cajolery would have induced the Senate or the House to
pass any of his tax raising proposals. The members of those bodies
had heard from the people back home and know who puts the butter
on the political side of their bread.
The extra session is adjourned. Unemployment is not reliev-
ed. The Governor will about the State begging for delegates to
the national convention of his party. Those who believed him when
he said he was going to reduce the cost of automobile licenses will
believe him again when he tells them he isn’t responsible for the
$366,000.00 that his special session of the Legislature cost them.
—According to statistics that come out of Harrisburg Dr. Clyde
King, who is Governor Pinchot’s Secretary of the Revenue Depart-
ment, has two hundred and fifty-three more people on his payroll
than his predecessor, Charles Johnson, had a year ago.
and salary increases in Dr. King’s Department are reported to have
pushed the cost of collecting a dollar for the State from .0038, un-
der the Johnson administration, to .00856 under King’s. Dr. King
is of the economic intelligentia, the kind, you know, that must have
inspired this quatrain:
He wrote a book on how to get rich.
It really was a corker.
Next day I met him on the street
And he wanted to borrow a quarter.
——Senator Jesse H. Metcalf, of Rhode Island, recently plumbed
the greatest depth in the diggings for the cause of our present eco-
nomic slough. He discovered that one-seventh of the adult popula-
tion of the United States is being maintained partially or entirely by
taxes paid by the other six-sevenths. This does not include those
being supported through State and county taxes.
such facts as Senator Metcalf has revealed is it unreasonable to as-
sume that paternalism in government is creating a Frankenstein that
might destroy it.
—Members of the Democratic State committee, county chair-
men aid chair-women of Blair, Clearfield and Centre met at Philips-
burg, Wednesday afternoon, for an informal discussion as to a per-
mament advisory organization for the re-constructed ‘Twenty-third
Congressional district. The District will have to present candidates
for Congress and delegates to the national convention in the spring
primaries and it was in anticipation of that party duty that the con-
ference was held. While the District is overwhelmingly Republi-
can 1932 is to be a Democratic year, and there is a possibility that
the Hons. Mitch Chase and J. Banks Kurtz can both be delegated to
stay at home and watch a Democrat represent the counties they still
think they carry around in their vest pockets.
~The unshakable belief that there is a God in Heaven and the
conviction that there will be a Democrat in the White House in
March, 1933, is our inspiration to carry on through the New Year.
MARY GRAY MEEK
FIFTY YEARS AGO |
IN CENTRE COUNTY. NEWSY INCIDENTS. |
Items taken trom the Watchman issue Christmas is now enrolled on the
of -Jayuery 6, 1652 ‘pages of history and today we en-
—Word comes from Hublersburg ter on the new year. How much of
that recent rains have replenished
: and cisterns in the it may hold for each one of us we
| the wells,
| community, many of which had gone know not but we hope it will be a |
clear dry. ‘better year for everybody than
i
AE Dunkle farm in Walk- year just come to an end. And
er ee os Dr been bought by now for a few reflections on Christ-
Miss Polly Dunkle at $54.00 per acre. mastide |
ANNUAL WEEK OF PRAYER
——
|
IN BELLEFONTE CHURCHES.
Under the auspices of the churches
of Bellefonte and the Ministerial As.
sociation the annuai week of prayer |
‘joy or sorrow, sunshine or shadow will be observed with a series of fic regulations in the
union services, beginning Monday |
evening, January 4th, and continu-
will begin promptly at 7.30 o'clock. |
The schedule of the churches
where the services are to be held
——————
AUTOISTS MUST OBSERVE
BORO. PARKING RULES.
The Fire and Police department
hereby calls attention of the public
to the fact that in the future traf-
of
Bellefonte will be strictly enforced.
In the motor vehicle act of 1931
the ing for five evenings. The services parking is defined as follows:
“The standing of a vehicle, ex-
cept police or fire department ve-
hicles or ambulances, whether oc-
the |
The Members and Senators, duly elected by the
In the light of |
—At the annual meeting,
| Tuesday night, the Logan Hose Co.
‘elected the following officers for the not for himself alone but with kind- |
| ensuing year: President, H. D. Yer-
| ger; vice president, Thomas Shaugh-
‘ensy; treasurer, Joseph Gross; secre-
tary, William Hillibish; chief, John
'D. Sourbeck; 1st assistant, John
Dawson; 2nd assistant, Henry
{Haupt; 3rd assistant, Edward
| Shrom; plugmen, Michael Shields
;and Wm. Knapp.
—We very much regret to note
that W. A. Kerlin, of Spring Mills,
is preparing to leave Centre county.
| He has had charge of the mill there
| for a number of years and has earn-
ed an enviable reputation for mak-
ing good flour and being a good cit-
'izen. He is going to Iowa where
/he owns a farm that he expects to
| operate himself.
The new hotel at Spring Mills,
which is to be three stories high and
| 100x40 ft. in dimension is rapidly
nearing completion.
! —There is danger of losing our
fair grounds. The Association isin
| financial difficulties and it is feared
the grounds will have to be sold to
satisfy a $5,000 mortgage.
—Married—At the residence of the
bride's father, December 28, 1881, by
Rev. J. Benson Akers, Mr. W. W.
McCormick to Miss Laura E., daugh-
ter of Henry McCloskey, all of Pot-
ters Mills.
At the residence of the parents of
the bride, on Curtin street, Belle-
fonte, on the evening of the 3rd
inst, by Rev. G. D. Pennypacker,
‘assisted by Rev. John Hewitt, Wil-
liam J. Nicholls and Miss Clara V.
Lyon, both of Bellefonte.
At the Lutheran parsonage, at
Pine Grove Mills, December 29th, by
Rev. J. Alford Kour, Henry A. El-
der and Annie E. Harpster, both of
Ferguson Twp)
—Mr. Brooks, a new dairyman in
Bellefonte, is now delivering milk at
‘Bets a qt.
—Mrs. Margaret Kelley, who left
Bellefonte with her husband for
Burlington, Iowa, thirty-one years
age, returned to her old home last
Saturday,
her two sisters, Mrs. B. A. Scanlon,
of Boiling Springs, and Mrs. Alice
Shaughensy, of Bellefonte. She will
be here several months.
—The new board of County Com-
missioners John Wolfe, A. J. Griest
and Henry. Cambell, o on
Monday by electing Mr. Wolf, presi-
dent; W. Miles Walker, clerk; D. F.
Fortney, attorney; Dr. James H.
‘Dobbins, jail physician.
| ~The Bellefonte “Morning News"
| has been changed into an evening
paper and is now the “Evening
News.”
—Ex-Sheriff Spangler has movea
back to Centre Hall and Sheriff
Dunkle
the hill
—Dr. J. Purdue Gray, once keeper |
‘of a drug store in Bellefonte, has
risen to such fame as an alienist
that he has been called to pass upon
the mental condition of Guiteau, the
murderer of President Garfield. Dr. ing and incoming mail.
sion he might have gotten his pet bond issue project through, but no Sey J 3 ative of Cents nh
and was here some six or
years ago when the
(class of 1824 of the rove
[Mills Academy ended in a banquet
at the Bush house. It was in hono
!of the venerable principal of the
| Academy, Prof. Alfred Armstrong.
| BRIEF MEETING OF
|
BOROUGH COUNCIL.
last |
much to tie delight of |
Over in Pennsvalley lives a man,
‘ly thought for others. Every Christ-
‘mas he comes to Bellefonte laden
‘with packages which he distributes
among friends. The packages are
not done up in fancy paper and tied
| with tinsel cord, but the contents
are the outpouring of a generous
‘heart with a thoughtful appreciation
of giving something out of the ordi-
nary, and the recipients are always
rassured of a delightful surprise
when the package is opened. The
real spirit of Christmas is behind
the giving, which makes these year-
ly remembrances very much appre-
ciated.
Three days before Christmas a
resident of Bellefonte had occasion
|to make a trip to Milesburg and
placing a bushel of apples in his
{automobile drove down to the school
house, at Pleasant View. where he
unloaded the apples and placed them
near the door of the school house.
He then proceeded on his way won-
dering what would happen to the
apples when the pupil were dis-
missed for recess. He attended to
his business and started on the re-
turn trip home but when he arrived
‘at the school house it was not yet
‘recess time. As he stopped his
car two of the pupils approached
the school house lugging a Christ-
mas tree and they were met at the
door by the teacher. The gentle-
man then called the teacher's at-
tention to the apples and told her
they were for the children.
promptly dismissed the boys after
admonishing them that they were
not to take more than two each,
and the scramble for the apples
was on. After the boys had helped
themselves the girls were dismissed,
and while their assault on the bas-
ket was not as much of a scramble
as that of the boys their eagerness
for the fruit was just as manifest
and sincere, sufficient to warm the
cockles of the heart of the generous
| Bellefonter.
Seventy-three Christmas baskets
were distributed to families in Belle-
'fonte and vicinity by the Associated
Chariites
‘enough in it to make an appetizing
‘dinner and thus help to make the
day a little bit happier for the un-
fortunate ones. So far as could be
learned not a needy nor deserving
family was missed, so thorough was
the work of the committee on inves-
tigation.
As a slogan “Mail Early and Avoid
the Rush,” was not heeded to any ex-
She |
and every basket had
and the list of preachers are as fol-
| lows:
Monday, January 4, the Methodist
church, Rev. G. E. Householder.
Tuesday, January 5, the United
Brethren church, Rev. H. L. Jacobs.
! Wednesday, January 6, the Re-
formed church, Rev. Stuart F. Gast.
Thursday, January 7, the Presby-
‘terian church, Rev. A. Ward Camp-
' bell.
Friday, January 8, the Episcopal
church, Rev. Clarence 2. Arnold.
In former years these services
have had a splendid attendance and
all citizens of the community are
given a cordial invitation to attend.
GOVERNORS VS OSCEOLA
IN CHARITY GAME TODAY.
————
The Bellefonte “Governors” and
the Osceola Mills ‘Firemen” foot-
ball teams will meet on Hughes
fieid at 2 o'clock this afternoon for
a New Year's day contest.
Osceola is very strong and as the
“Governors” have added Cyril
Moerschbacher and Paul Crust to
their already formidable squad their
is likely to be a game that will af-
ford many thrills this afternoon.
Inasmuch as all the proceeds, ex-
‘cept just what will be acutally
necessary to cover the expenses, will
be given to the needy there is anoth-
er reason why a large crowd should
be in attendance. Jesse H. Caum,
president of Associated Charities, is
in charge and can be depended on to
‘hold the cost of the game down to
| the lowest possible cent.
| It is not often that people in this
'clime have a chance to see a foot-
ball game on New Year's day and
‘years after this such an unusual
‘seasonal opportunity will be some-
thing to talk about.
———— i — conn ———
DEPRESSION HITS FEW
STUDENTS AT PENN STATE
Despite the depression and a larg-
er enrollment, fewer students with-
drew from the Pennsylvania State
College during the first three months
of college this year than last year,
reports of the college registrar re-
| veal,
Prior to Christmas in 1930 sixty-
three students withdrew, twenty of
them for financial reasons and four-
teen because of illness. In the
same period this year sixty-one
(dropped from college, twenty-five
of them giving their reasons as
financial and twenty on account of
(illness. Personal reasons accounted
largely for the other withdrawals
‘both years.
This year eighteen freshmen,
| cupied or mot, upon a highway or
| otherwise than temporarily for the
| Putpos, am while actually en-
| gaged oading or unloading, or
| in obedience to traflic regulations
| or traffic signs and signals, is for-
bidden.”
| The public is warned against park-
ing on more than one side of all
(alleys, two way parking in the
| streets, parking within 15 feet of
(fire hydrants, within 50 feet of fire
| houses or within 50 feet of any fire
| apparatus while in service at a fire.
Where parking space is designated
by white lines all parking must be
within such lines in order to con-
serve space.
The laws relative to passing fire
apparatus, failing to stop on the ap-
proach of fire apparatus and follow-
ing the same to a fire will be strict-
ly enforced.
There is no desire on the part of
the Fire and Police department to
impose a hardship on any one, but
conditions are such that these regu-
lations must be obeyed.
TWO PRE-CHRISTMAS
HOLDUPS AND ROBBERIES.
On Saturday evening, December
19th, John Dawson, 21-year-old son
of Mr. and Mrs. John Dawson, was
‘walking up the street to his home
on Halfmoon hill when a car con-
taining three men came along and
stopped. One of the men got out
and asked Dawson what time it was.
The latter stated it was about ten
o'clock and then he was hit on the
head and knocked unconscious by
one of the men who had gotten out
of the car and slipped up behind
him. They rifled his pockets of
five dollars and drove away. The
young man was found by his broth-
er Charles about an hour later and
(was taken home. So far no trace
of the holdup men has been found.
At an early hour on Wednesday
morning of last week two negroes
entered the Deitrick Cadillac garage
and held up Howard Coder, the
'night watchman, but all they got
for their trouble was 16 cents.
When the negroes entered the ga-
rage, on the lower floor Coder, who
was on the second floor,
coat and overalls, and
in a car. Practically
ey and that of the
the discarded clothing,
saved from the robbers.
of them has yet been found. .
| ——Ceta Beck didn't miss a ses-
sion of the Bellefonte Methodist
‘Sunday school during the year 1931
and last Sunday morning her teach-
is oc pying the castle on
tent in Bellefonte this year. Com. eighteen sophomores, ten juniors, one
paratively few packages and cards senior and fourteen graduates and
were mailed prior to Monday of special students left college, where
er, Mrs. Mary Hall Bolick, presented
her with a beautiful gold pin in
'A let-up occurred on the day be-
last week, but the rush began at
seven o'clock that morning and for
‘three days postoffice employees were
literally swamped with both outgo-
Monday,
and Tuesday and Wednesday were
whirlpool days of activity and |
though extra help had been secured |
it was impossible to keep up with
the rush and the result was late de-
liveries that could not be
fore Christmas which enabled the
employees to catch up somewhat
with ‘their work, but we feel sure
‘that every one of them is thankful
cil for the old year, held on Monday Y*&T-
{| avening of last week, was quite brief |
importance. A communication sign-
led a “Taxpayer” gave council the
which on the |
Employee night of December 13th knocked
land devoid of anything of special
|tag number of a car
down and broke one of the red
{lights in the triangle in the Dia.
{mond. It was referred to the Fire
and Police committee.
| Secretary Kelly reported that he
bad communicated with the fire in-
{surance Underwriters’ Association
(and that an inspector will be sent
| Bere as soon as it is convenient to
'do so.
The Street committee reported
that a meeting had been held with
| boroug!
'M. J. Barrick, of Williamsport, and
!new plans were decided upon for the
| sewer down Spring creek, which will
delay the work until some time next
spring.
| The Water committee reported
that an engineer from the Delaval
Pump company was here and fixed
the new pump and it is now run-
ning quite smoothly. The commit.
tee also reported the collection of
$400 on water taxes and $49.55 on
rent, Etc. The committee also rec-
ommended that a total of $728.24
of errors and exonerations be al-
lowed on the 1927 water tax dupli-
cate, and the recommendation was
approved.
The Finance committee reported
a balance of $2544.63 in the borough
fund and $4880 in the water fund.
Several matters of minor impor-
tance were discussed without taking
official action after which borough
bills amounting to $496.44 and wa-
ter bills for $208.71 were approved
for payment and council adjourned.
i
well known Bellefonte man met a |
young foreigner on the street who
straight. In a sarcastic tone of
voice he said: “My young
have you vertigo?” “Only Halfmoon
hill,” was the reply he received. !
Several weeks ago a well known |
was not in a condition to walk very |
last year the classification was twen-
ty-seven freshmen, seventeen soph-
omorces, seven juniors, four seniors
and eight graduate students and
specials.
SMITH.—Mrs. Kathryn Jane
Smith, widow of H. M. Smith, died
at her home in Milesburg, Wednes-
day morning of last week, as the
* result of a heart ailment. i
She was a daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. George Eisenhuth and was
M. Smith, of Millheim: Mrs. J. P.
A few evenings before Christmas McCool, of Spring Mills; W. W.
* day morning being down
Smith, of Rebersburg; George,
Lock Haven; John and Mrs. C.
Quick, of Milesburg.
Funeral services were held in the
man, | Methodist church, at Milesburg, at
two o'clock Saturday afternoon,
Rev. M. H. Crawford, assisted
by
by |
|Rev. M. C. Piper, burial being made brother Kenn
in Heckman's cemetery in Gregg
Bellefonte woman was making the | 'OWnship.
rounds of the stores doing some
Christmas shopping.
without thinking laid her handbag
{down on the counter.
looked for it less than a
|1atet it was gone. The
|cense, the family car license,
| purse with $9.00 in cash and one or |
two other articles. The loss was |
{nish are ding their
(reported to the manager of the had their usual family Christmas | vacation with their parents Mr.
|store in the event the handbag had |
been picked up by mistake and was
|
She went into | |
the dollar store, which was fairly J&mes Kelly, died at her home on
‘well crowded with shoppers, an | Logan street yesterday morning at |
I Il
—Mrs. Mary Kelly, relict of
five o'clock. She was 74 years old
When she 20d had been confined to bed for morg
minute leven weeks. Funeral mass will be wants it.
{celebrated in St. John's Catholic get an operators
. church on Monday morning . Her thinking
contained her automobile driver's as | obi BE | or a pony.
—————— cr ———
dinner party at their home, on Al-
returned, but such did not prove to
be the case. Last Saturday a.
young girl from Valley View found
the handbag behind “the radiator in Runkle and their daughter Dorothy,
the toilet in Hazel & Co's store. Mr. and Mrs. William Kline and
She gave it to one of the clerks who | their daughter Beverly, Mr. and Mrs.
notified the woman. An examination Hazel their daughter Francis
revealed that the only thing missing | Margaret Forgac.
It is presumed that |
whoever took the bag went to Hazel
& Co's from the dollar store, ex-
tracted the money then threw the
bag behind the radiator in the toflet.
board were Mr. and Mrs. Daniel
Houser, Mr. and Mrs. Morris B.
——A special session of court was
held, on Wednesday afternoon, to
admit to practice at the Centre
county bar Edward J. Hunter Esq.
| of Philadelphia. Mr. Hunter is an
——The unusal after Christmas attorney in the workmen's compen-
slump in mercantile business is re- sation bureau, at Harrisburg, and
sponsible for the four days a week the motion to admit him to the Cen-
working schedule for clerks in the tre county bar was made by Arthur
uptown A. & P. store. |C. Dale Esq.
tion of he i t-
Jesup r regularity in at-
~—County Treasurer-elect Robert
F. Hunter has announced the ap-
pointment of Miss Christine Curry
as his deputy. Miss Curry is a
competent stenographer and book-
keeper and will without a doubt
prove very efficient in that position.
| Both of the reservoirs that supply
Milesburg with water are about
| ——The weather during the
i
i
Miss
‘mas
Wednesday of
| Mrs. Florence
going
which she
cense.
Misses Virginia and
is a student in the city.
| _ On Sunday night, Decem
{E. Davidson received the
| that his aunt, Mrs. Herman Aikey,
(had died at her home in Akron,
|Ohio. He and his brothers, Harold,
| Joseph and Plummer went out to
Akron for the funeral on the follow-
ing Tuesday and returned home
| Thursday.
| Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Witherite and
| their daughter drove over from
| Osceola Mills and spent Christmas
| day with relatives here and at Run-
ville. At the latter place they made
short calls on the Michael Witherite
and Lee Hoover families and while
| here were of Mrs. Witherite's
mother sister, Mrs. Irwin and
; Mrs. Lucas.