SN 0 i -— - : : HAVE YOU PAID YOUR SUBSCRIPTION LATELY? WHY NOT CHECK UP? More Than A Newspaper, A Community Institution JO SERRA'S COMMENT DN THE NATIONAL SCENE— A WEEKLY FEATURE! VOL. 47 [POST SCRIPTS SERRA BLEND NOTICE ECHO FRANKLIN Several weeks ago, when we wel- comed Joe Serra of Hickory Grove to the staff of The Post, we promised to tell our readers more about the color- ful character whose homely philosophy is now a weekly feature on our front ‘page. We asked Jo to tell us something about his own history or record Or whatever he might call it, and he sent us the following: “The boss says to me, Jo, he says, maybe somebody will happen to have a little time on their hands, and will pick up the paper and read about where you come from and who you are and why and etc. So I says sure, I'll tell you everything. 1: like to please people, so if the boss or any- body else wants to read what I'm go0- in’ to say, why, doggone, I'll feel real good about it. “I reckon I'd ought to kinda start in and tell you where I was born, so I'll tell you. I was raised there on a farm in Illinois__wore boots and waded mud to school in the winter time and had a slick time all summer goin’ bare- footed. “And then when I got up around 15 or so my father and mother, they said, maybe we'd better get this here saplin’ into town and get him used to street cars. And they did. But gee whiz, you don’t learn anything listinin’ to street cars and never will, so all I know now is what I learned before I was 15. “Well, after awhile I mosied out there through Texas and California and then to Kansas, and before I woke up I was married to one of those gals out there in Topeka. Then I had to really go to work. You know though, I gotta admit that I wouldn't even got to first base if it hadn't been for this here gal. Here's how it happened. I got to scribblin’ stuff around on the backs of envelopes and places, and one Day the Mrs. she picked up one of these goofy things and didn’t have anything else to do, so she run ‘er off on the typewriter. Mrs. Jo is a slick typist, besides bein’ a slick cook too. “Well, this stuff she copied got printed some place, somehow or other and then she hunted up another old envelope with my writin’ on and cop- ied it too. That's how this stuff got started. So, any headway I've made, well, the credit belongs to this here Kansas gal. Any guy that wants to write, all he’s got to do is just get himself a wife who's a steno and can read writin’ that you can’t read yourself after it’s cold and you are all set. “Now, since you all know everything about me, I'd be plumb tickled to have you all write and tell me about your- self, too, just like I been telin’ every- thing about my own self. But be- fore I finish up, I want to tell you about my politics. “My rmother, she was one of these here Republicans, just like my grand - father, and my father, he was from Indiana so of course he was a burnt- in-the-cork Democrat. Then this gal that I married out there in Topeka, and I still have her, and two boys too and a daughter-in-law, this gal was a Populist. “So I'm kind of a merger or some- thing of a blend maybe—kind of a Democrat Populist Republican hybrid as you might say. So if any of you can figure out what my politics might be I wish you'd write me about that, too, cause I"n kinda up a tree myself. “Yours with the low down, Jo Serra” Cecil Pennyfeather, Philadelphia Re- cord columnist, tells this tale on Lee Tracy, local boy who made good. It dates back to the time when Lee, whose mother lives in a little house on Pioneer Avenue, was playing one-night stands with the road company of “Cat and the Canary”. ‘Tracy, who loves to read drama no- tices, missed the reviews of the show. On. the train leaving Gleng Falls he . Saw a man opposite him reading the local paper. Tracy stepped up and “asked, “May I see the paper, please? (Continued on Page 8% FULL-GROWN PORKY VENTURES TOO FAR FROM WOODED HAUNT A. full grown porcupine who ap- parently had ventured too far from his wooded home came to grief on Sunday. ‘The gentleman with the quills had travelled as far as Shaver- town when he was spotted in a tree beside the home of John Gal- lagher. Mr. Gallagher called his neighbor, Paul Winter, who got a gun and ended Mr. Porcupine's travels. 4 It was a splendid speciman with wicked-looking quills, according to those who saw Mr. = Winter's trophy. He says he intends to have it mounted. Dallas In New 7th For Fall Election But No Representative To Be Elected Until Next Year Beginning * with the Fall election, Dallas and other communities which were sliced from their old districts by the Democratic legislature and bulked into a “Republican Siberia” will be of- ficially in the new Seventh Legislative District. The first definite report concerning this section’s political division came yesterday from the office of Luzerne County Commissioners, where it was announced that the new alignment will be recognized on ballots and re- cords being prepared for the September primaries and the November general election. ‘As a result, voters here will be casting their ballots in the new Sev- enth Legislative District, instead of the old Sixth. Still Complicated Although ‘the county will recognize the new lines, the State apparently will have to cling to the old divisions until the election: of a Representative from the new district next year. Robert Bierly of West Pittston, who was elected last Fall to represent the Sixth Diistrict in the Legislature, will continue to represent the constituents of the old Sixth until the Fall election in 1938, when voters here will have to elect a mew representative, according to attaches at the County Commis- sioners’ officee. ? ; It is likely that the Democratic and Republican County Committees will hold to the old lines in their organ- izations until after this year's elec- tion, when chairmen for the new dis- tricts will have to be elected: | Joseph H. Finch Called By Death Grand - Grandfather Fought Under Washington In Revplugion =p’ Joseph H. Finch, “whose benign and bearded countenance was a familiar and welcome sight about Dallas, pass- sed away on Saturday evenin at his home on Main street, leaving scores of long-time friends to mourn him, He was 85 years old. ; Mr. Finch had been caretaker of the Warden Cemetery for a number of years, and was superintendent of the Free Methodist Sunday School. He was born in Benton Township, Lackawanna County, and had been a resident of Dallas for about 34 years. Mr. Finch’s great-grandfather, Isaac Finch, a Revolutionary soldier . who died in 1851, is buried near Carbondale and Mr. Finch visited the grave for the first time two years ago when he was eighty-three years old. Surviving are his widow, a son, Ed- ward N. Finch, Erie; a daughter, Mrs. W. L. Lemmon Forty Fort; an aged sister, Mrs. Jonas Benninger, Bing- hamton; six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. The funeral was held on Tuesday afternoon at R. I. Brickel’'s Funeral Parlor. The services were conducted by Rev. A. K. Lindsley of Washington, a former pastor of Dallas Free Metho- dist Church, assisted by the present pastor, Rev. Gertrude B. Ross, and Rev. T. M. Holcomb, district elder. In- terment was in Newton Cemetery, in Lackawanna, county. ‘A. beautiful service was held on the hillside at the cemetery. Mrs. Leroy Andres of Kingston sang several love- ly hymns. VOTERS HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE : TO REGISTER AT POLLS TODAY Voters who want to cast a ballot in September will have another oppor- tunity to register at their polling plac- es today. Because of the slow response to the call for permanent«i registration, the county ccemmissioners have fixed two extra days for registration. Today is one and Friday, July 30, will be anoth- er. The final ‘day for registration at the polls will be on Thursday, August 12, 3 Although two days have. passed only a small percen- of the registration tage of the total Democratic and Re- publican vote in the Dallas section has been recorded. The response on last Thursday was better than on the first day until evening, when the heavy storm kept people at home. Voters who do not register will not be permitted to vote this Fall. NN Candidates Must File Petitions Before Tuesday Three Council Incumbents To Seek Re-election This Fall LEADERS ARE BUSY J The selection of candidatgs, who will ‘| 80 before the voters in local commun- ities speeded up this week as the dead line for the filing of petitions—next Monday-—neared. The necessity for filing fees rang- ing from fifty cents to $25, according J to the importance of the office, has kept the list of office-seekers down to the minimum so far this year. Independent Republicans in Dallas Borough proceeded with the organiza- tion of their slate, adding to it Mor- gan Wilcox, ‘Peter Clark, and Wesley Himmler, present councilman, who will seek re-election with the support of the independents. Last week the candidacies of Wil- liam Baker, John Jeter and George Ayre for school director were given the indorsement of independent lead- ers. Arthur Dungey will be the slated candidate for the o ce of tax collec- tor. Herbert A. Smith has been drafted as the Independent Republican candi- date for Burgess. A taxpayer in Dal- las Borough for the last twenty-three years, a summer resident that long, and a permanent resident for the last three years, Mr. Smith makes a very strong candidate. He is head of the H. A. Smith Interior Decorating Co. of Wilkes-Barre and is affiliated with a number of civic and church assoc- iations. There were rumorsg of an opposing slate, to be indorsed by a [Republican group affiliated with ‘the county G. O. P. organization but no definite an- nouncement had been made by yester- day. Monday will be the last day for the filing of nomination petitions and it is expected there will be a rush tomor- row and Monday by local candidates who have waited until the last minute to ‘make their decision. a A fee of $20 must be paid by any candidate aspiring to a salaried posi- tion in a borough, township, school district or poor district office. Candi- |. dates for judge or inspector of elec- tion must pay a fee of fifty cents, and candidates for party offices, other than committee members, ‘must also pay a fifty-cent fee. Narrowly Escapes Drowning At Lake Charles Murphy, Kunkle, Is Hero Of Near-Tragedy Saturday Charles Murphy of Kunkle perform - ed the second heroic rescue at Har- vey's Lake within two weeks on Sat- urday when he pulled a Nanticoke man from ten feet of water at Sunset. Anthony Decker, 34, who operates a stand at Harvey's Lake, intended to take a dip from the boardwalk at Sun- set, but he did not realize the depth of the water. He jumped off, sunk, and was unable to call for help. Mr. Murphy, who was driving by, jumped from his truck, removed his shoes and jumped into the water ful- ly clothed. He dove three times be- fore he located Decker and pulled him out. Patrolman William Richards assist- ed Murphy in applying artificial res- ‘piration and Chief of Police Ira Stev- enson rushed to the spot with a pul- motor. Decker was taken to Nesbitt Memorial Hospital to recover. THE DALLAS POST, FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1937 — No. 30 Final Plans For By-Pass Go To Commissioners For Okay WORST GALE IN YEARS HITS DALLAS : A furious windstorm that swept across Dallag last Thursday v night broke this tree from its base and hurled it against the porch of Mrs. Gertrude Smythe, Main Street, Dallas. This was one of about twenty-five trees that were toppled in the worst storm to hit the borough in many years. 1 No one was injured Story on Page Five SHAVERTOWN FIREMEN BUY BUSH BUILDING FOR $5,400 RENOVATION OF HOME TO START IIMEDIATELY : The long-delayed plans. of Shavertown Volunteer Fire Co. for acquiring a new home reached their climax this week when the company purchased the Bush building on Main Street Shavertown, for $5,400. A payment of $2,000 has been made. The balance will be cared for by a mortgage to be held by Kingston National Bank and Trust Co. one of whose affiliates owned the structure. The building is a two-story frame structure and will be completely re- novated. Albert Bush will still con- duct his garage on one side of the main floor. The other half will be used for the truck and other equipment of the company. The second floor will be remodeled to make a meeting hall, which. will be f rented by the firemen for pubic af- fairs. The committee which represented the company in the negotiations had as members Howard Woolbert, Will- iam Cobleigh, Stanley Shewan and Francis Youngblood. ; The purchase of the Bush building this week came about after the explor- |: ation of a number of alternate plans by the firemen. Early this year the firemen began active plans to acquire a new home. The company had ac- cumulated $2,700 from various money- raising events and felt its growth and progress merited larger quarters. After several rmonths of investigation all but two proposals were eliminated. One was the original plan, to buy the Bush Building. The second was to buy a lot owned by Warden Kunkle on Main Street, Shavertown, and erect a building. Wihen the plan to build turned out (Continued to Page 5) one-half minute. THE LOW DOWN from HICKORY GROVE When you look over the old sayings, and then squint around at things as they are now, it is easy to see that times have not changed much. But most of us, we figure that Grandpa was out of date and we kinda feel sorry for him ‘cause he was so gullible. And there is the old saying that Experience is the best teacher, and it looks like it maybe also means experience is the only teacher. because here we are in 1937 listinin’ with our mouths open to fellers gettin’ themselves elected and re-elected by tellin’ us that they are stayin’ awake nights just lookin’ out after our interests and tryin’ to make everything rosy for us. And it is just the same as when they was gettin’ elected or re-elected 100 years ago. And we will wake up and the feller who was lookin’ out for us, he will have the money in the bank and we will have the experience. And other old sayings like, A sucker is born every minute, it is O. K,, too, in "37, unless maybe, it might be changed to read, every Yours with the low down, JO SERRA. Terry And Brown To Aspire Again Lehman Warmé Up For Fall Election; ‘Stolarick May Run In Lehman township, where politics are taken lightly and conduct of the township and school offairs is handled efficiiently and with dispatch, there will be no outstanding spirited contests this fall. School Directors C. L. Terry and C. J. Brown, whose terms expire, wifl run again. Democratic opposition for these offices will likely come from George Stolarick of Lehman and Harry Honeywell of Lake Silkworth region. George Stolarick, if his friends can persuade him to run, may be a strong candidate. He is a graduate of the Lehman schools, a property owner and has hundreds of friends throughout the Back Muntain region who will do everything they can to further his candidacy. Some Republicans in the district are making overtures to Al Naugle of Lake Silkworth to run for school director. To date he has not expressed his intentions. Another interesting contest will be that for supervisor, Nelson Rogers, for twelve years Republican committee- man, will oppose David Ide, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of John Ide. Mr. Ide is secretary of the Lehrman township poor board and can- not legally hold two township offices, (Continued on Page 5) Asked To Approve Project Promptly Rotarians Want Action This Year; Highway Depart- ment Ready — MUNDY PLEDGES AID The success of plans for ‘the pav- ing of a new link in the Dallas Wilkes-Barre highway, skirting Luz” erne, rest with Luzerne County’ Commissioners now. A complete set of plans, as out- lined by Senator Leo C. Mundy last Thursday night before Dallas Rotar- ians, were presented to the Commis- sioners this week by a group headed by W. J. Carroll, district engineer and C. L. Albert, chairman of the Dallas Rotary Club committee. With Senator Mundy and the State Highway Department on record fav- oring the paving of the by-pass this year, the approval of an appropria- tion for property damages by the Commissioners loomed as the next big objective for the allied road crusa- ders. Last month the Commissioners as- sured twenty representatives of allied organizations that they will approve such an appropriaation in next year's budget. The committee is requesting immediate approval so the by-pass can be started this year. Another confer- ence will be held within a few days. Leaders in the movement urged that motorists who want the by-pass write to the County Commissioners, urging them to approve the appropriation im- mediately. ’ Follows Tracks The present plan for the by-pass provides that it connect Union Street with the concrete highway outside of Luzerne by a link which would follow part of the roadbed of Wilkes-Barre Railway Corp. . The State Highway Department has . i been negotiating for the strip of street car right of way for several years out no definite agreement has ever been reached. \ 5 ‘Senator Mundy told Rotarians and their guests at a luncheon meeting last Thursday night at Irem Country Club that the State has 250,000 set aside for the project. He believes the work will begin this year. Surveys of the highway department, Senator Mundy said, show that more than 4,000 vehicles per hour pass through Luzerne at’ peak traffic per- iods. : Other speakers at the Rotary Club meeting were W. L. Carroll, district engineer, who explained technical points; Senator A. J. Sordoni, an ar- dent crusader for the highway for a number of years; A. Harden Coon, president of Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, D. G. K. Swartz, C. L. Albert, Clyde N. Lapp Calvin McHose and J. Arthur Bolender. Attorney Peter P. Jurchak introduced the speakers and Warren Taylor, president presided. Women Awaiting Cooking School Electric Company Promises Helpful Session Next Friday A novel demonstration of modern, electrical cookery is promised by Luz- erne County Gas & Electric Co. to the housewives who attend the company’s cooking school in Dallas Borough High School Friday afternoon, July 30. A crowd is expected, not only be- cause of the demonstrations, recipes and advice, but because each woman who attends can designate some church organization which will receive ten cents from. the company in return for her attendance. There will also be valuable prizes. Mrs. Bertha Phillips Howe, home eco- nomist of the company, will be in charge of the school. : SMITH FAMILY CLINCHES LEAD IN NEW TELEPHONE DIRECTORY That grand old family, the Smiths, Shavers are tied for third place, with take the honors in the new directory of| nine each, and the Ides, Johnsons, and Commonwealth Telephone Co., distri- buted locally this week. With thirteen ’phones listed, the Majors each have eight lines to their credit. There are seven Lewises, six Browns Stmiths take up more space in the Dal-| ang six Davises. though that other well-known tribe, Ray Ackerman of Shavertown takes las directory than any other family, al-| first place on the list of Dallas telee the Williamses, are close behind, with| phone subscribers and C. J. Zinn of eleven telephones, The Frantzes, the Joneses and the Trucksville is the last name on the list. 7 :
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers