For 50 Years The Post Has Been
The Best-Read Newspaper In Its
Field. Now, With Its New Make-
up, It Is More Readable, More In-
teresting Than Ever.
Vol. 49
E DALLAS
F
3
’
{More Than A Newspaper, A Community Institution
THE DALLAS POST, FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1939
POS
Mr. Advertiser: If You Are Not
Advertising In The Post You Are
Missing An Opportunity To Build
Sales For Today And Tomorrow
In A Growing Community.
No. 16
POST
SCRIPTS
A
NEW
LINDBERGH
COMES
HOME
Judging from the meagre publicity
which has greeted his return to the
United States, the press, which he dis-
likes so intensely, is taking Col. Charles
Augustus Lindbergh at his word. We
“hope the captious Colonel enjoys his
hard-won privacy. ;
What the future holds for the world’s
foremost aviator we can only guess.
The biggest news since he ventured
back on his native soil has been his
decision to help the United States pre-
pare for the approaching war, a course
which his late father, a leading pacifist
in another war-like era, might ques-
tion.
This new, 'fretful, suspicious, rude
Lindbergh who has come back to us is
a strange person. Fame has treated
him shabbily and perhaps it placed
upon his shoulders a burden greater
than he could carry. We can scarcely
believe that the irritable, embittered,
unpopular exile who came home this
week is the same slim young man we
interviewed in a railroad Y. M. C. A.
one rainy midnight about 10 years ago.
If he will permit us, we much prefer to
remember him as he was then, not as
he became after glory back-fired on
him.
_ We almost didn’t meet the Colonel.
He was flying to New York and became
lost in a fog. He landed in a meadow
beside Coxton Yards, and in gliding
down across the Susquehanna he nar-
rowly missed a string of telephone
wires. That night we had a long list of
assignments and so we weren’t in the
contingent of reporters which went out
on the story.
Lindbergh was then America’s Pub-
lic Hero No. 1 and we recall how ex-
cited every one was because chance
had brought him so near. Everybody
had little stories to tell about him. We
heard how Lindbergh had just ridden
in the cab of a locomotive over the
mountain’ cut-off - and been given an
ovation by a crowd which gathered to
greet him in Wilkes-Barre. Someone
told us he had declined an invitation to
‘spend the night in an aristocratic
home, preferring to sleep in a modest
bedroom at the Coxton Y. M."C. A.
Everything he did made another story
and the incidents passed from. person
to person, becoming a part of the
Lindbergh saga.
It was late when we went in and
most of the Lindbergh story was already
in type but the Managing Editor had
queries from out-of-town newspapers
which wanted coverage. It wasn’t a
particularly pleasant assignment now,
because there was a fine drizzle falling
and it meant spending most of the
night waiting for Lindbergh’s take-off
but those things didn’t matter when it
was suggested that we might be will-
ing to file the stories for the out-of-
town papers next morning. We went
up to Coxton.
ee
We reached the weather-beaten,
smoke-stained Y. M. C. A. just as Lind-
bergh consented to meet the news-
papermen for the second time that
evening. There had been an earlier
interview and he shook hands pleasant-
ly with those of us who had arrived
late. There was a good bit of banter
and he seemed to enjoy parrying ques-
tions with the reporters. His high-
pitched, thin voice surprised us, we
remember. Otherwise, he was pretty
much as we'd expected, his tow hair
ruffled carelessly, his neat, grey suit
hanging limply from his lanky frame,
like a sail on a windless sea. When!
he grinned, his smile took up all his
face and his eyes laughed, too. You |
liked him immediately.
All of us chatted for a while and he
talked about aviation, shrewdly chang-
ing the subject when someone touched !
on his personal affairs, and then he!
said good night to us and retired to a
narrow bedroom which had a cot, a
dresser and a chair as its only furni- |
ture. No one else thought of sleep- |
ing. We had a lunch, and then we
walked down along the river to the
spot where the Colonel’s plane was
being guarded by two State policemen.
Although it had been announced that
he would take off at 7 a. m., Lindbergh
had told us he intended to leave at 5,
before the crowd grew big enough to
be troublesome. Just before the sun
melted the light mist which floated
above the river, he came to his plane.
He ran his hands along its silvery sides!
and his eyes searched carefully for any
imperfection. Oblivious to the gath-
ering crowd, he brought out his tools,
and began tinkering earnestly. When
he had finished, he posed for pictures.
He had slept only a few hours but he
seemed in good spirits, although he
was obviously annoyed when a notor-
ious rum-runner pushed through the
crowd, stuck out a ham-like paw and
shouted “How are you, Mr. Linden-
berg 7°”
(Continued on Page 8)
AR FAMOUS ACTRESS AND A GREAT ARTIST
Lovely Joan Crawford poses for
Leslie Benson, noted portrait painter,
during her recent sojourn in New York. Mr. Benson, who is famous for his
paintings of glamorous stars from the movie colony, is shown here makin
preliminary sketches.
Martin Murder Provokes Legislation
Aimed At County's
23,000 Abnormals
Tragedy Echoed In State Capitol As Lawmakers
Study Bills To Curb Menace Of Sex Criminals
The tragedy of Margaret Martin's unsolved murder echoed through the
corridors of the State capitol building at Harrisburg this week as legislators
began studying a tri-partite bill which is a direct result of the shocking evi-
dence of widespread sexual perversion uncovered here in the last few
months.
Sponsored by Senator Leo C.
Mundy, after police and physicians
had appealed for greater protection
against the grim menace of the sex
criminal, the bill would effect about
23,000 abnormal persons in Luzerne
County alone, according to one man
who was irstrrmental in drafting the
legislation. =
The proposed bills would compel re-
sponsible persons to report regularly on
the treatment and progress of abnormal
persons in their care, would provide
punishment for solicitation and moles-
tation and would enable the State to
compile a list’ of known perverts as a
matter of confidential record. Ad-
vocates of the legislation have high
hopes of its prompt passage.
Unknown to most people are the con-
ditions which came to light as a result
of the painstaking investigation by
police as they sought the trail of
Margaret Martin’s killer. More than
2,000 cases of perversion alone were
uncovered and there are in police files
in Northeastern Pennsylvania about
200 unsolved cases of girls, who have
disappeared in ‘the last 10 years.
Many of the disappearances are laid
at the door of the white slave ring
which operates between Forest City
and Shenandoah.
While Senator Mundy seeks to pre-
vent future sex crimes, State police
and county detectives continue their
hopeful search for the slayer of Mar-
garet Martin, pretty Kingston Sunday
school teacher who was lured to her
death last December 17. Although
public interest had declined, the inves-
tigation plods steadily on. Faced with
the staggering volume of suggestions
and tips from all over the country and
cautious because of the damage al-
ready done by an excitable public
which has seemed too quick to believe
| rumors, police have been compelled to
work very slowly. Tight-lipped, they
say they have never given up hope of
solving the crime.
Back Broken When
Thrown Off Horse
Robert Westover, Fzrmer
Resident, Badly Hurt
Robert Westover, 20, son of Mrs.
Rachel Westover and a former resident
of Dallas, suffered a broken back sev-
eral days ago when he was thrown
from a horse near Waverly, N.Y.
The Westover fami, nic was
widely known here, mo to Syracuse
about two years ago. Robert lived
with his mother but was visiting
friends in Waverly when the accident
occurred. He was taken to St. Joseph's
hospital, Elmira, suffering from a
broken back and head injuries.
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kotchi of
Kingston, close friends of the West-
overs, intend to visit the injured youth
this week-end and more details about
the accident are expected upon their
return, They received word this week
that the youth’s condition is as good
as could be expected.
>
STATE TO PAVE ANOTHER
LINK ON ROUTE 92 THIS
YEAR, MOTOR CLUB SAYS
One more concrete link will be
paved on Route 92, between Dallas
and Tunkhannock, yet this year,
according to Norman Johnstone,
secretary of Wynming Valley Me:
\
tor Club. : ir
The State Highway Departationt
plans to extend the conefete as
far as Lutes’ Corners, Mr. John-
stone has been assured. Two con-
tracts filled in recent years paved
the highway from Tunkhannock to
Evans Falls, where the new stretch
will begin.
The next link will be about 3
miles in length and work is expect-
ed to begin in August.
To Dedicate Church
Sunday Afternoon
Evans Falls Methodists
Complete New Structure
years, the Evans Falls Methodist
Episcopal Church will be dedicated on
Sunday afternoon at 3, with ‘Rev.
George M. Bell, D. D., superintendent of
the Wilkes-Barre District, delive, ing | the
dedicatory address. seLH
Completion of the church has been
delayed repeatedly by the difficulty
in raising money. Most of the work has
been performed by men of the com-
munity, who have contributed their
services. For some time worship has
been held in the basement of the par-
tially completed structure.
Rev. Thomas F. Kline, who has five
churches in his Centermoreland circuit,
is pastor of the new church. Among
the visiting clergymen, some of them
former pastors, will be Rev. Leonard
Davis, Rev. James Burleigh, Rev. Fran-
cis Freeman, Rev. Roy Bean and Rev.
Guy Leinthall.
Trustees of the new church are Lewis
Doll, Harry Doll, and Mrs. Corey M: rer.
AUXILIARY CARD PART
The Nesbitt Memorial Hospital ux-
iliary will sponsor a card party a St.
Therese’s Church, Shavertown, Wed-
nesday afternoon at 2. Table prizes
and a door prize will be given.
Under construction for the last five
Farmers Forming
Local Unions Here
To Support Protest
Ready To Carry Battle
Rgainst New Milk Rates
To Capital Next Week
Farmers who are organizing
throughout this section to protest the
schedule of prices established recently
by the Pennsylvania Milk Control
Board are preparing to carry their
battle to Harrisburg next week when
a joint Senate-House committee will
investigate milk regulations.
C. W. Space of Dallas, who was elect-
ed a director of the Milk Producers’
Association of Northeastern Pennsyl-
vania last Tuesday, and Howard Lans-
| berry of Idetown, who is chairman of
{the drive to organize Luzerne County
{ farmers, probably will be among the
producers who will attend the inquiry.
Within two weeks the Milk Produc-
ers’ Association expects to have the
majority of farmers in this section or-
ganized into locals, . which will unite
producers behind a militant protest
against the prices fixed by the Milk
Control Board. The farmers charge
that the new schedule of prices is un-
fair to the farmers and allows dealers
too much profit.
Opposition has come from dealers,
the farmers say, in the form of threats
to stop buying from farmers who join
the new union.
About 425 farmers, including a num-
ber from the Dallas section, attended
the organization meeting of the Milk
Producers in Scranton on Tuesday. One
of the developments at that meeting
was the promise that under no circum-
stances will the farmers go on strike.
Directors were elected as follows:
Two-year terms, Herbert Thomas and
Edward Decker of Waverly, Ronald
Ransom, Nicholson; C. W. Space, Dal-
las; one-year terms, W. S. Spaulding,
Hazleton; Claude Keller, Shickshinny;
Ralph Naylor, Factoryville; Leonard
Hartneck, Moscow; Morris Northrup,
Dalton.
Among the speakers were John York
of North Abington, who warned farm-
ers that unless their conditions are
bettered young people will move away
ii Um rural sections; Charles Skeel of
the Dairymen’s League, Mr. Space, Mr.
Lansberry, who reviewed the situation,
and Clarence Dickinson, of the New
"York bargaining agency for the New
York milk shed and who declared that
he has known cases where dealers
made as much as 108 per cent profit
on the lower classifications of milk.
No Funds Now For
Luzerne Highway
. But Hughes Promises His
‘Serious Consideration”
The probability that Main and Ben-
nett Streets, Luzerne will be placed on
a list of roads to be constructed early
in 1940 with Federal Aid was discussed
on Wednesday at a meeting of Luzerne
Civic Association, Wyoming Valley Mo-
tor Club and Wyoming Valley Chamber
of Commerce.
After discussing the promise made
by the State Highway D ment last
year to pave the Luzerne thorough-
fares, it was decided to invite I. La-
mount Hughes, secretary of highways,
to meet with the committees and with
Luzerne Borough council to study the
need for improving the two main
routes through the borough.
Questioned by The Post this week
concerning any promise made to pave
the roads, Mr. Hughes insisted that
there is nothing in the files of his
department to indicate that any prom-
ise ‘was made to reconstruct the two
streets. The promise, of' course, was
made by a previous administration.
Although Mr. Hughes claims that
there are no funds at the disposal of
the highway department now for pav-
ing of Main and Bennett Streets, he
told The Post that the department
would be inclined to give ‘very serious
consideration” to the improvements of
the two streets when funds are avail-
able if Luzerne Borough will give as-
surance that the street car right-of-
way will be reconstructed at no ex-
pe se to the State.
Even Old Man Grippe couldn’t lick
Tommy Dropchinski, Lehman High
School athlete and amateur boxer,
when he went in the ring at 109th F.
A. Armory, Kingston, on Tuesday night
against hard-hitting Charles Lamoreaux
of Wilkes-Barre.
a month ago and trains in his father’s
barn, was nursing a 100-degree fever
and a chest cold. His opponent had ten
pounds weight advantage, was taller
and had a longer reach.
Tommy, who started to fight about
100-DEGREE FEVER NEARLY LOSES
FIGHT FOR TOMMY DROPCHINSKT
In the first round Dropchinski’s bud-
ding ring career came close to an
pretty tough for a while. He was still
pretty tought for a while. He was still
a bit groggy as the second round began
but he warmed up to his job then and
took the second and third rounds for
the decision.
Earl Kinsman, former professional
fighter, who has been interested in
Tommy, handled the local boy. The
bout was one scheduled by the C. Y. O.
of Wilkes-Barre.
TWO MAIN STREET STORES
WILL EXCHANGE QUARTERS;
ACME SUPER MARKET HERE
The large storeroom/ on Main
Street occupied by uf B. &-B.
Hardware Co. will be le “by the
American Stores next week and a
new super market will be opened
there about May 1.
Arthur Brown will move his
hardware store into the building
which will be vacated by the
American Store. He expects to
begin moving Monday or Tuesday
and the American Store will be-
gin installing its new equipment
immediately.
May Finish School
Bhead Of Schedule
Spring Spurs Work On
Lehman's $100,000 Plant
Prospects for finishing the new Leh-
man High School building ahead of
schedule became brighter this week as
the change in weather conditions per-
! mitted increased building activities.
Warmer temperatures allowed work-
men to begin the construction of the
main wall of the structure and when
the weather clears sufficiently, a ce-
ment base for the first floor of the new
school building will be laid.
Four workers from the bricklayers’
local of Wilkes-Barre began to lay the
wall tile on the recently completed
concrete foundations Wednesday after-
noon. Within two weeks eight more
brick layers will be employed to lay a
brick facing on the tile, according to
James Cosgrove, business manager of
the union.
Forms for the four-inch cement floor
base have been built and the base will
be poured when the first clear weather
comes. Aside from the ceiling of the
furnace and plumbing rooms, the floor
will be laid on a four-foot cinder fill.
When the cement for the first floor is
poured, 12 additional laborers will be
employed from the Lehman area.
To Expand Curriculum
The increased facilities afforded by
the new building will allow the addi-
tion of three new subjects to the curric-
ulum, commercial studies, 'domestic
science and art. The plans also call
for a large library and an adequate
music studio.
The new high school will have fifteen
room units, as compared with seven
in the old frame building. On the first
floor will be a home economics labora-
tory, a farm mechanics shop, an
agriculture room, three other class
rooms, a teacher’s rest room, a roomy
office and conference room, and two |
toilets. A science laboratory, a large
commercial room, an art room and a
music studio, a large library, two class-
rooms and two toilets will make up
the second floor of the building. Aver-
age room size will be 22 by 30 feet.
The $10,000 allocation sought by the
school board after the bond issue had
been sold has been remitted, bringing
total funds on hand to $80,000. Two
other appropriations of $10,000 each
will be received from the PWA admin- |
istration at Harrisburg before the struc- |
ture is completed.
From all indications, the new school
will be ready for occupancy by Septem-
ber 15, the beginning of the fall term.
Rosen & Co., general contractors, com-
pleted a similar building in Daleville,
Lackawanna County, in less than
scheduled time just before they con-
tracted for the Lehman school. Charles
Webb, superintendent of the Lehman
project, is well satisfied with progress.
School For Drivers
Being Organized
Students Can Register
For Five-Week Course
Classes for persons from the Dallas sec-
tion are being organized by the Wyo-
ming Valley Safety Driving School and
registrations are to be made at the
showroom in James Olivers’ garage,
Main Street, on Monday night between
6:30 and 8:30. 3
The course will cover five weeks, in-
cluding two and one-half weeks of
classroom instruction and two and
one-half weeks of road instruction. The
school will supply the cars for road in-
struction and a small fee will be charg-
ed to pay for operation.
There will be choice of three class
periods: 10 a. m. to 12 noon, 1 p. m.
to 3 p. m. and 6 p. m. to 8 p. m. Wyo-
ming Valley Motor Club is co-operating
in the conduct of the school.
Lundy Warns Delinquents
He Will File Liens
Herbert A. Lundy, tax collector for
Dallas Township, dssu€d a warning this
week that he ‘must file liens against
delinquent property taxpayers who
have not paid by May 1. He urged
that persons who have not paid their
property taxes do so immediately to
avoid the penalty and interest charges.
Consumers Await
Commission's View
Of Water Shortage
Public Ownership Study
Delayed Pending Outcome
Of Formal Complaint
The committee which has been in-
vestigating the possibility of solving
Dallas’s water problem by building
a municipal plant decided this week to
postpone further investigation pend-
ing the outcome of the hearing to be
held before the Public Utility Com-
mission at Wilkes-Barre next Thurs-
day.
Making it plain that their attitude
does not mean that they have aban-
doned their study of publicly-owned
plants, the consumers explained that
their decision was made to permit con-
centration upon the formal complaints
which have been filed with the Pub-
lic Utility Commission and which will
be aired at next week’s hearing.
“We are concerned only with the
need for securing adequate water ser-
vice,” said Henry Disque, “and how
we reach that goal is of secondary in-
terest. If the company has a fair and
reasonable solution, the consumers will
hail it joyfully. If the hearings do not
produce a solution, we shall still have
time to chart our course.”
The hearing to be held at the court
house next Thursday morning is the
outcome of complaints made last No-
vember. An informal complaint was
filed then by a group of sixty consum-
ers. Several months later Dallas Bor-
ough Council filed a formal complaint.
Consumers who have suffered from
frequent interruptions of water service
are expected to be at the court house
next Thursday.
Craig Explains Problems
Robert H. Craig of Harrisburg, gen-
eral manager of Dallas Water Co., con-
ferred with members of Dallas Borough
Council last Friday night and explained
the problems confronting the local util-
ity, which has frankly admitted the in-
adequacy of its service to consumers in
the higher sections of town.
Mr. Craig had no definite program
‘to present, but he discussed some of
the improvements the company has
considered Because of the scheduled
hearing, he avoided going into too
much detail about the course the util-
ity will follow in defending itself before
the Commission, but he volunteered
considerable information.
The conference, which lasted about
one and one-half hours, was attended
by Mr. Craig, Leslie Warhola, local
manager of the company; William Da-
vis, John Durbin, James Franklin and
Morgan Wilcox, all councilmen, John T.
Jeter, borough engineer, and Attorney
Arthur Turner, borough solicitor.
PTA To Honor Band And
Athletes Next Thursday
Members of Dallas Borough High
School girls’ and boys’ athletic teams
and the school band will be feted by
the Parent-Teachers Association at a
dinner next Thursday night at 6 in
the high school. Speakers will be
Steven Emanuel and Agnes Berry of
Wilkes-Barre. Clyde Lapp will be
toastmaster.
The public is invited to attend. Res-
ervations can be made by telephoning
Mrs. Lewis LeGrand. The PTA will not
solicit donations this year, as in the
past, but will finance the dinner
through the sale of tickets.
Mrs. Leon Kintz will be general
chairman and her co-chairmen will be
Mrs. R. J. W. Templin and Mrs. Charles
Stookey. Other committees: Kitchen,
Mrs. Winifred Thomas, Mrs. Ralph
Brown, Mrs. Laverne Race, Mrs. Edwin
Nelson, Mrs. Clyde Veitch, Mrs. Howell,
Mrs. Harley Misson, Mrs. Earl Monk,
Mrs. Thomas Carkhuff; dining room
and decorations, Mrs. Harvey McCarty,
Mrs. Lillian Kuehn; tables, Mrs. Elwood
McCarty, Mrs. Florence Phillips, Mrs.
David Brace, Mrs. Arthur Franklin,
Mrs. M. J. Brown, Mrs. Jack Hazletine.
R. L. Hallock, music supervisor, and
the band will have charge of the musi-
cal program. Mrs. Louise Colwell will
lead the singing.
JOSEPH H. MacVEIGH WINS
TWO PROMINENT POSTS IN
CITY ON SAME AFTERNOON
A Dallas man was elected presi-
dent of one prominent “Wilkes-
Barre organization, and director
of another, all in one afternoon
this week.
Joseph H. MacVeigh of Center
Hill Road, vice-president of the
Pressed Steel Company, was nomi-
nated president of the Wilkes-
Barre Rotary Club at a luncheon
Tuesday, and later that afternoon
was made a director of the Wilkes-
Barre Chamber of Commerce to fill
one of nine vacancies on the board.