@ Editorially Speaking: Shoot First, Uncle Sam! This is no moment for commanders of our naval patrol, on the high seas, to expose our ships to Nazi torpedoes which already have sunk more than 6,000,000 tons of British, Allied and neutral shipping. We are already at war. We must fire first. Nazi Admiral Luetzow thundered last week that the “spying” activities of the United States’ Atlantic patrol were “intolerable.” And “spying” is the right word: that is precisely the function of our destroyers and cruisers in mid-Atlantic—to radio to the British fleet the position of lurking U-boats. Let’s not forget that Hitler has sworn that these U- boats will send to the bottom any and all our war supplies that we Americans can send fense. to Britain—in our own de- We Americans are spending right now billions of our savings, and also heavily mortgaging our financial future, to manufacture war supplies Hitler. for use by Britain against Is it possible we are so chicken-hearted that we will docilely permit the Nazis to sink these enormously costly weapons and munitions? Without them, Britain may fall. If Britain falls, this continent has all the world arrayed against it, excepting only an exhausted China and a totally unprepared Latin America—already infested by Nazi spies and agents. We, who aren’t blind, who aren’t misguided or inten- tional “appeasers,” who still prize our American demo- cratic freedom, who know the futility of side-stepping an inevitable fight, must agree with the seasoned judgment of our best naval and military minds, to wit:— & Shoot first, Uncle Sam! By this is meant that, whenever an Axis submarine comes within sight of our naval units on the high seas, our crews must let go instantly with all they have—guns, depth-bombs, and the rest. vestigate—afterwards. fire. More than that: Like the Nazis, we should in- In plainer words, fight fire with If prudence allows, some of our air- craft carriers should be sent into the Atlantic so that their complement of planes can spot where Axis submarines are hiding beneath the surface, awaiting their prey. To ' simplify that task, we should seize tomorrow, not next month or next fall, the Azores, the Canaries and any other Atlantic bases we can seize and hold, and which can give our planes a greater flying radius over an Atlantic now crawling with U-boats. This is the way to hold Nazism at bay until such time as with the British, we gain unquestioned superiority in the air, and can reduce Hitler's factories to smoking ruins and his transportation networks to rubbish. The first step, Uncle Sam, is shoot first! FROM. PILLAR TO POST There comes a scorching summer day every year when our memory plays us tricks and takes us back to the cool, musty, sweetness of our grandmother's cellar in Susquehanna County. That cellagiwith its moist clay bottom furrowed by two neat rivulets of water was a delightful place for barefooted boys whose stubbed and calloused feet smarted from the dusty heat of pulling weeds out of her long rows of young beans. Just to slither feet over its cooling sur- face and dip toes into its chilling miniature rivers was a boon no boy could ever forget. It seems to us the real purpose of cellar building—as we look back on it now—was lost when concrete bot- toms, heating plants and recreation rooms came in. We'll take a cellar any time like our grandmother’s if somebody will stock it. The mystery of the pool of spring water in one corner where trout snapped at intruding blue bottle flies . . . and the tread mill where the dog churned the butter were nothing compared to the annual re- appearance of the big toad who had grown old in his damp retreat among the chinks in the lichen-cov- ered stones that lined the wall. No- body could remember whether the old fellow had ever been a sprightly young blade. Now in wrinkled old age he was philosophically content to squat in sleepy silence at the edge of the shadows where sun beams streaming through the spider woven window splashed the hard caked floor. Years of experience in that cellar had taught him that unsus- pecting bees and insects buzzed and droned toward that sun spot. Where he spent his winters no one ever knew, but he was sure to return unannounced every summer blink- ing without the slightest emotion at the gleeful welcome that always, greeted ‘his return, and found its vent in sadistic efforts to make him leap with the prick of a wheat straw or pointed blade of grass. He never seemed to mind the intrusion, sharing his cool retreat with re- signed blinking and perhaps a little curiosity, for he never left the cellar during summer; and as far as we knew still kept his lonely vigil by the sunny spot as recently as five years ago. What a cellar that was on hot July days—its low hanging shelves loaded with bright brimming milk pans, each filled with the richest milk we’d ever seen, waiting for its thick cream blanket to be skimmed off in one great disc and made into butter, or failing that, to become the important ingredient of a de- licious sour cream cake that only our grandmother knew how to bake. But for small boys on hot sum- mer days some of that cream found a more immediate end when our grandmother filled her pink hob- nail tumblers with a generous helping and offered as a further treat one of her raisin-centered sugar cookies from the earthen jar at the top of the cellar steps. We felt secure from heat and want in our grandmother’s cellar with its air of well-being stored up in row upon row of crimson canned (Continued on Page 8) Local Avenger Faced With Assault Charges Fernbrook Man Jailed After Battle With Alleged Attacker His allegedly righteous action re- bounding on him, George Frazier, 32-year-old Fernbrook truck driver, was released on bail this week after being held on charges of assault and battery by city police. His victim, Patrick Duffey, of 23 Maple St., Wilkes-Barre, is being treated at General Hospital for head injuries and a possible shoulder fracture. Frazier was arrested Monday night following investigation of a tussle with Duffy at the latter’s home, and his 48-year-old opponent was admit- ted to the hospital. Frazier asserted at police head- quarters that Duffy had attempted to attack his wife at their home on Main Road, Fernbrook, Monday af- ternoon. When she told him of the attempt that evening, he said, he went immediately to the Duffy home, accompanied by her and their two children, to demand an explanation from his one-time friend. A struggle resulted, claimed Fraz- ier, during which the two men fell down a flight of stairs, causing head and shoulder injuries to Duffy. Fra- zier was stopped as he left the Duffy residence by two State Troopers who investigated the incident. Tuesday morning Duffy’s son and daughter testified at police head- quarters that Frazier’s charges were false. Duffy had stopped by the Frazier home Monday afternoon, they said, but had only spoken to Mrs. Frazier and did not enter her home. They also claimed Frazier had been drinking when he arrived at the Duffy home Monday night, and that the Fernbrook man had begun the quarrel with their father. Mr. Frazier, a first cousin of Harry Crispell of Rausch’s Plot, Fernbrook, and a native of this region, operates a small trucking business. He has always been a quiet and temperate man, his neighbors say. He and his family have lived on Main Road in Fernbrook for about a year. Flood Lights Installed Four experimental high-powered street lights installed at the inter- section of the spur highway and Main St., Dallas, by Luzerne County Gas and Electric Company were turned on for the first time Wednes- day night. The lamps which elimi- nate dangerous shadows will: be given a month’s trial by the borough. Tae: Darras Post MORE THAN A NEWSPAPER, A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION 5 1. 2. 8. 4. vey’s 5. Vol. 51 FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1941 No. 26 $ markings and numerals on all homes in Dallas, Shavertown, and Trucksville. which will train men and women in national defense Dallas Borough. er highway between Dallas and Har- tion in the Dallas area. THE POST WANTS: Permanent and legible street Emphasis locally on activities measures. The installation of fire plugs in The construction of a new, short- Lake before 1942. Centralization of police protec- More sidewalks. Dallas Council Gets Action On Three Projects i | i i 1 | i A Mill St. Improvement, Traffic Regulation And Four Fire Plugs Assured John L. Herber, district engineer | of the State Highway Department, | has notified Dallas Borough Council that plans for raising the Lehigh Valley tracks in Dallas to provide | better access to Mill street, cut off | by the spur highway, have unoffi - | cially come before the Public Utility Commission. Mr. Herber added that there has been an informal understanding that the Lehigh Valley Railroad would prepare an estimate of the cost of raising the tracks. This estimate is now in the course of preparation and will be submitted as soon as | completed. When this is done, Mr. Herber said, he expected the Public Utility Commission would immed- iately take an active interest in the case, looking forward to ordering the necessary changes. He further assured Council that will be cleared up to the satisfaction | of all within the near future and! that he will do all in his power to! expedite the work. | Traffic Regulation A State Highway Safety engineer has been in touch with council rel- ative to the traffic light situation at the Main St. intersection and will submit plans shortly. He is of the opinion that a group of stop signs might work out better than traffic lights which ‘council has been con-! sidering. Use of stop signs at. the intersection, with police supervision at peak traffic periods would, in the opinion of the engineer, solve most of the problem. Communities in other parts of the State, he said, with a similar traffic problem have dispensed with traffic lights because of traffic congestion due to impos- sible regulation of timing at the hub. Council is giving the whole matter careful consideration and whatever plans are deemed best will | be followed. Pd Fire Plugs Assured Members of Council have been in touch with Robert Hall Craig, gen- eral manager of Dallas-Shavertown Water Company, and arrangements have been made for his presence at a meeting of Council on July 11 when the installation of fire plugs will be discussed. Mr. Craig has in- formed Council that money has been set aside for the installation of four plugs in the business section and that the company is ready to start work as soon as Council gives the green signal. Naval Battle Planned For 4th Fireworks Will Zoom From Floats At Lake Appropriately enough, the fire- works at Harvey's Lake this Fourth of July will be something like a naval engagement. According to present plans of the Harveys’ Lake Boat Club, which is handling the lake celebration this year, the fireworks display will be launched from the decks of seven or eight sturdy floats moored in the middle of the lake. It ought to be very impressive, says William Wool- bert, chairman of the arrangements committee. In previous years, the fireworks! were always set off at the Picnic Grounds, and hence were visible en- tirely only to a small portion of the koliday ground. Under the present arrangement, every one out at the lake next Friday night will be able to get a clear view of the exposi- tion, which will be staged something like a mock naval battle. The first sky rocket will go off at 9:30 p. m. On the afternoon of the holiday, the Boating Club plans to sponsor a decorated boat parade, which will completely circuit the lake, giving every one a chance to see it. The boats will be brightly decked in patriotic colors, and three cups will be awarded for the best decorations. The committee, which includes Mr. Woolbert, William Bertels and Chief Ira C. Stevenson, expects at least thirty entries. Also planned at the Sunday night meeting of the Boat Club at Ted Frantz’s Stonehurst Lodge in Alder- son was a boat racing regatta, to be held at the lake Sunday afternoon, July 13. Two events, an outboard motor race and a free-for-all or un- limited race, have been outlined already and will attract the speed- iest craft on the lake. Other events have not yet been decided, accord- (Continued on Page 2) Blasted Bridge Fails To Halt Nazis In Russia This photo, flashed by radio from Berlin to New York, is described by the official German caption as showing Nazi soldiers crossing a Russian river in rubber boats after retreating Red Soldiers demolished the bridge over the stream. Germany claims that its invasion of the Soviet is progressing on schedule. he is confident the Mill St. problem | insists that the Red defenses are holding. - Russia State Purchase Of Ricketts Glen For Park Waits James" Signature Snowed Under In Earle Administration,/ $150,000 Appropriation Reintroduced The purchase of the beautiful Kitchen Creek watershed for a State Park, nearly concluded three years ago during the Earle | regime, once again awaited a governor’s approval this week. The bill, appropriating $150,000 for the purchase of some 10,000 acres of the Ricketts Estate and approved by the House last week, this Monday passed by unanimous vote in the Senate at Harrisburg and was sent to Gov- ernor Arthur H. James for his sig- nature. The measure, introduced in the House by Representative James J. Malloy of Wilkes-Barre, designates the purchase of nearly all of the estate north of th: Huntsville-Ben- ton highway, 500 Jards of the land south of the highway, and all the headwaters of Kitchen Creek, in- cluding four upper lakes and the concrete dam on Lake Lee. Excluded from the purchase would be Ganoga Lake, said to be the high- est natural body of water east of the Rocky Mountains, the celebrated Stone House, Mrs. William McLean's property, the summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Ricketts, and the property below the highway owned outright by the North Moun- tain Club. All the upper reaches of Kitchen Creek, however, with its 38 beautiful waterfalls and tumblings cataracts, and a large proportion of the deep virgin timber standing on the estate will go into the State purchase. The State Park will be situated in the area where Kitchen Creek crosses the Huntsville-Benton high- way at a point east of Red Rock and about 15 miles from Dallas. Col. Ricketts, a member of a famous Luzerne County family and a Civil War hero, owned the im- mense tract from which the State Park is to be carved, and laid out himself much of the pattern on which it will be laid. Among other things, Col. Ricketts laid out a path beside Kitchen Creek passing all its major water falls . . . which range in height from four to nearly 100 feet . . . and also built the first steps of flat stone, one set consisting of 55 flag stairs. A well-defined foot- path leads north along the stream and the first waterfall is about one mile up. The path is wide and kept in good condition, and steps at the steeper parts are guarded by pine rails. © The trip up one branch of the creek and down the other is a hike of about seven miles through perhaps the loveliest scenery in this part of the country. It is estimated that the State De- partment of Forests and Waters will take about five years to develop the Ricketts Estate into the park plan as it has been laid out, but much of the work will center about scenic points already established. If the purchase of the 10,000-acre tract of stream and woodland prop- erty, which lies in Luzerne, Sulli- van and Wyoming Counties, is ap- proved by Governor James, the dream of many sportsmen and nat- ure lovers in this section will be realized. For years the Ricketts Estate has been considered an ideal location for a State Park, and.at- tempts to have its purchase con- cluded have been begun in nearly every administration of recent years. On November 3, 1938, a week be- for the state elections, a bill was laid before Governor Earle calling for the purchase of 13,105 acres of the Ricketts Estate at a cost of $14 per acre or $183,470. The area to (Continued on Page 8) McIntyre Trained World War Flyers Telephone Executive Was Once A Choir Boy Some people were born and raised back of the Mountain, others chose it as an ideal place to live . . . and one of the latter was William Mec- Intyre, who still likes it as much today as he did when he first saw it twelve years ago. His office is in Forty Fort where he is general plant manager of the Commonwealth, Bradford and Luzerne Telephone Companies. Mac’s interest in telephone and radio goes back to his boyhood in Philadelphia—to his Sunday School teacher, in fact, who was studying electrical engineering at the time and apparently mixed a lot of en- gineering with the lesson he taught each Sunday. Bill not only went to Sunday School at St. Martin's but was in the choir, too, where his record is a little vague—but we have the im- pression ‘ that the vestrymen were not sorry when Mac no longer came under the classification of boy so- prano. The choir boys were sus- pected of indulging in extra-curri- cular activities some Sunday morn- ings, and on one in particular when a strong, unpleasant odor permeat- ed the church and grew stronger as the church services lengthened. An investigation after church revealed that some limburger cheese had been rubbed on the back of each pew that was located near a radiator. The culprits were found — they had forgotten to wash their hands. Fortunately for all concerned Mac started to build his own wireless set about this time, the choir robes were put aside for ear phones, and he began to study in earnest for his lifes’ work. After finishing at Chel- tenham High School, Mac went to the University of Pennsylvania and studied electrical engineering, but he was not destined to continue his studied uninterrupted for those days were similar to these and war clouds were gathering rapidly. In his junior year he left school and enlisted in the air service. He received his training and finally his wings at Kelly Field in Texas; his commission, however, was delayed a short time for Mac was not yet 21 years old. As soon as he was made a lieutenant he was shipped to the ground school at Columbia University where he taught radio to air service cadets. When the war was over Mac came back to the university and finished his course. His first work was with the Bell Telephone Company as an engineer in the plant department. At about this time he met and mar- ried a Philadelphia girl, Malvina Miller, ‘who was a student at Combs (Continued on Page 8) _ Know Your Neighbor William H. J. McIntyre Truck Wrecked Tuesday In Highway Crash Mathers Accident Is Seventh Since Opening Of New State Highway The seventh serious automobile accident along the new Trucksville- Dallas highway in less than a month occurred about 7 o'clock Tuesday evening when a tank truck operated by Robert Mathers of Trucksville plunged off the road in Shavertown and was completely demolished. The accident was caused when Mathers swerved suddenly to avoid hitting a dog. The large 375-gallon truck struck a boulder just off the road and careened into a deep ex- cavation in front of the gas station of Ike Brace, just past Center St. in Shavertown. While Mathers him- self was uninjured, the truck, owned by the Mathers Construction Com- pany, was completely wrecked by its headlong dive into the excavation, which was to accommodate a new gasoline tank, 2 A crowd of more than a thousand persons about the scene of the ac- cident was kept in hand by local police and by Private B. Bath of the Motor Police, who investigated the incident. Mathers was driving to Trucksville from Dallas, where the truck had been employed. The most serious accident yet to occur on the new highway happened on Saturday, May 31, day after the road was first opened to traffic, when Melvin Mosier of Kunkle was fatally injured in a crack-up near Dallas Township High School, Notice To Advertisers And Correspondents Because the Fourth of July will fall on Friday, The Post’s regular publication day, all deadlines will be set ahead next week. Correspondents will be re- quired to have their copy in the office of The Post no later than Tuesday morning. Advertisers are asked also to co-operate by submitting their copy early. Detailed informa- tion about next week’s ‘ dead- lines can be obtained by phon- ing Dallas 300. wan ETI aa Local Sub-Board Created For - New Selectees Registrants For Draft May Sign Up In Dallas Boro Building For the convenience of new Selec- tive Service registrants in Dallas and vicinity, a sub-division of Local Draft Board, No. 1, will be located in the Dallas Borough building on Miil street, it was announced by Joseph A. MacVeigh, board chairman, Wed- nesday. The sub-office will be open on Registration Day — next Tuesday, July 1—from 7 a. m. to 9 p. m,, and may be used by registrants in the area included in the jurisdiction of Draft Board, No. 1. This means that young men from Dallas, Dallas Township and Kingston Township are eligible to register in the bor- ough building, but those from Leh- man and Lake Townships, included under Board, No. 5, are excluded. The local office will be manned by volunteer registrars — Morgan Wilcox, Fred Kiefer and Margaret Robinson — and records will be turned over to and administered by the officials of Draft Board, No. 1. Under the new Selective Service legislation, all men who have reached the age of 21 since October 16 must register with their local board. In this State alone, some 65,000 men are affected. In order to avoid confusion of correspondence with registrants, a considerable problem of the first registration, a distinction may be made by new registrants between place of residence and mailing ad- dress. Under the new arrangement, a registrant may have his mailing address changed whenever neces- sary, although the jurisdiction of the board with which he registers may never be transferred. Draft Board officials are required to note any falsification in registra- tion which they believe to exist, so men coming under the new act are cautioned to make clear and accu- rate reply to all questions asked te avoid future difficulties. Any man eligible to register on July 1 who is out of the country on that date must register immediately on his re- turn, instead of having five days’ grace as under the old regulations. Any local men not able to register on July 1 must do so at the main draft office in Wyoming, since the local sub-office will be open only on registration day. Two other provisional registration centers have also been created by the board, at Exeter High School, Room 8, with Prof. J. Campbell in charge, and in the main lobby of West Pittston High School, with R. J. W. Templin in charge. All men living in other municipalities cov- ered by the board, which includes West Wyoming, Wyoming, Exeter Borough, and Exeter Township, West Pittston, Dallas Township and Bor- ough, Shavertown, Trucksville, and Franklin Township, will register at the Wyoming Town Hall on Wyo- ming -Ave. Officials of the board are Joseph Veigh, chairman, Fred Haughwout of Trucksville, secretary; Dr. G. L. Howell, of Trucksville, Samuel Klu- ger of Wyoming and Attorney Wil- liam Hall of West Pittston. Famous Historian To Speak At 163rd Anniversary Dr. Gipson Of Lehigh Heads Program Marking Battle Of Wyoming One hundred and sixty-three years ago next Thursday, July 3, the Bat- tle of Wyoming was fought—fought by men and boys who then faced the same question that today men and boys, indeed, all of us, face. This year’s anniversary will be commemorated just as has every anniversary beginning with the Cen- tennial year of 1878. In that year the Wyoming Commemorative As- sociation was founded and chartered by the Commonwealth, for the sole purpose of properly marking each anniversary of the historic battle. This it has done without a break— a record of which it is very proud. Preparations are now complete for the 64th meeting next Thursday. The Alexander Band, conducted by David Melson, will play attractive and appropriate music. Dr. Law- rence H. Gipson, head of the De- partment of Government and His- tory at Lehigh University, will be the speaker of the day. His address is entitled “Two Centuries Ago in Pennsylvania.” (Continued on Page 8) Rib i
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers