@
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