PAGE TWO THE POST, FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 1950 BROADWAY AND MAIN STREET Undaunted, Unhaunted Gotham Finds a Ghost Story of Its Own By BILLY ROSE We men of Manhattan are an undaunted and unhaunted lot— or at least think we are—and so ghost stories seldom stand a ghost of a chance in this town. The other night, however, a real estate man buttonholed me coming out of ‘21 and told me a chiller about a deserted house in the Flushing section of Queens, and on the off-chance that your scalp can use a tingle or two, I'd like to pass it along . . . . On the night of the big snow three winters ago, a doctor in Queens an- swered his doorbell and found a smallish man in a faded mackinaw standing on the stoop. ‘My wife is very sick,” he said. “I hate to ask you to come out on a night like this, but it's only a few blocks.” The doctor fol- lowed him to a large wooden house near the intersec- tion of Vine street and Broadway, and when the man unlocked the door the physician could see by the glare of an unshaded droplight that the lower floor was empty except for a few kitchen chairs and a length of carpet. “THIS IS NO PLACE for a sick woman,” he said. ‘“You ought to have some heat in the house.” The man led him up a creaky set of stairs to the second floor, and in the front room an emac- iated woman was lying in an old four-poster bed. She kept cough- ing into a blood-flecked bandker- chief, and though the doctor went through the motions of an ex- amination he knew at once it was an advanced case of tuberculosis. “I can give her something to re- lieve the congestion,” he told her husband, ‘but she’ll’ have to be moved to a hospital first thing in the morning.” He then wrote out a prescription. “Ill get it filled right away,” said the man, and showed the doctor to the door. Next morning, wondering how the woman was getting along, the physician stopped by the wooden house, but theré was no answer when he rang the bell. Moreover, there were no tracks in the ‘snow to indicate that an ambulance or any other vehicle had pulled up in front of the place. Billy Rose Puzzled, he went to the office of a real estate agent on the next street and asked if he could get some information about the resi- dents of the house. * - -. “THAT’S A FUNNY sort of ques- tion,” said the agent. “There aren't any residents and there aren’t like- ly to be any. The house hasn’t been occupied in 15 years, and though it’s always been on my list, no- bedy’s ever wanted it.” “Do you think squatters might be living in it on account of the hous- ing shortage?’ asked the doctor. “Could be, but I doubt it,” said the agent. “There's been a lot of queer talk about that house, and the last family that moved in during the depressian could only stand it for a few weeks. The husband and wife slept in- the front room on the second floor, and to hear them tell it they were kept awake night after night by the sound of a woman coughing. It finally got so bad they packed and left.” “I know its sounds absurd,” said the doctor, ‘but I examined a sick woman there last night, and if you've got a key I'll walk over with you and prove it.” When they got to the house, it took the agent quite a while to get the rusty lock open, and when they entered there wasn't a stick of furniture in sight. “lI could have sworn | saw some chairs and a carpet down bere last night,” said the doctor. ‘Maybe you've got this house mixed up with another one,”’ the agent suggested. “I still think it’s the same place. Let's look upstairs.” On the second floor they went into the front room. It was also empty. Empty, that is, except for a piece of paper on the window sill—the prescription the doctor had written the night before. SWIM TRUNKS GABARDINE SLACKS " MAIN STREET JOE'S MEN'S SHOP OFFERS A complete Line of Summer Needs SHORT SLEEVED SPORTSHIRTS POLO SHIRTS WASHABLE SLACKS BONDSHIRE SHOES FOR DRESS THOROGOOD SHOES FOR WORK U. S. KED SHOES FOR ALL THE FAMILY “ADAM” STRAW HATS Also Many other items to choose from for Father's Day JOE'S MEN'S SHOP DALLAS, PA. Why use it? Because: insurance, and for local business. You place the order for the car, for your your financing all specialists: the dealer for sale and service of the car; your own insurance agent for _protection; the Kingston National Bank for finaneing. i The entire transaction is local. “Ve KINGSTON NATIONAL BANK Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporsition’ with You help AT KINGSTON CORNER This Is Where We Lived BY LORETTA OLVER MN In the days. before there were many cars, it was a great thrill for Trucksville and Kingston Town- ship people to go to Harveys Lake and Fernbrook picnic grounds. The excursion trains did not stop at Trucksville. The easiest way to get there was to take the street car and transfer to a steamer at the end of the line. At the time the writer remembers, there were four lake steamers, the Wilkes- Barre; the Kingston; the Natoma and the Acoma; also the launch Emily. The largest of these was the Natoma which would comfort- ably hold about 250 people. Some- times it was uncomfortably filled, so much so that there was water on the deck. On a hot summer's day when all five boats were run- ning, and’ they still couldn’t ac- commodate the crowds, impatient people would try to jump from the wharf. to the deck of the steamer as it was pulling out! Mr. George Anderson (9) who died about two years ago at Harvey's Lake, was a captain on one of these boats. A Scranton attorney, Mr. Charles Olver, a cousin of the writer, died on one of these boats from a heart attack. Mrs. Grover Anderson of Har- veys Lake (9) remembers when steam boats first sailed on the lake. The five boats mentioned above were owned by the boat company, as was also the Rosalind, the first company boat, which was later shipped to Lake Carey. But the first lake steamers were the Mistle- toe, owned by the Mr. Rhodes who had a hotel on the shore; ‘the City Charter owned by Captain Bond; and the Shawnee. The launch, Emily, is still in service. A Har- veys Lake resident bought it, and occasionally sails it. The Natoma was for years on the shore at Alderson, used as a diving deck and boathouse. Last year it was taken away. Mrs. Anderson has in her possession photographs and postcards of some of these boats. As you drive over our beautiful roads, you cannot imagine what they were once like! The story is told of a mother and her three children and the children’s grand- mother, who used to walk down Mt. Greenwood road to the main road at the stone bridge, with the intention of going to the post- office. At the crossroads they would draw lots to see which one had to go for the mail while the others waited. Because the road was nothing but a mass of mud! For many years the Upper road as traveled much more than the ower because of the unspeakable condition of the main highway. And in the wintertime children would sleighride—sometimes alone, sometimes ‘hitched’, sometimes with great bobesleds, from the top of the hill at Herbert DeWitt's residence, to the bottom where Dr, Flack now lives. The writer remembers a wild ride taken down Mt. Greenwood hill one wintry night. Her’s was the third sleigh, the boys ahead held the rope with a great deal of slack, and she soon landed in the ditch! Very “mad”, but otherwise none the worse for the experience! Natural history creates itself, as everywhere, in the locality. There is the huge oak tree at 80 Mt. . Greenwood road, which is in it- self a panorama of natural history. Nobody knows how old that tree is! = And to determine its vital statistics you must kill it, for the only way is to count the number of wood rings in the trunk and that would be an autopsy! Since this tree now has a ten year old offspring, not yet three feet high, it must have taken quite a while for the mother tree to grow. ‘This is where we used to live! Would you recognize it now? Bibliography: 1. Brewster, William. History of the Certified Town- ship of Kingston, Pennsylvania, 1729-1929. pp. 251 and 291-294. 2. Bradsley, H. C., Editor History of Luzerne County of Pennsylvania. Publishers, S. B. Nelson and Co. 1893. Loaned to the writer by H. B. Pesevento. 3. Olver, Rev. H. D. Souvenir Bulletin. Prepared for the 30th Anniversary, Free Meth- odist Church, Trucksville Rededica- tion Services, May 4, 1941. 4. Hazeltine, Ralph A History of Trucksville Meth- (Continued on Page Six) THE DALLAS POST “More than a newspaper, a community institution” ESTABLISHED 1889 Member Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers’ Association A non-partisan liberal progressive newspaper pub- lished every Friday morning at the Dallas Post plant Lehman Avenue, Dallas Pennsylvania. Entered as second-class matter at the post office at Dallas, Pa., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Subsorip- tion rates: $2.50 a year; $1.50 six months... No subscriptions accepted a than six months. Out-of $2.00 six months or issues, more than one week old, 16¢ 8i copies, La rate of So qagh, Wei iriion® every Prigsy Minh ) at the He ue, Soma Dallas T. Yaliy-He Bomar Restaur: ant ; D Store; Tre hese A Ds Shaver's Store; Idetown— Caves Store; Barmes Store; Alderson—Deater's Stors; Fi —Reese’s Stere. ‘ When requesting & change dress subscribers are Sang 3 hid their old as well as new address. Allow two weeks for chauges of dress or new subscription to be y on mailing list. We will not be responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and editorial matter un- less self-addressed, stamped envelope Is enclosed, and in no ease will we be responsible for this material for more than 80 days. Nationa! display advertising - rates 63c per column inch. Local display advertising rates §0c speci per column inch; fied position 00¢ per inch. Classitied rates 8c per word. Minimum charge Bc. Unless paid for at advertising rates, we can give Bo assurance that en- will in a specific issue. In mo case will such items be taken on Phuredayse Editor and Publisher HOWARD W. RISLEY Associate Editor MYRA ZEISER RISLEY Contributing Editor MRS. T. M. B. HICKS Sports Editor WILLIAM HART ONLY YESTERDAY From The "Post of ten and 4wenty years ago this week. From June 14, 1940 Ediion of The Dallas Post George Armitage, postmaster at Harvey's Lake for the past twenty- five years, retired June 1, 1940, He is being replaced by Peter T. De- laney, appointed acting postmaster. Examinations will be held soon for Alderson postmaster. 100,000 men will take part in the biggest peace maneuvers in the nations’ history in Plattsburg- Watertown area this August. Na- tional Guardsmen from 109th Field Artillery, Wilkes-Barre, and Battery B, Tunckhannock will participate. Health Hikers from McFadden’s Physical Culture School stopped in Dallas Sunday morning, removed their shoes, and prepared to re- lax. They were on their way to Dansville, N.Y. and planned to stop for a picnic at Harvey's Lake before proceeding to Tunkhannock, their evening port of call. At the note of the whistle and the com- mand, “Shoes On”, the happy hik- ers got under way again. They ranged in age from nine to sixty- seven, Mrs. F. A. Katon, the former Dorothy Eck, received her L.L.D. degree at George Washington Uni- versity this week. Mrs. Fred Eck drove Mr. and Mrs. John Eck to Washington to attend their daugh- ter’s graduation. Harrisburg: Contractors are put- ting the finishing touches to Amer- ica’s first high-speed, super-high- way. The turnpike will be open in three weeks. Henry R. Souder was strolling through Hershey Park when he saw an old Conestoga wagon, the kind that once crossed the plains to Cal- ifornia. “Looks like a wagon I helped my father build seventy years ago’, opined Mr. Souder. Sure enough, on the wagon tongue he found the name, “Samuel S. Soud- er”, Henrys’ long-dead father. Call GAY ARTHUR GAY (CEE RRCEERERETRER RRR RCTRCRRERRRRRRR INSURANCE ® Farm Bureau Mutual Auto Ins. Co. g @® Farm Bureau Mutual Fire Ins. Co. ® Farm Bureau Life Ins. Co. CENTERMORELAND 62-R-12 or 62-R¢3 ° ERNEST GAY Home Office: Columbus, Ohio CN —————— r For The Book Worm In response to numerous calls for books on ceramics, the Back Moun- tain Library now has for general circulation a volume on the sub- ject, “The Craft of Ceramics”, by Geiza de Vegh and Alber Mandi. Not too technical, yet giving all the information essential for a be- ginner, this book covers all pro- cesses from preparation of the clay to final decoration and firing, with easily understandable draw- ings illustrating each step. It goes into the question of molds versus the potter's wheel, showing photo- graphs of each type of modelling. People who have decorated blanks and seen what interesting results can be obtained through correct coloring and . firing, now wish to start at the beginning and evolve their own designs, copying an old-time favorite from their grandmother’s collection or creat- ing novelties of their own. This book on ceramics is the answer to their questions as to correct procedure. Members of the adult group who studied ceramics at Kingston Township High School during the evening courses this past winter, please note. “Room For One More”, by Ann Perrott Rose, should be required reading for parents. Mrs. Rose supplemented her own modest brood of three with three more children, drafted from the ranks of the underprivileged, all three in need of special attention because of former insecurity. Not three extras all at once, but three ex- tras over a period of years until the family numbered six children. It was a family of moderate means which opened its doors to children needing special care and under- standing, and Mrs. Rose makes no bones about stating that she ac- cepted all possible. aid from wel- fare agencies in the matter of clinic care, supervision by psy- chiatrists, etc. But mostly she got results by being interested in the children -themselves and giving them a warm personal feeling of belonging, so complete a feeling in fact that the extra children sheltered for a trial period of two weeks, became an integral part of the family and remained until time for college and beyond. “The Grand Alliance”, by Wins- ton Churchill, gives the Second World War from Crete to Pearl Harbor. “Cut Glass”, by Dorothy Daniel, follows cut glass from its small be- ginnings in 1771 to the peak of its popularity in 1905. The author lays down easily recognizable standards, so that anyone who has inherited cut or engraved glass may determine the period and the value. She includes colored cut glass and engraved glass in her book, and accompanies the text with many illustrations. For those who are members of Book-of-the-Month, the addition to the library shelves of the newest gift bonus, “Treasury of Early American Homes”, will come as no surprise. This is a large vol- (Continued on Page Six) LOOK For The Name REALTOR when buying or selling real estate. The principal interest of a realtor is to see that the transaction, large or small, is com- pleted in an intelligent, ethical manner. 1 Your loeal realtor D. T. SCOTT JR. Dallas 224-R-13 D. T. SCOTT and Sons REALTORS 10 East Jackson Street Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Y Barnyard Notes Sunday is Father's Day. We might sit at our desk this morning and fill this column with all the happy memories of our own dad or conjure up all the nice things that could be said about all dads; but in the end we would have said less than is expressed below in a col- umn written, not about dads, but about boys. Nobody but a father could have written that column. It ex- presses all the pride and deep affection that a real dad has for his son. It came across our desk several weeks ago and has appeared in newspapers across the country. We do not know who wrote it; but knowing fathers, we know that he won’t mind remaining unsung and unpraised. HERE’S TO THAT CREATURE WE CALL A BOY (Contributed and Suggested for use on American “Kid's” Day) Between the innocence of baby- hood and the dignity of manhood we find a delightful creature called a boy. Boys come in assorted sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same creed: To en- joy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to protest with noise (their only weapon) when their last minute is finished and the adult males pack them off to bed at night. Boys are found everywhere—on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, run- ning around, or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them, and Heaven protects them. A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair, and Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket. When you are busy, a boy is an inconsiderate, bothersome, intrud- ing jangle of noise. When you want him to make a good impres- sion, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a savage, sadistic, jungle creature bent on destroy- ing the world and himself with it. A boy is a composite—he has the appetite of a horse, the diges- tion of a sword swallower, the energy of a pocket-size atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a dictator, the imagina- tion of a Paul Bunyan, the shy- ness of a violet, the audacity of a steel trap, the enthusiasm of a fire cracker, and when he makes something he has five thumbs on each hand. He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, the boy across the street, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday School, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime. Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can cram into one pocket a rusty knife, a half-eaten apple, three feet of string, an empty Bull Durham sack, two gum drops, six cents, a sling shot, a chunk of unknown substance, and a genuine super- sonic code ring with a secret com- partment. A boy is a magical creature— you can lock him out of your work shop, but you can’t lock him out of your heart. You can get him out of your study, but you can’t get him out of your mind. Might as well give up—he is your captor your jailer, your boss, and your master—a freckle-face, pint-sized, cat-chasing bundle of noise. But when you come home at night with only the shattered pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with the two magic words—“Hi Dad!” Antiques Collect Three New Members Newly appointed to the antique committee for the Library Auction in adition to names of personnel already released are Miss Miriam Lathrop, Mrs. Archibald Brooks, and Mrs, John Ferguson, according to an announcement by Mrs. Fred Howell, chairman. - » Kitchen. W.C.T.U. Meeting Dallas District W. C. T. U. will meet at the home of Mrs. A. A. Neely, Idetown, Tuesday at 2 o'clock. Mrs. Z. E. Garinger will preside and Mrs. Homer Middle- ton be in charge of the program. Serving committee: Mrs. Walter Kitchen, Mrs. Oscar Swan, Mrs. Thomas Stacey and Mrs. Harvey ° 7% 77% LRT 4 772 22 7 EE 7 * AUTOMATIC about it . to tend. * ECONOMICAL _ Water Heater. Over A Thousand Owners Of Electric Water Heaters Can't Be Wrong ENE (A i ; m { 33 Over 1,000 Home Owners Whom We Sevre Find That Electric Water Heating Is: heater installed, set the controls and forget . nothing to watch . . * CLEAN - SAFE - DEPENDABLE of only lc per kilowatt hour for your Electric For cost of Electric Water Heating, consult your dealer or any of our offices and learn how reasonable it can be for your family. | LUZERNE COUNTY GAS AND ELECTRIC CORP. | RK You can have your . nothing . You get a special rate ~ w el RE
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers