Page 2 - Mount Joy Bulletin February 20, 1974
—EDITORIAL-
THEY READ THE REPORTS
Nostalgia can get you into conflict!
For instance, thinking back only a very few
years, the days of personal reports were stuff
with which Mount Joy Borough Council was
glued together.
There was the report of the chief of police, who
read off the number of arrests for various law
infractions, the number of parking meter
violations, the miles traveled by the police car,
etc.
The borough-supervisor told council and all the
citizens who happened to be present, about the
work he and his crew had been doing during the
past month - how many trips had been made to
the refuse dump, number of man hours worked,
etc. ;
Friendship Fire company (and a little later
Florin company, on occasion) enumerated the
fire calls, complete with number of men
responding, miles traveled, etc.
The mayor told how much money he had
collected for issuance of peddlers’ licenses, to
who and where permits for breaking open the
streets were given, building permits were
detailed, along with other bits of statistical
material.
* But, all of that, in the name of streamlining, is
now changed.
Some of the reports were boring and full of
numbers which in themselves meant little.
But, they were part of a system which was
highly democratic.
For instance, all borough bills were read,
including amounts and to whom payable. That
just isn’t done any more.
Everyone - councilmen and citizens - knew
exactly what was going on. It gave the feeling of
a down East town meeting, with everyone in-
volved.
Mount Joy’s Borough Council is not like that
anymore. Now, even the minutes of the previous
meeting are never read.
What happened last month is dissolved in the
paper mill, reduced to writing and handed out to
the councilmen for their private inspection,
when and if they are concerned.
Yep, nostalgia can carry you back to the days
of borough reports. But among those boring
statistics, read to the wide-open spaces of
Friendship Fire Hall assembly room, where
Council met for many years, there was a feeling
of democracy, lost, or at least, clouded. when
things were streamlined.
jacent to that served by
United of Pennsylvania.
United of Pennsylvania
serves nearly 300,000
telephones in 89 exchanges.
The Mount Joy
BULLETIN
11 EAST MAINSTREET
MOUNT JOY, PA., 17552
Published Weekly on
Wednesdays
Except Fourth of July Week
and Christmas Week
(50 Issues Per Year)
IRichard A. Rainbolt! oN
Editor ~F ~
and > :
wt % "—"
Blacktown Phone
Firm Joins United
Affiliation of the
Blacktown Telephone
Company of Blacktown, Pa.,
with the United Telephone
System has been announced
by Paul H. Henson, chair-
man of United Telecom-
munications, Inc., and J.G.
Armstrong, president of
Blacktown Telephone.
The transaction involves
the exchange of 28,365 shares
of United Telecom common
stock for all the capital stock
of Blacktown Telephone.
Blacktown Telephone will
become a subsidiary of
United Telecom and be
operated in conjunction with
the United Telephone
Company of Pennsylvania,
headquartered in . Carlisle,
Publisher
Advertising rates upon
request. Entered at the post
Pa. >
ffice at Mount Joy, Penna.,
soackiown Telephone [as second class mail under
telephones in an area ad- jhe Act of March 3, 1879.
By Martha Epler
JONATHAN
By Dan Neidermyer
Published by Herald Press, 1973
With the current
‘nostalgia’ rage taking us
backward in time, we feel it
especially fitting to review a
book about a people for
whom time has stopped —
the Amish. ‘‘Jonathan,” a
recent publication, is
authored by Dan Neider-
myer, a personality well-
known by many Lancaster
countians.
Recently, we had a per-
sonal encounter with Mr.
Neidermyer in a Sunday
morning church setting. He
is obviously quite
knowledgeable of the Bible
— a graduate of the
Philadelphia College of the
Bible. In addition to having
authored ‘‘Jonathan,’”’ he
produces and directs
original dramas for various
groups.
The author himself is not
of the. Amish sect, but has
been closely associated with
them all of his life. In effect,
“Jonathan,” is an in-depth
study of these quaint people.
Generally, we learn that
their philosophy centers
around a closeness to God
and a closeness to God’s
* earth. Specifically, we learn
little-known facts about the
Amish; how many of us
know that the ‘‘Ausbund,”
the Amish hymnal, is
thought to be the oldest
existing Protestant hymnal?
The book is well-salted
with the scripture verses
upon which the Amish base
their lifestyle. ‘“Be ye not
conformed to this world.”
‘‘Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers.”
In effect, we realize that
most Amish folk have had
little or no exposure to
literature other than the
Bible.
In addition, we learn that
the majority of Amish young
people never go beyond eight
years of schooling. This
factor undoubtedly aids the
Amish in maintaining their
isolation from ‘‘secular’’
society. Perhaps this factor,
more than any other in-
fluences the character of
Jonathan King, the book’s
central figure.
Jonathan, the thoughtful,
sensitive son of an Amish
farmer-minister, begins to
question the Amish way of
life. Through Jonathan’s
questioning, we are drawn
into an analysis and probing
of the Amish philosophy.
However, we realize that for
the Amish, such activity is
severely criticized. For the
Amish, questioning is wrong.
But Jonathan's searching
continues...in his own words,
“I want that chance to think.
Oh God, with all my heart
and mind, I want that chance
to think.”
The book offers some
interesting contrasts. There
is the obvious contrast; the
sweet simplicity of old-
fashioned living versus the
tensions and hypocrisy of
fast-paced modern-day
living. Also, Jonathan's
open, honest manner of
doubting is contrasted with
other Amish boys’ sly and
devious experimentation
with worldly temptations.
‘“Jonathan’’ raises the
issue concerning invasion of
Amish privacy. Undoub-
tedly, there is much tourist
exploitation of these simple,
but picturesque people.
Some compare Lancaster
county to a ‘“zoo.”” The
author mentions the fact that
in the 1500's, the Amish faced
severe religious persecution.
Today there is also per-
secution, but of a different
nature — snooping, spying,
and prying. One of the book’s
characters states it thusly:
“Isn’t it a sad state when
millions of people come to
stare at people? What is all
this? What are we all, a
circus sideshow of religious
freaks?’
Dan Neidermyer presents
the Amish as he sees them —
a plain hardworking people,
but also human, sensitive,
and many times light-
hearted and fun-loving.
However, through the book
there runs a thread of
pessimism concerning the
future of Amish life.
Will the Amish survive or
will the tourist industry
destroy the very phenomena
that it is built upon?
DEATH
(Continued from Page 1)
was a one-time president of
the Central Pennsylvania
Shoe and Leather
Association.
Following his retirement,
one of his chief pasttimes
was driving through the
Lancaster county coun-
tryside. He was able to take
one of these trips on Wed-
nesday afternoon prior to his
death. .
Gerberich was a member
of Trinity Lutheran Church,
Mount Joy, and a former
secretary of the Mount Joy
Water Authority.
He was also a member of
Prince Edwin Lodge,
Middletown; Harrisburg
Lodge of Perfection; and the
Ancient Accepted Scottish
Rite, Harrisburg.
He also held membership
in the Lancaster Country
Club, and Cardiacs
Anonymous and was a
former member of the
Rotary Club of Mount Joy.
Survivors in addition to his
widow, include a son, J.
Richard Gerberich, Mount
Joy; and a brother, Clyde E.
Gerberich, Mount Joy. Two
grandsons also survive.
Services were held
Saturday morning, Feb. 16,
from the Groff funeral home,
Lancaster, and burial was
made in Middletown
cemetery.
CLARENCE S. GREIDER
Clarenece S. Greider, who
owned and operated the Red
Rose Dairy at Mount Joy R1
for 28 years, died unex-
pectedly at 7:30 a.m.
Monday, Feb. 18, at his home
of an apparent heart attack.
He was 75 and lived at
Mount Joy RI1. He was
married to Viola L. Kreider
Greider.
A former farmer and
dairyman, Greider owned
and operated dairy, serving
Mount Joy and the
surrounding community,
from 1935 until his
retirement in 1963.
Greider took an active
interest in Scouting. He
served as a committee
member of Mount Joy Troop
39 and had donated the
building being used as the
meeting place for the Mount
Joy Boy Scouts.
A member of Mount Joy
Mennonite Church, he also
belonged to Mount Joy
Rotary Club and Mount Joy-
Florin Coin Club. He was a
life member of Florin Fire
Co. and also was a former
director of Manor Mutual
Fire Insurance Co.
Born in Lancaster Junc-
tion, East Hempfield Twp.,
he was a son of the late B.
Frank and Minnie B.
Seachrist Greider.
Besides his widow, he is
survived by one son, Jay
Clarence Greider, Mount Joy
R1; three grandchildren,
and one sister, Elizabeth,
wife of Huber Harnish,
Conestoga.
Services were held
Wednesday morning, Feb.
20, from the Mount Joy
Mennonite church and burial
was made in the Kraybill’s
cemetery.
ANNE P. STEHMAN
Mrs. Anne P. Stehman, 80,
Center Drive, Apt. 25D,
Lancaster, wife of Paul K.
Stehman, died Sunday
morning, Feb. 17, after a
lengthy illness.
Born in Conestoga, she
was a daughter of the late
William T. and Kate Agon
Pugh. She resided in the
Mount Joy area for the past
32 years.
She was a member of St.
Luke Episcopal Church, of
Mount Joy and the Altar
Guild. She was a Past
Worthy Matron of the Order:
of the Eastern Star, chapter
407, of Elizabethtown.
She served two terms as
president of the Lancaster
General Hospital Auxiliary
and was active in the Mount
Joy chapter of « the
Needlework Guild.
Besides her husband, she
is survived by a daughter
and two sons; Mrs. Jeanette
S. Metzger of Lancaster, and
Paul K. Jr., Mount Joy, and
James P., Norristown.
Also surviving are 12-
grand-children and 14 great-
grand-children, two brothers
and three sisters: Miles A.
Pugh, Manheim; William T.
Pugh, of Summit, N.J., Mrs.
Lydia Israel, Orlando, Fla.,
Mrs. Mabel Pennock,
Beverly Hills, Calif., and
Miss Rose Ella Pugh,
Manheim.
Services will be held from
the Heilig funeral home
Thursday morning, Feb. 21,
and burial will be made in
the Mount Joy cemetery.
HARRY KULP HINKLE
Harry Kulp Hinkle, 85, of
the Lutheran Church Home,
Camp Hill, formerly of
Mount Joy, died at the home
at 3 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 14,
after a lengthy illness.
Born in Mount Joy, he was
a son of the late Harry K. and
Matilda Kulp Hinkle.
He was the husband of the
late Bessie Shire Hinkle and
Miriam U. Bailey Hinkle.
He resided the past 10
years in Camp Hill and prior
to that he lived his entire life
in Mount Joy.
He was retired from the
Geberich-Payne Shoe Co.,
Mount Joy. He was also a
member of the Trinity
Lutheran Church, Mount
Joy.
Surviving are two
daughters: Anna H., wife of
Samuel F. Ierley and Clara
H., wife of Harold S. Over-
deer, both of Middletown.
Two grandchildren and six
great-grandchildren also
survive along with two
sisters: Mrs. Ruth H.
Stauffer and Mae, wife of
Clinton Walters, both of
Mount Joy.
Services were held
Saturday afternoon, Feb. 16,
from the Heilig funeral home
and burial was made in the
Mount Joy cemetery.
HARRY S. GEBHART
Harry S. Gebhart, 73, of
246 Plum St., Mount Joy,
died at 11:12 a.m. Sunday,
Feb. 17, at the Duke Con-
velescent Residence, Lan-
caster, after a lengthy
illness.
Born in Rapho Twp., he
was a son of the late John H.
and Annie E. Snyder
Gebhart.
He was the husband of
Esther Vogel Gebhart.
He had been a lifélong
resident of the Mount Joy
area and lived in Mount Joy
for the past 50 years. In 1963
he retired after working for
35 years for the Gerberich-
Payne Shoe Co., Mount Joy.
Gebhart was a member of
the Glossbrenner United
Methodist Church, Mount
Joy.
Besides his wife, at home,
he is survived by five sons
and one daughter: Howard
V., Staten Island, N.Y.;
Robert V. and Harry R., both
of Mount Joy; Charles K.,
Elizabethtown; John W., at
home; and Mildred A., wife
of Robert E. Balmer,
Brigham City, Utah.
Sixteen grandchildren also
survive along with two
sisters: Mrs. Emma Troup,
Mount Joy R2 and Mrs.
Fannie Senft, Lancaster.
Services were arranged
for Thursday afternoon at 2
o'clock from the Heilig
funeral home with burial in
the Camp Hill cemetery.
It’s amazing how excited
some people can get over
little things.
sa