This Was Doylestown, 1930

From the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Week of May 18-24, 1930

Doylestown rail line to be electrified -

The Reading Company has made an additional appropriation of $300,000 for the electrification of the Doylestown branch of the system, which will eliminate changing from electric to steam engines at Lansdale, it was announced by Agnew T. Dice, president of the railroad.

This appropriation brings the total electrification budget of the Reading Company up to $20,300,000.

"Communities along the Doylestown branch will therefore have high-speed electric service, with a maximum of convenience and a saving in running time similar to that which will be provided for Lansdale commuters. This will establish a through electric suburban service of thirty-five miles from Reading Terminal in Philadelphia," read a statement from Mr. Dice.

Storage facilities for the electric equipment will be provided at Doylestown, and a power supply substation will be erected here, to be operated in conjunction with a substation already planned at Lansdale.

The power will be transmitted by the Reading Company from its main substation at Wayne Junction, where electric power will be purchased from the Philadelphia Electric Company, involving an ultimate expenditure of $1,500,000 yearly.

[Editor's note - The former Reading rail line to Doylestown today is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.]

Borough Council bans fireworks -

Doylestown borough fell in line with the progressive legislation adopted by other cities and boroughs throughout the country, when an ordinance banning fireworks was passed at the Council meeting Monday night. This will make a safe and secure Fourth of July for the children of this town.

The ordinance will ban the manufacture, sale and discharge of fireworks in Doylestown borough. Violators will be subject to a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $50.

Any person or firm desiring to discharge fireworks for public display may be permitted to do so by having each display supervised and discharged by a competent person, and after procuring from the Burgess [mayor] a written permit for each such display.

Two petitions containing the names of over 100 persons, the large portion of them fathers and mothers of small children, urged Council to adopt the fireworks ordinance. Other cities and boroughs, it was explained, have already taken this action.

The ordinance will become law within ten days, so that this year for the first time Doylestown children and grownups alike will not be threatened with bad burns or probable fatal injuries.

Bucks county to join in regional planning -

For the purpose of laying the groundwork for a county-wide organization to work with the Regional Planning Federation, a group of Bucks countians met Thursday evening in the auditorium of the Bucks County Trust Company in Doylestown. There were about twenty-five present.

The organization will aid the Regional Planning Federation in deciding what plans for the future are desirable for Bucks county as well as the other counties in the tri-state area of 4,000 square miles--highways, bridges, sanitation, parkways, water supplies, and so forth.

Bucks county will be vitally affected by the plans because through it runs not only the Maine-to-Miami highway [U.S. Route 1], but four or five other principal highways and other by-pass roads which were designed to take care of traffic for many years in the future, based on surveys showing the trend of population.

There is the extreme importance of early action to protect the beauties of the Delaware River Valley, as well as to provide other parkways along the streams to prevent the despoiling of natural recreational park sites and to take them over for public uses for all time. One proposal is to provide a parkway along the Delaware River, at least from New Hope to Riegelsville.

Doylestown Burgess [Mayor] George S. Hotchkiss was made chairman of the organization, to carry on an educational campaign. They will pick key men and women in each community, inform them thoroughly concerning the purposes of the organization, and have them organize community meetings to arouse interest. The organization will inform the public concerning the need for county-wide cooperation.

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Foreign editors visit Mercer Museum -

Fourteen distinguished European newspaper editors spent several hours in Doylestown on Friday afternoon at the and the historic Fountain House.

The delegation of journalists will be in the United States until July 17 as the guests of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Doylestown was the second stop on the itinerary, which will take them South, to the West and North, and back to New York.

"Doylestown is a beautiful town. I am impressed with the homes and the pretty trees here," said an editor from Sweden. "Your museum should attract people from every part of the world, and you are missing a great opportunity to advertise Doylestown if you do not make it known far and wide."

George A. Finch, assistant secretary of the Carnegie Endowment, who is accompanying the editors, said, "The purpose of this trip is to offer representatives of the European press the best possible opportunity to visit different parts of the United States to meet leading citizens and organizations, and to observe for themselves what may be the more significant aspects of present-day American social, economic, intellectual and political life."

After lunching at the Fountain House, the editors enjoyed a most delightful hour at the Mercer Museum. Horace M. Mann, assistant curator, explained in detail the collection of "The Tools of the Nation Maker."

Countries represented by the journalists include Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Needlework Guild meets -

The directors of the Doylestown branch of the Needlework Guild met Wednesday at "," the home of Mrs. William R. Mercer.

Mrs. Walter Scheerer opened the meeting and introduced the new president, Mrs. Horace M. Mann. Mrs. Walter Farley, the treasurer, reported a balance of $18.35. The auditors, Miss Green and Miss Scott, announced that they had found the treasurer's account correct.

The purchasing committee, Mrs. Mercer and Mrs. Scheerer, reported that 50 yards of long cloth, 100 yards of outing flannel and one piece of outing flannel and wool in five different colors had been purchased.

Mrs. Ada Sellers and Mrs. Scheerer announced that a number of garments had been cut out and that they are ready for sewing. Mrs. Steely, Mrs. Bertles, Mrs. Mercer, Miss Price, Mrs. C. Rich, Mrs. Hadden and Mrs. Stangel said they would be responsible for one day each in the sewing room.

After a rising vote of thanks to Mrs. Mercer for her hospitality, refreshments were served. The group enjoyed a walk through the beautiful gardens.

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Doylestown Town Notes -

The opening harness race of the season will be held Memorial Day at the Doylestown Fair Grounds oval [located on a site bounded by East Court Street, Swamp Road, Maple Avenue and East Street]. For many weeks, workmen have been building up the track until it has reached the "perfect" stage for horsemen.

David D. Nyce has been awarded the contract for the construction of the Doylestown Knitting Mill at the foot of Harvey avenue.

Mrs. John Williams has been receiving treatment at the Emergency Hospital for severe burns of the back, the result of her clothing catching fire at a gas stove.

Joseph Hafler, local manager of the Bell Telephone Company, will be the speaker Wednesday night at the meeting of the Doylestown Rotary Club. He will show some of the very latest pictures relating to telephones.

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Ott, of West Ashland street, are receiving congratulations on the birth of a daughter.

Dr. John H. Rich has installed a complete X-ray and fluoroscopic equipment in his office.

A committee of Legionnaires this week is placing emblems and American flags on the graves of their comrades buried in the various Bucks county cemeteries.

Margaret Webster, small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Edwin Webster of North Main street, is under the care of a physician for a badly sprained arm, the result of a fall while playing Thursday with several children in the yard of her home.

The annual boxing tournament between the freshman and junior classes, open to the public, will be held Friday at 8 o'clock in the National Farm School [now Delaware Valley College] auditorium.

More shrubbery has been planted this week on the plot on Shewell avenue, just off Main, by the little gardens committee of the Doylestown Nature Club.

H.Y. Nelson was treated at the Emergency Hospital on Wednesday for an infection of the hand.

Barber's Pharmacy has just installed a new carbonator for the soda fountain.