This Was Newtown: 1930

From the Newtown Enterprise, July 1930

Parade honors marbles champion

With blowing horns, ringing bells and shouts of acclaim, "Winnie" Hofmeister, the Eastern League Marbles Champion, was welcomed home to Newtown on Friday night.

A cavalcade of fifty automobiles and two fire trucks loaded with children left the railroad station at 7:30 to parade in the town. Perched on the back of the rear seat of an open automobile, the triumphant schoolboy greeted his friends with the same smile he wore while winning the county, Philadelphia Metropolitan and Eastern League honors. The smile still persisted when at Ocean City on Thursday morning, his best was not good enough to win a fling at the National Championship.

Seated with "Winnie" in the car at the head of the parade were Burgess [Mayor] R.P. Kester, and Harry Burns, who had accompanied him to the tournament at Ocean City, acting as his coach and counselor. "Winnie" is eligible to enter into contests next year and feels that his experience this year may assist him to win national honors then.

He won three watches, a statuette of a marbles shooter, a handsome sweater, a camera and numerous badges. In addition, the Newtown Chamber of Commerce presented him with a fine traveling bag, and Harry Burns collected from the citizens of Newtown a purse of $75, which has been placed in a savings account to his credit.

The parade in his honor was staged by the Newtown Exchange Club, headed by President Lewis W. Fitzgerald, in whose store windows were displayed the prizes won.

Wild animals exhibited at White Hall Hotel

A thousand children and grown-ups viewed the State Game Commission's educational exhibition of some of the wild animals of Pennsylvania in front of the White Hall Hotel on Friday afternoon.

The animals shown included two five-month-old black bear cubs, two beaver, a mother raccoon with three kittens, a red fox, three gray foxes and two fawns of the white-tailed deer, all native to Pennsylvania.

The wire enclosures set up on the ground under the maples in front of the White Hall were surrounded by children and their elders all the time they were on exhibition in Newtown.

The two black bear cubs were five months old and were found in the woods of Forest county separated from their mother. The black bear is numerous in the mountainous northern central counties of the State. Last year, hunters in Pennsylvania killed more bears than in any other State.

In 1917, there were no beaver in Pennsylvania. A colony was introduced that year from the Algonquin National Park in Canada. These industrious little animals thrive in the cold mountain streams, and it is estimated that 10,000 beaver now live in the mountain streams of this State. The pair on exhibition were secured in Mifflin county. Beaver are protected and not allowed to be taken in any manner.

A red fox, captured in Perry county, occupied a separate enclosure. The pelts of these intelligent little marauders are worth from $10 to $20. Because of their destructiveness to other game and domesticated fowls, they are not protected.

Wildlife that thirty years ago seemed due to become extinct is now increasing rapidly under the care of the State Game Commission. With the animal refuges, the game farms and the game laws protecting the less numerous species, the wildlife is coming back.

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Council considers increasing trash collections  

Health Officer David C. Voorhees appeared before Borough Council at its Monday night session in reference to the extra trash collections and the additional garbage collections favored by the councilmen. He asked that their suggestions to the Board of Health be put in writing in order to be properly brought before that body for action at the board's July 28 meeting.

Council indicated its willingness to provide funds for the service, which comes within the province of the Board of Health, if the suggestions met with the approval of its members. The secretary was instructed to indicate Council's desire to cooperate with the Health Board in a written communication.

Councilman Watson reported that all the street signs had been erected and all the traffic signs except a marker indicating that Penn street west of State is a dead end street. This will be erected in a few days.

Councilman Craig reported that his force of street workmen had been busily engaged clearing the gutters and drains of debris from the storms during the past month.

As instructed by Council, he had made an inspection of fences on Norwood avenue that were claimed to be on borough property. He found in the block between Washington avenue and Centre avenue on the east side all the fences probably encroached on borough property. The matter was referred to the borough solicitor for advice as to the necessary action.

This block of Norwood is unimproved and without sidewalks, lying in a hollow through which a small creek runs in rainy seasons. The lines are not clearly defined and the fences were erected by the property owners in good faith about eight inches beyond the proper line.

By resolution, the treasurer was instructed to borrow $1,000 from the Newtown Title and Trust Company pending the collection of borough taxes.

Newtown Quoit Club loses matches  

The Newtown Quoit Club was defeated by teams from Doylestown and Holicong in the past two weeks. [Editor's note - Quoits, a traditional game which preceded horseshoes, involves pitching a metal ring and attemping to land it around a stake in the ground.]

The first week, the Newtown team was defeated on Tuesday by the Doylestown team. The Newtown boys, playing their first match games, seemed to have a case of stage fright.

The Newtown team journeyed to Doylestown on Friday for a return match, but lost five of six games. Their only victory came in the fourth game when N. Balderston and C. Sherman defeated A. Bennett and J. Bennett of Doylestown by a score of 74-69. Sherman was Newtown's high scorer in the entire match, with 47 points.

The results were no better the following week. Holicong defeated the Newtown quoit tossers on Tuesday at Holicong, and again at Newtown on Saturday.

Newtown is hoping for a victory this Saturday evening, when it will play Dolington at home.

The Newtown Quoit Club wishes to thank the Lehigh Valley Oil Co. for the use of the electric lights and also the Newtown Title and Trust Co. for the use of the grounds. The membership of this club is increasing rapidly and good crowds are attending the matches.

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Newtown Notes

Believe it or not, a resident of Washington avenue was seen on Saturday afternoon dexterously shooting Japanese beetles off his grapevine with an air rifle. It is said he hit several and many dropped dead from fright.

Mrs. M.L. Glenn's house has recently been wired for electricity.

Charles Rae Varian is enjoying his annual two weeks' vacation from his duties as manager of the A&P Store.

Workmen of the Philadelphia Electric Co. on Monday located leaks in the gas main on Washington avenue that have caused annoyance in that section of town. A couple of faulty service connections were allowing gas to escape along telephone conduits and gather in manholes, making front porches in the vicinity disagreeable places to sit.

Redman H. Headley is having a hot water heating system installed in his residence.

Mrs. Adams will celebrate her 96th birthday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. F.W. Cox, on July 17 by having a few of her friends with her.

Horace B. Hogeland, president of the First National Bank and Trust Company, is spending this week at his cottage in Ocean City, N.J.

During the past week, Henry J. Criscuolo, proprietor of the Brick Hotel, has had the dining room of the hotel redecorated with the flags of all nations, together with new lighting. The improvements add greatly to its appearance.

Clayton Keller has had another attack of illness, following his improvement from an earlier attack.

Friends of Mrs. Eli Buckman tendered her a surprise party on Monday night in honor of her nineteenth wedding anniversary.

Helen Holden on Saturday evening fell from the running board of an automobile. She received a badly hurt leg.

The work of repairing the Spring Garden dam in the Neshaminy Creek was started early this week. It is expected that within two months the dam will be completed.