The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 255

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Sunday, June 12, 1994 MC2. Talking Up A mooving story about Fortuna When trolley was king of the county TE Edgar mm I rr W'f I i mi 1 Mi Ml I OA iMf I Iki tii it I lit il.l I i 1 t( i. ii lt i i ti hf tlP'st I n-ix il jtuia in ii wSfvi a iiJSi it "I' 5 -J i i i 'li ll1 Hf l'i i I t' 1 l'tHR This may mark the beginning of a successful conclusion of our search for the truth about Fortuna. Then again, it may not. Let us, then, examine the evidence at hand both old and recently adduced as to how Fortuna, a station stop between Lansdale and Colmar on the Doylestown branch of SEPTA'S R-5 commuter line, got its name.

We know that there was a Roman goddess of fortune, called Fortuna. We know that Fortuna station is located on Hatfield Valley Road, just west of Broad Street. Hatfield Valley Road crosses the railroad at that spot. We know that old-timers in the area call Hatfield Valley Road by what seems to have been its original name the Cowpath. Which brings us to a communication from Harry W.

Abendroth of Harleysville. He writes: "In response to your plea to close the Fortuna File, I must tell you the real truth. Please advise your resourceful operatives to back off and listen. "Our faithful little station is named after a dead cow. That's right a deceased bovine, whose name was Fortuna.

"I can hear you laughing at me now. Bear with me, please." Abendroth, 75, is a retired consulting engineer and obviously a railroad buff. As a boy in the late 1920s, he spent his summers on his maternal grandparents' farm at Broad and the Cowpath, "about 500 yards from the station." He remembers farmers driving their cattle westward on the Cowpath, heading for a slaughterhouse in Hatfield. TROLLEYS from MC1 But where the lines touched pockets of population, they proved to be popular, as well as profitable. "The trolleys were hot in the summer, cold in the winter and often dirty," Foesig says in his book.

Yet they traveled at 12 miles per hour in relative safety, ran with frequency and were, for the time, inexpensive. A 1909 rate table from the files of the Montgomery County Historical Society shows that 25 cents got a person six fare tickets with the right to transfer to other lines. As the trolley lines expanded their routes just before World War there were clashes with railroads over the use of rights-of-way. Newspaper accounts indicate that many of those disputes were settled by work crews battling to establish their right to construct something on a particular piece of ground. Whoever got construction up first appeared to prevail in the courts.

In addition to passenger service, Foesig writes, there were some specially constructed trolleys that hauled light freight between Philadelphia and the county. A milk-car trolley brought the cows' product from the farms into the city. A mail-car trolley operated from Doylestown to Willow Grove. And a funeral-car trolley, the Hillside, offered transportation to the cemeteries along Glenside and Old York Reads between 1912 and 1930. By the end of World War DeGraw said, trolley travel in the county and the rest of the nation had begun to decline.

By the mid-1930s, most of the lines had stopped running. That brings us to the cow mentioned by Abendroth. It also brings us to a publication titled Flags, Diamonds and Statues, the official organ of the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society, which is based in Lansdale and meets at Zwingli United Church of Christ in Souderton. In the January 1993 issue of the magazine appeared an article, "Ten Miles to Doylestown," by Steve Stewart. In that piece is the sad tale of the cow.

Stewart wrote: "Former Reading the Reading Railroad, predecessor of SEPTA employees relate how a train struck and killed a cow at the Cowpath crossingl. The cow's owner! felt the railroad was at fault, since the slowly moving cows were threatened by the faster train. "In an out-of-court settlement, the railroad agreed to name the stop after the deceased cow, Fortuna." This is said to have happened in the late 1880s, and there's just one thing that bothers me: If that cow was named for the Roman goddess of fortune, how come she didn't beat the train? Have some answers, plus a new shipment of trivia Answers to last Sunday's questions: 1. Ulysses is the novel by James Joyce that examines a single day in the lives of some residents of Dublin, Ireland. 2.

Wilhelm Roentgen, a Ger man physicist, discovered the X-ray. 3. The eastern Pennsylvania community of Palm is in Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County. 4. States and capitals: (a) Alaska, Juneau; (b) Minnesota, St.

Paul; (c) Texas, Austin; (d) Michigan, Lansing. 5. Georgi Malenkov succeeded Joseph Stalin as premier of the Soviet Union in 1953. New quiz: 1. There are four states whose names begin with the same letters as do the names of their capital cities.

One is Hawaii (Honolulu). What are the other three? 2. What was the real first name of Grandma Moses, the primitive painter? 3. Who was the Danish philosopher who advanced the doctrine of existentialism? 4. Name the midget who went to bat for the St.

Louis Browns in a 1951 game against the Detroit Tigers. 5. Within three, how many other states in the nation have a Montgomery County? (Answers next Sunday.) Writing a Wrong (and correcting a misspell) A beg-pardon to reader Reba Mohan of Lansdale, whose name was misspelled herein last Sunday. My boo-boo reminds me of a story about Dr. Samuel Johnson.

A woman chided the great lexicographer about a mistake in his dictionary. "How," she demanded, "could you have done such a thing?" "Ignorance, madame," Johnson replied. "Pure ignorance." Well, it IS a long way to good ol' Albuquerque Another Lansdalian, reader Marion S. Beggs, was in Philadelphia the other day when she spotted a New Mexico license plate which read: HOMESIK. kit Season's supply of filter media This open-air trolley, built in 1893, once plied the streets of Norristown.

Most county lines were only a memory by the mid-'30s. "A number of factors spelled the But a careful observer driving on end of the trolley lines: improved Main Street in Norristown can some-mads affordable cars hnscs and the timeS SP0t 8 trolley raii Peeklng out roads, allowable cars, buses and the from under the asphalt And in om. Depression of the 1930s," DeGraw 0f-the-way places in the county, said. there are remnants of trolley stops. County to probe Act 319 YOU PAID MORE FOR THIS NEWSPAPER THAN YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS IN POOL SPA AT NAMCO 1 WITH PURCHASE OF ANY COOL POOL THIS WEEKEND Special Purchase Qalb Af1CO BEITS THE PRICE INCREASES.

That's right. All the major pool manufacturers have raised their prices. But we hav filled our warehouses with over 4.000 top quality pools at the pre-season low prices. Many non-advertised pools available all in limited quantities. Hum they won't lost long.

man rejected a suggestion that the inquiry be turned over to District Attorney Michael Marino for a criminal investigation. "I have no idea what I'm going to get into," said Waters, who added that he would deliver the results of his inquiry "as soon as possible." If he suspects criminal activity, he will turn the matter over to Marino's office, Waters said. Commissioners Chairman Mario Mele said he was unhappy because rZ. V- (, I (t Kit V1 ir i f) iijvi cs til if it niii tlM ii ti hrt, V-S: Ml lli in ttr WW--' imi lot Up -It i Ki Itf I I ll II" ft 4v i 1.1, f)ni i i' 'i" mi Twin it ii i-! 1 I irt-lf 'ri ON I 53 violations he felt that the revelations cast all 1,260 county landowners participating in the Clean and Green program, also known as Act 319, in a negative light. "All this has given the appearance that if you have a 319 property, you're doing something un-American," said Mele, whose mother owns a 319-protected farm in the Skippack area.

"These people are providing us with a tremendous service by preserving farmland." spark residents' involvement in the community. "It's a good slap in the face," he said. "It should move people to say, can't allow this to go on in our Winona Brown, president of the Gotwals Parents and Faculty Club, said, "It's the only way to keep the kids safe during school. It's bad enough, with all the stuff children learn at a young age, that they have to be subjected to more. "I hope it works." Neighbors: Montgomery Norristown North Wales Plymouth Rockledge Springfield Towamencin Upper Dublin Upper Gwynedd Upper Moreland West Norriton Whitemarsh Whitpain Worcester School will resort to a fence Itwiaffil LesMhan 3 1 ea.

per More' Supreme Pak 18- 5476 is" s876 21 5588 a' 988 24- 667 24" 1067 27" s786 27 $1186 mn a First Tiae Offered in Pool Paks (your choice) with 20 ga. winterized liner Aluminum safety ladder In-wall skimmer and ID.MMlTrTO I (jaa I LINE Less than 35 ea. per store! JIMS' -33'x 18- 2088 $2488 Pool Supreme Pak '1787 2187 Pool Supreme Pak Exlrjl Po01 Supreme Pak Top-quality pool return Attention Albany New York Customers! Get Esther Williams, the orijnal classic, at same prices as Safari! With -TOP OF THE LINE Pool 18' '728 21' s827 24' 27' s926 4088 IS'Pool'fitf IkNjxIjllMl. jllM-jfT Js Cry 7 'iX COMMISSIONERS FROM MC1 not disturb their lands in perpetuity. The uncollected bills are stiff penalities Clean and Green landowners must pay if they develop their land.

The bills can add up to seven years' reimbursement of the tax discount, plus interest. "I don't think there was any political favoritism," said Ed Wilkes, who took over the Tax Claim Bureau after Decio stepped down in 1991. "The procedure was bad in the first place." Decio would not comment when reached by telephone Thursday. Buckman said a new policy, placing liens on the properties for the unpaid taxes, was begun last month. Still to be resolved is whether the taxes are owed by landowners who originally benefited from the state program or by current owners of the" 28 properties, Buckman said.

It is not known how many of the properties may have changed hands between the start of the state program and this year. Individual bills, which range from $500 to $130,000, cannot begin to be collected until that question is answered, Buckman said. At the news conference that followed the commissioners' meeting Thursday, Waters, Hoeffel and Buck- Neighbors Neighbors is a section of The Inquirer that provides news about people, events, schools and governments in the Montgomery County communities listed at right. Neighbors is published on Sunday and Thursday. During the school year, Neighbors Sports is published on Monday.

Editor: Joanne McLaughlin Photo Editor: Bryan Grigsby Address: 1100 E. Hector Suite 100 Conshohocken, Pa. 19428 Telephones: News 610-832-8300 Photo 610-832-8340 Advertising 215-854-5439 FAX 610-832-8343 Circulation 1-800-222-2765 Whom to Call The general phone number for the Montgomery County office is 610-832-8300. Reporters' individual numbers are 832-followed by the four digits listed below, except where another prefix is given. Lisa Anderson AmblerPlymouth Norritons 8306 Savannah Blackwell Abington 8331 Pauline Bogaert Gatherings 610-520-8522 Pheralyn Dove Arts and culture.

8301 Jere Downs County government Norristown 8322 Rhonda Goodman Cheltenham Business 8328 Wendy Greenberg Education 8303 Paul J. Lim County courts 8329 S. E. Siebert North Penn 8333 How to Be Listed WEDDINGS AND ENGAGEMENTS: Weddings and engagements are announced in Neighbors every Sunday. Appropriate, mmmmmmmmmmsB 11 wa 1 Deluxe 1 HP hi-rate filter Complete maintenance TOP OF THE -18'- '988 s1388 -21'- 1086 H486 Pool Supreme Pak reme Pak stal Cote Less than 20 ea.

per store! Supreme Pak 18' 1128 21- 1227 24' 1326 27' Qt. B.Q. Algaecide 22632 Gal. B.Q. Shock 22624 99 In Line Chlorine Feeder 070W $4Q99 PooL Sua 1 i 15' Pool 15' Supreme Pak'IOjW I lit 1488 i Pool BUCKS II county Jf Lansdale 76 Philadelphia DELAWAREJ II COUNTY JSL -24'- 1187 4587 Pool Supreme Pak -27'- 1388 1788 Pool Supreme Pak tePwcEMEHT Liners 12X4 Round IS' 448" 18-X48-W 2Tx4r'llr fi HK Virgin Vinvl 2f 48 00 Mudc In rhc U.S.A.

FENCE from MC1 On her "patrol," Lawrence said, she routinely finds pills, powder and items used to freebase cocaine. Her mornings have recently become even more alarming with recent discoveries of bloodstained drug packets, used condoms and drug users themselves camped out on the property. Jordan Adams, chairman of the Norristown Neighborhood Alliance, a 200-member anti-drug and anti-violence group, hopes the fence will Towns covered by Montgomery County Abington Ambler Bryn Athyn Cheltenham Conshohocken East Norriton Hatboro Hatfield Borough Hatfield Twp. Horsham Jenkintown Lansdale Lower Gwynedd Lower Moreland Lower Providence nonreturnable photographs of the couple only will be published as space permits. For information or to receive an announcement form, call Eileen Kenna at 610-832-8330.

Send announcements to Weddings and Engagements, Inquirer Neighbors, 1100 E. Hector Suite 100, Conshohocken, Pa. 19428. Include a telephone number for verification. Notices must be submitted within six months of the wedding.

CALENDAR AND BULLETIN BOARD: These listings each Sunday provide information about meetings and community activities. Information must be received at least two weeks in advance of the event, and mailed to Donna Gallagher, Vl ll MONTGOMERY Collegeville The Safari is not available at the Albany NAMCO outlet. Some showroom samples. Over 267 different pools available 48" 50" liiBkpy mvBjm iMIMtei 90HTH 60208 Reg 99.99 Special Mail in Rebate tfl99 Gal. Algaecide 37281 wJZffliry I NAMCO COtPONj 1 For Family Fun! I ll i nn 1 Round Inground is- M6" 16x24- '28" 18- 27 16x32- 21- 35" I8-X36- $4T 24- $3T 20-X40- $68" 2T S59" 24-X44- Ozonator 16667 47 Inquirer Neighbors, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101.

Include a telephone number for verification. OBITUARIES: Neighbors publishes obituaries each Thursday. Information for obituaries is obtained from area funeral homes and always confirmed with the family of the deceased. To submit obituary information, call Herb Drill at Neighbors, 215-741-2700. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Neighbors welcomes letters to the editor about issues of community interest.

Letters must be signed and must include a telephone number for verification (the telephone number will not be published). Neighbors reserves the right t3 edit letters. RTE. 422 WEST POTTSTOWN (DouglasviUe) READING RTE. 422 WEST (Sinking Springs) PA Hours: 10-9; ALLENTOWN 17 Tilighman 10-6; 12-5..