The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune from Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania • 4

and it. it de- as a a a a THURSDAY, APRIL. 9, 1931 FOUR THE SELINSGROVE TIMES, SELINSGROVE, PENNSYLVANIA The Selinsgrove Times 'More Than a Century of Service" Published Every Thursday Afternoon by Selinsgrove Times, Inc. at 103 South Market Street Marion Schnure Schoch Publisher Jessie I. Noll Associate Editor Asher L.

Noll Superintendent J. F. Youngman, Jr. Asst. to Supt.

Russel A. Miller, Advertising Manager Established in 1815 and Entered as Mail Matter of the Second Class in the Postoffice at Selinsgrove, Penna. Affiliated with the National Editorial Association and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers' Association. THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1931 The Pepper Box Governor Pinchot, one of the most wordy politicians ever to write many letters to newspapers and the people of Pennsylvania, would vanish the bromides from State letters. He proposes to improve the composition of missives emanating from Capital Hill and has appointed a committee to draft recommendations for a terser kind of communications.

The Governor will have no more of this kind of gallant phrases: "Your letter of even date. What is even date? "12th inst. in use since the tenth century. It deserves a rest. "Your favor at hand.

Let this phrase die a natural death. A letter never has been a favor. "Contents noted. Utterly inane. If you read the letter the contents were noted.

"As stated above. Charles Lamb, the great English humorist, poked fun at that phrase. He called the writers of it the above boys and the below boys. "Thanking you, we remain. A foolish, weak, participial ending, probably used because the writer's grandfather used it.

"And oblige. Hoary with old age. "Your letter to hand. This expression has already grown white with whiskers. "Trusting to hear from you.

Don't be so trusting, give that phrase a wellearned rest. O. E. Rome had her decline and fall. Why, oh why, must we use her ancient expressions today? "In re.

Latin again. Isn't English good enough? g. Good enough for the twelfth century. "Shall and will. Watch your shalls and wills.

An Oxford University professor says that they show whether one is educated or uneducated?" In his attack on cumbersome, oldfashioned phrases the Governor writes: "Letter writers in the State's employ waste a great deal of valuable time by the use of unnecessary words and phrases." Might he not apply the suggestion to himself and speed up that very sentence by revamping it to read: "Letter writers in the State's employ waste much valuable time by using unnecessary words and phrases." Thereby sixteen words would convey the idea of his twenty-one, and the whole might fit into his much discussed economy program. If our suggestion in brevity should come to your attention, Governor, which we believe will be the case, please do not become grieved. Excellency, for some of our own st stuff of late has caused serious doctors to laugh. A Times headline was reported to the "Tonics and Sedatives Column" in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the man who tripped us up in the uncertainty as to whether the word "Burns" was used as noun or verb was our old friend. Dr.

John S. Arnold. of Washington, D. He sent on this clipping from The Times, which the Journal printed under a headline. HOT TREATMENT From The Selinsgrove (Pa.) Times BURNS HOST TO FIRE MEN AT PIG ROAST Many Persons Enjoy Gathering Saturday Night in Hookies' Rooms J.

Howard Burns was host Saturday night at dinner to the local Dauntless Hook and Ladder Company and sevcral guests. As this is the care-free column. we ask you to consider the betweenwould, devil-and-t devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea posttion of cousin William M. Schnure, Penn State alumnus, the other day when the pitching of his son. Howard.

helped Duke so materially to Penn State at Durham, N. C. Without pointing out when the blaze became mischievous, the admired Sunbury Item observes "A good roaring fire was in the stove when the family left," and then goes on to attribute to "an overheated chimney" the cause of the burning cf the Francis Neitz home at the Middle Creek electric dam Tuesday afternoon. George Hensel's column, Down Lancaster Way, prints an observation on the old square dances, which reminds one of Adam Aucker, Bob Coleman and others of those callers-off, entoningS'lute your partner and let her go Balance all, and do-se-do, Swing yer gal and run away; Right and left and gents sashay. Gents to right and swing or cheat, On to next gal and repeat.

Balance next and don't be shy, Swing your pard, and swing her high, Bunch the gals and circle round, Whack your feet until they bound Form a basket and break away, Swing around and all get gay, All gents left, and balance all; Lift your hoofs and let 'em fall Swing your opposite, swing again Ketch the sagehens if you kin; Back to pardners, do-se-do, All jine hands and off you go. Gents salute your little sweets, Hitch, and promenade to seats. County Commissioners Gemberling and Oldt, working majority of the Snyder board, have let it be understood they are not so enthusiastic about the Pinchot measure for the building of 20,000 miles of roadway thru the less frequented sections of Pennsylvania. They find fault with the bill because they believe will inflict an unwelcome hardship at this time upon counties like Snyder in that the State does not propose to take over any county or township bridges along the routes. Provision is made only for the Commonwealth to build drainage pipes and the bridging of small runs.

Where grade crossings are involved, the State will not accept responsibility for the improvement, neither will it construct the roads thru boroughs. After twenty-six years' editorial service to the Republican party William F. Brown, publisher of The Freeburg Courier, is going to seek some recognition at last for himself. He is the first to announce himself for the position of County Treasurer, but likely others will enter the field. Be that however it may, Billy's personality, his integrity and his faithfulness to party will make him an important factor in the campaign.

Yes, politics is warming up and so is the weather, and naturally in the spring on old-timer partisan's thoughts turn to thoughts of office BACK TO YESTERYEARS By AGNES SELIN SCHOCH Fort Halifax Following northward that line from Fort Hunter of frontier fortifications, built between 1752-63, on the shores of the Susquehanna River, we reach next in line, Fort Halifax. This fort was built in 1756, at the mouth of Armstrong's Creek, by Colonel William Clapham. The location was chosen as the most convenient place along the river between Harris' Ferry (Harrisburg) and Shamokin (Sunbury) for the placing of a magazine. The advantage of its situation was occasioned by its position just above the Juniata Falls. The earliest record obtainable concerning this place is that of Bishop Cammerhoff, a Moravian missionary, making a journey along the Susquehanna to convert the Indians to his faith.

After spending the night of July 10, 1748 at Harris Ferry, Bishop off and his party proceeded toward Shamokin (Sunbury), following the path made by some Indians who the previous day had traveled from Shamokin to Harris Ferry (Harrisburg, home of John Harris. passing by Chambers' Mill (Fort Hunter), at the mouth of Fishing Creek. They procecded after a sumptuous noon meal, and in a few hours struck the base of the mountain, which marked the northern limit of the Proprietary The party passed over Peter's Mountain. forded Powell's Creek, and, completely exhausted. arrived at Armstrong's house, at the mouth of Armstrong Creek, above Halifax (For Halifax).

In 1750 Simon Girty and other along Sherman's Creek were driven off by the Sheriff and his posse, under orders of the Provincial authorities. Girty removed his family to the cast side of the Susquehanna River, near where the present town of Halifax is now situated. Afterward he removed to the Conococheague setticment, where he was killed in a drunken brawl. In 1756, his widow was killed by the Indians and their children Simon. George and James were taken captives by the red men.

Colonel William Clapham was appointed to build Fort Augusta, and his building of Fort Halifax was merely incidental to the former great undertaking. At the location chosen for Fort Halifax were many large pine trees. According to the plans furnished. Colonel Clapham had squared 200 logs about thirty feet in length. in order that the building might progress 35 rapidly as possible, so troops might not be delayed erecting Fort Augusta, Fort Halifax was practically completed after two weeks of intensive labor.

In a letter dated June 20, to Governor Morris, Colonel Calpham states, "The progress already made in this fort renders it impracticable for me to comply with the Commissioner's sire to enlarge being yet. in my opinion, too small. I shail leave an ofthirty men orders to with ficer Anish it when I march hence." a. postscript the Colonel adds "The fort at this place is without a name until your honor is pleased to confer one." Up to that time this location was known as Armstrong's Camp. June 25, 1756, Governor Morris writes "'The fort at Armstrong's, I would have called Fort Halifax." In July, Colonel Calpham further complained to the Governor "the fort at this place is in no condition to be departed from, as the waters of the river are daily falling and the opportunity of carriage by water to Shamokin might fail.

I shall leave a sergeant's party at Harris' and twentyfour at McKee's store, each in command of an ensign; and Captain Miles with thirty men at Fort Halifax, with endorsed instructions, as I have removed all the stores from Ferry and McKee's to this place." The endorsed instructions were as follows: "You are to command thirty men at Fort Halifax, which you are to finish with all possible expedition, observing not to suffer your party to straggle in small parties into the woods or to go at any great distance from the fort, unless detached as an escort, or in case of special order for that purpose. You are to build barracks within the fort for your men and also a store house thirty feet by twelve, in which you are to lodge carefully all provisions, stores, belonging to the Province; if the boards purchased for that purpose are not sufficient to finish the banquette and execute the other designs herein recommended. your men are to be employed to saw more out of the pine logs now lying near the fort. You are to keep a constant guard, and relieve regularly, to have continually one sentry in each bastion and in case of attack to retreat to the fort and defend it to the last extremity. If anything extraordinary occurs, you are immediately to dispatch notice to his honor.

the Governor, and to signify the same to me, if any relief or instructions may be necessary." Fort Hunter, seven miles south of Fort Halifax, was abandoned, and the garrison removed to Fort Halifax. In August, a petition from the Paxtang inhabitants (as we told last week), was sent to the Provincial Council, which stated. "that the evacuation of Fort Hunter 45 of great disadvantage to them; that Fort Halifax is not necessary to secure communication with Fort Augusta, and is not so proper a station for the batteau as Fort Hunter; pray the Governor would be pleased to fix a sufficient number of men at Hunter's, under the command of an active officer, with strict orders to range the frontier daily." Pending the consideration of this petition by the Council, Commissioner Young was called before that body. He stated that Fort Halifax was badly sitvated, being built between two hills. and nobody living near it, none could be protected; that it was no station for batteaux parties, having no command of the channel, which runs close on the western shore and is besides covered with a large island between the channel and fort, so that a number of the enemy may even in daytime come down the river without being seen by the garrison.

Subsequently Fort Halifax was dismantled and abandoned in 1763, and nothing of it now remains but a slight elevation of the ground and the old well, which was inside the circular bastine, which has been marked by the State Historical Commission. Fort Halifax was a quadrangle with four bastions on an earthwork about ten feet high, surrounded by a ditch of equal depth. The purpose of its construction seems to have been to protect the batteaux which then carried stores, provisions and passengers to Fort McKee and Fort Augusta. Travelers and wagon trains passed the night there in going up and down the river between Fort Harris (Harrisburg) and Fort Augusta (Sunbury). Such protection was essentially necessary at that time, because the large island in the river near Fort Halifax was the home of a considerable number of Indians who would have examined the trains had there not been some safe place for the personnel to pass the night.

IN OUR TIMES Interesting Facts From Our Files of Twenty, Ten and Five Years Ago TWENTY YEARS AGO Wednesday, April 5, 1911 Funeral services were conducted Sunday for Edward Row, 72. by Rev. H. Douglas Spacth, pastor of the First Lutheran Church, and interment was Union cemetery. Re survived by in his widow and two daughters, Mrs.

George Rishel and Mrs. Murray Benner. Some miscreants burglarized Bodmer's liquor wareroom and made away with sixty-six headaches. Middle Creek Electric Company has brought suit against the Sunbury and Selinsgrove Electric Railway for $6,405.21, an amount claimed to be due for current supplied in excess of the amount paid. The litigation has been caused by a dispute as to the correctness of the recording of the meters.

Brown Manufacturing Company began the manufacture of' strawboard boxes at their plant on the Herman property this week. Thomas S. Brown is managing the business. TEN YEARS AGO Thursday, April 7, 1921 Imperative street improvement was the general theme of council's meeting evening at their April session. Monday, Seiler, district supervisor pi the State highway department.

pointed out the need of immediate repair Market street, and figured that would cost $1.200 to make the needed repairs. At that function council was asked what about other streets in town Marthat need repair just as much ket street. Council considered that those streets were not as pressing a matter as the condition in Market street. discussion opened that line improvement plan for Market street and the many side streets of the town should be carried thru to an early completion even tho it necessitated the flotation of a temporary loan by the borough. Edward L.

Dillman, of the Isle of Que, and Miss Helen Pauline Blough, of Sunbury, were married at the close of the services of the First Evangelical Church, at pastor, Rev. Sunbury, A. W. Sunday Brownmiller. evening.

Willard Maginnis, a grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Roush, of Orange street, was slightly injured and bruised when run down by a street car Saturday, while playing with other children. Development of a large cemetery in Shamokin Dam is contemplated by Sunbury people to whom Harry H. Trexler sold 50 acres of his farm.

FIVE YEARS AGO Thursday, April 8, 1926 Dr. Percival J. Herman, of Independence street, celebrated fifty years serhumanity in the practice of medicine, Friday, when he was host to the Snyder County Medical Society, at their quarterly meeting held in Middleburg. County Commissioners Schnee, Gross and Reichenbach, in company with their clerk. Charles S.

Mattern and Solicitor A. Francis Gilbert. will visit the State Highway Department to present to that body the advantage of continuing the Susquehanna Trail thru Selinsgrove and over Penn's Creek bridge into Monroe township. The commission will also endeavor to come to an agreement with the State officers for relocation of the Penn's Creek bridge in the northern part of town. Land east of the Susquehanna Trail to the Susquehanna River and north of the lane to the Cooper farm to the upper end of the Hummel farm beyond Hummel's Wharf has been acquired by the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company for their super -power plant and the Pennsylvania Railroad System for transportation facilities.

according to the plan filled during the week with the deeds in the office of the Register and Recorder, Middleburg. Mrs. Edna L. Thompson, wife of James G. Thompson, of Middleburg.

one of the most representative women of Snyder county, was buried from her home Tuesday. Mr. and Mrs. Hurst E. Fredericks, of East Walnut street, entertained at dinner Saturday, in celebration of their thirty-sixth wedding anniversary.

Edgar R. Wingard, local silk throwster and president of the Snyder County Trust Company was elected president of the Sunbury Rotary Club last week. Renewing Old Query As to Judge Pension Snyder Countian Interrogated The Philadelphia Inquirer oll Problem Queried by a prominent Snyder county Republican and merchant, who signs with the initials, A. S. the editor of Everybody's Column in The Philadelphia Inquirer was interrogated thus: "Can a county Judge draw a pension after years continuous service in Pennsylvania?" and the editor replied: "The act of the Pennsylvania Legislature of June 12, 1919, provides: "Any judge of the supreme, superior, common pleas, orphans', municipal or county court, have served in judicial office for twenty years or more immediately prior to the date of his resignation or retirement, may resign or retire, and, his resignation or honorable retirement from office by expiration term or otherwise, he shall hold himself in readiness to advise with his successors and their colleagues and to duties as special master, referee, auditor or examiner, in such ways as he may be reasonably able to do shall receive during the remainder of the term for which he was last elected.

if he shall so long live. and during the remainder of his life after the expiration of the term for which he shall have been elected a sum equal to one-half of the salary which would have been paid to him had he continued in active service in such court. "All judges who were in commission on the second Monday of January, 1930, are eligible for retirement under the of 1919 or the act approved April 1929. However. judges elected or appointed subsequent to the second Monday of January, 1930, will not be eligible retirement under the provision of Act of 1919, but will be for, eligible for membership in the State Employes' Retirement Association and can be retired under its Wise and Otherwise Gentle Reminder The novice at golf had an uncanny genius for sending the ball into the rough.

Finally his exasperated parther whispered: "You've paid your membership dues at the club, haven't you?" "Of course." the other replied. "Well." said the partner, quietly, "I just wanted to let you know that if you've paid, you're entitled to use the fairways." 'Fess Up! "Janitor, you could cool our apartment nicely if you would run ice water thru the radiators." "Can't be done, ma'am." "What did you have in them last winter?" Orders Are Orders She: "Papa wants you to leave at midnight. He: "I have some home work tonight, but I suppose it can wait till tomor- Silent Sereen First Actor: "Did you have a talking part in your last picture?" Second Actor: "No, I played the part of a husband. $100,000,000 Floated by P.P. L.

Community Company Sold Largest Utility Offering Since January, 1930 Offering of an issue of $100,000.000 of Pennsyivania Power Light Company first mortgage, fifty-year on Tuesday constituted the largest single piece of utility financing to be undertaken since January, 1930. The entire issue amounts to $120,000,000. Of this 000,000 will be offered publicly. The Lehigh Power Securities Corporation, an afilliate, will subscribe to a block $20,000,000. companies are conBottle trolled by the National Power Light Company, which is virtually controlled by Electric Bond and Share.

The Pennsylvania Power Light contracted to sell the bonds to a banking headed by the Guaranty syndicate, only minor details of the transaction need to be adjusted. The entire underlying debt of the company is to be called and paid off from the proceeds of the offering. The marketing of this issue has been the subject of considerable conjecture 111 financial circles for months. On several occasions it has been rumored that the issue was ready for marketing, but severe declines in the bond market was said to have caused postponements. Prohibition Praised By Farm Magazines Dry Law Benefits Cited in Answer to Scheme to Grow Hops in U.

S. A. Farmers in the United States as a whole have benefited too much from prohibition to let the nation walk the slippery plank of repeal, or modification, and put beer and liquor into competition for the family income again, declares The Christian Science Monitor. To drop prohibition would cut down the purchasing power of consumers who have markedly increased consumption of milk, fruits, vegetables and other wholesome farm products since America went dry. Moreover.

such a course would not materially affect the world grain situation--nor even America's. Editors of prominent farm journals in a dozen or more States do not mince words in expressing this point of view in commenting on a suggestion emanating from the International Wheat Conference at Rome a few days ago. According to a dispatch prominently displayed in a Chicago daily, the Austrian Minister of Agriculture stated in an address before the delegates of forty-eight nations: "If the United States would drop prohibition so that the American farmers could raise hops to make beer, then the strain of wheat acreage would be relieved and the United States would drop out of the wheat -exporting category to the relief of the entire world." Farm editors in widely separated seetions of agrarian United States, whose viewpoint was solicited by The Christian Science Monitor, pointed out the fallacy of such reasoning. They feel it is based on misunderstanding of American wheat-growing conditions and ignores the economic benefit that has come to agriculturists thru prohibition, even tho not uniformly enforced. "Prohibition is a great financial as well as to American agriculture.

Prohibition cuts liquor consumption certainly 50 per cent at the very least and if liquor were legally sold, hosts of families now able to buy food in ample quantity would be reduced to poverty thru the dissipation of meat, the man. vegetables, The fruits market and other for milk, would be cut more than any gain from hops could effect," it is pointed out by Dr. Clarence Poe, widely known editor of the Progressive Farmer, Raleigh, N. C. Apple Trees Require Nitrogen Fertilizer Nitrogen fertilizers in the form of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia should be applied at once at the rate of 10 pounds each to grown trees in sod.

emphasizes County Agent Yoder. Early fertilization is best when correlated with, cultural operation, Yoder continues. Orchards in clean cultivado not require SO much fertilization as those in sod. Aiso, trees which have been pruned heavily do not require so much as lightly pruned trees. Scattering the fertilizer evenly around the tree a foot or two beyond the circumference covered by the branches and to within two three feet of the trunk is the best method of application.

The first good rain will carry it well down to the roots. Trees weakened by the drouth of last summer should be fertilized especially early this spring. Grass in sod orchards frequently becomes so well established that much of the fertilizer applied is absorbed by the grass roots before the tree roots have an opportunity to take up the food mare terials, Yoder explains. For this reason, he urges that orchards in sod be given clean cultivation every three or four years to prevent the grasses and leguines from becoming too firmly established. This will aid the trees by allowing them more chance in the competition for food.

It is advisable, however, Yoder points out, to reseed the orchard to some legume other than an annual and to maintain it as a cover crop until it is time to break up the sod again. Mixed Up Three-year-old Marcia met with puzzle as she was dressing herself one morning. She came to her mother tearfully. "Mother, how can I fasten my dress? The button's in back and I'm in front." Cheer Surface for Eel Basket Speech Snyder County Member Urges Use of Baskets for Fishing in Pennsylvania Championing his bill to restore the use of eel baskets in Pennsylvania streams, a phase of commercial fishing from which many thousands of dollars are derived by residents of the Juniata and Susquehanna valleys, Assemblyman Dr. Harvey A.

Surface dressed the Lower House at Tuesday's session in Harrisburg. The Snyder county Member pointed to the folly of the present restrictions, deny Pennsylvanians the privivehict fish eels with baskets and thus in the seasons of the "run" these eels pass unmolested down the streams only to be caught in baskets in Maryland and shipped north for sale in Pennsylvania markets. Only the female eels come up the streams, the males remaining in the Atlantic Ocean. There in the fall they are met by the females and together they swim thousands of miles to their breeding places. In the spring the young eels return to fresh water.

It is his contention that they go over land when they come to the dams, for the Susquehanna is still filled with eels. Under an act of 1925 eel baskets were prohibited, but for years prior to that date the baskets were common in the river north of this place and in the Juniata. Can Hatch Turkey Eggs in Incubator Recently, farmers have found that turkey eggs can be successfully hatched artificial incubation, says County Agent Yoder. It also is possible to brood the poults with brooder stoves, and to yard the growing and mature birds to keep them away from contaminated soil, Yoder declares. By following these practices, farmers can produce turkeys profitably.

Twenty to thirty breeding hens make an economical unit. Yoder explains. They will produce 150 to 200 eggs within a ten-day period. From this number of eggs enough poults to fill one brooder house will be hatched. One hundred 150 poults make a convenient sized brood.

Surplus eggs may be sold and the demand for day -old poults is increasing. Thirty-five to fifty eggs per hen is the average range of production, Yoder says. These will be laid in two to four clutches. The hens usually brood after each clutch. If the brooding is broken up immediately the hen will return to production in about twenty days.

While one male is sufficient for ten to fifteen females, it is advisable to have two or more males. With two or more males in the flock the mating problem will be solved. Good Seed Aids High Quality Vegetables High quality in vegetables depends more on seed than any other single factor, declares County Agent Yoder. Ultimate yield is influenced by seed, soil, season, cultural methods, and control of insects and diseases. The ultimate value of the crop is largely dependent on the heredity and vitality of seed strains for yielding ability, adaptation, uniformity of maturity, disease resistance, and other characteristics.

Among valuable of vegetables are Mary Washington asparagus; Penn State Ballhead. Golden Acre, and Glory of Enkhuizen cabbage; Whipple's Yellow. Sunshine, Golden Early Market, The Burpee, Extra Early Bantam, Early Market, White Cob Cory, and Whipple's Early sweet corn; Chantenay and Nantes carrots; Stringless Greenpod. Pencil Pod, and Brittle Wax beans; Italian Green Sprouting broccoli; Burpeeana or Super Snowball cauliflower. Easy Blanching, Fordhook, Emperor.

and Houser celery; Kirby Stay Green, Eardly Fortune. Long Green, Klondyke, and Jersey cucumbers; New York No. 12, Grand Rapids, and Black Seeded Simpson lettuce: Riverside Sweet Spanish onion; Laxton Superb, Blue Bantam, Hundredfold, Iaxtonian, Thomas Laxton, Telephone, and Mammoth Melting Sugar peas. California Wonder, Oshkosh, Sunnybrook, World Beater, and Early Giant peppers; Table Queen squash; Chinese White Winter radish; King of Denmark. New Zealand, Long Standing Bloomsdale, and Virginia Savoy spinach; Fordhook Giant Swiss chard; Marglobe, Bonny Best.

Penn State Earand Matchum tomatoes. Ewes and Lambs Need Good Care and Feed Lambing time is one of the most important periods of the year for the shepherd. breeding ewe that is raising one or two lambs should be given every opportunity to do the job says County Agent Yoder. "Feed good clean corn silage up to three pounds per head daily. Give each ewe a grain mixture of two parts of oats and one part of bran." Careful flockmasters separate ewe and her new-born lambs from the rest of the flock for a few days to give the youngsters a good start, according to Yoder.

Giving the flock some additional attention at lambing time will pay large dividends later, he says. Do not expect the ewe to pick her living from a barren hillside and raise one or two lambs beside, Yoder cautions. As soon as the lambs are old enough to eat grain. arrange a creep for them, where they can be separated from the rest. of the flock.

Yoder urges. These early lambs should receive some grain AS 50011. AS they will eat it, such as three parts of cracked corn. two parts of crushed oats, and one part of linseed pea cake or oil meal. Indications point to a heavy run of range lambs this fall.

The farmer who markets early, therefore, should ceive the best returns. row..