Enjoy this feature originally written for the Newark Daily Call, the text of which was reprinted in the February 16th, 1923 edition of the New Jersey Courier, the weekly newspaper of Toms River. The original Daily Call photos appear lost to time, but the reprinted text depicts as much the lighthouse and its surrounding winter community as it gives an unintentionally humorous example of an enterprising city reporter trying to pry colorful tales from reluctant locals. A sea gull dipped gracefully to the level of the ocean, and winged again into the blue sky. The faint, even rumble of the surf below was the only sound. Clarence Cranmer, who has kept the famous light at Barnegat for the last thirty-five years, paused for a moment from his morning work of rubbing the lighthouse window with glycerine to look without. Never had he seen Barnegat City more subdued. It might have been a community of the dead, if tiny telltale wisps of smoke from cottages were not discernible above the aged firs. The trees themselves were bent, as if weary of forever battling the cruel gales that sweep across the inlet. Perched atop Barnegat Light, with land and sea below, the sky above, one recalled all the stories he had heard and read about the lighthouse—the storms and wrecks and rescues. Over this same railing leaned F. Hopkinson Smith [author of the novel, Tides of Barnegat, from 1906], and saw “the coast, glistening like a scimitar, and the strip of yellow beach which divided the narrow bay from the open sea; to the right, thrust out into the sheen of silver, lay the spit of sand narrowing the inlet, its edges scalloped with lace foam, its extreme point dominated by the grim tower of Barnegat Light aloft, high into the blue, soared the gulls, flashing like jewels as they lifted their breasts to the sun, while away and beyond the sails of the fishing boats, gray or silver in their shifting tacks, crawled over the wrinkled sea.” It was on this “strip of yellow Beach” that Lucy Cobden loved Bart Holt too well and “The Tides of Barnegat” was conceived. It was here that hundreds of sailor men were dragged from their grounded vessels, some to breathe their last, even as Bart Holt and Archie Cobden; others to live and bear for the rest of their lives the harrowing memory of the Barnegat shoals. On this beach the Barnegat pirates used to thrive, according to the yarns they spin in Applegate's general store, on the safe side of the sand dunes. On this beach there have been murders and romance and robberies, and over it laps the incessant surf, sometimes meek and purring, sometimes enraged and white, tumbling over the sand in fiendish froth, undermining whatever buildings have dared to stand in its path. That Ol' Devil Sea” Perhaps Cranmer was thinking of the drama that has been unfolded before his eyes as he stopped the glycerine-soaked cloth in its course across the window pane. Perhaps he, like the weary mariner in Eugene O'Neill's “Anna Christie,” was pondering on “that ol' Devil sea.” Perhaps he was, but he didn't show it. He only turned to Andy Applegate, his assistant, and asked if the second half of the night had produced anything out of the ordinary. Cranmer had watched the light until midnight. Applegate had then relieved him and watched it until daybreak. Applegate shook his head and resumed his work of polishing the already glistening prisms. More talkative than his partner, he told the visitor of the yarns passed down from generation to generation, tales of the Barnegat pirates, who, according to tradition, looted ships unfortunate enough to scrape on the treacherous shoals. He told of a German passenger ship in the middle of the last century that grounded at Barnegat, with the loss of every life, save one. What happened to the survivor he did not know, but the booty aboard! Ah, what a day of rejoicing for the doughty Barnegat pirates, who, like “Captain Applejack,” drank plenty and feared no man. Their deeds are described in low tones as the men of the town gather about the pot-stove in Applegate's general store o' nights. With each telling some new conquest of the pirate is unfolded, and there is a new chorus of incredulous murmurs. As the biting wind from the sea whistles around the sand dunes, and the omniprescent beam from the lighthouse is reflected on the white face of the coast guard station, these hardy men of Barnegat huddle in the tiny building that serves as general store, post office and club. The gale without sings an accompaniment to their harrowing yarns of the Barnegat that used to be. No wonder these men instinctively look toward the sea as they file out of the store. Their awe increases with every fanning-bee. No wonder the mothers of Barnegat manage to make their children behave with a warning that the pirates'll get them if they don't watch out. A genial fellow, Applegate. He has mixed with men of the world. He used to live in Newark, and he knows the ways of a city. Even in his Barnegat existence there come these meetings with men who get about. But Cranmer, he is different. One can picture him when alone, standing atop the lighthouse he has tended so many years, viewing the wreck of his home below, the spars and bottles and driftwood cast up by the waves. One can picture him with his face to the east, shaking his fist at the water that sweeps on without end, crying, “You ol' devil sea!” even as Eugene O'Neill's Chris Christopherson. Served Thirty-five Years For Cranmer has plenty of reason to shake his fist. Thirty-five years of his life he has given up to Barnegat Light. For thirty-five years he has climbed those two hundred and twenty-five steps to the top of the Light, heavy oil can in hand. His cozy home at the foot of the Light is gone, destroyed by the very waves he has warned others against. His wife has passed on. And now he is alone, still trudging up the ever-winding steps with his heavy oil can, still carefully tending the light, which, as ruthless as the moaning sea without, has almost ruined his eyesight. And now he is spent and weary, but he cannot retire. For there is no retiring until he is 65. He sits alone atop the tower at night, caring for the light, reading his newspaper, dreaming of the days when things were different in Barnegat City. For they were different. The grim sea that sweeps over the sands spasmodically cannot be quelled. Even as it has killed those who ventured upon it, it has destroyed whatever it has come in contact with. The gay Barnegat City of the nineteenth century, the community described in “The Tides of Barnegat” is only a memory. Little by little the sea has encroached upon the town like an untamed monster, now sweeping away an entire building, now, like a deadly disease, insidiously undermining a structure until it finally topples and falls. Seven miles across the bay, but twenty miles away by the picturesque land route, is the town of Barnegat. The writer, driven to Barnegat City by a weather-beaten taxi-driver who knew the Barnegat City of a generation ago, found his journey through the main street of the hamlet impeded by a house-moving crew. Like most of the other dwellings in the district, it badly needed a fresh coat of paint. Under the work of the half-dozen men and a panting donkey engine, the house was being slowly moved down the road. The newspaper man left the automobile and walked. “Moving day!” he asked one of the workers. The grizzled native spat and smiled. “It's moving day, one way or t'other,” he said. “If we don't move the old house, the ocean will. It got right under it and was fair to taking the shack out to sea for a trip when we started to move it. They all go like that.” Then he spat again and grasped the heavy rope. Colony of Fishermen A city man feels out of place in Barnegat City, especially in the middle of winter, when even the fishing enthusiasts from beyond the marshes are few. They are virile and their strength is reflected in their bronzed faces, these men of Barnegat City. They swing along with a healthy tread, their necks open to the wind, their hands uncovered from the cold. Down on the bay side wharf, where the fishing fleet pulls in every afternoon, the visitor may see these hardy men cleaning their codfish haul, packing the catch in barrels, unmindful of the cold. They are occupied by the work at hand, pausing only occasionally to relate some unusual development of the day at sea, or, perhaps to discuss a proposed duck-hunting trip in the marshes that stretch out to Manahawkin and Barnegat. Some of them are Yankees, some are Swedes and typical of their race. Their cheeks crimrosed by life in the open, their clear blue eyes laughing when their lips don't, these men are right at home in a nasty squall. Daily their open boats venture out to sea, beyond sight of land and most times they return. Sometimes, however, they are caught in a sudden storm, and the little power-boats caught in the great troughs of the open sea, refuse to head in the right direction. Then it is a case of luck. A steamer may pick them up. The coast guard may come to their assistance. At any rate, they usually get back to the home port. If not, there is a brief period of mourning in Barnegat City for the sailormen who didn't return, and another tragedy is chalked against “that ol' devil sea.” Mrs. Ernest Johnson, who runs the Social Hotel in Barnegat City, is a typical example of the feminine stock—sturdy and solemn. “Ay bane tank ah have room for you,” she said, and she did. There was an oil stove to make room cozy, and a kettle of water to heat in the morning. “You bane going to write about lighthouse?” she asked and she cast a furtive glance at the grim sentinel through the dining room window. She had seen some of the tragedies of Barnegat City, and the sombre lighthouse was always there to remind her. The few people left in the town during the winter months go about their work quietly, almost reverently. There is an air of mystery over the community that one can ascribe only to the awe-inspiring effect of the ocean. Little wonder that old Cranmer doesn't care to talk. Coal Supply Stopped The guardian of Barnegat Light lives in a cottage a few hundred yards from the tower itself, just over the edge of the sand dunes and in hearing of the waves pounding on the beach. He didn't talk much as he escorted a reporter and a photographer over the dunes to the tower, swishing their way through the loose sand. He said less as he started the long climb to the top of the tower, just as the sun was calling it a day's work, for Cranmer is no longer a young man, and he had to carry his heavy can of oil. At each landing he paused to rest, to peep out the window at the scene he knew so well. Perhaps if there had been a cozy fire in his little room at the top of the tower, the keeper of the lighthouse might have opened up. But there was not. The government had stopped his supply of coal, he explained, and an oil stove sure could eat up fuel. He showed his visitors the light itself, with the intricate system of prisms, twenty-four of them, which revolved throughout the night. It requires four minutes to make a complete revolution, so that the seafarer, anxiously watching for Barnegat Light, has a ten-second beam. Lights along the Atlantic coast are timed differently—some eight seconds, others eleven—that the sailor may identify the tower. He showed his visitors how a weighted wire cable timed to run three hours without stopping, kept the light moving, and he explained how kerosene vapor furnished the light itself. The work of preparing the light for the night's work over, Cranmer turned to his pipe and newspaper. He allowed that there had been plenty of wrecks on the shoals before the lighthouse, when questioned. When pressed to be more explicit, he told of the wreck of the transport Sumner, just before the World War. There were memories of the breeches buoy, lifeless bodies on the beach, the coast guard in frenzied efforts to save lives. A Birds' Graveyard
Down at the foot of the tower the writer had noticed the bodies of several birds. Cranmer explained that they were unfortunate gulls which, attracted by the light, had plunged headlong against the protecting wire netting. They were there every morning, he said, and after an unusually heavy storm there often were as many as thirty or forty. One night, he said, a flock of birds headed for the lighthouse and the next morning there were fifty bodies—enough for a month of duck dinners. “A foolish bird, the brant,” observed Cranmer, “a mighty foolish bird. Once he is in the circle of light around the lighthouse, he is doomed. He comes nearer and nearer, like a moth and a flame. Then he whangs right into the heavy netting, and it's all over. You can see there that the window is protected only on the land side by netting. I was readin' here one night, with the wind squallin' outside, when all of a sudden there was a crash of glass on the sea side, and a fine big brant came flopping in my lap. A foolish bird, the brant.” The photographer poked at the reporter, two minds with but a single thought. They were wondering how they would feel under the circumstances. Standing on the narrow balcony at the top of the tower the visitor has that grand and glorious feeling that he is monarch of all he surveys. It is a fascinating scene, exotic. Not one great beam of light, but all twenty-four are visible from the top of the tower, flashing in every direction, slowly moving, piercing the night. Not a sound below, not even the rumble of a railroad train—there are only three into Barnegat during the winter months—nothing but the slight noise of the big light itself, fed by kerosene vapor, as it slowly and methodically revolves. Some Musings on Space Down the long spiral stairway the writer walked into the night to stand upon the ruins of the lighthouse keeper's cottage and watch the stars. Stars and stars, and space. There is no end to space? Some professor had told him that once. No end to space? He wondered. Suppose he were to go a million miles beyond those stars that twinkled overhead. What then? More space, without end. Why should Einstein worry his head about such things? He was still pondering when a figure appeared on the sand. “Hello, there!” came a call. It was the coast guard patrol, at the end of his long beat along the beach. A few minutes chat on the weather and bootlegging followed. There wasn't much of the latter around Barnegat City, he said. Every unknown boat, large or small, slipping into the inlet, was searched by the coast guard as soon as it reached the town wharf. The highway stretched from Barnegat City to Surf City was closely watched. From the tower of the coast guard station in Barnegat City the fishing smacks are visible at sea, and their every movement is watched during the day. No chance there of wholesale booze smuggling. Then the guard left, and a newspaper man was alone with the night again. New Lightship Planned Out there beyond the shoals, he mused, there would be a light ship some day. The lighthouse bureau in Washington had said that they were more practical, anyway. The Barnegat Light has been signaling since 1859, and there was another on the same spot before that, built during the 30's. It had outlived its usefulness they said, and it was only a question of time before the sea would claim it. Across the mouth of the inlet was a narrow stretch of sand, uninhabited and uninviting. Like a youngster playing a prank for which it knows it can not be punished, the sea has piled up sand on this bar during the last dozen years. As the bar has grown the water has swept across the point of land on which the lighthouse stands. The keeper's cottage, which one may observe from its ruins, was a neat brick home, was so badly undermined by the waves that the government ordered it sold and dismantled. Some one bought it for a bit more than $100 and got his money back in the fixtures he salvaged. Then the house collapsed, and the ruins are there today, silent reminder of the lonely lighthouse keeper of the days that used to be. Back up the 225 steps the writer climbed. The photographer was out on the landing, his hair flying in the wind, trying to get a picture of the light from the outside. Cranmer was reading a newspaper. “What's the news?” the writer asked, “More trouble in the Ruhr?” “Readin' the weather report,” he replied. “It says there'll be high winds, tomorrow.” And he went back to his newspaper. Lines from Gilbert's “Yarn of the Nancy Bell” went sailing through the reporter's mind. “And I never smile, and I never grin, And I never laugh, nor play.” Welcome to another era in Ocean County's past, one century ago this winter! Let your mind wander as you consider life around December 1922 and January 1923, courtesy the New Jersey Courier and Ocean County Review weekly newspapers, from the Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around a 20 minute read). BREVITIES AND EDITORIALS(written by NJ Courier editor, William H. Fischer, as he sat at his desk above Main Street near Washington Street; it was much like a collection of online social media updates seen today) Boys and girls had a little skating on ponds and cranberry bogs last week. Toms River Yacht Club has started a syndicate to build a racing sneakbox for next summer, if enough members are interested. A third of the amount needed was subscribed by a few members last Friday evening. A holiday dance will be given at the Toms River Yacht Club on Friday evening next, December 29, in honor of the young folks, who will be home for the holidays. The rains and snow of the past ten days have broken the drought. Some cranberry bogs that were bare are now flooded. Wells have again a little water, that had been dry. The swamps and streams and springs are also fuller. The supply is below normal yet. The “Peach Orchard Tract” at Cassville has been bought by the Lakewood Farm Lands Co., of Lakewood and will be cut up into five and ten-acre farms. Toms River merchants as a whole never had a better Christmas trade, nor were there ever more shoppers from out of town. Toms River has an importance as a shopping center that would easily be increased by co-operative action on the part of its business men, if they would be willing to work together. Christmas day a blue heron, that looked as if it had just been killed, was seen dangling from a tree along the north bank of the river, where somebody had hung it by the legs. Not far away the tracks of the heron could be seen on the sand of the river bottom through the clear water. The boy or girl who got a sled for Christmas was overjoyed with the little snow on Friday morning. The only objection I have to seeing the Sheriff Frank Aumack property built up is that I will lose two good friends, when they chop down those two big elms. Those two elms are the finest pair of trees in town—Philemon and Baucis, so to speak [Philemon and Baucis, in Greek mythology, a pious Phrygian couple who hospitably received Zeus and Hermes when their richer neighbors turned away the two gods, who were disguised as wayfarers]. The Chamber of Commerce is working for a new school house at Toms River and recently appointed a special committee to that end. The committee had a session, with Architect Clinton Cook, of Asbury Park, whose plans have been favored by the School Board, and also two meetings with the School Board. The C. of C. members feel that a town like Toms River cannot afford to be behind with its schools, as at present, when all the grades from the first to the seventh, inclusive, are being run on half time. You can see that the days are getting a little—just a tiny little longer in the afternoon. Christmas week was a hard luck week for some citizens in Pershing [section of Toms River]. Barzillal Johnson lost a horse and Capt. Ben Asay lost a 300-pound porker. The west side of Main Street, in the business block, which for many years was one of the charms of the Toms River village to the visitor as well as to the resident, with its big mansions sitting back on the hill, spacious lawns and big trees, is evidently soon to be a thing of the past. Business is crowding out the lawns and trees, and business fronts will before long line its whole block. It is the way of growth, that charm and beauty are often sacrificed to utility. The growth of the business section in any town or city, makes just such changes. We can't be exempt. The Ladies' Auxiliary of the Toms River Yacht Club will hold its semi-monthly card party this evening, at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Frank Brouwer. Its business meeting for the month will be at the home of Mrs. Harry Mathis, on Wednesday next, January 10. Fire Company No. 2 gave a dance at the opera house on Friday evening last. This company has not yet raised sufficient funds to pay for the Chevrolet car. School teachers and pupils from colleges and distant schools, at home for the holidays, have mostly returned. And there are quite a bunch of them. William Klein, a poultryman on the Main Shore Road, at Quail Run, below Pine Beach entrance, bagged a fine buck in his back yard on Wednesday morning of this week. The Double Trouble Company has bought the cranberry bog on Jake's Branch, at Beachwood, just south of the Main Shore Road, from Mrs. Frances Falkenburgh, Henry A. and George C. Low. Here it is the middle of January and neither river nor bay has been closed up with ice yet; enough ice to skate on has been on ponds and cranberry bogs, and on some of the river and bay coves, that is all, and only for a short time. William T. Harvey, of Bayville, is wrecking the old Potter store, on Water Street, which, while occupied by its owners, the United Feed Company, and William L. DeGraw, was burnt down on Tuesday before Thanksgiving day. There is considerable good lumber left in the frame of the unburnt portion. January is sliding by. Coal continues scarce along the shore. The wood cutters are busy cutting oak into fire wood. This is so all over South Jersey. A.B. Newbury has broken ground for a residence and chicken farm on Lakehurst road, west of Wright's Bridge. He will put up buildings for a 500-bird flock, and will put the birds on the plant next fall. Sutton and Snyder are at work on the house. Dandelions are blooming in sunny lawns. Plans are being prepared for Judge M.L. Berry's proposed new building on Main street, in front of the Sheriff Aumack mansion. Pretty much all the oak wood within easy haul of town is being cut off and burned this winter. If we have a few more winters without coal, what will we do for fuel? Edward S. Fritz, who is still working on the Toms River dam, was in town last Friday. “Never say die” is his motto, and he lives up to it. THOSE OLD LIFE-SAVERS Another year has slid past and nothing has been done for the relief of the men who served on the coast in the days of the Life-Saving Service, and were retired for disability, growing out of their service. Most of these men are now old; many of them unable to work, even for an occasional day at a time; some of them are in dire need; and all of them would look at the troubled seas ahead, breaking over the bar of death, with a kindlier feeling toward their land and more certainly of succor in their last years, if Congress would but take note of their condition. The men who served in the old Life-Saving Service were not housed so well, and had a great deal more danger in their duties than in present days. It is but a few years ago when the beach had its wrecks after every storm—from the fleet of schooners that in those days traded north and south. Today the Coast Guard Service, living in comparative comfort, with but now and then a taste of danger, is well cared for in case of injury or disability. The veterans of the L.S.S. were surfmen bred, could launch a lifeboat in the teeth of a storm, dared wind and wave and sleet and snow. Now they are old—and forgotten. A rich government can succor all Europe, but it forgets its own employees who risked life in its service and were disabled in work as heroic, and in danger as great as that of the brave and gallant soldiers on the field of battle. It is time that these few men, who are being so fast taken away by the hand of death were given their due by Congress. ONE-ROOM SCHOOLS The one-room school has been for the past fifteen years relegated to the dump heap by the school men of the country. The fad has been to close wherever possible one-room schools and carry the children to the nearest graded school. The indictment made by the school men against the country school contains so many and such damning counts, that it has in most places jumped its bail and fled away in sheer terror of the charges. The schoolmen may be all right—but once in awhile facts have a strange way of suddenly confronting fads, and chucking the fads off the highway into the brush. Last year and this, for instance, the best attendance in any school in Ocean County has been Cedar Crest, a backwoods, one-room school. This school has had for the first quarter this year, a perfect attendance, not a pupil being absent or even late. One of its pupils wrote the essay sent to represent Ocean County in a national and state essay contest. Figures from attendance records of county schools, as given out by the County Superintendent, and published in our news columns, show that the best attendance has been in some one-room schools, and that some of the two-room schools furnish the second best attendance records, outstripping both the high and grade schools in the large towns... NEWS FROM HOME It is not a thing of beauty, its print is sometimes blurred, But I like to read its pages; yes, I read it every word. When I am feeling kind of blue, it will drive away a frown Just to read the little paper from my Old Home Town. I like to read of those I knew in days of long ago; I like to know what's happening to Mr. So and So. No matter what my spirits are, if they be up or down, I like to read the paper from my old Home Town. I am going back some day to see the folks I left behind; I want to see the places that still linger in my mind. 'Twill always be the same to me, no matter where I roam-- The town I left when but a boy will always seem like home. Next to going back again, the thing that is most near, Is the little weekly paper; it always brings me cheer. So, no matter what my troubles, if they be up or down, I always like the paper from my old Home Town. Send it to me every week, no matter what the cost; If I miss a copy I feel there's something lost. I want to get it regular, where'er I chance to roam-- The little weekly paper from the town I once called home. Sent in as a clipping, origin unknown, by a Courier reader in Pine Beach. REVIVAL OF SMUGGLING Apparently there is no attempt made by the Federal Government—save that put forth by the prohibition enforcement officers—to stop the smuggling of liquors on the coast. The Coast Guard service, as the name borne by its ships—revenue cutters—indicate, was originated to stop smuggling as a trade. But the revenue cutters have no interest whatever in smuggling of liquors. Any one who has a knowledge of the coast knows that with active cooperation between a few fast revenue cutters at sea and the coast guards on the beaches, smuggling could be reduced to a minimum. If the trade of the smugglers is to be revived, big importers in New York of high-priced, yet small, articles may find it more profitable to smuggle their furs, laces, jewelry, art objects, etc., via the rum-runners route rather than by the old way of buying up customs officers in New York port. The unlawful drug trade in narcotics has already, it seems, taken advantage of the smuggling by rum-runners to get their stuff from Germany and Japan into the United States. If President Harding, Attorney General Daugherty and Secretary Mellon mean what they say, when they talk of enforcing the prohibition law, they could readily cut off at least 75 per cent of the smuggling, by putting a Coast Guard officer of the type of Captain McLellan, who was so long on this coast, in charge of the Coast Guard cutters and patrolmen, and telling him to clean it up. LESSON OF USEFUL LIVES No editorial ever written, no sermon ever preached, no oration ever delivered could be so forceful or so eloquent as a busy, useful life. Ocean County, in the past fortnight, has lost three men whose lives had been of that sort. There is a choke in the voice when we meet on the street and speak to one another of the death of “Neal” Kelly, of “Doctor” Austin, or of “Jimmie” Holman. These men occupied a large place in the thoughts and affections of their communities. Kelly and Holman were of old county families and had spent their lives here, with widespread interests, one in the oyster industry, the other in the cranberry industry, and both had been prominent in the development of his particular industry, so that to him the county owed much for its material development. Dr. Austin came here in 1905. For years, as a pastor at Toms River, since then as a comer and goer among us, he was loved at Toms River as it is given few men to be loved by a community... HEADLINE NEWSP.R.R. DEALS HEAVY BLOWS AT FUTURE OF SHORE RESORTS RAILROAD VOTES TO GIVE UP ISLAND HEIGHTS SPUR [2023 Note: this marks the beginning of a 50-year reduction and elimination of passenger rail service to the Toms River area and most of Ocean County, with passenger service to Toms River ending in the 1950s, apart from one final special passenger train “saying goodbye” to Toms River in March 1972, something residents and officials often lament. Freight service to area sand and industrial supply plants continued but declined and was ended by Conrail when they said the bridge crossing into Toms River was too weakened for their trains in December 1981.] If the plans of the Pennsylvania Railroad are carried out, the thriving Borough of Island Heights, and its companion summer resort of Money Island, are facing ruin. It is stated on what seems indisputable authority that the Island Heights Railroad Company, the subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which owns and operates the spur from Pine Beach Junction, across Toms River, via the railroad bridge, to Island Heights, has voted by its board of directors to ask the Utility Board of New Jersey to allow it to discontinue service to Island Heights. The reason alleged is that this service is costing more than it brings on, or does not pay, and further, that it will be necessary to repair, or rebuild, the railroad bridge across Toms River, and that this will add another $100,000 to the expenses [$1.76 million in 2023 dollars]—and there is now way of getting this money. On the other hand, to discontinue the service would spell ruin to both Island Heights and Money Island. Communities that now have railroad service, and have been built upon railroad service would go backward instead of forward were that service stopped. The nearest depot to Island Heights that could be reached by land with the Pennsylvania Railroad service there wiped out, and the railroad bridge removed, is that at Toms River, a distance of four miles. What effect it would have upon the commuting population of Island Heights to have to add a four-mile trip by auto to the railroad journey to and from Philadelphia, can be surmised. There could be but one way of relief, and that would be to compel the county to build an automobile bridge across the river, where the railroad bridge is now, and maintain a draw tender there, or, otherwise, for a private corporation to thus build and maintain a bridge, charging toll. With a bridge across the river at this spot, the railroad depot at Pine Beach could be made to do service for Island Heights and Money Island also. The Island Heights railroad bridge was built in the early eighties [1880s]. Prior to the construction of this bridge, access by rail to Island Heights was via Toms River. Passengers left the train at Toms River, and either drove to Island Heights in carriages, of which there were a number running, or else went by sailboats, there being a considerable fleet at Toms River in those days, or by steamboat, as there was a good-sized steamer running from Toms River to Seaside Park, via Island Heights, capable of carrying two or three hundred passengers. One of these steamers was a side-wheeler, the Florence, and another a screw propeller, the Seaside Park. These took on passengers at about where the Central Railroad depot now stands [today where the two billboards stand on Route 166 when driving northbound into downtown Toms River; the roadway that separates the station site from the riverfront was not there and Flint Road was the original main highway] also at other times from the dock near where the Crabbe boathouse is now, and again from the cove on the east side of Cedar Point, where a large dock was built out into the river, and a spur run to it from the Central Railroad line. When the Pennsylvania Railroad, in the early eighties, built its road from Whitings to Toms River, and announced that it would cross the bay to Seaside Park, and also build a bridge across Toms River, it aroused a great deal of opposition at Toms River. The boatmen fought the bridges in the courts, alleging that the draw spans that the P.R.R. proposed for both bay and river bridges would interfere with navigation. In the end the railroad won, and the bridges were both built. It is understood that the Island Heights Association, which was at that time developing Island Heights, and which saw the necessity of a railroad communication if they were to make a success of their resort, built the Island Heights bridge and railroad and leased it to the Island Heights Railroad Company, a creature of the P.R.R., for a term of ninety-nine years, one of the considerations being that the railroad should provide service for the length of the lease. There is probably but one member of the original Island Heights Association still living. Rev. Ananias Lawrence, of Island Heights. The stock in the old Association, after it had sold its lots, and the borough had been formed and had taken over its streets, was sold for a song, and its owners would probably have little or no interest in fighting to retain the railroad services. This is, however, not the first attempt to abandon the railroad to Island Heights. Something over a year ago the Pennsylvania Railroad officials worked a squeeze play on Pine Beach, by which they hoped to compel the residents of Pine Beach to be the real applicants for the stoppage of the Island Heights trains. The railroad took away the station agent at Pine Beach, alleging that the spur, running from Pine Beach to Island Heights, cost so much that they could not afford to maintain an agent at Pine Beach. The citizens of that resort naturally replied that they should not be made to suffer for losses made by running trains to Island Heights. At that time the railroad's real motive was explained in The Courier, prominent residents of Island Heights were aroused, and the whole matter had to be abandoned till a more favorable time. That more favorable time is supposed to be now. However, it is not likely that Island Heights and Money Island will allow themselves to be deprived of railroad service without a protest. Island Heights Borough would lose so large a part of its assessed valuation by the drop in land values, that it must take a hand in the fight, while people who have bought summer homes there, on the implied promise of the railroad to run trains there, are likely also to make a fight, rather than to see the value of their properties cut in half, and the ability they have possessed of reaching their summer homes by rail, taken away. Money Island offers another proposition, and involves the Township of Dover. Here, too, there would be a loss in taxes, through lowered valuations, if the summer residents are not able to come by rail. Dover Township Committee is, therefore, interested, and should be represented before the Utility Board at any attempt to abandon this railroad service. The County of Ocean is also interested, for, should the railroad abandon its service, there is no doubt but that every effort would be made by the residents of Island Heights to have the county build an automobile bridge across the river. This would mean a considerable expense, even should the railroad, as it once offered to, give its present bridge to the county. On the other hand, if the railroad stops service, it may, under the terms of its lease, lose all its interest in the bridge, and thus not be able to turn it over to the county. The whole situation is one that might have to be settled in the courts if the railroad persists in its alleged plan of getting out of running trains across the river to Island Heights. It has been suggested that instead of maintaining a regular train at the Island Heights spur, with a steam locomotive, and full train crew, the railroad might substitute a gasoline motor bus, such as has been used on the Union Transportation Company, running through New Egypt, at a considerable saving of expense. There is also a persistent story to the effect that Island Heights is not the only spur to be given up. Last fall an application was made to the Interstate Commerce Commission, asking that the Pennsylvania Railroad be allowed to discontinue its service on the upper end of Long Beach, from the junction at the bridge, up through Surf City, Harvey Cedars, High Point to Barnegat City. Today the rumor is that another spur on the line from Camden, that which runs into Brown's Mills, is also marked for discontinuance. Brown's Mills, a few years ago, was bought by B.C. Mayo, the founder of Beachwood, and its development was started in connection with the Philadelphia Press. There has been considerable growth at Brown's Mills, though the project was not so successful as that at Beachwood. Nor would Brown's Mills suffer as much as Island Heights and the withdrawal of the spur train, as motor 'busses could there handle the traffic. The trouble at Island Heights hinges upon the fact that there is a river to cross and a bridge to maintain. == DEEP REWIND: ISLAND HEIGHTS RAILROAD BRIDGE OPENS, JULY 2, 1884 VISITING ISLAND HEIGHTS AN EXCURSION TO CELEBRATE THE ADVENT OF THE RAILROAD PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER About five hundred people, residents of Camden and this city, went to Island Heights, New Jersey, yesterday, on an excursion given by the Pennsylvania Railroad to celebrate the opening of the Island Heights railroad. Island Heights is on Toms River, about three miles from the village of that name, and five miles from the Berkeley Arms, the well-known hotel. The railroad is about two miles long, and extends from the Philadelphia and Long Branch Road across Toms River to the Heights. A substantial bridge, 1600 feet long, has been built at the cost of about $11,000, and there are now four through trains daily each way to and from Philadelphia, and sixteen trains arriving and departing at the Heights every day. Among the passengers were many of the prominent business and professional men of Camden and vicinity with their families. As the railroad has already been leased and turned over to the Pennsylvania there were no formal exercises. The excursionists returned to the city about nine o'clock. The advent of the railroad has greatly stimulated building operations, and nearly a score of houses are in course of construction. There are now about 175 cottages on the ground, ranging in value from $100 to $7000, and over 100 families have already taken up their residence there for the summer. Returning momentarily to 1923-- HEARING ON BARNEGAT R.R. ABANDONMENT APPLICATION The heaviest blows ever struck at the prosperity of the shore resorts in Ocean County are now coming from the Pennsylvania Railroad, in its efforts to abandon the Barnegat Railroad, running up Long Beach from the Junction to Barnegat City [today Barnegat Light], and in its reported effort to abandon the spur to Island Heights. In each instance the resorts affected by the proposed abandonment have grown because people bought and built in them, with the implied agreement that the railroad would furnish service—which service is now to be withdrawn, if the railroad has its way. What makes matters worse, and seems to show up the railroad managers in an even less admirable light, is that the P.R.R. has a monopoly of transportation to all the Ocean County shore resorts, and further, that while it has spent large amounts of money in advertising and in train service, on the upper and lower beaches of this state, where it has competition, it has done very little to help the growth of the Ocean County resorts. It has denied them service they have asked for, and that seemed necessary for their growth, and its advertising appropriations have passed them by. A hearing was held at Trenton Tuesday, before the Public Utility Commission on the application of the railroad to withdraw its service from Barnegat City, Harvey Cedars and Surf City. This application was made to the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the hearing was given by the state body for the federal board. Allen Strong, of New Brunswick, appeared for the railroad; Judge. M.L. Berry represented the Township of Long Beach, the Boroughs of Surf City and Barnegat City, Ocean County Board of Freeholders, the Long Beach Board of Trade, the North Long Beach Improvement Association and others. Judge Berry denied the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission on the ground that the railroad lies entirely in New Jersey, and the have, he claims, no authority in such cases. Mr. Strong contended that the commission had jurisdiction, in that the road carried interstate traffic. No application had been made to the State Utility Board. Mr. Strong asserted that in his opinion they had no jurisdiction, but it was decided the road should make an application to the state board, and the same testimony should be considered by it. The railroad mustered their statistics to show that the Barnegat Railroad had an accumulated deficit of $149,000. Further that there was nothing in sight to show that there was likely to be increased receipts. They also showed that since the building of the county road to Barnegat City the railroad receipts had fallen off greatly. It was argued by Judge Berry that the railroad could cut its expenses greatly by putting on a gasoline motor car, with a smaller crew, the one car to carry both freight and passengers. The railroad objected that this would mean a further capital outlay. There were about forty witnesses summoned for the opposition. Tuesday, R.A. Meyers, the fish pound man at Barnegat City, showed that he had paid in freights himself nearly $10,000 a year to the railroad. Director W.H. Savage, of the Board of Freeholders, was also on the stand. The hearing will be resumed February 6. RAIL LINK ABANDONMENT: ISLAND HEIGHTS RESPONDS Word that the P.R.R. intends abandoning the Island Heights spur and bridge is anything but pleasing to most of our residents. Just what action will be taken is not yet determined. Some of the residents will without doubt fight it in the courts and before the Utility Board. From word received here within the past few days it seems as though the rumor of the abolishing of the bridge had passed that stage and the report was about to become an actual reality. The facts seem to be that the railroad officials have passed resolutions to suspend traffic over it and that these resolutions will be sustained in the courts. It is understood that they are willing to leave the bridge itself that it may be converted into an automobile bridge should the people so desire. It is creating somewhat of excitement and brings out a number of various opinions regarding it. In all probability a very strenuous effort will be made to retain it, the majority of the residents feeling that its loss would be a detriment to the Heights. Too much like a backward step. We might compare it to an exchange of an electric light for a tallow dip. A few seem to think the change would not be a bad failure. We would prefer not to have the tryout made, however. FLASH FORWARD: CALL HEARING ON LONG DELAYED CASE ISLAND HEIGHTS BRIDGE ABANDONMENT WILL BE DECIDED BY HANSON NEXT WEEK ASBURY PARK PRESS JULY 15, 1932 TOMS RIVER—A hearing which is expected to finally dispose of the question of abandoning the Island Heights railroad bridge will be held here next Wednesday before a representative of the state board of public utilities, parties interested in the controversy were notified yesterday. The question has engaged the public utilities board for over two years. The Pennsylvania railroad, alleging it has found the operation of a spur from Pine Beach to Island Heights unprofitable, is asking permission to discontinue the service and substitute motor bus service from Toms River to Island Heights. The Island Heights boro council has opposed abandonment of rail service claiming motor bus service could not be depended upon as a permanent arrangement. The attitude of the railroad is supported by a group of yachtsmen in Island Heights who are anxious to see the drawbridge removed because they claim it interferes with boating. The county board of freeholders is being asked to have a representative at the hearing which will be conducted by Commissioner Thomas Hanson. FLASH FORWARD: ISLAND HEIGHTS GETS RIVERFRONT LAND VACATED BY SHORE RAILROAD ASBURY PARK PRESS MAY 23, 1935 ISLAND HEIGHTS—This boro has just acquired title to a strip of land 1,340 feet in length along the riverfront. The land, formerly the property of the Pennsylvania railroad may be developed in the future for use as a public bathing beach or for boating activities, boro officials indicate. Title to the property was transferred to the boro thru Walter Carson, boro solicitor, for a consideration of one dollar. The strip of land had previously been used for the road bed of a railroad line running into Island Heights. Last year, when the railroad secured permission to abandon this line, a railroad bridge across the Toms River here was taken out and the tracks running along the shore were torn up. Private property owners and boro officials were both anxious to secure title to the property so vacated. Edwin J. Schoettle, prominent yachtsman here, has a private dock built into the river on the property and has had a fence erected along the major portion of the land to keep the public out. The deed by which the railroad conveys the property to the boro expressly states that the land is dedicated for public use, but give the owners of adjacent property on River avenue the authority to build and maintain private docks at their own expense. Such docks, however, are subject to the “reasonable regulation” of the boro council. The deed provides that no boathouse or bathhouse may be built on the property or on the docks over the water. These clauses in the deed will apply to property owned by E. Swift Newton, as well as to Schoettle's property, it is said. The newly acquired land is at the western edge of the boro and borders on River avenue. It has a width of 20 feet at the eastern end and deepens gradually to a width of 180 feet at the western end. The land originally belonged to the Island Heights Association, the corporation that owned and developed the town as a summer resort. It was later transferred in 1885 to the Island Heights railroad and subsequently to the Philadelphia and Long Branch railroad and to the Pennsylvania and Atlantic railroad. Under the terms of the earlier deeds, it is said, the owners of the property have the authority to terminate any lease within 30 days. Carson has been instructed, officials said, to notify any property owners affected that fences and other obstructions to the property must be removed within the 30 day period. And now, back to 1923 for good-- APPLEBY TO SAVE “OLD BARNEGAT LIGHT” $100,000 TO BUILD JETTIES IN APPROPRIATION BILL Washington, D.C., Dec. 15.—After a long fight, extending over a period of nearly two years, Congressman Appleby finally succeeded in securing an appropriation of $100,000 for the preservation of the Barnegat Lighthouse. Mr. Appleby made an earnest effort last year to secure this appropriation but after numerous conferences and inspections, in which he secured the support of both President Harding and Secretary of Commerce Hoover, he was finally turned down by the Bureau of the Budget and the Appropriation Committee, due largely to the opposition of the Bureau of Lighthouses, which had planned to abandon this lighthouse and substitute a lightship some two or three miles off shore... SILVERTON MAN NABS RUM RUNNERS OFF SANDY HOOK The daily papers report that last week Loren Tilton, of Silverton, keeper of the Sandy Hook Coast Guard crew, rounded up two boats of the rum-running flotilla, as they attempted to enter the Hook, and seized men, boats and liquor. On Friday last he and his crew of Ocean County lads picked up a motorboat containing 150 cases of champagne, said to be valued at present day bootlegger's prices at $30,000. Two men, William Bennett and Rufus Bailey, of Atlantic Highlands, were running the boat. On Monday Tilton and his crew also seized a motorboat, laden with 50 cases of whiskey. Keeper Tilton and his crew picked up a third launch on Sunday, December 10. It contained 250 cases of whiskey, according to the story, and was manned by Ted Gaskin, of Long Branch, and Richard Rogers, of Wildwood. Both men were put in the guard house at Fort Hancock for the time being. The coast guards chased the power boat for five miles, and seeing they were being overhauled, the two men in the launch left her and took to a dory they had in tow, but the coast guards rounded up both the abandoned craft laden with whiskey and the crew in the dory. BAY HEAD TO FLORIDA Bay Head, Jan. 2.—“The Enterprise” sailed down Barnegat Bay Friday, when C. Blackburn Miller and party left for a two months' yachting tour of southern waters. The Enterprise is rated as one of the finest sailing yachts sailing in Barnegat Bay from Atlantic City to Bay Head. It is built of solid mahogany and is 66 feet over all. It is propelled by a twin 400-horse power engine, with super heating plant. The Enterprise has four cabins, one for crew, which consists of Capt. Charles Tilton, Mate William Clark and Engineer Jack Tilton. The party's first stop will be at Barnegat Inlet, from where they will take the outer course to Cape May, from there going inland to Norfolk, Va. From Norfolk they take the southern island water way all the way to Key West, Fla. After touring the southern waters and the Gulf of Mexico they expect to return home here about the middle of March. Mr. Miller takes this trip every year. He is a member of the Bay Head Yacht Club and is well known in the Bay Head summer colony. EXPECT ZR-1 TO BE DONE AT LAKEHURST ON JUNE 1ST Washington, D.C., Dec. 6.—Approval of all elements of design and construction of the airship ZR-1, being assembled at Lakehurst, N.J., for use of the navy, has been given by a group of engineers and experts appointed by the national advisory committee for aeronautics. Tests were made at the request of the navy department, which expects the work of assembly to be completed in about seven months. Announcing that its examiners had failed to find any flaws in the specifications for the ZR-1, or in the materials used, the committee said it was certain the new airship would prove “measurably stronger” than the ZR-2, which met with disaster in England with a heavy loss of life. Specifications for the ZR-1 call for a rigid craft, 680 feet long and 78 feet in diameter, built of duralumin trusses and girders. There will be 20 separate gas bags, with a total capacity of 2,155,200 cubic feet, covered by a single envelope. Six separate cars will be suspended from her keel, each carrying a 300-horsepower engine. The fundamental design was based on the German Zeppelin L-49. SPECIAL REPORT: FOUR LOCAL MEN MAROONED IN BAY. SPENT THIRTY-SIX HOURS ON WATER, ALMOST WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER. COLDEST NIGHT OF WINTER. FREEHOLD TRANSCRIPT, Jan. 19, 1923 The lure of succulent clams that grow with the right flavor, they say, only in Barnegat bay, nearly proved the undoing of a party of four Freehold men, Councilman Charles H. Clayton and Benjamin Quackenbush of Freehold, and DeWitt Christian and Cornelius Hampton of Jerseyville. Driving down to Forked River Tuesday morning they went aboard the good ship Marie, cast anchor and pulled out in the stream and thence out into the bay. Taking a southeastwardly course (for they know where the best clams are) they had reached a point about five miles from the nearest land when the rudder rope broke and the wind carried the frail craft upon a sand flat. Working diligently for an hour, they succeeded in floating the craft again but it was only for a few minutes as the boat again drifted back on the flats. When midafternoon came the party desisted from their labors to extricate themselves long enough to devour the few sandwiches members of the party had brought with them. Expecting to return home in the early afternoon, but little food had been taken and little time was consumed in removing all the food in sight. Further efforts to move the boat off the flat failing, a distress signal was raised but it was now growing dark, the wind was blowing a gale and their signals were unseen by human eyes. Despairing of succor that night the four men decided to make the best of their predicament and they set about making the little cabin as comfortable as possible. Closing all possible openings, hanging a heavy blanket over the open end of the cabin, and lighting a little oil stove, each of the men made himself as comfortable as possible and settled down for the night. They soon found that it was difficult to settle down, however, as that night the thermometer registered 14 above zero, the coldest of the winter. There was no sleep for any member of the party, and when morning came there was little relief in sight and apparently less food. A member of the party, however, discovered in the ice box a loaf of bread, left there on November 22, as well as some coffee. As there was no water aboard ship with which to make coffee, this offered slight consolation, but in the bread, tho hard and mouldy, there was a ray of hope. Messrs Clayton, Quackenbush, Christian and Hampton now came to know what some of the boys in France suffered from hunger, and they were ready to duplicate some of their deeds in devouring anything in the shape of food. Removing the outer covering of the bread and tasting the interior of the baked dough, they declare they found it deliciously palatable. But one loaf of stale bread, and part of that spoiled by time, did not make a very hearty meal for four famished men who had involuntarily braved the rigors of the coldest night of the winter on the water, and they were fast nearing the stage of actual distress. When the distress signal floating from the little boat had brought no response at three o'clock Wednesday afternoon, DeWitt Christian, believing it a case of life and death for the entire party, put off in a small row boat in an endeavor to reach land and bring aid to the remainder of the party. Rowing five miles across the bay he succeeded, after breaking the ice for 200 yards from shore and wading thru the shallow water, in landing his boat on land about a mile and a half from life saving station No. 2. Here he was met by members of the life saving crew, who had started cutting a passage thru the ice to launch a boat and come to the rescue, but they received advice from the Barnegat City life saving crew that a crew had put out from there and that the men on the little boat would be rescued. Mr. Christian, his hands nearly frozen, was taken into life saving station No. 2 and provided with all comforts. Not aware of just what was transpiring on shore, Messrs. Clayton, Quackenbush and Hampton had about given up home of rescue that night and were preparing to spend another night on the little boat when, near 5 o'clock p.m. a life saving boat with a crew of nine men from the Barnegat life saving station bumped into their little craft. To hear members of the marooned party tell it, they were nimble enough, despite the cold weather, in climbing aboard the large boat from the life saving station. Soon they were inside the station and there a hearty meal awaited them. Never was good food more relished. In the meantime relatives of all the men were spending hours of torturing apprehension in their homes and much use was made of the telephone without result until late evening, when word came from the life saving station that a crew of life savers had gone out to the rescue and a little later that the members of the party were safe in the life saving station and would reach home that night. Messrs. Clayton, Quackenbush and Hampton reached Freehold at 2 o'clock yesterday morning and Mr. Christian, who remained at life saving station No. 2 over night, reached home before noon yesterday, having been compelled to walk several miles along the beach to reach a railroad station. Some of the members of the marooned party had a somewhat similar experience last summer, except that the weather was warm and pleasant and, after having been marooned on a sand bar over night they were rescued next morning by members of the crew at the Barnegat light house. The Freehold members of the party who own the boat Marie, were perfectly satisfied yesterday to leave the rescuing of their boat to the life saving station crew. They say that when they go clamming again it will be in warm weather—and they will take a better supply of food with them. ASKS AID FOR OLD DISABLED LIFE-SAVERS The following plea for the old and disabled Life-Savers is made by Commander Charles H. McLellan, who is known among veterans as “the man who made the service.” No person is better qualified to speak for the men who served under him than is he. Congress should heed this just plea. New York, Jan. 3, 1923 Editor New Jersey Courier: Permit me to thank you for the able and truthful editorial in your issue of the 23d ult. entitled “Those Old Life Savers,” and may I, one of their old commanders from 1878 to the time of their discharge, add my mite in their behalf. There is no comparison between the dangers, hardships and compensation these old petitioners endured under the regime of the old Life Saving Service, with that of the men serving in the Coast Guard Service, on the same duty. Some of these old men in their early years of the service were paid the munificent sum of forty-five dollars a month, supplied their own bedding and table ware. The old station houses were hastily and poorly built; no laths or plaster, and offered but little resistance to the cold winter winds. Their boats and beach apparatus were not of the approved patterns of the present day, and they had the advantage of the telephone but a few years before their discharge. During their time in the service there was great activity in the coasting trade, and two, three, and four-masted schooners were passing up and down the coast in an endless procession. Many of them were caught out in the winter gales, and driven on shore. Some winters we had from twenty to thirty wrecks on the New Jersey coast alone, and seldom was there a life lost, owing to the watchfulness and courage of these old petitioners. During one winter's gale and driving snow storm, two station crews a little south of Sandy Hook, landed the crews from three wrecked vessels in one night without the loss of a man. Possibly one or more of these petitioners were members of those station crews, and took part in this remarkable rescue work. If not, with their length of service, they were in some rescue work equally as commendable. Some of them have gold or silver medals given to them by the government for risking their lives to save others; even foreign governments have commended them for rescuing shipwrecked crews from their vessels. When they become too old to serve they were pensioned for one year on full pay, and at the expiration of the year, and on application, and the strongest endorsement of their officers, and closest scrutiny of their record, the pension was extended another year and then they were dropped from the rolls and left to shift for themselves after giving the best years of their lives to the service on a salary that was not sufficient for a family and to save something for their old age. Because of the scarcity of sailing vessels on our coast of late years there are but few shipwrecks as compared with when the petitioner served, occasionally a steamer; in fact, quite a number of the stations have been abandoned on that account. A few years before their separation from the service, the Government commenced building modern stations, giving them more of the comforts of a home, and furnishing improved self-bailing boats, with motors, this reducing their dangers and labors; the men of the present Coast Guard enjoy all of these advantages, with wireless, increased pay, furnace heat, bath rooms, hot and cold running water and a pension for life upon reaching retirement age or disability received in the service. There are but a few of the old life-savers left, and they should receive the same considerations as their successors. It was by their daring and heroic work that made the U.S. Life Saving Service, the model life-saving service of the world, admitted to be so by all its competitors. A bill has just passed Congress raising the pension of thousands of Civil War veterans to seventy-two dollars per month, for serving three years, some but a few weeks, for killing thousands of men and destroying millions of dollars worth of property. These few hundred old men served twenty and thirty or more years, saving thousands of lives and millions of dollars of vessel property, and Congress hesitates to give them justice. C.H. McLELLAN Commander U.S.C.G. (Retired.) POINT PLEASANT TO LAKEWOOD TROLLEY TO BE SOLD FOR DEBT An advertisement now running in The Courier tells that the franchise, real estate and all other property of the Trenton, Lakewood and Seacoast Railroad Company is to be sold by order of the Court of Chancery, on Wednesday, January 3, the sale to take place at Clark's Landing, Point Pleasant. This company was organized to build a trolley line between Lakewood and Point Pleasant, and eventually to be continued to Trenton. The line between Lakewood and Point Pleasant was graded, poles were set, ties were delivered on the ground and rails were laid for a considerable distance. The promoters found it impossible to finance the project to completion and no work has been done on the line in several years. BIG BAY HEAD PROPERTY SALE Arthur Strickland recently closed a large real estate transaction to a syndicate of local summer residents for the property from the southern end of Bay Head to the north line of Mantoloking Borough, a piece about a mile long, for $150,000 [$2.6 million in 2023 dollars]. It was bought from the estate of the late Frederick W. Downer, of Mantoloking. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held on Wednesday evening, December 27, and the following officers were elected: President, Charles N. Warner; vice-president, O.E. Payne; secretary, F.G. Bunnell; treasurer, George B. Dodd; trustee, Edward Crabbe, J.P. Evernham, H.A. Hanson. The secretary stated that he had a long letter from a Mr. Smith, in Brooklyn, a descendant of Capt. William Tom, who is supposedly the man after whom Toms River was named, and who gave the date of the visit of his distinguished ancestry to this section as the summer of 1693 [an aberration in the newsprint repeats the dates at 1673 and gives no clarification]. The secretary suggested that it would be well to celebrate the occasion next summer. A committee, consisting of Mr. Bunnell, George W. Hallock, Captain Elwell, Mr. Ewart and William H. Fischer was appointed to look into the matter and report at a later date... Other matters discussed included river improvement: 1. The removal of the sandspit, and the menace to health and morals it presents. 2. The formation of some system of control of docking space at Huddy Park, so that transient craft can tie there, and it will not be all the time occupied by squatters who stay from year to year. 3. The acquisition by the town of the Water Street front along Robbins Cove, in front of the Beatty, Brant, Lambert and Kleinhans properties, dredging the cove and making dock room there. Better street lighting was also discussed from many angles. The widening of the hole in the wall [local term for the alley-sized Hyers Street at Washington Street, which once had part of an adjacent building spanning over top], placing of traffic posts and other street problems were talked over. TWO LOST AS RUM RUNNER IS SUNK OFF BARNEGAT New York, Jan. 2.—The two-masted schooner sunk off Barnegat, N.J., in collision with the tanker Nora Saturday, with the loss of two of her crew, was identified last night by A.M. Beebe, of the United New Jersey and Sandy Hook Pilots' Benevolent Association, as the Jeanette, of Haifax. Five of the Jeanette's crew were saved. The Nora, from New York to Tampico, was going full steam ahead through a heavy fog, said Captain Beebe, when she hit the Jeanette amidships, cutting her in two and sending her to the bottom almost instantly. The Jeanette was understood to have been bound north from Nassau, Bahamas, to St. Pierre Miquelon, off the Grand Banks. The Nora reversed her engines and put over a couple of boats, Captain Beebe said, but only five of the Jeanette's crew could be found struggling in the water. The Nora then steamed back forty miles to the Ambrose lightship, where the survivors were transferred to the pilot boat New York, which brought them to Staten Island. RUM-RUNNING CRAFT AS VICTIMS OF THE STORM The fleet of small fishing schooners lying off the coast to get their cargoes of rum smuggled ashore are said to have mostly left these waters before the storm last week, but the few that were left were badly handled by the storm of Thursday night, December 28. One small schooner ran aground and was abandoned by her crew inside Sandy Hook; a motorboat, whose papers proved to be spurious, came ashore at Manasquan; a schooner was beached near Fire Island and another on Cape Cod. The three schooners still had their cargoes aboard, it was reported, when they struck. OCEAN GATE PROGRESS The following plans for the year 1923 are outlined by Councilman James Mellville for the property owners at Ocean Gate, telling what council hopes to accomplish, and why: The Borough Council has prepared its budget for 1923 as advertised and has not for a moment neglected the interest of our people. The Council has done its best to give the people a pleasing budget, which includes electric lights, a comfort station on Wildwood Avenue, good roads and a pier on Angelsea Avenue. Regarding the latter there is much criticism by some of our citizens, who think another pier is not needed. Our Council think it is very much needed because many people spend $3.62 to come down to Ocean Gate [the cost of train fare on the Pennsylvania Railroad, with its station in town, adjusted for inflation is $63.95 in 2023 dollars]; some have neither machines nor boats, and we must cater to transient visitors if we want a better and greater Ocean Gate. We must show the people something above the ordinary, and while Ocean Gate is a garden spot of the world, there are few if any amusements for young people and we must get them. When we can give them a pier and all the other items that are included in this year's budget, which is about $1500.06 [$26,500.79 in 2023 dollars] less than 1922, meaning a lower tax rate, and at the same time we are putting Ocean Gate on the map to stay, we would like to have a little more co-operation to build Ocean Gate up to the minute. Piers are essential and all lovers of the water must have them, and when we are improving the town and not burdening the taxpayers with a heavy tax like some of our neighboring towns, we think the objectors should come out and be real sports and put their shoulder to the wheel and push forward for a better and greater Ocean Gate. There are thousands of lots at Ocean Gate unimproved, we must induce the holders of these lots to build cottages and make it a real town. We are putting through an ordinance compelling each property owner to lay a gravel walk in front of his property for pedestrians. At the present time, on account of the automobiles and rains there is no place for a person to walk without wading through puddles, and on the road you are in danger of being splashed by passing vehicles. For the children it is particularly dangerous; it is also hard on the women's white shoes. It will only cost about $5 for twenty feet so you can readily see that it is not expensive and it will shape up the town wonderfully and make traveling more up to date. We also have in progress two large signs on the Shore Boulevard [today Route 9], one at the entrance of Pine Beach and one at Mott's corner, Ocean Gate entrance. There are millions of people going up and down the Shore Boulevard and we insist they know something about the location of Ocean Gate. OCEAN GATE SECOND PIER INVITES CONTROVERSY You've heard about the bull in a china shop? And about the fellow who struck Billy Paterson? Well, they were sewed up in a bag and thrown overboard last Monday afternoon, when Had Graham, Borough Clerk, threw the monkey-wrench into the machinery and read into the 1923 budget an item designed to place a pier at the foot of Angelsea Avenue. Regardless of the parliamentary rule that precludes debate on first reading, an argument started. Finally the mayor took the bull by the horns and cut off all debate, telling the members that ample opportunity would be given them to air their views at the next meeting of Council, which will be held January 13, at 8 P.M., in the fire house. We need a “comfy” station, a casino, a few more piers, and a lot of other things, and we should not rest contented with only a fire house, one pier and a yacht club. WOMAN KILLED BY C.R.R. TRAIN FRIDAY NIGHT Cautioned by the crew of the northbound train to be on the lookout for a woman's body along the track between Lakehurst and Toms River, the crew of the late train from New York on Friday night last, December 15, found the mangled corpse of Mrs. Charles Johnson, of Toms River, better known as Rebecca (or Becky) Burke, by the railroad track just west of the westernmost of the two bridges that span the main brook of the Toms River, a half mile west of the village. The crew of the northbound train did not know they had hit any one till they found something the matter with their engine, and looking for the trouble, found a woman's skirts tangled in the machinery. At Lakehurst they left instructions for the southbound train crew to be on the watch. It was presumed from the blood on the track that Mrs. Johnson was lying on the bridge, near its west end, when the train hit her, and that she was flung and dragged for some distance. Dr. Frank Brouwer, the Coroner, said that death must have been instantaneous, as the skull was crushed in, also her right arm was crushed, and nearly severed from the body, the left arm broken near the shoulder, and the right leg at the knee. The body was otherwise cut and torn. The Johnsons occupied a houseboat in the river, at the Sandspit. It is supposed that she had been up the track to visit a friend, who has a shack or hut a little farther from where the body was found. Funeral services were held on Sunday, at 2 P.M., by Rev. W.W. Payne, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Lyn, in Berkeley, where she frequently worked. Burial Monday morning at Whitings. Mrs. Johnson was said to have been a member of the Burke family, in Jackson Township. Her first husband was named Hendrickson; the second Caldwell; the third Johnson. She leaves three grown-up children—James and Henry Hendrickson, one living in Pemberton, the other in Camden, and Mrs. Richter, also of Camden. Another story is told that the crew of the northbound train, which goes only to Lakehurst, knew nothing of the accident till they found blood on the left cylinder head when they put their car up in the round house; and that the crew on the southbound train, seeing something lying along the tracks, stopped, picked up the body, and brought it to Toms River. Frank Hartman is conductor and William Morton, engineer, on the local train that hit Mrs. Johnson. Both are well-known residents of Lakehurst. Harry VanNote and Theodore Brown, both Barnegat residents, are respectively conductor and engineer on the southbound train that picked up the body. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE URGES VOTE ON NEW SCHOOL HOUSE 14-ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE NOW A NECESSITY That there is a crying need for a new school building at Toms River to house the children of the community, and to do away with the half-time schedule now in effect for the seven lower grades in the Toms River school, and that it is the duty of the Board of Education again to submit to the voters of the township a plan for a new school house, were the salient natures of a resolution adopted by the Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday evening, January 10, by a unanimous vote of all present. The C. of C. also gave its unanimous approval and endorsement to a set of plans for a building with 14 class rooms prepared by Architect Clinton H. Cook of Asbury Park, which it is estimated can be built and equipped for $155,000. That there has been need for more school room has been no secret for the past six years. At that time there was not room for all the pupils, and the practice of renting rooms on the outside for a class here and a class there was adopted as a temporary measure. This practice grew till last winter, 1921-22, when one grade was house in the Town Hall, two in the old opera house (condemned and abandoned as a school house 20 years ago) and in the old fire house. Last year, the Board of Education submitted a plan for a new school-house, to cost about $200,000, and it was voted down by a large majority—so decisive was this majority, the board has been doubtful as to the success of submitting any other plan... OYSTER GROWING WORTH $10,000,000 YEARLY TO NEW JERSEY OYSTER MEN ...It is set forth that New Jersey's modern oyster industry began its development in 1848. From that time to the present the growth of oystering is traced, and it is shown how, under state control, there are now about 100,000 acres of New Jersey seed and oyster beds and that the annual product thereof is in excess of $10,000,000. As prepared under the direction of the department heads, New Jersey's history of the oyster is as follows: The beginning of the modern oyster industry in New Jersey dates from 1848, when two Delaware Bay oystermen who had loaded their boats for Philadelphia and New York markets found no demand for their product, and in consequence, weer forced to return with their cargo. On the way down the river they concluded not to put the load back on the natural beds, but to take the oysters on down the bay, nearer their homes. They put them overboard, placing stakes near the spot, expecting to take them up in a few days and return to market, but the glut continuing the oysters were left until warm weather and then over the summer. When the oystermen went to remove the oysters in the fall they had made such a remarkable growth that it gave these men the idea of catching or gathering the small oysters from the natural beds in the brackish waters of the bays, rivers and streams, and planting them farther down the bay, where the water is saltier. In the early days of the settlement of New Jersey it had been the custom of the Indians from as far distant as the Middle West, to travel to the coast and gather and roast shell fish, more especially the Quohog or hard clams, after which they were strung, dried and then carried back to the various tribes to which these Indians belonged. Only the matured shell fish were gathered from these original natural beds, and as they were allowed to mature, there was always an abundant supply. As the population increased, however, it was found that the shells could be used for various purposes, so that the depletion of the natural beds for purposes of food was accelerated by the commercial utilization of the shells... PROSECUTOR WANTS WHISKEY BACK FOR HOSPITAL USES Prosecutor Jayne said at the opening day of court that he had prepared papers, but had as yet taken no further action, to have brought back to Ocean County the cache of whiskey dug up in the summer of 1921 at Barnegat and later taken to Philadelphia by the Customs Department of the federal government, on the ground that it was smuggled into the United States without paying duty. The Prosecutor said that his purpose in asking, as he purposed doing, for the return of this whiskey to Ocean County was that he might have it distributed by court order among the hospitals of the state. There was supposedly between eight and nine hundred, some figured almost 1000 bottles, of the whiskey. It was found buried in the ground, back of Barnegat, on August 6, 1921. The ground where it was buried belonged to Assemblyman Ezra Parker. There were 103 bags, the bottles being packed in straw in the bags. The labels on the bottles were Haig and Haig, Old Crow, and Black and White. At the time of the seizure, Andry Grob, of the Extra Dry Cafe, Atlantic City, was held as the owner. He was convicted and sentenced, but when the Court of Errors upset the Van Ness Act (or whatever they did do to it), he escaped penalty. Also after the action of the Court of Errors on the Van Ness act, Inspector of Customs J. R. Agney came here from Philadelphia, removed the bags and took them to a bonded warehouse in Philadelphia. This removal was on Sunday morning, February 5, 1922. The finding of the whiskey made a big sensation in Ocean County. It was supposed to have been smuggled ashore from one of the first rum runners that reached the Jersey coast from the British Islands. Prosecutor Jayne said that he would take the matter up with the Customs authorities soon, and ask them for a conference. FIND NOW THAT DRUM LAST SUMMER DESTROYED OYSTERS In the last few weeks West Creek oyster planters have discovered that the drum fish last summer played havoc on their planted oyster beds, destroying thousands of dollars worth of what could have been marketable oysters this winter. It is assumed that the presence of the drum in Tuckerton Bay, or Little Egg Harbor, is explained by the opening of the Beach Haven Inlet. Before that opened the West Creek planters were not bothered by drum fish, though they cost the Tuckerton oyster growers, who planted in Great Bay, which opens into the sea through New Inlet, a large amount of stock... COAL SCARCITY WORSE THAN DURING WAR TIMES So far as part of New Jersey is concerned the scarcity of coal is seemingly worse now than during the war, in the hard winter of 1917-18. Coal of the domestic sizes seems almost impossible to get. The steam sizes, such as buckwheat, are being forced on the dealers in coal by the operators. Soft coal, which few people in this section know how to use, seems to be the only fuel obtainable just now. The greater part of the Ocean County shore has been burning wood all the fall. Folks trusted in the word of the federal fuel administrator, that if they would go light on coal til December they could have all they wanted, only to find, as has always been the case, that the coal shortage is being used to hold them up and make them pay more for coal, at a time when their bins are empty, their houses or business places, workshops, etc., cold, and fuel an absolute necessity... There has been more wood cut and sold for fuel in this neighborhood this fall than was the case during the war. At that time of shortage there were many folks who had some coal on hand, that they had bought in the summer or carried over from the previous winter. This fall found the average household coal bin scraped clean. Wood fires were difficult in these days when so large a percentage of the homes of the country are fitted with water pipes all over the house. That means if a fire goes on a cold night the plumber will be needed in the morning. Few people can keep a wood fire going all night. What will we do about it? DEATH OF JOHN WANAMAKER John Wanamaker, the most celebrated of retail merchants in this country, died at his home in Philadelphia on Tuesday, December 12, at the age of 84. He built up first, not only the Wanamaker and Brown clothing store, known as Oak Hall, famous a generation ago; then the huge store at Market, Chestnut and Thirteenth Streets, in the same city of Philadelphia; and still later bought the old A.T. Stewart Store in New York, and added to it greatly, so that he had two of the largest stores in the country. He is said to be the originator of modern methods of retailing, which we call the department store, and was also the father of modern methods in advertising retail goods. In this neighborhood the chief interest in Mr. Wanamaker, outside his stores, which are known to everybody, was in the Wanamaker camp at Island Heights, where the boys and girls from the Wanamaker stores in New York and Philadelphia spend their summer vacations. In the past years Mr. Wanamaker, who took a deep personal interest in these boys and girls, made occasional visits here. OCEAN GATE GIRL MARRIED Philadelphia, Dec. 11.—Among the marriage licenses issued last week was one to Irene M. Guest, noted swimmer of this city, and Sidney Loog, Jr., of 545 Levering street. Miss Guest, whose home is at 4400 Market Street, took second place in the 100-meter free-style women's race at the last year's Olympic games in Antwerp. She is 20 years old and a graduate of the West Philadelphia High School. The young woman, in addition to her natatorial skill, is a violinist, having appeared as a soloist at the Matinee Musical Club concerts. She is a daughter of Dr. and Mrs. George Clifton Guest, and has been a summer resident at Ocean Gate since that resort was started. Her father, Dr. Guest, ,has been Commodore of the Ocean Gate Yacht Club. She began her swimming career as a small girl at Ocean Gate. The wedding took place last evening, Thursday, December 14, at the Church of the Saviour, Thirty-eighth and Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia, and was a brilliant affair. Ocean Gate friends of the bride received cards. SHIPPING BLUEBERRY PLANTS Report from New Lisbon or Whitesbog, says that Miss Elizabeth White, the pioneer in cultivating the blueberry, or swamp huckleberry, recently shipped a carload of these bushes to a New York concern. DIDN'T LIKE OCEAN COUNTY, JUSTICE, SO HE LEFT JAIL Asking to be allowed to talk over the telephone on New Year's even, at the county jail, Herman Miller, [Black], serving a six months' term for stealing, slipped from the jail and disappeared. Miller made his request to Rowland C. Buckwalter, the night watchman, who let him out of the jail to talk over the 'phone in the warden's residence. Miller left a note for Warden Brown, saying that notwithstanding he voted for Governor Edwards, Judge Newman did not seem to like [Black] folks, and he felt he was discriminated against. He wrote that others, who had stolen more than he had were allowed to go on suspended sentence, and he was given six months' sentence, and he considered it unjust, so much so that he was going to Philadelphia and wasn't coming back. Tuesday night another prisoner in the jail got a letter from him that had been mailed that afternoon at 2:30 in Philadelphia. Miller was sentenced for stealing $3 worth of groceries from the Lexington Hotel, where he was working—said to have been a pound of coffee and three dozen eggs. All the neighborhood was scoured for him Sunday night, but he got away. BUCK DEER A-PLENTY ON FIRST DAY OF SEASON A large number of buck deer were killed the first day of the season by the amateur deer hunters that thronged the Jersey pines. Perhaps one man in twenty, or one in fifty, of the hunters brought home a deer, but then the rule is that when a party gets a deer every member shares the venison. The luckiest party reported to The Courier was that out with Adolph Arends, of Waretown, that brought back four, and had all four hanging in Arend's garage last night. Capt. Ben Asay, of Pershing, was a proud man, for his son, Ben, Jr., killed a seven-snag buck, weighing 250 pounds. Ben will have the antlers and head mounted. Postmaster Ben F. Butler, of Bayville, brought in a nice buck. Monroe Thompson and Eph Benson, of Toms River, each killed a deer. A number of deer were taken through town Wednesday afternoon and night in automobiles, generally lashed outside, so everybody could see them. The deer season will continue on December 27, January 3 and 10. FOUND STILL WITH MASH COOKING ON THE STOVE A group of officers went over to Seaside Park on Sunday last, and at Little Italy, surprised Samuel Nagrius with a still on his kitchen stove in full operation. The still was seized, along with some of the finished product, also a bucked of mash as an exhibit for the court, and all were brought over to Toms River by the officers. Before Justice A.C. King, Nagrius pleaded guilty, and was held for court. When the officers rushed the place they found Nagrius, his wife and child in the kitchen. There was a large quantity of mash, in a large barrel or hogshead. The stuff in the still was cooking. Nagrius was formerly cook at the Hensler fish pound. The officers who made the raid were headed by Edward J. Kelly, and included R.C. Buckwalter, Leon Gwyer, Clarence Atterson and Charles Ludlow. THE OLD ARMY COAT (From Newark Call) There are many of us left who can remember seeing as boys the old blue army coat of the Civil War. It was a familiar sight in the towns and villages of New Jersey and of the Country at large in the first and second decades following the war. It included a cape and made a warm and comfortable overcoat in winter. Originally it mostly was worn by ex-soldiers or members of their families, but occasionally, in the course of time it passed, with fading glory and increased rents and tatters, to others. It was a conspicuous sight on the forms of stage drivers, coachmen and farmers, and perched high on the seat of the old “buckwheat” market sleigh it gave amid the sweet-toned jangling bells, a glory to the old turnpike that never as yet has returned. The good-natured [Black] man of the village, who often was an ex-soldier himself, was the last to wear the sacred old blue coat, but long since its wearer and itself, like its color, had faded forever from our sight. But it leaves a memory and a tender regret. Already, like the old-time blue army coat, the recent buff coat of the world war is finding a place in the days of peace, and the coming winter will bring it increasingly into use. Brothers of soldiers, too young to get into the army, but big enough to wear the uniform, have been seen during the recent cold spell proudly wearing the buff army coat. It is less conspicuous than its predecessor of blue, and it may be worn without display. It will be worn with pardonable pride and often with tender memories of someone who will never wear it again. As the years go by it, too, like the old blue coat, will fade and wear out, but wherever for a while it shall be seen it will make a glory that the thoughtful patriot will view with deepening gratitude. BOROUGH OF FORKED RIVER A bill has been prepared and is in the hands of Assemblyman Parker to introduce in the legislature, for the creation of the Borough of Forked River. In this issue of The Courier is printed a notice of this application to the legislature, signed by many prominent citizens of Forked River, and designating the boundaries proposed to be established for the new borough. It includes all the territory between Oyster Creek and Stout's Creek (South Branch), and from the bay, three and a half miles west, or west of the Central Railroad. MAYOR TINDELL TAKEN TO STATE HOSPITAL FOR INSANE Mayor Howard L. Tindell, of the Borough of Point Pleasant Beach, was on Friday morning of last week, December 29, taken to the State Hospital for the Insane at Trenton. It was known for a long time that Mayor Tindell had been drinking heavily, and that his actions were full of vagaries. On the advice of Prosecutor Wilfred H. Jayne, Jr., it was decided to send him to the Trenton Hospital. He was taken by Officer Mason, of the Prosecutor's force. Mayor Tindell is a dentist, and had a profitable business in Point Pleasant at one time. He came there from Trenton, where his father was a well-known reporter and newspaper correspondent. He was elected mayor in 1921, after serving two years in that office, and having been mayor once before, some years since. Mayor Tindell ran in opposition to the Republican ticket as an independent with the Democratic nomination. SOLD BARNEGAT PIER HOTEL Frank W. Sutton, of Toms River, has sold the Edgemoor Hotel, at Barnegat Pier [today approximate site of B2 Bistro & Bar Restaurant on Good Luck Point in Berkeley Township] to Mr. Davis, of Newark. Title will be transferred about March 1. Sutton has owned the place for the past thirty years. FIRE CO. NO. 2 BUYS ITS MOTOR CHEMICAL ENGINE Fire Company No. 2 has bought this week and now has ready for service, its new chemical engine. The outfit consists of a Ford chassis, on which is mounted an eighty-gallon tank and pump, built by the American-LaFrance Company. The outfit was bought from the Lawfer Automobile Company, of Allentown, which makes a business of assembling these light fire fighting machines. The company were allowed in a trade $1000 for the Packard chassis they bought last summer for $800. They recently received in donations $120; they received $75 from the sale of extra tires they had for the Packard; and will need about $900 more to complete the payment on their new equipment. No. 2 boys now feel they are well outfitted for quick response to fires in the suburbs of the town, and that their 80-gallon tank will answer if they reach the fire before it gets too much start. On Saturday evening last, at the Legion Field, they gave a demonstration of the fire-quenching power of their engine. A huge bonfire had been built up and started, and an alarm sent in. They started from their quarters on West Water Street, went around by Robbins Street, and up Main to the field, and in a few minutes had the fire out. POULTRYMEN EXPAND ALONG NEW LINES HATCHING ASSUMES LARGE PROPORTIONS AT TOMS RIVER The business of hatching chicks for the trade, either as custom hatching, where the customer supplies the eggs and takes away his chicks, or for the sale of day-old chicks, the hatchery supplying the eggs, is growing into large proportions at Toms River. There are now two large concerns of this kind here, the Hathaway Hatchery and the Authorized Breeders' Association. The Hathaway Hatchery has its incubators at the old George W. Cowperthwait homestead, on upper Main Street, now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Hathaway. It has already 290,000 eggs contacted for its custom hatching business for this season, and has its first batch of 5000 eggs, just a tryout, in the incubator. The Authorized Breeders' Association, which was formed by a number of enthusiastic and prosperous poultrymen of this locality, primarily with the idea of meeting their own requirements in hatching, has branched out and will take in the day-old chick business. They have orders already for about 100,000 chicks, though they have not yet begun to advertise in the poultry journals. They have built a plant on upper Main Street, on a piece of land bought from the Queensbury Farms, and have their two large incubators installed... OCEAN COUNTY BOYS GOT FOUR RUM-RUNNERS AT HOOK Elwood Butler of Bayville, in temporary command of Sandy Hook Coast Guard Station, on Friday night last caught four rum-runners in Ambrose Channel, trying to sneak into the bay from the rum-running craft anchored outside the three-mile limit. There was said to have been 1000 cases of whisky in the four boats. The biggest of the four was the Margaret B., a cabincruiser 35 feet long, which was laden with eight 50-gallon barrels and 200 cases of whisky; the others were the Evelyn, a 25-foot bank-skiff; an unnamed launch and a rum-runner's boat. The boats were all said to have been from Highlands, N.J. New York papers were profuse in accounts of sixteen vessels off the Hook, trying to land their cargoes. The Coast Guards and the prohibition enforcement officers said that these stories were highly colored and greatly exaggerated. AFTER BOLD BURGLARS It is reported that Prosecutor Jayne has detailed Officer MacDonald to investigate several recent burglaries and attempted burglaries at Toms River, one being the robbery of Fred G. Sutton's place, on Main Street. Officer MacDonald thinks that he has a line on who has been up to mischief and that he will eventually bring them to book. Our town could well afford better police protection than it ever had. Times are different now, there is more crime going on; no community the size of this is free from crime. COAST GUARDS ORDERED TO WATCH FOR RUM RUNNERS The Treasury Department at Washington, Tuesday of this week, informed all Coast Guard Stations that they hereafter will assist in the prevention of liquor smuggling. This was the first definite order to the Coast Guard, which is under supervision of the Treasury Department, to act against rum smuggling. The order will place three thousand more men in the prohibition enforcement ranks. There are two hundred and four Coast Guard Stations on the coast besides the revenue cutters on the high seas. THE ROAD TO WHITESVILLE The Dover Township Committee should ask for county aid for the road from Toms River to Whitesville. The county has already paid 75 per cent of the cost in rebuilding this road from the New Egypt road, near Bunker Hill bog, through Whitesville to the Dover Township line. Without doubt the county will continue this work to the Lakewood road, above the cemetery at Toms River, if Dover Township will put up its quarter of the cost. MATHIS AFTER MORE STATE HIGHWAYS AROUND HERE Monday night Senator Mathis, chairman of the highway committee in the Senate, introduced bills to make the route from Camden to Toms River, via Lakehurst and Brown's Mills, a state highway. Also a bill adding the road from Adelphia to Lakewood in the state highway system. SHIP BOTTOM WRECK, 20 YEARS AGO, COST FIVE LIVES Twenty years ago, January 20, 1903, five lives were lost from the wreck of the barkentine Abiel Abbott, which stranded and went to pieces on the outer edge of Ship Bottom bar, Long Beach, Ocean County. The Abbott was 27 years old, heavily laden with salt from Turks Island, Bahamas, for New York. Five of her crew tried to get ashore in boats and were drowned. The rest (four) stuck to the ship and were saved by the life-savers. Captain Hawkins, of the Abbott, said in his testimony: “With the mass of wreckage in the water, being tossed in every direction, I do not see how the life-savers launched the boat at all; but they did, and even then they could not get to us. Finally when the cabin top (on which the captain and men were) broke adrift, they launched their boat again, when no man could have expected it. I did not think it possible for them to get to us, but somehow they did, and got us ashore, and I think it was a miracle that I am alive to tell the tale. No men could have done more than the life-savers did.” GOULD ESTATE, LAKEWOOD, FOR SALE The Gould estate, Georgiancourt, at Lakewood, is said to be on the market. A few years ago, Lakewood folk would have thought this a calamity. Now the enterprising people of Lakewood recognize that this large property stopped the growth of Lakewood to the northwest, its most promising residence quarter, and many of them would not be sorry to see it cut up into smaller holdings, each with a home on it. PERSONAL Charles D. Mower, of New York, the famous designer of small racing yachts, was at Toms River on Tuesday, the guest of Edward Crabbe, for whom he is designing a 28-foot racing catboat. On his way home he stopped off at Bay Head, where Mort Johnson is building several boats from his design. FISH AND GAME North Jersey sportsmen are writing to their favorite papers and telling of the large number of partridge and pheasant they have killed. Either there are more of these birds in the northern section than down in the pines, or they are harder to shoot down this way because cover is thicker. Fish pounds and off-shore fishermen are catching large quantities of codfish off the Jersey coast. The fish are said to be large and fine. The upper Barnegat Bay fishermen are hauling seines for perch, and occasionally make a catch that pays them for a month's work in one day's haul. Those hauls do not come often, but when they do—oh boy! A haul of 35 barrels is reported by our Mantoloking correspondent. Did you ever stop to think that along shore, a man who goes out with a gun goes gunning and is classed as a gunner. In other parts of the country, a man who starts out with a gun after game is a hunter, and goes hunting. The distinction is between the wild fowl shooting and upland shooting. It apparently grew from the fact that a man who starts after deer, rabbit or upland game birds really hunts for them; while the man out after wild fowl generally puts out his stools, lays in wait, and guns for them if they come along. If you can explain this difference or distinction, in terms in a better way, let us have it. An exchange says the following—is it so, or is it not? Perhaps some of our baymen can tell us: Ducks are ducks, and geese are something else yet again, as the following information, gleaned from an old-timer shows—Most gunners are under the impression it is best to have live ducks along with their wooden stools, but according to this veteran sportsman this is all wrong. The live decoys scare off their wild brothers and sisters by their quacking instead of attracting them. On the other hand, he said, experience has taught him that a live goose among the stools is the best possible lure to bring down the honkers winging overhead. But care should be taken to anchor the captive bird in the shallowest water, where they may stand if they so desire. Many are the mysteries of nature—and here is just another one of them. According to the Lakewood Citizen—and Senator Hagaman as a member of the Fish and Game Commission, ought to know—the Commission will import into New Jersey 2000 Kansas rabbits to restock the woods, most of them to be placed in South Jersey, as the climate and environment is figured as being better for them in this neighborhood than that of the North Jersey mountains. Some folks say that one reason deer were not killed in larger numbers is that the dwellers in the pines are fond of venison, no matter whether the season is open or closed. It is a well-known fact that the woodsman, from the days of Robin Hood, and farther back than that, has had little regard for game laws unless there was a game warden close by. So it is possible that there may be an occasional deer killed out of season. 114 licenses to operate the fish pounds on the Atlantic coast were issued by the state in 1922, besides 42 in Sandy Hook, or Raritan Bay. Licenses to menhaden fishermen numbered 15 steamers and 23 sailing vessels. RECENT DEATHS Montraville Irons Montraville Irons, a well-known character about Toms River for the past fifty years or more, died on Wednesday, January 17, at his home, on Dayton Avenue. He had been failing for some years, but was about till a few weeks ago, when he had an attack of paralysis. For more than a generation he was the village carter, bringing from the railroad depots the goods for the various stores in town, and also carting trunks and baggage. He was 83 years of age, the son of the late Capt. John B. Iron and Abigail (Applegate) Irons. He leaves a widow and seven children: Walter, of Trenton; George, of Bradley Beach; Edward, of Red Bank; Disbrow Irons, Mrs. Walter Johnson, Mrs. Thomas Gaskill, Mrs. Sarah Austin, all of Toms River. There are also a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren. MISSED AN ISSUE? December 8th, 1922 November 17th-December 1st, 1922 November 10th, 1922 November 3rd, 1922 Summer-Autumn 1922 Catchup May & June 1922 April 1922 March 1922 Part II March 1922 Part I February 17th, 1922 February 10th, 1922 February 3rd, 1922 January 27th, 1922 January 20th, 1922 January 13th, 1922 January 6th, 1922 December 30th, 1921 December 23rd, 1921 December 16th, 1921 December 9th, 1921 December 2nd, 1921 November 25th, 1921 November 18th, 1921 November 11th, 1921 November 4th, 1921 October 28th, 1921 October 21st, 1921 October 14th, 1921 October 7th, 1921 September 30th, 1921 September 23rd, 1921 September 16th, 1921 September 9th, 1921 Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays - 10 am to 2 pm
78 East Water Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 Guided Tours By Request - New Members Always Welcome (732) 349-9209 - office@tomsriverseaport.org Congratulations to our big Holiday Bonus 50/50 raffle: Beachwood Yacht Club! Its members rallied and chipped in to support their club with a big $3,100 fundraising win! Toms River Seaport Society thanks all who participated in our raffle, including Ocean Gate and Beachwood yacht clubs, and especially all those who supported it with multiple ticket sales, such as the following individuals and families: Corbeels, Biernbaum, Nicastro, Kempton, Crabbe, Caldwell, Huber, Takacs, Weber, Matzat, Porcello, and Foote. Special thanks also to Joella Nicastro and the Central Regional Alumni Association. Happy Holidays and New Year from Toms River Seaport Society! Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays - 10 am to 2 pm
78 East Water Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 Guided Tours By Request - New Members Always Welcome (732) 349-9209 - office@tomsriverseaport.org
Welcome to another era in Ocean County's past, one century ago this week!
Let your mind wander as you consider life around December 8th, 1922, courtesy the New Jersey Courier and Ocean County Review weekly newspapers, from the Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around a 10 minute read). BREVITIES AND EDITORIALS
(written by NJ Courier editor, William H. Fischer, as he sat at his desk above Main Street near Washington Street; it was much like a collection of online social media updates seen today)
Court Wednesday.
Jury list in this issue. Shop early is the slogan. Shop in your home town. Full moon last week end. Freeholders met Tuesday. And now comes Christmas. Time for Christmas shopping. Farmers are asking for rain. December Court next Tuesday. Township Committee met last Friday. Wells and springs and swamps are pretty dry. Coal went up a dollar a ton on December 1. Good thing the weather is not very cold, with the scarcity of coal. Many cranberry bogs are still bare of water—not enough in the streams to flow them. The dollar spent at home rolls all around town before it goes out. The dollar spent away may never come back. The Toms River High School put out a Thanksgiving number of The Cedar Chest, their school magazine, last week. Postmasters have an amendment to the shop early program. They urge that you not only shop early, but also mail early. Business houses on Main Street will breathe easier when the barrier is removed. Every day the street is closed costs them money. There were twelve burials in Riverside Cemetery in eleven days, of late. Frank Johnson had more hard luck on Tuesday night, when his Ford car was run into by another car on the streets of Lakewood and smashed up pretty bad. Toms River schools are selling Red Cross Christmas seals in this locality, and in fact the schools are the only authorized source of supply. The pupils are combing the town for purchasers. The American Legion benefit at the Traco Theatre on Tuesday evening drew a large crowd. The picture had a lesson as well as a story to give—and most folks who saw it, took the lesson home with them. Mack Crabbe and Franklin Doan are having a racing sneakbox built at Bay Head by Mort Johnson, to be sailed by them next summer in the twenty-food class of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association. Troop 1, Boy Scouts, and also Girl Scouts, have moved from the third floor of the Bump building to the rooms of Vanderveer Post, American Legion, and will hereafter hold their meetings at the post rooms. With what they took up at their demonstration on Thanksgiving day, what was contributed since by the people of the town, and what the firemen and the Ladies' Auxiliary have on hand, Fire Company No. 1 announces that it will be able to pay for the International truck chassis to put under its aerial ladder truck. It will then have all the apparatus on motor trucks, and thinks it is equipped for some time to come. In this issue of The Courier appears a readvertisement of the mill property on the south side of the river, lately known as the Yoder mill tract. Arthur C. King, holder of the mortgage, is foreclosing against Mrs. Martha Mooney Williams, of Brooklyn, holder of the title. This property was sold by Sheriff Holman last summer, and bid in by the defendant at that time, but it is alleged that the terms of the sale have not been met. Harry Staples, of Toms River, was bound over to keep the peace by Recorder King on Saturday last, on complaint of Harry Herbert. The latter was gunning up Lakehurst Road, near Staples' home with Kenneth Jennings and Willard H. Eddy, when it was alleged Staples threatened he would “get” Herbert, the threats growing out of the work that Herbert had done last spring and summer in trapping bootleggers. Staples was allowed to go on his own recognizance in the sum of $300. The United Feed Company yesterday bought two Ford trucks from the Toms River Motor Company, making a fleet of five Fords in their business, which they expect to increase to twelve in the coming year. Yesterday morning was the coldest so far this winter, with the mercury being at 16 degrees at 7:00 A.M. The river was skimmed over, except for the channels. About noon hail and rain began and kept up all afternoon and evening. Fire Company No. 2 acknowledge the gift of $15 from Mr. Kaufman, of the United Feed Company, as appreciation for their efforts in fighting the fire last week. This will go toward the fund for their new chemical engine. While Howard Reed, an electrician from Point Pleasant, was at work on the Isaac Pullen house, at Dayton Avenue and Thomas Street, his auger, in going through a rafter, pulled out a piece of green paper, and located a hoard of bills—real money, so Mr. Pullen says. Of course it was not so old or romantic as that hoard of pirate gold located in Barnegat last fall, but it was very gratifying to Reed, when his uncle, Mr. Pullen, told him that “Findings is keepings.” OUT OF THE NEWS COLUMNS Begging in Lakewood must be profitable. The newspapers recount that one Walter J. Lee was arrested on that charge, and was given his choice of 100 days in the county jail, $100 fine, or leaving Lakewood for a year—and he paid the $100. HEADLINE NEWS
JUGS IN UPSET SEDAN REVEAL SILVERTON STILL
Some of Sheriff Holmes's officers on Friday last found two tubs of mash, a still and worm in the bedroom of E.H. Madle, over his gasoline station at Silverton. The stuff was seized and Madle was held in $500 bail for the grand jury. The Sheriff's office that day got a phone message from Bayville, saying that a Ford sedan had upset on the Main Shore Road, and that two jugs of liquor had spilled out. Investigation showed that it was Madle's car, and that John Dunham, of Silverton, was with him. Dunham and Madle said they were taking ten gallons of Dunham's cider to Jacob Vogler, at Ocean Gate, when the car overturned. Vogler showed the officers the cider, and said he got it to make into vinegar. However, the suspicions aroused, resulted in a search of Madle's place, and the finding of mash and still. The Ford was pretty badly wrecked when it upset. It was alleged that another car stopped suddenly in front of the Ford, and Madle capsized in trying to get by the car in front.
VILLAGE CHRISTMAS TREE
The American Legion have started preparations for the village Christmas tree, the idea being to again light up the big spruce tree on the court house green from Christmas eve till New Year's night, each evening, with vari-colored electric lights; also to have a Christmas service at the court house on Christmas even, with carol singing and addresses.
JOHNSON'S STORE BURNT TO GROUND AT OSBORNVILLE [BRICK]
Fire, breaking out in the early morning hours of Wednesday, December 6, burnt to the ground with all its contents the Charles A. Johnson store, at Osbornville. The two Point Pleasant Beach Fire Companies responded to a 'phone call, and saved Mr. Johnson's residence, adjoining the store. Johnson says it was not more than fifteen minutes from the time he sent in the alarm till the Moran Engine Company arrived. He figures his loss at $1500, and he carried only $250 on the building and $300 on the stock. His book accounts and papers went with the building. It is supposed that mice and matches caused the fire. Gun shells exploding awakened Johnson and his family about 4:30 A.M., and the interior of the store was all in flames. He will rebuild and reopen his store.
OCEAN COUNTY SWEET POTATO GROWERS AMONG THE LEADERS
BETTASWEETS TAKE PRIZES AT ATLANTIC CITY SHOW The sweet potato exhibit of the Ocean County sweet potato growers at the State Horticultural Society meeting and exhibition, held in Haddon Hall, Atlantic City, on December 5, 6, and 7, was the largest exhibit of sweet potatoes ever staged by a single county in the country. The exhibitors took the big silver cup for the best county show, although there was keen competition, more than 400 flats being entered. Ocean County men also took the following prizes. Louis VanHise, New Egypt, first on four flats of Jersey red sweets. George Newman, Toms River, second, on four flats of Jersey yellows, and fourth on four flats of Jersey reds. Wilder Bros., Hollywood Farm, Forked River, third on sixteen flats of Jersey yellow sweet potatoes. The sweets were exhibited in boxes eighteen inches long by twelve inches wide, a single layer of potatoes in each box. Boxes were placed on a scaffold at an angle of 45 degrees, four boxes to a row up and down. The exhibit took up a space of 75 feet long and four boxes wide... Ocean County exhibit will be brought back from Atlantic City by Julius Wider, on Friday, December 8, and set up in the Chamber of Commerce rooms, Toms River, December 14, in connection with the annual meeting of the Ocean County Board of Agriculture. The prizes to be competed for in the County Board exhibit are: Silver cup, donated by the Ocean County Trust Company; silver cup and cash prizes, donated by the County Board of Agriculture; Capt. E.L. Gwyer, of Toms River, has donated a silver cup for the best bushel of sweet potatoes grown by a member of the boys' and girls' clubs.
LOOK OUT FOR BOOTLEG BILLS
Bootleg bills, as they are called, are said to be in circulation in Ocean County. These counterfeits, said to be some pretty well done, and some very crude, are called bootleg money because it is alleged that big bootleggers have been paying the rum runners in counterfeit bills for the smuggled whiskey landed on our beaches. The bills so far called to the attention of The Courier were $5 and $20, but there may be others in circulation. It will probably pay everybody to watch their paper money for awhile.
TEACHING WOMEN TO MAKE OWN DRESSES AT HOME
The State of New Jersey is now engaged, among its many other and varied activities, in teaching the women of the rural districts to make their own dresses in their own homes. This work is under the supervision of Mrs. Katherine Griebel, who does her work well and cheerfully, notwithstanding she is officially labeled with the title of State Clothing Specialist. Mrs. Gribel sometime ago visited this county, as she does other counties, and in various places instructed groups of women from various towns and villages how to make clothes from patterns, etc. These women are now passing on to the other women of their home villages, who want to know, the lessons they received from Mrs. Griebel. The leaders in this work include: Mrs. Richard Franke, Whitesville; Mrs. Annie Wolff, Seaside Heights; Mrs. Charles M. Underhill, Mounts Crossing; Mrs. C.S. Shutes, Manahawkin; Mrs. C. Budd Wilsey and Mrs. William Flint, Toms River; Mrs. Florence Hyres, Jackson Mills.
AT THE COUNTY JAIL
William Corliss, of Chatsworth, and William Becker, a boy, who says he ran away from his home in Baltimore, were held for the grand jury by Justice King. These two, with another man, who had lost his hand, had been harboring around Whitings, and begging about the homes there. Corliss carried a .38 pistol, and was held on the charge of carrying a concealed weapon. The one-handed man, Charles Dowie, got away before the officers could pick him up. Becker told a story about a plan to rob Joe Hilliard, who lives away out of Whitings, and was held so that he could repeat his story to the grand jury. Ruth Miller, from New Egypt, who is alleged to have attempted to take her own life by the poison method, was brought to the county jail for ten days, on commitment by Justice Asson, of that place, to “give her time to think it over,” it was said. Capt. James McDonald, of the Prosecutor's force, reached home on Wednesday night, with Louis Schwarz, who is charged with deserting his wife and baby at Toms River. He had enlisted in the Battery E, 52d Artillery, at Camp Eustis, Va., as a single man, and stands likely to be charged with that offense after the Ocean County Courts are through with him.
FOUND DEAD IN BED
Coroner Frank Brouwer, M.D., of Toms River, was called to Cedar Crest, Tuesday, December 5, because of the sudden death of Frank Theilke, who was found dead in bed in his shack, where he lived alone. The man had evidently lain in that bed that night and read his paper. His paper laid by the bed, his pipe where he had laid it and his lamp by the bedside. But when he went to sleep, it was never to waken again. He was 65 years of age, a German, and was employed by Mrs. Honora Larrabee, of Lakehurst, on her cranberry bogs. He had been about Cedar Crest for the past four or five years. A letter was found that he had written, but not mailed, to a niece in Michigan City, Ind.
FOUR DEER IN TWO WEEKS
The midday freight on Tuesday, December 5, brought up a deer that was picked up dead on the Central Railroad tracks, hit either by this or another train. Head Keeper Duncan Dunn, of the State Game Farm, Forked River, said this was the fourth deer he had known to be killed by train or motor car in the past two weeks. It was a doe.
WATER FOR LAVALLETTE
The Borough of Lavallette, through Mayor Enoch T. VanCamp and its Council, are looking into the water question. The Borough has recently acquired electric lights, and finds that a water supply is getting to be a necessity, as the town builds up. Councilman Nugent is chairman of committee to secure plans and estimates.
SCHOOLS SELL XMAS SEALS
Christmas seals are being sold this year through the pupils in the schools of the county. The proceeds of this sale go to fight tuberculosis, and part of the money is available in the county where the seals are sold. County Superintendent Morris and his force have sent out the seals this week, and they are now available.
HOME AND SCHOOL BENEFIT
On December 20 there will be shown at the Traco Theatre a feature called “The Headless Horseman.” This is the film version of Washington Irving's story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The film features Will Rogers, as Ichabod Crane. This picture has been highly praised in papers devoted to visual education as having unusual educational value. Will Rogers needs no introduction. For this picture the manager of the Traco Theatre, Mr. Hirschblond, will run a special matinee, open to school children and teachers only, at a special price of ten cents. From the proceeds will be deducted $10 for prizes as outlined below; the balance will be turned over to the Home and School Association. Five dollars will be awarded to the grade pupils and five dollars to the high school pupils who write the best essay on the topic, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Essays must be in the hands of E.M. Finck not later than Saturday, December 9. They must be written in ink and must not exceed 500 words in length. The contest is open to pupils of all nearby schools as well as pupils in this school. The story is to be found in many of the readers. This is a good chance to put a little more interest into the reading and English work.—Adv.
XYDIAS PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY
Fred Xydias has again offered the prize of $5 for the best work in chemistry in Toms River High School, in memory of his father, Marc Xydias.
RECENT DEATHS
HON. ADOLPH ERNST Former Assemblyman Adolph Ernst, who had been a conspicuous and important factor in the life of Toms River and Ocean County for more than forty years, died Monday, December 4, aged 84 years. He had been failing for some time past, but had been around and active up till about the first of the year. Since then he had been away from home but little and gradually grew weaker till death came. The immediate cause of his death was an internal cancer. Mr. Ernst was born in Hanover, German, June 19, 1838. He came to the United States in 1854, and worked at bookbinding, and then learned the cigar-making trade. His first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, and he was a Republican all his long life. He served in the 29th New York Volunteers during the Civil War. After the war he located in Philadelphia, then moved to Red Bank, Gloucester County, and from there came to Toms River, in 1876. He started in the cigar business here, having a store and small factory at the corner of Water and Robbins Streets for more than thirty years. He served as a member of Assembly from Ocean County for three years, 1890, 1891, 1892. He was a long time in various positions of trust in Dover Township, serving as member of the School Board, on the Township Committee, Collector, Overseer of Poor, etc. He was also Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for Ocean and Monmouth Counties for several years. He was one of the organizers and for long years an active member of Toms River Fire Company No. 1, and was a member of the Exempt Firemen's Association at the time of his death. With the late Dr. Rem L. Disbrow, the late J. Howard Williams and Thomas B. Irons and others, he helped get the Fire Company started and outfitted for active duty. He was an officer in the State Firemen's Association for years. He was one of the organizers and a member of the directors' board, also, president of the Toms River Electric Company. He was a Mason, Odd Fellow, and Red Man. From the time he came to Toms River till a few months ago, when illness kept him away, he was active in A.E. Burnside Post, G.A.R., and many years its commander, also holding other positions. He was also a member of the Presbyterian Church and for some years never missed a Sunday morning service as long as he was able to attend. On October 6, 1864, at the expiration of his three-year enlistment in the Union Army, Mr. Ernst married in Philadelphia, Miss Catherine Mohring. They had lived happily together for 58 a years, a most unusual family history. Their home on Lein Street had been the scene of many hospitable gatherings in the last third of a century... HENRY J. GLOCKE Word has been received at Island Heights of the death of Henry J. Glocke, a well-known summer resident at that place, who with his family was occupying apartments in Philadelphia for the winter. He was a cork manufacturer, on a large scale, with a prosperous business. At Island Heights he had many friends and was very much liked. His summer home was one of the show places of the resort. He leaves a widow, who was Miss Drumm, of Island Heights. L. ORVAL MITCHELL Orval Mitchell, son of Keeper Lewis E. Mitchell, of Island Beach Coast Guard Station, and Mrs. Mitchell, died December 3, aged 18 years. Burial at Barnegat on Tuesday, in charge of C.P. Anderson, undertaker. The young man had many friends in Barnegat, and on the beach, and will be sincerely missed. ANDREW J. MURPHY Lakewood, Dec. 5.—In the west wing of the big hotel that had benefited through his connection with it for forty-three years, Andrew J. Murphy, 56 years old, one of the country's best known resort hotel managers, died Friday night, at the famous Laurel House. Death was due to a stroke of paralysis, which he suffered early last summer. It was in the spring of 1879 that Mr. Murphy took his place among the bell boys at the fashionable resort hotel here. By rapid strides he worked his way up to the active management of the house, and offers from all over the world could never win him away from the place where he made his start. Five years ago Mr. Murphy married Mrs. Florence Strickland, who, with their four-year-old son, Andrew J., survives...
5000 DOZEN EGGS SENT FROM TOMS RIVER IN A WEEK
Reports from the New Jersey Poultry Producers' Association for the week ending November 28, show that in the week of November 13 to 21, there were shipped from the Toms River district 5351 dozen eggs...
ACTON'S CAR BROKEN UP
Acton Bunnell, of Lanoka, had his Chalmer's car broken up pretty badly on Sunday afternoon, when he ran into a New York bound Cadillac, as he was crossing the “Staffordville Shoals,” on the Main Shore road. One of the occupants of the Cadillac, a woman, had her jaw broken, and Bunnell's daughter, Miss Agnes, was cut and bruised. Bunnell was arrested by State Troopers Simmons and Dergerser. It was alleged that he had lost a tire and was driving on the left hand of the road to keep his tireless rim in the soft sand, so as not to injure the rim. The Cadillac also had to be towed to the garage at Manahawkin. Staffordville Shoals is a local name for a bend in the road at Staffordville. Bunnell was taking his daughter a school teacher, back to West Creek, where she teaches, after she had spent the holidays at home. Justice Edward F. Potter, of West Creek, revoked Bunnell's license and fined him $10.
PERSONAL
Hugo Harms left Toms River for Florida last week. He expected to stop at Atlantic City and take on two passengers for his cruise. Newspaper reports tell of a serious accident to Miss Frances C. Kelly, who during the war toured the state on horseback in aid of the war savings stamp campaign, and who afterward spent considerable time at Beachwood. It is said that she was one of the cast in a theatrical show, playing in Brooklyn, last week, and in going from the dressing room to the stage, fell through an open shaft. It was thought her spine was injured, and she also received serious cuts and bruises, but the outcome cannot yet be told.
FISH AND GAME
Ferd Schoettle, of Philadelphia, who spends much of his time at Toms River, recently returned from a gunning trip to the south and reports that he never had better quail shooting or better luck at it. The pike fishing season ended with Thanksgiving day, Philadelphia fishermen took advantage of the last week end of the season, on Sunday, November 26, according to the Philadelphia Record, which reports that the Fletcher Rod and Gun Club, of that city, spent the day at Toms River, pike fishing... The Newark Call say that Frank Rastley and James Coleman, of that city, bagged eighteen ducks and three geese last week on Barnegat Bay. Deer hunters are getting ready for the last two Wednesdays of this year, the 20th and 27th, when the deer will be fair targets—that is to say, buck deer, with horns showing. The deer will also be lawful game the first two Wednesdays in January. TOWN LIFE
BARNEGAT CITY [now Barnegat Light Borough]
C.H. Cranmer, keeper of the light, has moved from the James cottage, on Fifth Street, to that of Mrs. J.H. Frick, on Fourth Street. The Myers fishery has taken up its nets, discharged its crew and closed up for the season. The High Point Fishery, also operated by Mr. Myers, was closed in October. It is generally understood that the season was quite successful. Quite a number of the men who had been employed at the fishery expect to remain through the winter for the cod fishing. Most of the families here were fortunate to get a little coal, with emphasis on the amount. Wood seems to be unobtainable. We are all hoping for a mild winter. BAY HEAD Thieves recently invaded the hennery of H. Friedlander and got away with about eighteen of his choice fowl. Numerous thefts have been reported lately. Horace Forsythe was among the local football fans to attend the Asbury-Neptune game at Asbury Park. Nathan Birdsall and party arrived at the local dock Wednesday morning after a gunning trip down the bay. On their trip home they broke their rudder when opposite Seaside Park. After drifting around a few hours Mr. Birdsall succeeded in making a rudder out of a door. The Ladies' Auxiliary of the local fire company held a card party and dance at the town hall Friday night. The ladies and firemen are preparing to hold a dance during the holidays. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Flemming have returned from a five weeks' trip down the bay gunning. W. Applegate and son Frederick have just returned from a week's gunning trip down the bay, during which they killed lots of game. Slade Dale, of New York, spent the week end here with Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Stout. Mr. Stout has just been pensioned by the U.S. Coast Guard Service. BEACH HAVEN Howard Cranmer has left Coast Guard Station 119 and returned to his home at Cedar Run. BEACHWOOD Mayor and Mrs. Collins and Miss Ruth Collins were at Beachwood over the week end. Mr. and Mrs. Collins had both been seriously ill, and their trouble was pronounced by their physician to have been arsenic poison. It is supposed that the drug was sent them from the drug store in mistake for bicarbonate of soda. The Fire Company had a jolly dance on Saturday evening last, with about one hundred people out. Charles Bond and “Midnight Serenaders” furnished the music. The next dance will be held on Monday evening, January 1, 1923. Samuel Hankins, of Toms River, was high gun, with 48 [clay] birds in the fifty-bird shoot at the Beachwood Gun Club on Thanksgiving day... CEDAR GROVE [area of Toms River] Improvement seems to be the order of the day on the road from the church to Hooper Avenue, by the W.S. Jackson bogs. Oscar Hodgkinson has a new home and garage in fine shape; F. Borga is completing his new home, and has moved in; Arthur Johnson is digging an addition to his cellar. Many people out this way are in trouble owing to the springs running low, and some have to carry water. The Long Swamp stream is so low that ditches in the cranberry bogs along it are not yet full. Everybody is hoping for plenty of rain before cold weather. FORKED RIVER Coal scarce as corn sprouts in a henyard at this place. A new house is rising on the site of the old Lafayette Hotel. Mrs. Edward L. Holmes has pansies blooming. Mr. and Mrs. Bell, of Bloomfield, entertained Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, of New Hampshire, and Mr. and Mrs. Lyon, of Belleville, over the holiday week end. The gentlemen of the party spent the days quail hunting, using setters raised and trained at the Londonderry Kennels. Charles Grant had a party out which bagged seven geese one day and five geese another day beside the wild fowl they brought down. Watson Penn tells of one of his parties which brought back 17 brant and 13 geese, beside ducks. ISLAND HEIGHTS Asher L. Applegate was given a surprise party on Friday evening, November 24, friends gathering from Manasquan, Bay Head, Belmar and Island Heights. All had a very pleasant time, there being seventy-five at the gathering. Island Heights folks included John Wilbert and family. A number of Island Heights folks were employed at the Lipschuetz store, Toms River, during the special sale. E.J. Schoettle is having a new yacht built at Toms River to contest with the Mary Ann, the C.W. McKeehan boat, for the honors of the bay next summer. [This A-Cat was the Forcem, built by John Kirk at Toms River, raced only one year and, according to a rumor recounted in the 2005 book, A-Cats: A Century of Tradition, scuttled by the Schoettles in the Toms River just below their house] The many friends of Charles Westcott will be glad to know that he is recovering from a severe attack of ptomaine poisoning, which has lasted several weeks. He arrived at Island Heights on Monday, with his sister, Miss Annie Westcott, coming direct from the Howard Hospital, Philadelphia, where he spent several weeks. We are sure the glorious air of Island Heights will effect a speedy cure. Mrs. M.M. Wood, formerly of Island Heights, now of Kansas City, Mo., continues to keep in touch with her old home through weekly reading The Courier. She writes that she cannot get along without the news of the shore. LAKEHURST Mrs. Louise Peterson, of Hope Chapel and Lakehurst, gave birth to a baby girl last week. Mother and daughter are doing well. The Naval Air Fire Department responded to the big fire last week at Toms River. Bootleggers are still busy around the town from what we hear. Considerable moonshine was flowing over Thanksgiving day. Hunters report small game very scarce. One prominent gunner lately went out three afternoons and did not get a shot though he had two good dogs with him. Manchester Lodge, No. 138, K. of P., held a social and dance in Red Men's Hall Wednesday evening of last week, for the members and their families, one of the features being several reels of moving pictures. Melvin Cranmer has erected a seventy-two foot pole for his radio outfit. Petunias are still in bloom outdoors on Church Street. Mayor William H.D. Wilbur is soliciting subscriptions for a national bank for Lakehurst. OCEAN GATE Chris Angerer spent the week end with his family. It is reported that Mr. and Mrs. Carl Schwindt will leave on Saturday to spend the winter in Philadelphia, Mr. Schwindt having gone into the employ of the Reading Railroad as fireman. The Ocean Gate Fire Company held their monthly meeting at the fire house on Monday evening of this week, this also being the meeting for election of officers for the coming year. Owing to such a small attendance on the night the election was postponed until next Monday night. NORTH MAIN STREET [area of Toms River] On Saturday, Arthur Marlatt, Howard Marlatt, and George Clayton went rabbit hunting. The dog started a fox and George Clayton killed it, presenting the hide to Mrs. Arthur Marlatt. PINE BEACH Charles Barney drove his truck up to Philadelphia last Wednesday and returned with a load of furniture and goods for people in Pine Beach. It is wonderful to have this service between Philadelphia and Pine Beach, and we hope Mr. Barney gets enough patronage to keep it up. Mr. Ramsey's big blue car backfired the other day, caught on fire and burned out before the blaze could be put out. Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Phillips spent Thanksgiving at their home in Pine Beach with Mrs. Prettyman, Mrs. Phillips' mother. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips tour the country with trained birds, exhibiting them on the Keith circuit. Last summer they went up into Canada with their show. Mrs. E.P. Smith, who formerly kept a store here, has returned from her trip to England. She reached Pine Beach on the evening train last Friday and is spending a few days with Mrs. Prettyman. A car stopped on Springfield Avenue the other night and threw a lot of glass from a broken wind shield right in the middle of the street, to cut up tires. Instead of thinking of Pine Beach Inn as a club house for a golf club, would it not have been well to have urged its sale to a yacht club? It would make an ideal yacht club house for there is a place beside it that could easily be turned into a basin or harbor for boats over the winter. How much better it would be if all the yacht clubs here would unite and form one big one with this as headquarters instead of having about a dozen small buildings spread over this territory? [The shuttered Pine Beach Inn was eventually sold to a group that formed Admiral Farragut Academy in 1933, where it operated until 1994, was eventually demolished and today is partly private homes and partly borough park area] SEASIDE HEIGHTS The Pennsylvania Railroad is filling in around the station, preparatory to starting to build a new station. This is a much-needed improvement. The Barnegat Power & Ice Company is now working on its winter schedule, closing at night. In case of fire residents should sound the bell outside the Fire House. SEASIDE PARK W.H. Cowdrick has been in charge of the railroad station at Ocean Gate [across the bay on the same Pennsylvania Railroad line] while Agent Heitzman and wife were traveling in the south. Mr. and Mrs. George Mathis are receiving congratulations on the birth of a daughter, born Monday morning. John Hill is making considerable improvements to the Bayview Inn. These include dormer windows and other improvements which will add much to the comfort and general appearance of the Inn. The Seaside Park Fire Company's new fire truck, purchased a year ago, is now paid for. The firemen worked hard to get this new addition to their equipment, and they are to be congratulated on their success. Miss Beatrice Driscoll, our primary teacher, was at her home in Tuckerton over the holiday, and spent Friday in Philadelphia. Will Cowdrick is in charge of the station, and Charles Miller is acting as freight agent during the absence of Agent Lippincott. The Girl Scouts gave a dance on Tuesday evening in the hall and drew a large crowd from the up-beach towns and Toms River. SHIP BOTTOM Calvin Falkenburg is spending a few days in Tuckerton. Harry Count is building a new bungalow at the Boulevard and 28th St. The fish pound has closed for the winter. SILVERTON The holly hogs have begun their profession out Silverton way, too. They want to watch their step; if they do not, pay a nice round sum for what they are taking without permission. A “Variety Shower” was given Miss Lida Tilton, at her home here, last week, by about forty of her relatives and friends. A number of pretty and useful articles were received for the new home which is being built here. After a very pleasant evening refreshments were served. VAUGHN AVENUE (PERSHING) [area of Toms River] James Milne has gone into the chicken business. We all wish him success. The Miller boys are trapping this fall and winter, and have trapped muskrats and fox pelt so far. Ira McKelvey's houseboat was recently broken into and robbed, and the dishes were afterward found in the woods. This may be taken as a warning that it would be well to leave other folks' boats alone, as there will be a watch set for the visitors. WARETOWN The Stackhouse residence on the Main road to the bay, just off the Main Shore Road, is nearing completion. A fine looking home, too. The statement that there are not enough houses to go round in Waretown this winter, printed in a recent issue of The Courier, shows a remarkable situation. For forty years or more there have been vacant houses here every winter, and often in the summer as well. MISSED AN ISSUE?
November 17th-December 1st, 1922
November 10th, 1922 November 3rd, 1922 Summer-Autumn 1922 Catchup May & June 1922 April 1922 March 1922 Part II March 1922 Part I February 17th, 1922 February 10th, 1922 February 3rd, 1922 January 27th, 1922 January 20th, 1922 January 13th, 1922 January 6th, 1922 December 30th, 1921 December 23rd, 1921 December 16th, 1921 December 9th, 1921 December 2nd, 1921 November 25th, 1921 November 18th, 1921 November 11th, 1921 November 4th, 1921 October 28th, 1921 October 21st, 1921 October 14th, 1921 October 7th, 1921 September 30th, 1921 September 23rd, 1921 September 16th, 1921 September 9th, 1921
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78 East Water Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 Guided Tours By Request - New Members Always Welcome (732) 349-9209 - office@tomsriverseaport.org Welcome to another era in Ocean County's past, one century ago this week! Let your mind wander as you consider life around November 17th to December 1st, 1922, courtesy the New Jersey Courier and Ocean County Review weekly newspapers, from the Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around a 20 minute read). BREVITIES AND EDITORIALS(written by NJ Courier editor, William H. Fischer, as he sat at his desk above Main Street near Washington Street; it was much like a collection of online social media updates seen today) Hunting time. Thanksgiving next. New moon tomorrow. Six weeks left of 1922. Pretty near time for snow. The dark of the mooon. A little rain on Wednesday. Red Cross roll call this week. Christmas is only five weeks away. Dandelions still bloom in the grass. Days are getting shorter and shorter. Even the Kiefer pears have been harvested. Weather begins to feel a little more like winter now and then. Toms River merchants say that business holds pretty well this fall. Poultrymen are talking of widening their plants, and increasing the number of their birds. Walter Johnson has moved his store from Washington Street to the Thomas B. Irons store on Main Street. The Ladies' Auxiliary of the American Legion is preparing Christmas boxes for disabled soldiers in the hospitals. Many folks call this a very nice fall. For that matter the autumn generally gives us the very nicest weather in the whole year. There is a persistent rumor, grown stronger since the election, that the state is going to change things all around at the Main Street bridge. Now that the leaves are off the trees, the shade trees along the streets of Toms River show their deformities. It would be well to get that Shade Tree Commission going at once, and see what can be devised to save such trees as are worth saving, and replace those that are not. Many folks about the county are going south for the winter. Cranberries are being hurried to market to get the Thanksgiving buyer satisfied. The Poultry Producers' Association will have a banquet next Tuesday night at Lakewood. Election made a big flurry for a day or two, but how quick it has settled down for most folk. Lower Main Street is ripped up, on its west edge. Next week will see the concrete laid there, presumably. Main Street makes for poor walking—the contractor has no thought of the people who have to use its sidewalks. Speaking of his gunning trip down the bay last week, Cap Grover remarks that it was the only time he ever spent a week gunning and came back with more shells than he had when he started. Commodore P.L. Grover went rabbit hunting on the first day of the season, but refuses to incriminate himself by telling how many he shot. Disinterested witnesses, however, say that he brought home one. A dozen or more boys, from 14 to 18 years of age, had a conference by personal invitation Thursday night of last week with Recorder King. This official told the boys that some, if not all of them, had been connected up with acts of malicious mischief on Hallowe'en, and that from their prank several citizens had had property damaged or destroyed. Most of the boys at the conference were accompanied by either father, mother, or both. The boys were told that if they were willing to get together and make good the loss they had occasioned the matter would be dropped. Otherwise there were several people ready to issue warrants for arrest. Here is where the matter now stands. Saturday night crowds continue with this nice weather. Trapping season for pelts began on Wednesday, November 15. How the leaves dropped off the trees last week. Sunday was a warm day, with a cool blow out of the west at night. Flocks of hundreds of starlings are seen in the fields up Point Pleasant way. Thanksgiving day comes as late as it ever does this year, the last day of November. Max Leet has laid a concrete curb along his property on South Main Street, Berkeley [today South Toms River Borough]. A few motorboats were out on the bay and river last week end—summer visitors came down to get one more nice day on the water. The Toms River High School pupils are getting out a Thanksgiving issue of the Cedar Chest [a semi-regular school journal that eventually became an annual yearbook]. Mrs. J. Lloyd Glass is the faculty advisor this year. Let's all be thankful. Five weeks left of 1922. New moon last Saturday. One week more of November. Weather is more like winter. Freeholders met on Tuesday. Thanksgiving day next Thursday. Christmas is only a month away. Crescent moon in the west this week. Seward Avenue has three new homes about completed. The roof is about on the large parish house at St. Joseph's R.C. Church. The forehanded merchant is already advertising goods for Christmas shoppers. Frank W. Sutton, Jr., is building a hollow tire garage on his Main Street property. Arthur C. King killed two cock pheasants on Saturday last and is having both of them mounted. Riverside football team came here last Saturday and played the Naval Air Station team. The score was 13-12. A number of Toms River people are planning to attend the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia tomorrow. “Blueberries an Inch Across” is the title of an article in the current issue of the Country Gentleman, written by Carl Woodward, of the State Experiment Station, New Brunswick, and describing the results at Whitebogs by Miss White in cultivating the swamp huckleberry. If the summer was set, the autumn has been dry. Farmers would like more rain. Wells and springs are low. George H. Holman, at one time about the largest holder of cranberry holdings in all this neighborhood, has sold about all his bogs. Manager Ferris, of the Marion Inn, denies the story that has been spread around town to the effect that the Marion Inn was to close down for the winter. Charles H. Bond will give a dance on the Scout Hall. These dances are given each Saturday evening, and are apparently enjoyed by the younger dancing set. Most of the cranberries in this neighborhood have been shipped to market. Every freight train you have seen for the past three weeks has had one or more refrigerator cars in it. The Ladies' Auxiliary of the American Legion served dinner on Wednesday evening of this week at the home of Dr. and Mrs. George T. Crook, to about one hundred people. Beside an excellent dinner, a pleasant social time was had. The express and freight carriers have had a real job this week delivering goods to places on Main Street. Mr. Craig, of the freight department of the Central Railroad, was in town on Tuesday, and said that the officials of that road were greatly pleased with the heavy increase in freight traffic to and from Toms River in the past three years. This wasn't “Down in Grover's Store,” but across the street in the Toms River Supply Co. Store. They were talking about game, and a young lad broke in—“Say, Mr. Blank, did you ever shoot a parsonage? I was out the other day and a big bird got up ahead of me—I didn't know what it was, but they said it was a parsonage.” He later agreed that maybe it was a partridge. Joseph Y. Murphy boasts that he had the last drink out of the fountain before it was torn down to widen the street. The fountain had stood there for almost 25 years. The Township Committee have not decided where they will put it. Widening the street also compelled the moving of the two gas tanks and pumps in front of the Toms River Supply Co., and of a number of stop boxes on water service pipes, as well as a fire hydrant. The Toms River Co-Operative Association is planning to acquire land along the railroad, where a siding can be put in, and build a warehouse for the receipt of their supplies. Toms River High School and Newman School, of Lakewood, tied at football Wednesday afternoon, at the Gulick Field, score being 7 to 7. Burnett was the pride of Toms River, intercepting a forward pass, circling the ends, and making a touchdown. L.R. White, who was for some time employed at the Proving Ground, Lakehurst, and later at the Air Station, has opened a repair shop on Sheriff Street, in the new garage just built by George H. Holman. Mr. White, who is a Yale graduate, has been an automobile mechanic for twelve years. Capt. Stephen H. Sherrill, Signal Corps, U.S. Army, was in Toms River on Tuesday and arranged to come back on Wednesday of next week, November 29, and give a radio concert in front of the Traco Theatre at 8:30 P.M. His subject is to demonstrate the army apparatus, said to be the best in the world, and also obtain recruits for the Signal Corps, at Camp Vail, near Long Branch. Captain Sherrill was a room mate of Maj. Grant Holmes, of Forked River, when they were cadets at West Point, before the war. Thanksgiving will be the last day of November. Won't we feel proud when Main Street is finished. We ought to have a parade and celebrate. A pig roast will be held at the Toms River Yacht Club on Tuesday of next week, in the evening, for the male members and their friends. Lakewood is to have a third theatre, the Rialto, having been leased by Frey and Weber, of Long Branch, and put on their circuit. Tuckerton and West Creek and Parkertown folks say that the new electric lights at Beach Haven are easily seen from the mainland, even if Beach Haven is six miles at sea. December. Twelfth month. Moonlit evenings. Last month in the year. Thirty days left of 1922. Full moon next Monday. Shop early—shop at home. Holidays are drawing near. Days will soon be at their shortest. The first snow on Monday night. Get busy on your Christmas shopping. Better lay in some wood—you may not get coal. Yachts are either laid up or on their way to Florida. Give the town merchants the benefit of your Christmas buying. And now Toms River is to have a Legion Home for Convalescent Soldiers. There was enough snow on Monday night to make a white showing on roofs and on grass Tuesday morning. One of the biggest pieces of business the cranberry men ever did was to get people thinking they can't eat the big dinner without cranberry sauce for the turkey or chicken. Very few leaves left on the trees now. Merchants are getting in their Christmas stocks. Main Street, once it is cleaned up, will be some street, eh? There is talk of putting in still another siding at the Central Railroad, near the depot. Signs of fresh eggs for sale along the Lakewood Road have dropped to eighty cents a dozen. On Tuesday the barriers on the new concrete road were moved down to Lein Street, all the rest of the street being thrown open. Joseph Y. Murphy bought a lot on lower Hyers Street, between the Knox blacksmith shop and the Havens building at the corner of Sheriff Street. The cardinal bird, which kept in the thickets for the past few months, is again visiting his favorite haunts in the gardens. One has been seen the past several times about Walton Street. An occasional robin is seen, and also an occasional blackbird. The latter are generally found, when seen in winter, in with a flock of starlings. The starling this fall are seen in flocks from a dozen or two, up to several hundred. O.E. Payne reports the sale of his 66-acre farm, formerly known as the Woolley property, on the north side of town, extending from the Freehold Road to the Lakewood Road, to the Dinnerstein Brothers, of Brooklyn. A large poultry plant will be established at once. The Toms River Yacht Club held Thanksgiving night dance, last evening, at the clubhouse. The Point Pleasant Leader [newspaper] says that men with crab nets make a good haul of frost fish on the beaches at night in that section; also that a fishing crew of four caught four barrels of cod off shore in one day. The party was headed by Alonzo Asay, formerly of Toms River. PROHIBITION The reason it is so difficult to enforce the law against liquor-selling is inherent in the American make-up. We are all spontaneously against the enforcement of any law that interferes with us. Come along shore and hear the men sitting around the grocery store stove discussing the game laws; stop at a country club and hear the boasts how this one and that one broke the speed laws and motor regulations, and evaded arrest; go into a club of business men and listen to how they get from under the income and excess profit taxes, and use the tariff, or evade it, as it is to their interests. It makes no difference what class of society it is, a law to the American mind is something that he can change if he gets enough votes, and therefore something to be evaded when it crosses his purposes or desires. Then take foreigners coming to this country from a land where law was rigid against his (the peasant) class, let him find out the American attitude as to law, and how can you expect anything else than what we find? DOWN IN GROVER'S STORE The fact that “Bill-Ed” and “Sampson,” fresh from the inlet, answered the roll call on Saturday night, at Grover's Store, made it an eventful hour—for “Bill-Ed,” though a charter member, and in good standing, owing to his living in Darby, doesn't get a chance to attend an open session more than once, or at most, twice in a year. Habits of duck were being discussed. It was the unanimous opinion that a duck is a real feeder. One said that a fat black duck, with the ponds frozen over three days, would starve so thin that he wasn't worth cooking. Another said that a wild duck in the grainfields would stuff his crop full and his neck full—“So full that he can't either bend his neck or turn his head.” But Cap finished the argument. “The most fish I saw all this season was this fall, down the bay. We shot a shelldrake, and I noticed his neck bulged out. I shut my hand around his neck bellow the bulge and worked it toward his head. And more fish shot out of that shelldrake's bill than I had seen all summer.” From that to fish was an easy transition, and somebody said that a bluefish would eat till it could eat no more, and then keep right on eating, or at least keep on killing. Speaking of bluefish got a rise out of “Skip,” who never does have much to say: “Franklin and I were down at the Inlet for a week's fishing this fall, and say, some of these city folks do have queer ideas of sport. There was a bunch there fishing for channel bass—the same bunch that made the biggest catch of striped bass of the summer on the whole beach, and had everybody envying 'em. 'What luck, boys?' I sung out, as we come up. 'None at all,' one answered back. 'We haven't caught a dang thing, except striped bass and blue fish!'” The Newark Call says that Elwin Brooks of the “Four Corners Town” bagged two wild geese, several duck and snipe, while on a gunning trip at Barnegat. Also that James Thompkins and Bert Wolfe gunned three days at Pasadena, Ocean County, getting fourteen rabbits and three pheasants. They expect to return to the same camp for the deer season. Andrew Hall and Frank Kiefer, also of Newark, were at Seaside Park last Thursday and brought back six ducks, two geese and two sheldrakes apiece. Frost fish are gathered these nights in the surf. They say that, with a flashlight, t was not necessary to wait for the moonlit evenings. You can go raccoon hunting these nights, if you want to, as the law won't stop you. ALWAYS AT THE FRONT A live town, like a live man, cannot be kept down. A place located with so many natural advantages as Toms River is bound to be attractive to all who see it. Another evidence of its attractiveness is seen in the selection of a home here for disabled soldiers by the American Legion. Toms River seems destined to grow. And not only Toms River, but all Ocean County. Take a look, for instance at the growth of the Lakewood and Point Pleasant neighborhoods in the past few years. HEADLINE NEWSNEW YACHTS FOR BARNEGAT BAY RACES NEXT YEAR Reports say that there will be a number of new yachts for the Barnegat Bay races for next year. If present plans work out former Commodore Edward Crabbe, of the Toms River Yacht Club expects to have a catboat built by Morton Johnson, of Bay Head, about the size of the Mary Ann, which last summer took most of the Barnegat Bay catboat events, and carried the cups home to Island Heights. The Crabbe boys, Edward, Daniel and Birkbeck, are also making arrangements with Mort Johnson for a twenty-foot sneakbox. Mort Johnson has two twenty-foot boxes to build, from designs by Charles D. Mower. One is for Orton G. Dale, owner of the famous old-time racing box Arran. The other is for an Island Heights yachtsman, who so far is not named. It is understood that other yachtsmen are talking over with other builders plans for several other boxes, and that the fifteen-foot fleet will be increased by next July, when the racing begins. The Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association has appointed a committee to amend rules to keep out freak boats. It is understood that accepting the Mary Ann as an accomplished fact, they will try to keep her build as the extreme limit in construction of racing boats. Toms River Yacht Club will probably sponsor the September race of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association, in 1923, off Cedar Creek Point. RUM RUNNERS AT OUR INLETS Reports from along shore say that fishermen are running in rum at Barnegat Inlet. The same reports come from Manasquan Inlet and from Tuckerton Bay. Reports tell of strange men harboring in gunning shacks on the meadows, generally foreigners; of strange trucks that frequent roads to the bay shore at night; of launches, some known and some unknown, that slip in and out the inlet after nightfall. The old days of the smuggler seem to have returned. PROGRESSIVE SHORE TOWNS OBTAIN ELECTRIC LIGHTS 1922 will be remembered in a number of the progressive shore towns in lower Ocean County as the year in which they obtained electric lights. Tuckerton started off by making a contract with an Atlantic City electric plant, which has the contract to supply current to the radio station four miles below Tuckerton, and were willing to take Tuckerton on that feed wire. Barnegat, never to be outdone by Tuckerton, then installed a plant of its own. Beach Haven, heretofore dependent upon an acetylene gas plant, when it learned what Barnegat was doing, started a plant, also municipally owned, and the lights have been turned on for a week. Now West Creek has made arrangement with the same company in Atlantic City, which supplies Tuckerton with current, and as the line will be run to West Creek, Parkertown will also be served. Now it would seem to be Manahawkin's opportunity to harness the waste water power from Stafford Lake and put in its electric plant. But down shore is not the only spot where electricity has been extended. The Lakewood and Coast Electric Company has run wires down the beach from Bay Head to Seaside Park, which means that Lavallette was lighted by electricity this summer. The same company is now lighting Lakehurst and Whitesville. The Toms River Electric Company has extended its lines to Pine Beach, and also is putting them north in Dover Township to Pleasant Plains Church, in the rapidly growing poultry district. Ocean Gate has appointed a committee to see if either the Toms River or Lakewood Company will supply them with current. FIRED TO HALT RUM SHIP IN CHASE OFF JERSEY COAST Atlantic City, Nov. 17.—Ending a chase of more than an hour off coast last night, Federal coast guards, commanded by Captain John Holdskom of the Absecon Station, captured the auxiliary schooner Edwin H. Berke. A cargo of 400 cases of Nassau liquor was confiscated, and Harry Goekler, her commander, and Sidney Calmer, his crew, were arrested. A shot was fired across the schooner's bow to halt her. When Captain Holdskom took up the patrol, he found a suspicious light beyond the bar off Absecon Inlet, which proved to be a heavily laden schooner cruising toward them. About that time, the vessel sighted them and turned about, heading up beyond Brigantine Beach. The coast guards gave pursuit. The schooner extinguished her lights and doubled back, hoping to evade capture. When she turned again, Captain Holdskom anticipated the action and shot in toward shore, throwing a searchlight on the craft, as she darted into Brigantine Inlet. N.J. PRODUCTS CHEAPEN THANKSGIVING DINNER Thanksgiving dinners will cost less this year than at any time since pre-war days, the State Bureau finds, in a survey of food prices for the coming holiday and added the interesting information for Jerseymen that their own state has contributed largely to production of supplies and reduction of prices for the feast. From oysters to pie and ice cream, in fact, the bureau shows that New Jersey can supply everything needed for a sumptuous dinner... NEW PUMPING ENGINE SHOWS ITS WORTH IN HAZARDOUS FIRE WATER STREET LANDMARK WRECKED BY $20,000 FIRE A fire that caused at least $20,000 damage, as estimated by the owner of the building, Samuel Kaufman, completely wrecked the United Feed Company building, on Water Street, and the W.L. DeGraw store, on Tuesday, November 28. The heavy weight of five carloads of corn on the second floor, after the roof had burnt off and fallen in crushed in the floor of the second story, and shoved out the side of the building on the west so that the building is almost a complete wreck, and is fit for little except to tear down. When the building collapsed several firemen, members of Fire Company No. 1, were on the second floor, and went down with it. They all escaped serious injury, thought more or less painfully hurt, but were around the rest of the day. William S. DeGraw, Henry Bocock and Harry Harris went down with the floor, while Sidney R. Harris, president of the Fire Company No. 1, was in the alleyway between the burnt building and the Alonzo Hyers building, next door, and just escaped being pinned fast by the falling timbers. The fire was a bad one to fight, as it was an old building full of inflammable dust from being used for years on its upper floors for storage of grains. Hardly more than a yard away on the west was Capt. Alonzo Hyers building, and but a short distance on the east was the Central Hotel. It was a great piece of luck for the village that the fire broke out on Tuesday, when there was almost no wind, rather than a day earlier, when a wild westerly gale raged... Both fire companies were early on the job. Two streams were got on the front of the building from the hydrants and the new pumper was run back of Berry's stores. Its suction pipe lowered into the river, and it threw four streams of water on the burning building... The Beachwood firemen hurried up with their apparatus and offered their aid, as soon as they heard the alarm blow... The DeGraw grocery, which was in the west end of the building, after the collapse of the upper floor, was a mass of broken and charred timbers, with loose corn spilled everywhere. Samuel Kaufman, of the United Feed Company said that the loss could not be less than $20,000. He figured the company's loss on corn, hay and other feeds at $10,000, besides the loss of the building and the loss of the DeGraw grocery stock. The United Feed Company has almost completed a large grain elevator, warehouse and store on the Main Shore road, in Berkeley, with a siding from the Central Railroad, and will transfer their business as soon as possible [ironically this also burned in a terrific conflagration thirty years later, the dramatic photos of which still exist in various local archives]. They were almost ready to move. Their stock in the burned building is all water soaked and damaged, if not ruined... The building in the olden days was known for a generation as Potter's store. The eastern part of the building was built by, or at least occupied by Ed Ivins as a store in the sixties. About 1868 the late Charles W. Potter started a store there. Later he sold out to his father, Reuben Potter, who built the west part of the building and the peaked roof over it all. He carried on a store there for nearly twenty years. In 1890 Joseph Grover began business for himself in that store and staid there til 1896, when he moved to his present location. In the seventies and eighties, when there were still a few of the charcoal burners left in the pines, and the clamboats used to come up from Barnegat Bay and Egg Harbor to ship their catches from Toms River, “Potter's Store” was the headquarters of both piner and bayman, and the boys of that time can remember the interest with which they used to hang about the store and listen to these oldtimers from the bay and woods. The feed business was started by John Hagaman, Jr., who bought the place about twenty years ago and conducted a grocery and feed store. Later William L. DeGraw bought the grocery business and Joseph Y. Murphy the feed business, the latter selling to the United Feed Company. No one can explain how the fire stared. So far the only suggestion is that there must have been a crack in the chimney in the second floor, or else the chimney caught fire, and got hot enough to set fire to the woodwork. Being unable to get coal, Mr. DeGraw was burning wood, and the chimney was old. That may be the explanation... KITE BALLOON IN AIR A new kite balloon was sent up last Friday and Saturday afternoon at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst. Saturday afternoon the balloon was hauled down and deflated. The balloon was of light grey silk, or some material that was as shiny as silk, was almost spherical, but a little egg shaped, with two inflated fins at the tail end. Its cable was fast to a winch on a heavy motor truck, and in addition it took a score or more of men to handle the ropes after the balloon had been brought close to the ground to rip open the escape and let the gas out, and then to open the big valves for the same purpose. A detachment of sailors and marines handled the balloon. BUILDING JETTY TO HEAD OFF BEACH HAVEN INLET In an effort to stop the encroachment of the sea at the new Beach Haven inlet, below Beach Haven, on Long Beach, the Long Beach Township Committee is building a jetty out into the inlet from the north point of the beach. The jetty starts from the beach about two or three hundred feet to the west of the County road. For the past year the inlet has been cutting away the land rapidly, as it has moved, or widened, toward the north. The U.S. Government found it necessary to move its coastguard station. Many acres of beachland have gone under water. It is hoped that a jetty system may hold the beach from further scouring away. HOME TALENT BURGALIZES SUTTON'S ICE CREAM STORE What is unanimously believed to have been home talent burglarized the ice cream and confectionery store of Fred G. Sutton on Main Street, last Sunday night or Monday morning. When the store was opened Monday morning it was found that the rear door had been forced open, and the cash register robbed of about $25, small change to the amount of $2.65 being left. They had also taken, as near as Mr. Sutton could tell, six boxes of candy, five boxes of cigars and six cigarette holders, making his loss about fifty or sixty dollars. It will be remembered that on election night an attempt was made to unlock the front door of Meyer Williams' shoe store, and a key was broken off in the lock, so that the entrance was not gained. APPLEBY A GOOD SPORT The Trenton Times designates Congressman Appleby as a good sport, saying, Congressman T. Frank Appleby, who was defeated for re-election by Elmer H. Geran, by about a thousand votes, was asked whether he would contest Geran's election. “No,” was his answer, “I do not believe in contesting elections.” “SQUIRE RAWLEY, “A MODERN DANIEL COME TO JUDGEMENT” For destroying property in their Hallowe'en pranks, three young men at New Egypt were brought before Justice George A. Rawley. The boys were Richard Sparks, Samuel Pullen and Elmer Bechtel, and this was the sentence meted out to them after they had pleaded guilty: “Pay all damages fined five dollars and costs; learn the life of Abraham Lincoln and appear before Justice Rawley every month and recite what they had learned; and put on parole for one year with the understanding that they be in bed every night at 9 o'clock.” WILL RECONSTRUCT BAY BRIDGE The bridge from Seaside Heights across Barnegat Bay to the mainland will be reconstructed. Louis J. Selling, of Red Bank, was the lowest bidder at $83,718. It is intended to put an entire new floor, including new stringers and deck beams. It is not expected that the bridge will be closed while making repairs, although certain sections may be closed for short periods at various times during the progress of the work. BOOSTING TOMS RIVER AS FOREMOST POULTRY CENTER Toms River got a big boost as the foremost and most progressive poultry center in the state last week by the publication all over this state and in the dailies of cities in adjoining states, of the big record made by William Johnson's flock of hens, which laid an average of 198.6 eggs per bird in one year. This is a record never exceeded for so large a flock, and such successes as that keep Toms River as a poultry center and Toms River poultrymen as leaders in their methods and results, in the limelight. SPENT 75 DAYS IN JAIL Judge Newman, on Wednesday, released on their own bail, two Swede fishermen, Chris Johnson and George Urchin, who were arrested about September 1, on a booze charge, and had been in jail for the past 75 days. The men had a job waiting them on the beach. OCEAN COUNTY HENS IN VINELAND EGG CONTEST S.C. White Leghorns Bayville Farms, Bayville, N.J. - 43 A.L Causse, Jr., Toms River, N.J. - 82 Columbia Poultry Farm, Toms River – 95 C.S. Greene, Mt. Kisco, N.Y. - 27 Michael R. Hecht, Toms River – 38 Hoehn Farm, Brooklyn – 99 Novins Poultry Farm, Toms River - 71 THE LEGION IN POLITICS For forty years after the Civil War the question asked of every man who was nominated for high office, was, “What was his war record?” Grover Cleveland was the only man, from Grant to McKinley, elected President without being able to show that he had an honorable part in the Civil War. In the South, during that period, a war record in the Secession army was as vital to success at the polls. The last election showed the first effort of the American Legion in politics in this county. Had this been a close county, the fact that Lieut. James W. Lillie, the Democratic nominee for Assembly, was supported by the Legion, might have elected him. As it was Lillie ran well ahead of his ticket. Are we to have a Legion faction (or bloc) to add to our baymen's faction, oystermen's faction, clammers' faction, resort hotel mens' faction, as well as wet and dry [for and against prohibition], etc., in this county. And why not a cranberry mens' bloc and a poultrymen's faction also? Or, best of all, a taxpayers' bloc, to see that we get value for the dollar or tax money that is spent. HINT BOOZE TRUCK KILLED OFFICER BEEBE AT LAKEWOOD The killing of Policeman Richard Beebe of Lakewood, so far as the public knows, is still a mystery, after a lapse of three weeks. There is a rumor that crops in all kinds of places about Lakewood which connects up the killing of the policeman with a booze truck that supplies some of the alleged “thirty saloons or speakeasies” in Lakewood with their source of supply. Those who tell this say in all seriousness that had it been a booze truck that killed Policeman Beebe its driver would not have dared to stop, for the whole liquor trade, while in some ways open enough, is naturally allowed only so long as it can keep under cover. TRUANCY CASE DISMISSED; DELINQUENT CHILD A BRIDE The case brought in the truancy court against Sarah Platt, of Berkeley, Toms River, by Arthur McKelvey, attendance officer, before Judge Newman, was dismissed on Wednesday of this week, when it was reported to the court that the delinquent child is now a bride. Miss Platt was recently married to Jesse Magee, of Toms River. “BETTER SWEETS” TRADE NAME FOR OCEAN COUNTY The Ocean County Sweet Potato Growers' Association, at a meeting on Monday evening, at Toms River, adopted the trade name, “Better Sweets,” under which to market the Ocean County Association grown sweet potatoes. This is to be copyrighted, application having already been made. It is probable that the next move of the sweet potato growers in this section will be to secure a storage house to take care of their potatoes during the winter. The storage house, if built for this purpose, will probably be on one railroad or the other, in order to have it act as a shipping house also. LEGION BUYS HOME FOR DISABLED SOLDIERS AT TOMS RIVER OLD J.G. GOWDY FARM ON EAST WASHINGTON ST. A home for convalescent soldiers has been bought at Toms River—the former James G. Gowdy farm at Washington Street and Clifton Avenue—by the American Legion. It will be the second American Legion Convalescent Home in the United States, the first being also in South Jersey, at Wildwood, Cape May County. The farmhouse will be fitted up to receive convalescent men who are not sick enough to come under the care of the government, and yet not well enough to make their own way in the world. It is planned to turn the large and well built farm into an annex, if it is needed, for that purpose. The farm has thirty-two acres of good ground, though it has not been cultivated for some years [it was eventually purchased and converted into what today is the Toms River Elks, with the remainder of the property sold and cut up for house development]... The farm that has been bought for this purpose, when owned by the late James G. Gowdy, was kept in a high state of cultivation, and was one of the show places of this neighborhood. Mr. Gowdy had fine asparagus beds, fruit orchards, etc. The place could once more be made into a real farm. The house sits back from the road with a spacious lawn. Seen from this place are glimpses of the river, gleaming through the trees, across the Cranmoor estate [itself since redeveloped into housing from Washington Street to the riverfront in the years since]... OYSTERS FAT AND FANCY Reports from the lower end of the county say that the oysters are fat and fancy in condition, and meet with a ready market at fair prices, so that the oyster planters are shipping steadily with a profitable business. The weather has been sharp enough the past month to make a demand for oysters. $50.00 REWARD For arrest and conviction of persons who stole six wild tame black duck and two chickens from my farm at Forked River. Thos. H. Thropp—Adv. TRUCK AND AUTO COLLIDE Newly Wedded Couple Injured on Honeymoon Trip An auto truck of the American Company, of Toms River, and a Ford sedan, driven by Percy Chadwick, of Bayhead, collided at Sumner avenue and Boulevard, Seaside Heights, and the latter's wife, a bride of a week, was badly cut about the face, her head going through the windshield. Mr. Chadwick's mother was also badly shaken up in addition to receiving a fracture of the shoulder. The injured were taken to Wickham's Pharmacy, Seaside Park, where their injuries were temporarily treated. Later they were taken to the Spring Lake Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick were married on Wednesday of last week... THESE HUMANS MUST STARVE—UNLESS AMERICA SENDS AID Near East Meeting Next Sunday, 7:30 P.M., At Traco The community meeting, in aid of the Near East Relief will be held on Sunday evening next at the Traco Theatre, at 7:30 o'clock. The meeting will be in charge of the clergy of the town, and all the churches of the town are interested, as an undenominational and village affair. There will be a film showing some of the conditions among the orphans in the Orient. The hymns to be sung, are well known and popular tunes, will be shown on the screen. There will be an address on conditions in the Near East by Albert H. Skean, who recently returned from Smyrna [Greece]... TO MATCH JOHN D.'S $5000 $9746.12 has been raised toward the maternity ward, at the Kimball Hospital, Lakewood. It is necessary to raise $2748.61 before January 1 to secure the John D. Rockefeller gift of $5000 which was offered on May 10 last, and conditioned on another $5000 being raised from that date to match his $5000. ALBERT'S UNLUCKY DAY Albert Miles, a stalwart and good-humored citizen of Whitings, is sure that Monday was his unlucky day. He started before daylight from Whitings, coming down by the railroad track, to Toms River, and got caught and soaked through by the storm that broke when he was half way here. His team [of horses] were so frightened that he had trouble with them all the rest of the day. When reaching Toms River he found the streets torn up and got caught in the mess on his way to the blacksmith shop, to have the team shod; and when he did get there the team was skittish, not having gotten over their fright from the storm, that he had another time. Then to make a most unpleasant ending of an unlucky day, he took home a gold watch from Worstall, the jeweler, for Charles Payne, of Whitings, and lost it on the road. Albert said he had it in his trouser's pocket, and driving home via Lakehurst, as he had a load on the wagon, he looked at the watch shortly after starting up the Lakehurst road, and put it back, as he supposed in his pocket. Up by Jake Miller's, he went to look at the watch again, and it was gone. He walked all the way back to town, searching both ways, but didn't find it. Yes, Albert is sure it was his unlucky day. LOCAL EGGS HIT 94 CENTS, NOW HAVE DROPPED TO 90 The local hennery white Jersey eggs candled, climbed up to 94 cents per dozen in the New York markets on Monday, about the high water mark for this fall. Tuesday they were reported at 92 cents a dozen. Yesterday's figures in the New York Herald gave fancy Jersey hennery whites, uncandled, at 86 to 90 cents; and the same eggs candled, at 90 cents. The mild fall and heavy production of eggs is said to have resulted in the drop in the present price this week. WELL-KNOWN LAKEWOOD MAN BURNED TO DEATH IN SHACK Lakewood, Nov. 20.—The charred body of “Capt.” John Johnson was found in his shack, which was almost completely destroyed by fire about 9 o'clock Friday evening. Captain Johnson, as he was known by his acquaintances, was about 65 years of age. He is known to have been a heavy drinker, and a number of people are reported to have seen him in an intoxicated condition about two hours before the fire was discovered. The deceased is survived by two sisters and three brothers. He was a skilled mechanic, both as an architect and builder. His shack was on wheels. Johnson had been a lifelong resident of the Lakewood section and was a town character, known to all the old residents. CRANBERRY PRICES HOLD UP TO WHERE THEY STARTED Cranberry prices seem to be holding up to where they started or a little better, owing to the demand for the Thanksgiving market. Early blacks are given in the New York markets as $8 to $12 per barrel. Later varieties, fancy stock, at from $12.50 to $14. Lower quality berries are somewhat under these figures. TWO MEET DEATH AS TRAIN CRUSHES AUTO Point Pleasant, Nov. 18.—Two persons were killed and one seriously injured here last night when the New York express, due to arrive here at 9:52 struck a Ford sedan at the Forman Avenue crossing, on its return from the loop about 10:10. Albert Johnson, a local taxi driver, and driver of the Ford, was killed instantly, and Mrs. William T. Paterson, a passenger in the car, died before aid could reach her. Mrs. Pauline Regan, another passenger, is confined to the local hospital with severe bruises about the head, several teeth knocked out, a broken arm and lacerations of the right leg. It was reported this morning that she will probably recover. All three of the occupants of the Ford were local residents. Johnson was one of the leading taxi operators in the borough. Mrs. Patterson lived with her husband and a son on Cramer Avenue. Her husband is a freight man on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Barton Regan, the husband of Mrs. Regan, is a telegraph operator at Mt. Holly. They also have a son and live on Lincoln Avenue. The express arrived at the scheduled time last night and having stopped at the local station to discharge passengers, proceeded to the loop. It was headed north on the northbound track about a quarter of an hour later. Johnson was headed west of Forman Avenue. The Ford was struck with terrific force and carried about 150 feet, being completely wrecked. The bodies of Johnson and Mrs. Patterson were taken to the undertaking establishment of J.H. Harvey here, where preparations for burial were made... The Forman Avenue crossing is not guarded by a flagman. PROFIT IN CRANBERRIES UNCLE SAM'S EXPERTS SAY As followed in New Jersey, cranberry culture is recommended as a profitable industry under suitable conditions and in certain climates, by specialists of the United States Department of Agriculture. At a conference of extension workers the possibilities, advantages and drawbacks in cranberry growing were discussed. The bulk of the present cranberry crop is grown on the acid soils and peat bogs of New Jersey and Massachusetts. In New York, Wisconsin, Michigan and near the mouth of the Columbia River, in Washington and Oregon cranberries are also grown in commercial quantities. Some cranberries are also grown in the mountain districts in Virginia and West Virginia. Preparation of the land for cranberry growing is an expensive process. All trees and roots have to be removed from the marsh and burned, and the fields graded, ditched, dyked and sanded. Before the war, swamp land could thus be cleared and prepared for about $300 to $700 per acre. At present prices of labor and materials, this work will cost anywhere from $600 to $1200. Ordinarily the price of cranberries per barrel is from $6 to $10, although during the past year as much as $40 per barrel was obtained for small lots. The number of barrels produced per acre ranges from 15 or 20 to 100 and sometimes 200. A reasonable expectation, under good conditions and management, however, would be from 35 to 40 barrels per acre, the specialists say. EXHIBITING “BETTASWEETS” The Ocean County Sweet Potato Association has been holding a number of meetings lately preparatory to putting their sweet potatoes on the market. Meeting was held Monday evening, November 20, in the Toms River Chamber of Commerce rooms, at which a demonstration in grading was given by County Agent E.H. Waite. Plans were made for transportation of sweet potatoes to New York. It was decided to make no shipments until along in December. The trade name adopted is “Bettasweets.” The association is planning to stage a large exhibition at the State Horticultural meeting in Atlantic City December 5, 6 and 7. Exhibits have been selected by each member and Ocean County will probably be represented by close to 80 bushels. Julius Wider, of Forked River, a member of the association, will take the exhibits to Atlantic City in his two-ton truck and bring them back. The association is planning to make another large exhibit at Trenton Farmers' week. FREDERICK JONES RESIGNS AS SEASIDE HEIGHTS MAYOR Councilman E.C. Kramer, the borough's first mayor and who served several terms, is selected successor. Quite a surprise was created at the Seaside Heights council meeting on Tuesday evening when Mayor Jones tendered his resignation. He gave as a reason that he is going to Florida and will not return until spring and that in the meantime the borough needed a mayor. Mr. Jones further stated he is going to retire from work and will reside permanently in Seaside Heights, except during the winter months. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Chamber of Commerce had a busy meeting on Wednesday evening of this week, it discussing many subjects of importance to this village business. President Warner appointed a committee consisting of Dr. Frank Brouwer, Anthony Then, Daniel B. Priest, Atwood Wardell and William H. Fischer, to take up with the Board of Education plans of getting a new school house started before school should open in September, 1923. On complaint that some merchants were at times blockading the sidewalks with their goods, Messrs. O.E. Payne and William H. Fischer were named a committee to see if the merchants could not be induced to give the pedestrians the right of way... Other matters discussed were a possible census of Dover Township; a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the discovery of the river by Capt. William Tom, after whom it is supposedly named; a fitting opening of Main Street when the concrete road is completed; traffic post location at Main and Washington and Main and Water Streets; a traffic cop at Water and Robbins Streets; the shade tree situation, and the widening of Washington Street at Main Street. The committee on this last proposition favor the purchase of the Priest building, tearing it down and throwing that plot of ground facing Washington Street, and lying between Main and Hyers Streets, into a public plaza. WHITESVILLE MAY LOSE P.O. Postmaster Holman of Whitesville, being unwilling to longer run the office at that place, there is every reason to believe that the office will be closed. Inspector Harrison went over the ground on Friday last and was unable to find a person willing to take it. If no one is found by December 1st, office will be closed and Lakewood will be the nearest place for the residents of that place to go and get service. The office paid $425 last year, and to this the $300 that is allowed for carrying the mail should be added. PERSONAL MENTION WITH LOCAL FLAVOR Mr. and Mrs. Edward Crabbe spent the week end at Sheffield, Mass., where Daniel and Birkbeck Crabbe are attending school. John D. Rockefeller has been spending part of the pleasant fall weather at his home in Lakewood. He motored there from his estate in Tarrytown, N.Y. Senator-elect Mathis, County Chairman A.W. Brown, Jr., and A.C. King spent Tuesday at Trenton. Captain Heinan, the German expert on dirigible balloons, who is employed at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, and recently bought the Louis Arm bungalow on Seward Avenue, has his family here, newly arrived from Germany. Rumor says that a young Berkeley girl was married this week to one of the young men among the newcomers in town. Edward Crabbe and H.B. Scammell, of the Double Trouble Company left here on Sunday last for a trip to Cape Cod, to observe methods used here in cleaning, packing and shipping cranberries. Mr. Crabbe also plans to visit his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Starr Ballou, at Concord, N.H., before his return to Toms River. Marvin Campbell, of Brooklyn, spent the week end here with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.M. Campbell. Mrs. Dave Marion was home over the week end. The Marion show is playing in Buffalo this week and Mr. Marion is with it. GUNNING ACCIDENTS Last Sunday's papers told of three fatal shootings by gunners in the woods and fields in two days gunning in this state, not to mention several arms and hands shot away, and one man found unconscious, who might have been a victim of a gunning accident or of a murder. RECENT ARRESTS MADE BY COUNTY GAME WARDENS On November 8, Warden Evernham found one Peter Egle, of Lavallette, gunning without a license. Egle was a foreigner and Evernham confiscated his gun and sent it to Trenton. Warden Howard Mathis also aided in the arrest. Bernard Gandet was arrested as an alien gunner, the arrest occurring on Tuesday. His gun was also confiscated. Warden Evernham arrested G.W. Holloway and James Mathis for illegal gunning from a blind in Barnegat Bay last week. FISH AND GAME Both eels and crabs are bedding away in the bay bottom, it is said. Still, if you want them, you can spear the eels and tong the crabs with oyster tongs. Tom cods are now in the bays along the Jersey coast. Up in North Jersey they made quite a lot of sport fishing for these fish, but it is either business or nothing with them down this way—and mostly nothing, except as for what are caught in the pounds outside the beach. Gerald, son of Joseph Hickman, of New Gretna, just below Tuckerton, shattered his hand while gunning on Thursday morning of last week, when he picked up the gun by the muzzle, and it went off. He was sent by Dr. J. L. Lane, of Tuckerton, to the Atlantic City Hospital, where, reports say, the hand had to be cut off. There are a good many Toms River folk who do not know about the pike fishing in our stream. Read this from the Philadelphia Record about Philadelphia anglers: “Thomas Bairy was on Toms River Sunday and brought home 24 pickerel. These were all caught below the landing. Dick Matheson, John Toner, Chris Rebman, Morris Sendler, George Thomas and Walter Kerber went to Toms River on Sunday. They caught 51 pike. A contingent from Haddonfield, headed by Commissioner Fred Halloway and Borough Engineer J.C. Remington enjoyed a pilgrimage to Beach Haven in quest of wild fowl. They bagged chiefly ducks. Plenty of wild fowl in the bay, or sitting out in the ocean in nice weather, the baymen all say. In fact, the fowl are sitting pretty and safe, for the gunners can't get at them, and they, with few exceptions, won't go to the gunners. All the county papers say that rabbit are scarce in their neighborhoods, as most hunters have found them about Toms River. The papers, quoting local sportsmen, say that the rabbits are devoured by foxes, and that foxes keep gaining in number and boldness, and that soon the poultry raiser will have to start a war on the fox, or meet serious losses. The trapping season began on November 15. There are a number of men all along the shore who make a comfortable living with their traps each winter, but they don't talk much about it, as that would mean more traps. While cutting grass to build a duck blind Francis Sapp, of Tuckerton, stabbed himself badly just above the knee, and was weak from loss of blood by the time that Joe and Claude Smith, who were with him, could get him back to Tuckerton. Fish pounds along the coast have been catching a few weakfish in their nets right along. These were, strange to say, not big weakfish but medium-sized fish. Such large catches of cod have been made by the pound fishermen that they realized only two cents a pound for these fish many days at a time in the past few weeks. In fact, cod were sold in shore towns like Forked River at that low price—two cents a pound. Market fishermen at Barnegat Inlet are still making their runs to the fishing grounds. The seabass and blackfish have staid late, and have been biting fairly well. Codfish have been so cheap that the handline men have not given much time to catching them. There are some fishermen, so rumor says, who make their highest price catches off shore, and bring it in the inlet in bottles, but all of the Barnegat Inlet fishermen are not of that type. Deer hunters are getting ready for the season. The law that has allowed the shooting of bucks only, has during the last ten years brought fairly large herds of does, with but an occasional buck. As soon as a buck is old enough to grow horns he is a fair mark for the hunter, and must take his chances of being killed. Some of the backwoodsmen report that this summer there were herds from three to forty, all does and fawns, about their places. There will be two days' shooting in December and two in January this winter, but these four days will be a week apart. TOMS RIVER HIGH SCHOOL [which at this time was a magnet school for a large part of Ocean County] Toms River High School has a number of activities this year. In addition to its football team, and the boys' and girls' basketball teams, there is a debating club, glee club, spelling club, needlecraft club, radio club, library club, and the organization, or staff, which publishes the Cedar Chest [a semi-regular school digest that eventually became the annual yearbook of the same name, continuing today at Toms River High School South, original location of TRHS]. TOWN LIFEBARNEGAT Thomas Galvin is having his house wired for electricity. John V. Lewis is doing the work. Carlton Bros. have opened a vegetable and fruit store which was very much needed here. Willits Parker is the proud owner of a new pony, having given his other one to Ernest Cranmer. At 7:30 Saturday morning the fire bell rang. The Capt. Wright Predmore house was afire around the chimney. The fire company responded at once and it was soon put out. Clarence Woodmansee and Allen Ridgway spent a few days at the Sims' place last week. BAY HEAD Theodore Wilbert, son of Elbert Wilbert, will build himself a bungalow on the west side. Arthur Strickland and Charles Tilton have left for a week's gunning down the bay. Dr. William's sea-skiff, “The Bon Homme Richard,” recently built by Hubert Johnson, was launched last week. The boat will make thirty-two miles an hour and is claimed to be one of the fastest boats at this end of the bay. The engagement is announced of Miss Sarah Coats Forsyth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John J. Forsyth, of this place, to Mr. Edward A. Glover, of Mr. Vernon, N.Y. The date is not yet set for the wedding. Miss Forsyth has been the active and efficient business secretary of the Bay Head Yacht Club. After spending five days at Whitesville gunning, A.G. Spaulding and party, of Baltimore, Md., arrived here Friday to continue their trip by spending a week down the bay gunning for duck and geese. A new concrete foundation is being placed under the local railroad station by contractor Frank Ferry, Jr., of this place. Mr. Ferry has charge of all the repair work of the stations on the Trenton division of the P.R.R. Miss Laura Chadwick of this place has resigned her position with the New York and Long Branch railroad owing to the ill health of her mother, Mrs. B. Chadwick, who was seriously hurt in a recent auto accident. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Hankins are receiving congratulations upon the arrival of a nine pound boy last week. Carl Numemaker is one of the few local gunners who have been fortunate enough to bag a goose. Emil Littell and wife, have closed their summer home on the beach front and have opened their winter home in New York. BAYVILLE Miss Eleanor Potter is living in Passaic this winter and taking a course in Drake's Business School. Rev. Jesse Foster, of Lakehurst, is building a bungalow on the Main Shore Road beside the home of his father-in-law, Calvin Potter. Holly strippers are beginning to bust out the nice red berries for the holiday times. It is a shameful thing the way some of these people break, chop and tear down the holly to get what they want. Already we see holly tied fast to automobiles, and the trucks will come a little later. A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Philip Allen Wednesday of last week, November 15. BEACH HAVEN How do you like the new street lights? There is a new home going up on Bay Avenue near the R.R. station. A number of property owners are having their homes wired and connected for electricity. The State Police are frequently seen here, but not because we are a disorderly town. Beach Haven Ice and Cold Storage Company continue to be quiet busy, keeping their men on night shifts frequently. The pleasant weather of the week end brought down a number of cottagers down for a few days. It is reported that the Sprague property opposite the Ocean House, has been sold, and that a row of stores and apartments will be built on the corner lot. Some of the fishermen who are employed by the Hayes Fishery, gave a farewell dance in the Fire House on Monday evening before leaving for the season. It was enjoyed by those present. Our National Bank continues to enjoy prosperity and increasing business, there being a hundred thousand dollars increase in deposits the past year over last year. Osborn's real estate office on Center Street, near the depot, has been moved as the lot where it stood was sold this summer and a large building will be put up there. Beach Haven folk recall with interest that the new U.S. Senator from Delaware, Senator Bayard, is a well-known figure at Beach Haven, having for several summers occupied a cottage here with his family. The men who have been pumping in the piling for the jetty have had a good deal of trouble to get water for their steam boiler. Several wells were sunk at the point of beach, but the water frothed and would not make steam. Last Saturday they made arrangements to cart water down from the Borough plant. Gunning parties take the place of fishing parties. BEACHWOOD Mrs. Widmaier opened her attractive bungalow to the members of the Women's Club, their husbands and children, on Saturday evening, and a very pleasant time was enjoyed by all who were in Beachwood for the week end (the house still stands at 325 Ship Avenue). Tax Collector A.D. Nickerson has started a new plan to collect taxes on many of the lots here. He is sending out a personal letter to those who bought lots in Beachwood [almost surely during the 1914-15 New York Tribune newspaper promotion that established the resort, turning into an independent borough in 1917], yet who never took the trouble to have their deeds recorded, and to some who have not as much as obtained their deeds. The letter invites the lot-owners to visit Beachwood and see if he or she does not think the lots bought a good investment; the letter also suggests that they have the deed recorded in the Ocean County Clerk's office, if the lot owner has his deed, and where the deed can be obtained, if he hasn't it. Then it, in a nice way, suggests that taxes are due on the lots. It is believed that this will bring in considerable returns. A number of Beachwood sports expect to attend the Yale-Princeton football game tomorrow and root for the tiger. John J. Nolze is expecting to build two handsome bungalows, one at Harpoon and Forepeak streets, for Joseph H. Green, and one on the Atlantic City Boulevard, for William A. Russell, both of whom are employed at the Naval Air Station in Lakehurst. The new houses are expected to cost about $4000 each. In order to promote good fellowship and innocent fun during the winter months in Beachwood, the Fire Company is planning to hold a dance the first Saturday evening of each month. The next one will be on Saturday of next week, December 2, in Borough Hall. The firemen promise that all who come will have a good time, and they are looking forward to having numerous couples from Toms River. The Beachwood Rod and Gun Club has scheduled a shoot for Thanksgiving day, Thursday of next week, at its traps in Beachwood. The program calls for three classes—A, B and C. There will be first and second prizes in each class, and also a prize for high over all. The prizes will be live fowl, turkeys, geese, ducks and chickens. It is expected that there will be a large turn-out. There will also be shoots the first and third week end of each month during the winter. In order to buy a site and build a firehouse the Borough Commissioners are to issue temporary improvement bonds to the amount of $6500. The ordinance for this bond issue has been introduced and will come up for final passage on Saturday, December 16. FORKED RIVER Marcus Brown has been building a new barn. Burnet Penn and party, while out gunning, bagged the limit on rabbits, one quail and one pheasant. A party here from Belmar went out fox hunting and killed three foxes near the old Joseph Stout place. Ollie Boshier is looking for the party that meddled with his dog. Joseph Parker has completed two miles of work on the Lacey road, which runs to the northwest from our river landing toward Dover and Lacey. It was built by General Lacey, the iron founder, who came here shortly after the Revolution, and had foundries in Pemberton as well as at Lacey. The roadwork has been done by the county and township, the former putting up 75 per cent, and the latter 25 per cent of the cash. Mr. Parker was at Toms River on Monday on matters connected with his work. Frank W. Briggs, who has had carpenters and workmen making many changes at the Greyhound Inn, will give a dance as usual on the night before Thanksgiving. It will be a masquerade, with prizes for costumes and for dancing. The talk of making Forked River a borough seems to have died down for awhile. It may pop up again when the legislature meets in January. Mr. and Mrs. John Burlew, of South Amboy, have moved here. Mr. Burlew was for 53 years an employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and is now on their pension list. His wife is a granddaughter of the late James Williams, of this place, one of a family well known along the shore. Keeper Nelson Rogers, of Bonds Coast Guard Station, and wife, have been spending a few days with Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Phillips, and took them back for a stay on the beach. The Wider Bros. have from 1500 to 2000 bushels of fine sweet potatoes, grown on their Hollywood farm. E.W. Parker and Capt. Frank Brower have been duck shooting at the North Point of Beach and staying on E.W. Parker's houseboat, “Home Comfort.” Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Phillips have been visiting Keeper and Mrs. Nelson Rogers at Bonds Coast Guard Station and all returned here together last Saturday. While there Mr. Phillips started to build a bungalow and garage. Saturday they all took in the Traco Theatre at Toms River and Mr. and Mrs. Philip Rogers returned from Toms River with them to spend Sunday at the Phillips home. Cornelius Barkalow recently visited Atlantic City. He is now back at his old job at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst. ISLAND HEIGHTS A number of our summer folks were here for the week end. Report says that houses are being rented for next summer. Bert Smith is doing considerable cement work, in the form of curbs, sidewalks, etc., and has expectations of more. Miss Beck has been spending some time here. She recently bought the home of the late Miss E.G. Shreve, and is fitting it up for rental next summer. You can see the Island Heights regulars at the Traco, Toms River, every Saturday evening, and for that matter other evenings in the week. A.W. Atkinson, of Merchantville, a summer cottager here, is one of the exhibitors at the national horse show being held in New York City this week. His Glenaven Trixie, Aflame and Dragon Fly promise to bring his name into prominence in several events. Island Heights friends of Mayor and Mrs. J. Hampton Moore, of Philadelphia, sympathize with them in the loss of their son, Richard Oellers Moore, who died at the age of 20 years on November 16. Mr. Moore had been an invalid for some time. Funeral services were held on Saturday last, at 2:30 P.M., from 1820 Chestnut Street. The burial was private. This is the second time death has invaded the family of Mayor and Mrs. Moore this year, each time taking one of their young sons, just grown to manhood. Island Heights can boast one of the oldest people in this neighborhood, Mrs. Mary McKaig, widow of the late Henry McKaig. She is well known here as Aunt Mary, and is in her 98th year. The recent seven-cent supper netted about $50. The library has received 75 new books, being the donations of Mrs. Pritchard, Mr. Schoettle, Mr. Wainright and Mr. Cox. Tonight (Friday) the Boy Scouts will visit the Scouts of Seaside Heights, to give an exhibition in first aid, semaphore, etc. LAKEHURST Lavergne Wissner left Sunday for his new home in California. He has been employed at the Naval Air Station for two years or more. Monday night, about 11:30 fire was discovered in the wood house on Frank Ruocco's property on Union Avenue, which was totally destroyed. The fire department was on the job and confined the fire to the one building. While at the fire Monday night, Freddie Ridgeway stepped on a nail which penetrated his right foot, crippling him somewhat as it has been very painful. Eli D. Wager has sold out the grocery and butcher business on Union Avenue to Harry E. Jones. The woods are full of gunners but game is not plentiful. The work on the large dirigible is progressing nicely according to the information given out. Everything is running like clockwork and by July the ship is expected to be finished. At the Naval Air Station the new balloon has been seen flying high the past few days. On Saturday we were thrilled again to see the men jump out, raise the parachute and drop through space and land on the soil, safe and sound. These stunts are part of the aviator's life. LANOKA They have been slaughtering the rabbits in this vicinity. Joseph Bunnell has enlisted as Coast Guard in Capt. Mart McCarthy's crew. LAVALLETTE There are several gunners here for wild geese and ducks, but the weather seems too warm to have good luck. They say there are lots of game farther north. The pound fishermen are having a good catch of codfish the past week. The post office has been moved to Gus Helmuth's store, corner Grand Central and Reese Avenues. MANAHAWKIN Coal is a scarce article at this place as well as other shore towns. Mr. and Mrs. Dando, of Philadelphia, have been here at their bungalow on a gunning trip. John Camp and Ray Reeves are sawing wood for the village. MONEY ISLAND Emmett Mervine is installing a wireless outfit [a radio], and is looking forward to much pleasure from it. Miss Frances Plaag, of this place, is helping Fire Company No. 2, of Toms River, raise funds for their apparatus. Money Island has not forgotten the work these boys did at the fire on the hill last spring. NEW EGYPT Work in Lieobovits and Son's factory has been very scarce, owing to the firm being unable to procure the goods used in making pajamas from their own factory. Mrs. Mattie Cranmer visited the firm in New York City Thursday of last week and was assured there will be plenty of work in the future. Chester Foulks went gunning on Friday and Saturday and shot two rabbits, an eight-pound hare, one squirrel and one quail. Henry Horner attended a hog killing on Monday at his brother's, Harvey Horner, in Arneytown. George Woodward and Roy Irons have completed and are now living in new bungalows at New Egypt. OCEAN GATE The frame work on the new addition to the fire house is well under way now. Gunning season opened but from reports there are very few rabbits being shot this season so far. The Borough Council held their monthly meeting at the fire house on Saturday evening last. Several matters of importance were taken up, among them the electric light proposition. The committee in charge are to find costs of placing lights throughout the Borough from the Toms River Co.; also the Lakewood Co. and report at next meeting. Also on Sunday morning last soundings were made out in the bay from Angelsea Avenue for the proposed pier [today well-known and celebrated as Ocean Gate's “second pier”] Chris Angerer spent the week end with his family here. Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Bissel have closed their river front home and returned to Newark for the winter. E.P. McAllister has taken his large power boat out for the winter. We hear that he is going to enlarge it to be ready for next season. Next Sunday, November 26, will be the last excursion train for the season and a large crowd is expected down for the day. The Ocean Gate A.A. football team traveled to Camden on Saturday afternoon last and lost to the Penndale team, of that place, 13-0. On Sunday, they traveled to the Fortieth Ward to play that team, which is one of the hardest teams of the West Philadelphia district. A list of those who came down on Sunday on the last excursion until the robins nest again would read like a page in the summer resort section. All the older residenters—and some of the baby members—of the colony were here to extend their greetings to the hibernators who will try to hold up the end of the borough until the return of spring. The “holly hog” was out in number on Sunday and it kept the Town Marshal busy “shooing” him off private grounds. It is not the fact of the holly being taken, but the manner of the taking that piques one. It is the rip, slam-bang, catch-as-catch-can, knock-down-and-carry-out method that hurts the tree lover, as well as the tree, and leaves the latter looking like a veteran of the Marne—or worse—when spring comes, whereas proper use of the pruning knife, and liberal, too, would bring good results in the early months. But Town Marshall Selinger “kept them moving,” and the local vigilance committee was relieved of at least a portion of its responsibility. E.C. Hansell was down over the week end and returned to the city on Monday. Mrs. Hansell expects to go back to town this week, having stayed till this time to give the measles epidemic a chance to peter out, as Betty Hansell is a scholar in the schools hardest hit by this malady. Contractor Bancroft is making rapid progress on the second story of the firehouse. This building, when completed, will compare favorably with any in Ocean County used for like purpose. Council is working hard on several propositions for the betterment of the lighting and water facilities of the borough. There is no pussy-footing, but the plans are sub-rosa, and therefore nothing definite can be given out. Those who keep both eyes open and one ear to the ground will be rewarded before strawberry time next year. PARKERTOWN Now that electric lights in West Creek are a certainty in the near future and the wires will go through our town, there is not any reason why we can not have the town lighted. It has been rumored that arrangements have been made to light the town, which are very much needed as we have been living in darkness long enough, and let us hope these rumors will materialize. PERSHING [section of Toms River] Gunners are numerous, but game is scarce. Ralph Downs is building himself a house on Brahn Avenue. Mr. Parvola has moved his family from William Vaughn's to the Andrew Applegate house on Clifton Avenue. Theo. Brahn is working for William Marquis chicken ranch. Mrs. Catherine T. Applegate has sold her house on Island Heights road and has bought from Mr. Holman some cranberry bogs near Goose Creek and will build there in the near future. Herman Asay is having his house wired for electric lights and making other improvements to his home. PINE BEACH Pine Beach has suffered an irreparable loss in the death of Mrs. W. Price Davis, last Tuesday at the Homeopathic Hospital, in West Philadelphia. Mrs. Davis took a great interest in every activity in Pine Beach, and was a benefit to the community. Through her influence her aunt, Miss Wynne, lent several hundred dollars to pay off a debt on the chapel. Mrs. Davis herself lent a large sum to the Yacht Club when it was first built and it was found that no one else would accept a mortgage on the building because it was out over the river. Mr. and Mrs. Davis again stood ready to lend some thousands of dollars to pay for the enlarging of the club house and on as liberal terms as they had loaned to the chapel and the first yacht club building. Although in very poor health for some years past, Mrs. Davis was always bright and cheerful, and will be terribly missed by her family and the friends and people in Pine Beach. She was a descendant of the Hugh Wynne in Weir Mitchell's novel. Part of her aunt's farm at Bala was sold for building purposes and named Wynnefield, after Mrs. Davis' family. Her Philadelphia home was in the old farm house which stands in the part of the grounds her family still own. St. Joseph's College is to be built across the road from it. Mrs. Davis had attended the last meeting of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Yacht Club. She was a member of the Ladies' Aid and of the Lot Owners' Association. She took a very active part in the affairs of the chapel until failing health compelled her to lessen her activities. She was a big, outstanding character and we all have lost a good friend. Pine Beach may never find any one to fill her place. James Sheeran and Aleck McKelvey were public spirited enough to haul the old raft in and tie it up to prevent it going down the river. Neither man ever uses the raft nor has a family to use it, but they are interested in Pine Beach and believe that each one can help to care for what benefits all of us. A new metallic raft, like the one in Beachwood has been purchased and will be ready for next summer. These were used by the U.S. Navy and were on sale at Hog Island. They are quite a good size. Mr. Wells plans to build a bungalow on the river front up near the station at River Bank. A Philadelphia doctor is building a bungalow on Huntington Avenue, near Mr. Schweigart's and expects to live here all year. He is coming here for his health. PLEASANT PLAINS [section of Toms River] Joseph F. Blackham, who bought the Fred Hagaman farm and moved here from the city, had the hard luck the first week he was here to have his cow stray. He left it out in the yard over night and next morning it had disappeared. Harry Clayton is building a bungalow on a two-acre tract of the former Charles Clayton farm, opposite Gordon Clayton's store. POINT PLEASANT Ocean Fire Company, of Point Pleasant Beach, will give its thirty-eighth yearly ball on the evening before Thanksgiving. Dog poisoners have been at work about Point Pleasant, and some who have lost pets are so enraged that they report a detective engaged to run down the pill maker. Point Pleasant felt honored last week by the visit of one of her former summer residents, Charles Belmont Davis, a brother of the late Richard Harding Davis, and son of L. Clarke Davis, long editor of the Philadelphia Ledger, and Rebecca Harding Davis, who was also well known as a writer of fiction. There were three sons in the Davis family, all famous newspaper men. The boys were all brought up at Point Pleasant or at least spent their summers there. SEASIDE HEIGHTS Mrs. M.C. Koch, proprietor of the St. Charles Hotel, is making considerable improvements in beautifying the grounds around the hotel and planting cedar trees. Mrs. Koch intends to build a garage and is having the driveway constructed. Communication was received from the Fire Company and the Ladies' Auxiliary, asking council to erect a community building, including a fire house, council chamber and community hall, to be located on the Boulevard between Webster and Sherman avenues. Messrs. Fineran, Wolff and Kramer were appointed a committee to ascertain the cost and kind of building necessary, the cost not to exceed $10,000. The Firemen and Ladies' Auxiliary offered to furnish a site for the new building. It was suggested that the cost of the building be financed by improvement certificates. Emmett J. Ross, our newly-elected councilman, is building a barber shop and apartment house on the Boulevard. He will run the barber shop, and have apartments back of it, leaving the upper story to rent as another flat. Dr. and Mrs. Lawyer were here recently from Philadelphia, at their summer home, the former going out on the bay and getting some ducks during his stay. William Hauser and Bert Perry were also here for the wild fowl gunning. The preliminaries for the new Coast National Bank are being taken up by committees of the stockholders. The present plan is to erect a new bank building, none of the buildings available being considered just what is wanted for banking purposes. A dozen or so new buildings are now going up in various parts of the borough, but that is nothing to what is expected by next spring. The local paper says that 82 contracts have now been given out for buildings here, and that number will be increased to a hundred before spring. The Boy Scouts, always trying to be useful, undertook the job of building a coal bin in the basement of the Union Church. There is a scarcity of coal all along the shore, the same condition existing as has existed for several years. Coal seems to be as scarce now as it was in war times. SEASIDE PARK (Newsy Notes Caught In Our Net On The Beach of This Breezy Borough) Thos. H. Devlin and Wm. Bates will take the boat Valletta to Stuart, Florida, for its owner, D. Bennett. They pulled anchor on Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Arden Penn, of Island Heights, is building a home on the bay boulevard between Sixth and Seventh avenues. Many of the townspeople attended the marriage ceremony of Frank Hewitt and Miss Tilton, at the Presbyterian church, at Point Pleasant, on Wednesday last and wished them well at the reception following, at the bride's home in Bay Head. Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt are honeymooning in the South, making Charleston their destination. They will occupy Dr. Harker's bungalow while their new home is being completed. Borough Council will meet tomorrow, Saturday, with a bunch of business ahead of it. One thing it is considering is the cost of a thirty-foot wide concrete street, the full length of Ocean Avenue, where the winter storms make it hard to hold a gravel road. A number of streets are being graded and graveled, and curbs and sidewalks laid in cement. Property owners who have not connected up with sewers are being notified that they must do this, or the borough will do it for them and charge it as a lien against the property. William Bates and Tom Devlin started for Florida last Wednesday, in the Valletta, owned by Dory Bennett of Manasquan. The borough is driving piling at the edge of the boardwalk in the lower part of town to keep back the encroachment of the sea during the winter storms. Brush is being cut and placed in danger spots to hold the sand, also. Below the end of the boardwalk, running down to Fourteenth Avenue, piling is being driven to save the beach front. Arden Penn, of Island Heights, is building a bungalow on the bay front between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. SHIP BOTTOM Harry Cale, of Long Branch, is building a boarding house on the bay front. John Pharo and family have returned from a few days in Tuckerton. Albert Hansell, of Rancocas is here looking after his bungalows. SILVERTON It seems there should be some way to stop gunners from trespassing more severe than at present, since they are so bold, careless or whatever you might call it. Last Saturday morning Mrs. Effie Irons had a very narrow escape from getting shot, while in her kitchen about work, when an unknown gunner shot several loads at something and evidently did not hit it for the shot came straight at Irons' house, Mrs. Irons happening to be close to an open door, but closed it just in time to fend off the shot which checked the glass in the door in many places and cracked a window pane also. She did not know the shots were coming her way when closing the door. Of course the guilty one kept hidden. Sportsmen had better be more careful. Selah Hulse, of Mantoloking Coast Guard Station, spent Tuesday at his home here. TUCKERTON George W. Lynch and family are moving to Tuckerton, where they have bought a home, coming from Bridgeport, Conn. Mr. Lynch is captain of the coal and iron police of Fayette County, Pa. His son, Fred, pitched for the Syracuse team last summer and expects a try-out by Detroit next season. WEST CREEK A public meeting of voting portion of the town and officials representing the Atlantic City Electric Lighting Company was held in the O.U.A.M. [Order of United American Mechanics] Hall last Saturday night, resulting in the decision for electric lights in our town, much to the satisfaction of the traveling public and the sentiment of progressive people. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Holloway have returned to their home here on Main Street, after spending two months in Toms River, N.J., attending to their cranberry interests in that locality. Mr. H. reports a most successful season. Mrs. Hollloway is quite ill and we hope for her speedy recovery. Miss Pauline Shinn has accepted a position as stenographer and typist with the Theo. Presser Music Company, of Philadelphia, and Miss Helen Cox has a like position with the State Board of Health, with offices in the State House, Trenton. Our congratulations to these energetic young ladies, who are making good for themselves. Cranberry and oyster shipments are still continuing at a steady rate. The fine weather and markets have been exceptionally favorable this fall for both industries. J.H. Seaman, Station agent at Beach Haven, spent the week end with his parents on Division Street. A representative of the Anti-Saloon League gave a most interesting discourse in the M.E. Church on Sabbath morning last. MISSED AN ISSUE?November 10th, 1922 November 3rd, 1922 Summer-Autumn 1922 Catchup May & June 1922 April 1922 March 1922 Part II March 1922 Part I February 17th, 1922 February 10th, 1922 February 3rd, 1922 January 27th, 1922 January 20th, 1922 January 13th, 1922 January 6th, 1922 December 30th, 1921 December 23rd, 1921 December 16th, 1921 December 9th, 1921 December 2nd, 1921 November 25th, 1921 November 18th, 1921 November 11th, 1921 November 4th, 1921 October 28th, 1921 October 21st, 1921 October 14th, 1921 October 7th, 1921 September 30th, 1921 September 23rd, 1921 September 16th, 1921 September 9th, 1921 Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays - 10 am to 2 pm
78 East Water Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 Guided Tours By Request - New Members Always Welcome (732) 349-9209 - office@tomsriverseaport.org Welcome to another era in the Toms River area's past, one century ago this week! Let your mind wander as you consider life around November 10th, 1922, courtesy the New Jersey Courier weekly newspaper and Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around a 10 minute read). BREVITIES AND EDITORIALS(written by NJ Courier editor, William H. Fischer, as he sat at his desk above Main Street near Washington Street; it was much like a collection of online social media updates seen today) Moon is on the wane. Armistice Day tomorrow. New moon a week from tomorrow. Gunners are out in the open today. One month and twenty days left of 1922. Thanksgiving Day three weeks from yesterday. Christmas holidays will soon be here now. Some of our old friends came down to the election. Election is over, and once again the country has been saved. The Weather Man has been good to us so far this fall. The woods were at their best the past two weeks, for autumn foliage. Jupiter is now morning star, and Venus will be morning star in about a fortnight. President Harding has issued his proclamation fixing Thursday, November 30, for Thanksgiving Day. It seems to be a race between the children and the squirrels as to which will get the black walnuts and hickory nuts. The group of boys who did considerable damage on Hallowe'en, will, it is said, have to make good the money loss they inflicted on several property holders. Dr. George T. Crook, Ed Schwarz and Walton Grover are spending the week down the bay on a gunning trip. The road gang got started on upper Main Street again on Wednesday and are coming down the east side of the street with the concrete pavement. The Toms River Poultry Development Company are putting out an issue of preferred stock, backed by mortgages on the farms that they sell. The Ladies Auxiliary of the Toms River Yacht Club met on Wednesday afternoon of this week. The auxiliary also held a card party last Friday evening. Chrysanthemums are about the only flowers blooming out of doors except on the beaches, where Jack Frost spared the fall flowers several weeks longer than he did on the mainland. Mr. and Mrs. Jean R.D. Hecht have named their son, born October 22, Jean Raymond Dietrich Hecht. Hyers Street has been carrying the heavy traffic of the village the past few weeks. Not only Hyers Street, but the side streets between Main and Hyers, are sadly in need of repairs, after being used by the heavy trucks carrying supplies for the Main Street job. The Toms River Poultry Development Association has the poultry house built on Farm No. 4, which is to belong to R.H. Tilton, and also is starting on the house and garage. Mr. Tilton's farm will face the Dover road, and will also have a frontage on the Double Trouble Road, and on Jake's Branch [where today are mostly suburban ranch-style homes of South Toms River Borough on what today is Tilton Avenue]. Those who have watched Bill Gwyer's work at the hole in the wall [the narrow Hyers Street entrance at Washington Street] say that he is a real traffic cop. Point Pleasant has a street named Gowdy Avenue, after the late Ralph Gowdy, of Toms River, who was a large real estate owner in that resort. ARMISTICE DAY Tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of the end of the great war. The world has many years to go yet before it recovers from the effects of that bloody debauch. The United States, farther away, and with less actual participation in the war than Europe, had escaped the great losses that have afflicted Europe, losses in men, losses through disease, hunger and through bankruptcy in human faith. But it is well that the United States should pause tomorrow and review the last four years. It will make us all in a more thankful frame of mind for our next great holiday, Thanksgiving day, if we look at what our neighbors overseas must suffer, and what we have, through no merit of our own, so far escaped. And, as May 30 is by common consent given to the men of '61-'65, so we may well give over November 11 to the men of 1917-1918. They undertook much, accomplished much, gave much—while the rest of us sat safely at home and looked on with bated breath. Do not let us forget so soon those two years of anxiety and the boys who went overseas. Toms River Seaport Society presents our new Holiday Bonus 50/50 Fundraising Raffle, where one winner can win up to $5,000!JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!Tickets are $100 each and limited to 100 tickets sold. Once they sell out - no more will be sold. Drawing will take place on the deck of the A-Cat Spy in its museum shed located at 78 East Water Street, Toms River, on Saturday, December 17th at 2 pm. Winner need not be present. No substitution of offered prize will be made. Total of prize monies equal to 50% of all proceeds collected. All proceeds will benefit the Toms River Seaport Society's ongoing mission to preserve and celebrate Toms River and Barnegat Bay's rich maritime history. Purchasing tickets can be made online below ($100 plus $2 processing fee), by visiting our museum during open hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm with cash or check, or by mailing a check CLEARLY INDICATING 50/50 ON THE CHECK for $100 to: Toms River Seaport Society P.O. Box 1111 Toms River, N.J. 08754 CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKET(S) ONLINE HEADLINE NEWSCHAMBER OF COMMERCE DEMANDS SCHOOL BUILDING Adequate housing for the pupils of this community in the public schools was the unanimous demand of the Chamber of Commerce at its meeting on Wednesday evening of this week. The school problem at Toms River was threshed over from various angles and at length. Supervisor E.M. Finck, who was present, was questioned and queried, and his knowledge of the situation was probed to the bottom, to get out all the facts in the case. It was the general impression of the C. of C. members in the meeting that the public in general wanted a new school house, but had been staggered with the cost of the one proposed last spring, which meant a $200,000 bond issue. It seemed to be the opinion of many that the taxpayers would ratify a school proposition costing half that sum, or as near as might be. A unanimous vote directed President Charles N. Warner to appoint a committee on educational affairs, which should at once get in touch with the Board of Education, to see what could be done to have the revised school plans submitted to another vote, and also to bring before the public in general the needs of the school, and the value to the community of adequate school housing. Would Widen Washington Street Another matter discussed was the widening of Washington Street, where that the records show Washington Street to have been encroached on, at its north side, on the Main Street corner, the lines of the laid out road being a straight extension of the line from the Sunnyside to the Traco Theatre, where the bend now begins. The idea advanced was that if the present Priest Building could in some way be acquired and torn down completely the problem of the “hole in the wall” [the narrow Hyers Street entrance between buildings] would also be solved at the same time. A committee was appointed to bring the matter before the Board of Freeholders, as Washington Street is now a county road. This committee consisted of Capt. C.M. Elwell, Edward Crabbe, Dr. Frank Brouwer, E.M. Finck and H.A. Hansen. DEMOCRATIC WAVE SWEEPS COUNTRY, PULLS JERSEY WITH IT The never-expected, but almost-sure-to-happen defeat to the party in power at the election for Congress in the second year of the Presidential Administration, hit the Republicans hard on Tuesday. It swept across the country, and the papers are now calling it a backwash from the Harding tidal wave of two years ago, which is at least a convenient and expressive phrase. Nowhere did it sweep more cleanly than in New Jersey, where it buried Senator Frelinghuysen under an 80,000 majority for Edward I. Edwards, and gave George S. Silzer half at least of that majority for Governor over William N. Runyon. In the Third Congressional District it also swept out T. Frank Appleby, and swept in Elmer Geran, as Congressman, by a small majority. Ocean gave Appleby the usual majority, but it could not overcome both Monmouth and Middlesex. This county went Republican, electing Thomas A. Mathis, of Toms River, Senator; Ezra Parker, of Barnegat, Assemblyman; William H. Savage, of Lakewood, Freeholder. FINED $10 AND COSTS FOR REFUSING TO FIGHT FIRES The final outcome of the refusal of three young men in Chatsworth to come to the aid of Division Fire Warden Joseph E. Abbott, of Toms River, and fight forest fires near their home village last spring, is that they have each been fined $10 and costs by Justice Lawrence G. Mingin, of Medford. The law gives the fire warden power to call on anyone for help, and makes a penalty for refusal. The fire they refused to help fight was a bad one, burning over a wide area, and lasting several hours. LAUREL HOUSE OPENS The Laurel House, Lakewood's pioneer hotel, was opened for the season last Saturday, under the management of Frank F. Shute, who for many years was manager of the Laurel-in-the-Pines. With Mr. Shute's hotel following, augmented by regular Laurel House patrons, a good season is expected. It is stated that nearly 200 guests were at the Laurel House over Sunday. SELLING EGGS IN LAKEWOOD Hotels and retail dealers in Lakewood will be served with “Jer-Z-Layd” eggs during the winter season this year, from Toms River packing house of the New Jersey Poultry Producers' Association. A new Ford delivery car, attractively painted, is attracting much attention on Lakewood streets. Quick deliveries will be made at all times, and hotel proprietors will be given the opportunity to serve day old eggs to guests. Most of the hotel men have been interviewed, and expressed satisfaction over the plan for giving them better eggs and better service. If the Lakewood service proves as satisfactory and profitable as is now indicated, the same kind of service will be installed along the entire New Jersey coast next summer. DUCK BANDED IN ONTARIO SHOT AT BARNEGAT INLET Point Pleasant, Nov. 4.—Willis T. Johnson, of Lakewood, formerly of this place, while on a gunning trip to Barnegat Inlet last week, shot a black duck that had been banded in Ontario, Canada. The band was of aluminum, and was of course on the duck's leg. The legend on the band said, “Write Box 48, Kingsville, Ont.” There was also an inscription on the inside of the band, reading, “As for God, His way is perfect.” PERSONAL Capt. Charles H. McLellan, who is the senior captain of the Coast Guard Service, retired, came home for election day, and spent some time here. He had spent the summer at Boothbay Harbor, Me., and visited his daughter at Newburyport, Mass. and for the present is at New York City most of the time. Captain McLellan said that of the men who were active in business in Toms River in 1882, when he was first assigned here as Inspector of the Life-Saving Service on the New Jersey coast, he could find but three still alive—Charles B. Mathis, former Assemblyman Adolph Ernst, and Chairman of the Township Committee, David O. Parker. The men whom he then met as leaders in the town's activities had all, he said, passed off the stage of action, to be replaced by younger men. Captain McLellan also said he was grieved to read in The Courier of the death of Capt. Collins Hyers, at Tampa. Fla. He said that while he was stationed at Mobile, Ala., in the 90's, he became acquainted with Captain Hyers, then a tugboat master, and saw him frequently. During the Spanish-American War, when Captain McLellan was in the West Indies as executive officer of one of Uncle Sam's ships, Captain Hyers' tug was then chartered by the New York Sun for its correspondent and he again frequently met him. Knowing him to be a Toms River boy, the acquaintance became a friendship and Captian McLellan said he had a high regard for Captain Hyers. Capt. Henry Ware, of the Coast Guard Service, and Mrs. Ware, have moved from Island Heights to Toms River for the winter, and have taken apartments in the brick building adjoining the Economy store. John V. Matthews, who years ago had a livery stable and blacksmith shop at Toms River, was in town on Tuesday, driving his car from his home in Farmingdale. It looks strange to see almost every oldtime horseman exchanging the reins for a steering wheel. Mr. and Mrs. Saunders Levy and family are moving back to Philadelphia from Queensbury Farm, where they have made their home for some time past. Mr. Levy will commute back and forth to his business here in the F. Lipscheutz Company's store. Mr. and Mrs. Edwyn Levy will occupy Queensbury Farm. Herbert E. Williams, of Brooklyn, owner of the Reckless sawmill tract, on the south side of the river, on Davenport Branch [today the site of the Holiday City South retirement development], was in town on election day. He reports that he hopes in the near future to get where he can develop that property, rebuild the dam higher than it ever was before, and make a lake a mile long where the old mill pond was. The plans are being prepared by Arthur C. King, of Toms River. Such a development would mean considerable horsepower, beside making many valuable waterfront building estates. Capt. Clifford M. Elwell, U.S. Army, returned home from Pittsburgh, Pa., Friday last. Captain Elwell has decided to retire from the army, and has made application for his retirement, to take effect on January 1. He expects to continue as a member of the Reserve Corps. FISH AND GAME The 1922 season opens today, Friday, November 10, and closes December 15. It is known as the upland game season which takes in quail, rabbit, squirrel, pheasant and partridge. At the same time, woodcock will be in season until the last day of this month. The open season is still on for ducks, geese, brant, Wilson snipe, black bellied and golden plover... The daily bag limit includes twenty-five ducks, eight geese, eight brant, twenty-five rails, fifteen plover, twenty-five Wilson snipe, six woodcock, ten quail, three English pheasants, three ruffed grouse or partridge, and ten rabbits. Game may be possessed for a period of ten days after the season closes. The trapping season begins on November 15, and the taking of the furring animals in the lower part of the state has become a very profitable business. The first game refuges established in South Jersey by the State Fish and Game Commission were recently located in Salem County. They are being stocked with pheasants, quail and rabbits, and no one will be permitted to gun on the premises. Flounder fishermen, who set tykes for winter flounders in and around the inlet are getting their nets ready for their winter's work. TOWN LIFEBARNEGAT CITY [today Barnegat Light Borough] Mr. J. France, with a friend, spent a few days gunning here this week. Mr. and Mrs. D.B. Johnson are rejoicing over the birth of a son. BAY HEAD Dr. William F. Donovan, a summer resident here, has closed his office and moved to his winter home at Brielle. The Home and School Association gave a social at the school house Friday afternoon and realized about $18. The money will be placed in the victrola fund. BAYVILLE Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Stott have closed their summer home at the farm and the family have returned to Brooklyn for the winter. Election day was a big day here, but quiet and orderly. BEACH HAVEN At the Central Market a large new showcase has been installed, fitted with a full line of patent medicines and remedies of all kinds, which will be a great convenience to our people as all the drug stores are closed here during the winter. Colmer and Cranmer have moved the moving picture machinery back into the small movie theatre for the winter months and had steam heat installed therein. Last Saturday night for the first since the return and everybody seemed pleased to be there. Mr. William Harvey is spending sometime at his cottage here and enjoying the gunning. Cranmer and Cranmer are doing considerable rebuilding at the Little Beach Coast Guard Station. J.W. Berry was awarded the contract to furnish the material for this work, and last week put the last load on the ground. The electric lights were turned on for the first on Monday evening. Representatives of the Pangborne Company are in town for a few days, attending to the final details of the contract. The Cale family and Capt. Joe Sprague and family have moved off to their Tuckerton homes for the witner season. Capt. John Cranmer has the contract to take up the yacht club dock. Gunning for ducks is very poor, gunners not getting many. BEACHWOOD Mayor Collins and family were here over the week end for the election. The mayor had just returned from a motor trip through New York State. Several new buildings are to go up right away in this borough. George Arway, who had the lodge and club house, as well as the bathhouses the past season, expects to buy a home here. William A. Justice, of the Naval Air Station, is occupying one of Dr. Slonaker's houses. A large number of our voters were here for election day. The firemen's dance at the Borough Hall on Saturday evening last, November 4, was even more successful than the dance given last August. There were 140 people out, and all had a jolly time. These dances will be held at the same place on the first Saturday of each month throughout the winter. The Beachwood Rod and Gun Club is planning for a clay-bird shoot on Thanksgiving Day. The prize will be live fowls. A large attendance is promised, and the shooters are looking forward to considerable sport. It is likely that there will be a week-end shoot every other week during the winter. FORKED RIVER Capt. John Horner is caretaker of Sedge Island. It is reported that Bird Taylor will sell his place and buy the Joseph Cranmer property. Mr. Rudolph is building a fine bungalow on the Lacey road. William Spencer, who has several times in the past—ten years ago and also four years ago—had charge of putting up fences for the state game farm, is here again on a similar errand. Cornelius Barkalow has been adding to his property by buying some adjoining lots from John Horner. Roger and Oscar Wilbert killed 25 wild fowls while gunning last week. Flounders are running good and numbers of them are caught. William H. Penn has been getting out stuff for Fred Brown's boat, which will be built by Amos Lewis, the veteran boat builder, and his son John. ISLAND HEIGHTS Clifford Gaw has closed his cottage and returned to Philadelphia. Sunday was so nice there were a number of summer cottagers down for the day. Our fishermen are setting their gill nets for perch in the bay. Capt. Lish Hyers is making fine progress with his new home in Windsor Park. Everybody down this way who wants to be is busy, though there seems to be much more going on in the building line in the way of alterations and repairs than in new buildings. LAVALLETTE Mrs. J.W. Hingley will close her cottage for the winter and will return to Philadelphia. Jack Gant, Life Guard, returned to his home on election day. The curbs and sidewalks look very nice that have been put down on Reese and Vance Avenues. MANTOLOKING The railroad station here is being repaired by Frank Ferry, of Bay Head. Mr. E.W. Stillwell is driving a new Hudson coach. MONEY ISLAND It is said that Harry VanBelle, whose home on the hill burnt down last spring, has sold his property to Mr. Buck. We are sorry to learn that we are to lose the VanBelles, but at the same time pleased because Mr. Buck has bought a place here. Mr. Crouch, of Plainfield, recently stopped at Money Island, on his way to Lavallette, where he was going gunning with a party of friends, on Wednesday night. He also stopped on his return trip, Thursday night. About all the cottages are now closed for the winter. Mr. Huntington has had a small house built for him by Contractor Plaag. He will use it as an engine house and wash house. PERSHING [section of Toms River, to the west of today's Vaughn Avenue] Mr. T.J. Murray has sold his farm, “Murrey Lodge,” and will soon sail for Italy where he will join Mrs. Murrey and tour Europe. A.L. Causse is building several more chicken houses and intends to go in the poultry business on a larger scale. R.B. McKelvey is harvesting a bumper crop of sweet potatoes. Herman Asay and wife and Everett Seaman will soon start for Florida via auto and spend the winter in Jacksonville. Some of the radio fans listened to the first wedding that was ever performed over radio Sunday evening. The bridge and groom were in Pittsburgh and the preacher in a distant city. PLEASANT PLAINS On Thursday evening, November 2, a party was given to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Clayton, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ivins Clayton, of Pleasant Plains. There was thirty-four guests present. A very enjoyable time was spent in games and singing. Later in the evening the bride and groom were presented with a miscellaneous shower of many lovely gifts for their new home. Refreshments were then served. This shower was a great surprise to the young couple. SEASIDE PARK William L. Flood and family were about the last cottagers to leave, going to their home in Germantown on Sunday. Capt. Eph Brower having spent considerable time this summer feeding a large body of perch in a certain hole known only to himself, decided to thin out the fattest and largest, that the rest could have more. He started out on Thursday last with a couple of trusties and brought in several barrels. Eph says that was just a small portion of them. The dance and masquerade held by the Girl Scouts on Hallowe'en was a jolly affair with many out-of-town visitors and many of them masked. The first prize, a $2.50 gold piece, was won by Joseph Ulrick, of Seaside Heights; second prize, a box of candy, by Mrs. John Hill. WEST CREEK Mr. and Mrs. John D. Whildin have moved from their home on West Street, to a residence at “The Forge.” Chester W. Kelly has purchased a motorcycle with side car attachment. ADS OF INTERESTMISSED AN ISSUE?November 3rd, 1922 Summer-Autumn 1922 Catchup May & June 1922 April 1922 March 1922 Part II March 1922 Part I February 17th, 1922 February 10th, 1922 February 3rd, 1922 January 27th, 1922 January 20th, 1922 January 13th, 1922 January 6th, 1922 December 30th, 1921 December 23rd, 1921 December 16th, 1921 December 9th, 1921 December 2nd, 1921 November 25th, 1921 November 18th, 1921 November 11th, 1921 November 4th, 1921 October 28th, 1921 October 21st, 1921 October 14th, 1921 October 7th, 1921 September 30th, 1921 September 23rd, 1921 September 16th, 1921 September 9th, 1921 Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays - 10 am to 2 pm
78 East Water Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 Guided Tours By Request - New Members Always Welcome (732) 349-9209 - office@tomsriverseaport.org Welcome to another era in the Toms River area's past, one century ago this week! Let your mind wander as you consider life around November 3rd, 1922, courtesy the New Jersey Courier weekly newspaper and Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around a 15 minute read). BREVITIES AND EDITORIALS(written by NJ Courier editor, William H. Fischer, as he sat at his desk above Main Street near Washington Street; it was much like a collection of online social media updates seen today) November. Eleventh month. Nights grow longer. Some rain last night. Full moon tomorrow. Beautiful moonlit nights. Chrysanthemums in bloom. Election day next Tuesday. Wonderful autumn weather. Some pretty frosty mornings. Sample ballots out this week. Autumn leaves are at their best. Cranberries are going to market. Less than two months left of 1922. Lots of gay times for Hallowe'en. Most of our summer birds have gone. The oaks make a brave show of color these days. Most of the pleasure boats are laid up for the winter. Hyers Street finds its last state worse than its first. One side of Main Street has the concrete pavement nearly done. The Toms River Realty Company has opened an office at 21 Washington Street. After election day comes Thanksgiving day, with Armistice day tucked in between. Toms River High School will get out a Thanksgiving number of the Cedar Chest, the high school journal. Over on Berkeley Heights [general area of what now is South Toms River Borough] the Toms River Poultry Development Company have about completed farms two and three, and have four well started. The A.E. Burnside Women's Relief Corps gave their annual supper in the Grand Army Post Hall, on Tuesday evening, serving army style beans and ham, and other fixings. They had a good attendance. James Citta has started a concrete block, and general cement and masonry business in the building on the Main Shore Road, in Berkeley, formerly used as a garage by Walter Davis. The Citta-Russo partnership has been dissolved. An oyster and clam chowder supper was held last Friday evening at the Presbyterian church in the Men's Brotherhood, and a nice sum realized. The men were pronounced to be the real thing as cooks—that is, if they really did the cooking. Hallowe'en was rather quiet. But there was a fresh outbreak of the malicious brand of mischief, that had died out of late years. Some of the mischief was rather costly to the victims, as when a concrete wall for George Alsheimer's new garage, on Hyers Street, was knocked partly down and two large thermometers were stolen from in front of Grover and Son's. The Toms River Yacht Club [then located where today stands Baker's Water Street Bar & Grille] had an enjoyable Hallowe'en affair on Friday evening of last week. There were many masked and in costume. Bond's orchestra furnished the music. Frank A. Buchanan staged a pantomime that was voted a big success. In it, Miss Hazel Wissmach was Columbine; Miss Laura Sculthorpe, Pierrot; Miss Sophie Sculthorpe, Harlequin; Mrs. Buchanan, a Dancing Girl; and Miss Margaret Grant, the Doctor. The dancing lasted till the “wee sma' hours.” Berkeley Township Committee has been re-graveling South Main Street [in what today is South Toms River Borough]. Every business place in Toms River feels the added income to this section from the rapidly growing poultry industry. Lots of small maskers on the streets Hallowe'en, and later there were larger ones. The night was a beautiful one, with a bright moon, and a mild temperature. Ed Moore, son of Mayor and Mrs. J.H. Moore, of Philadelphia, and John Zeimer, of Pine Beach, will conduct a wall paper business in the store on Washington Street recently bought by I.W. Richtmeyer and now occupied by Walter Johnson. Edmund C. Kramer, the Seaside Heights builder, will, it is said, build a plant on the outskirts of Toms River, to make cement block for his building operations on the beach. It is understood that he has bought a tract of several acres to make sure of sand and gravel. The Hathaway Hatchery, Inc., reports that they have almost a whole hatching season's work for their 90,000 egg incubator spoken for already. The baby chick hatchery in which Messrs. Rayner, Levy and Lyle are interested, have bought a tract of land at the Queensbury Farms, have the contract signed for the buildings and for two 40,000-egg incubators, to be used this winter and spring. Max Leet this week bought what is generally called the Steiner building, at the corner of Washington and Robbins Streets, from the Toms River Building Company. This probably means that Leet intends to have a store on this side of the river sooner or later. It is understood that the day after he made the bargain, Leet could have sold out and made $2000 clean cash. The sale price was $30,000, which gives an idea of how real estate values have gone up as an aftermath of the war. Beside the Steiner building, the property includes a two-apartment house on Robbins Street, next to the Town Hall. There was a Hallowe'en dance given Tuesday night, in Scout Hall. Dances are held there each Saturday evening. The cement roadway has progressed down the west half of Main Street to midway between Messenger and Walton streets. Report says that the Naval Air Station football team is planning to play Riverside at Toms River, on Saturday afternoon. A nine-pound son was born on Thursday of this week to Mr. and Mrs. James Purpuri. Mother and son are doing nicely. While George McDaniels was in Bayville yesteday morning, with a passenger truck to bring up the operatives for the Steiner mill, he had a collision with a car driven by Capt. Gus Hays, of the Ship's Bottom fish pound. The truck, driven by McDaniels, was badly wrecked, and the two women in it hurt some. The damaged car belonged to William Irons, of Lakehurst road. The Dudley family quarrel at Point Pleasant is again in the limelight, William L. Dudley having brought action in the Chancery Court for a partition of the lands left by the late Elizabeth L. Dudley against his two brothers, James L. and George L. Dudley. “EGGS IS EGGS” Just now “eggs is eggs” and also ready money. With the prices eggs and cranberries are bringing Ocean County should have a lot of money in circulation this fall and winter. Business men should be on the lookout for their share of this ready cash. A live business policy, with the right kind of goods, and well advertised, will get it for them. ON THE WING Driving along a road through the woods one afternoon recently a cock pheasant, taking a dust bath in the road, did not notice the car's approach, till it was right alongside him. As the bird rose, it flew by the side of the car for perhaps ten to twenty yards, and then swerved off into the brush by the roadside. It was a beauty of a bird, its flight graceful and powerful and its coloring showing in the October sunlight. A few days before that, crossing the bay bridge to Seaside Heights, a crested kingfisher sat on the bridge rail ahead. As the car approached the bird flew off in a half circle, and returned to the bridge rail again, getting there just as the car did, and only to take another half circle of flight. This he kept up for a half mile or more, when cars came from the other end of the bridge, hemming him in both ways, and he disappeared from sight. It was a mystery where he went to, till a few moments later, he was seen perched on the deck of the bridge, outside the rail instead of on the rail itself. Then as the car neared him, the bird flew just along the surface of the water, close to the bridge, lighting on the bridge deck, and kept that up nearly all the way across the bridge. Bluebirds were seen on Sunday last. Presumably back from their summer nesting in the northland, to spend the winter with us; or maybe they were stopping off on their way further south. One morning, a few days ago, about 7 o'clock, several flocks of robins went over the village from the northeast to the southwest, flying high. One flock contained about forty, another a dozen. Had they started south? We still see robins fat and happy, but shy, in the swamps, and an occasional one on the lawns and fields. Toms River Seaport Society presents our new Holiday Bonus 50/50 Fundraising Raffle, where one winner can win up to $5,000!JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!Tickets are $100 each and limited to 100 tickets sold. Once they sell out - no more will be sold. Drawing will take place on the deck of the A-Cat Spy in its museum shed located at 78 East Water Street, Toms River, on Saturday, December 17th at 2 pm. Winner need not be present. No substitution of offered prize will be made. Total of prize monies equal to 50% of all proceeds collected. All proceeds will benefit the Toms River Seaport Society's ongoing mission to preserve and celebrate Toms River and Barnegat Bay's rich maritime history. Purchasing tickets can be made online below ($100 plus $2 processing fee), by visiting our museum during open hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm with cash or check, or by mailing a check CLEARLY INDICATING 50/50 ON THE CHECK for $100 to: Toms River Seaport Society P.O. Box 1111 Toms River, N.J. 08754 CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKET(S) ONLINE HEADLINE NEWSA TALE OF SUMMER VS. WINTER GUNNING – BARNEGAT When some of our young men gunners get together at relate the tales of slaughter among the wild fowl, how the flocks came to them, how they up and cut to 'em, then the ducks fell like leaves from a tree in autumn, what a job they had to gather them, what poor shots some of the other fellows were, how they had to share up with some dry land gunner, who of course never hit a feather, how some fellows come to “put out” with them and had only a few poor decoys, the other fellow's shells were no good, etc., but when they come home most of these greatest of all gunners usually fall far short of their limit in number. A few nights ago some of these dry land, clay-pigeon crack shots were relating some of their tales of how near they came to exterminating the breed, when Jesse Birdsall, the oldest bayman still in active service, near 80 years old, who had been taking it all in, said, “You boys ain't cut yer eye teet yit in the gunnin' business; wait till it gets down to about zero with the bay froze over and here and there a heap of snow on the ice, and once in a while a big airhole, then come with me and I'll show you what gunnin' is, and when you come home, that is, if you don't freeze to death, you can tell what gunnin' is. This goin' out on a summer day, layin' in the boat smokin' cigarettes, with now and then a duck or two comin' along, mebbe you git one and mebbe you don't, but when you come home you have some great experiences to tell. Why I remember a few years ago, before the limit law came about, I was gunnin' on an airhole, just off the gulf a little ways, the wind was nor'west, blowin' a twister, so my stools shook up so bad they rolled over on their beam ends, but the ducks was comin' so fast I hadn't time to go out and clear' em up, and I had an old muzzle-loader; en all I had to do wuz jist shoot as fast as I could load en you know that woozent very fast when yer fingers wuz all thumbs en you had to put in caps, but I shot till I got tired, en let 'em drift in to the edge of the hole, en when I picked 'em up I had 54 redheads en 61 broadbills.” Jesse relit his pipe and puffed away, while the summer gunners stared at each other and said, “Well, that's some gunning.” BUILDING UP LONG BEACH There are two new developments on Long Beach, just at the junction. The Fish tract, lying at the end of the bridge and stretching to the ocean, has two new houses under construction. The Edge tract, adjoining this on the north and extending towards Surf City, has one new house started, a pavilion built on the ocean front, and the brush cut away. Lots have been sold from both tracts. BEACH HAVEN INLET The new inlet that opened below Beach Haven during the big storm of February 4, 1920, has been officially named the “Beach Haven Inlet” by the State Board of Commerce and Navigation. The inlet is now one of the largest on the coast. CAR FOUND AT LANOKA RETURNED TO ITS OWNERS Inspector Barchi last week returned a six-cylinder Paige 1919 car to its owner, Mr. Victor Hubener, of Spring Valley, N.Y. The car was stolen on May 10 from in front of the Palace Theatre, New York City. It was found in the woods about one and a half miles from Lanoka, as told in The Courier's Lanoka letter last week. After the inspector had found the owner the car was turned over to him. DOWN IN GROVER'S STORE [being a general store and downtown Toms River hangout for some of the older townfolk] Saturday night, and “Skip” has the floor for the time being, everything he may say being backed up to the last dot over the “i” by “Cap.” “Yes,” says he, “that Dusty surely has the sweetest tooth of any many I ever met up with. It was while we were down the bay gunning during the war, when we were all expected to save on sugar, and Dusty put five heaping spoonfuls in his coffee cup. Doc sorter cautioned him, 'Say, Dusty, don't you know we're supposed to go light on sugar, and save all we can?' “'Sure,' says Dusty, 'I cut my usual allowance five spoonfuls on that cup.'” FALLING BOLT KILLED FORMER TUCKERTON BOY Jacob L. Cowperthwaite, only son of former Mayor and Mrs. Cowperthwaite, of Tuckerton, was killed by a falling bolt while at his work in Philadelphia on Monday of last week. He was employed by the American Bridge Company as a structural iron worker and it was reported that the job he was working on was about completed when the bolt fell from the top of the building causing his death. NEAR EAST MEETING ON NOVEMBER 19, AT TRACO Community meeting will be held on Sunday evening, November 19, at the Traco Theatre, in order that the village may do its share toward the relief of distress in the Near East. A speaker, who was in Smyrna [Greece] just before the burning of that city, will tell some of the things he saw before he left the Orient. A motion picture film, taken in the Near East, will show what is being done for the children in that stricken land. All the churches will close that night and the pastors will take part in the service. CARPENTER FELL FROM ROOF SUNDAY, AND LOST HIS LIFE Edward Taylor, a carpenter, aged 75 years, fell from a roof last Sunday, while working on a house on Massachusetts Avenue, Lakewood, and was killed by the fall. Dr. Frank Brouwer, the coroner, was called, and gave a burial permit. Taylor was an Englishman by birth. FISH AND GAME The seasons for upland game—rabbit, quail, pheasant, squirrel, etc.—begins a week from today, November 10, and lasts until December 15. It used to be the boast of some of the local folks that they could kill a rabbit a day during a longer season than this, but there are probably few that will make that record today. There may be as many rabbits and quail as formerly, some say there are, and some not, but it is not to be doubted that there are more gunners year after year. Up around New Egypt they made quite a todo about squirrel hunting. It takes a good shot to drop a squirrel from a tall tree, they say. Grey squirrels are fairly plentiful up that way, with somewhat of pheasants, and a few of those English hares that Pierre Lorrilard stocked his Rancacas farm with thirty years ago. Crow ducks have been the chief game in the upper bay in the past week or so. They are killed by “driving,” that is, a fleet of rowboats get outside a flock of crow chickens, as they sit in the mouth of a cove, and by rowing up the cove, drive the birds ahead of them. When the birds are cornered by the shore, they will rise and fly back to the bay, and must pass over the line of boats to do this. Then is when the gunners blaze away. When the chickens are in full force, and the hunters also, it becomes almost a slaughter. A few geese have been bagged in favorable conditions, but not many. It is said that there are cubheads, rednecks, broadbills and other early ducks in the bay, but mostly they sit out in the middle of the bay during the daytime and feed at night. Pike fishing is good if the water is cold. The pike, for food, is at his best just now, firm and dry-fleshed. Lots of perch to be had, too, if you like perch fishing. The bluefish, weakfish, croakers, kingfish and drum have pretty well left our bays and gone south, or wherever they spend the winter. Just where that is, with the weakfish, for instance, no one has yet learned. In spite of the fact that the surf caster gets wet to the skin from head to foot, and the additional fact that seawater these days is cooling off from its summer temperature, there was a large number of surf fishermen along the beaches on the last week end. The striped bass is what most of them are looking for just now. Net fishermen have their nets out, getting them in shape for the winter fishing in Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor. Sea bass have been biting well around the inlet if you know the right spots. An old wreck, a stonepile, or anything that will grow barnacles is where you will find these fish. Another summer gone by and the sheepshead are still among the missing. Who can tell where they are, why they went, and whether or not they will come back? PERSONAL William Farr, who left Toms River about twenty years ago, and is now living at Long Island City, has been spending a few days at his old home here this week. While living here, he had a home and a monument yard where the Central House now stands, on Water Street, and he was prominent as a Red Man. He said Toms River and vicinity had grown so that he hardly knew where he was. Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Clayton, of Pine Beach, left on Monday for a two months' tour of the west, stopping off at Chicago for a few days, also visiting the Grand Canyon. Their destination is Oakland, Cal. They will return home by the southern route, stopping at El Paso, Texas, and Jacksonville, Fla., also spending a few days visiting friends in Washington, D.C. Capt. and Mrs. Ira C. Lambert leave Toms River Wednesday of next week to spend the winter in Rockledge, Fla. Hugo Harms is preparing to make a trip to Florida in the yacht James Monroe. Mr. and Mrs. Fanning have returned to Cambridge, Mass., for the winter, Mr. Fanning having been assistant manager of the Marion Inn the past summer. Mr. and Mrs. William Linkey, of Montray Park, entertained their friends at a Hallowe'en party. Mr. James Mackin and son, George, have gone home for a gunning trip. RECENT DEATHS Cornelius Firman Lemon Firman Lemon, a well-known resident of Bayville, died October 23, after some time of sickness, aged 74 years. He was buried in Bayville Cemetery, the funeral in charge of C.P. Anderson; services conducted by Rev. Jesse Foster, of Lakehurst, at the Bayville M.E. Church. He was the son of Isaiah and Rachel (Clayton) Lemon, was a bayman, and had lived all his life in this region. TOWN LIFEBARNEGAT A beautiful drive just now is to go west of Barnegat on the Buddtown road [today Route 72]. The oaks are all shades of dull red, from wine to brown, and some have a mixture of gold and orange. Over the high rolling gravel hills it makes a wonderful ride on a golden October day. From the first hill back of the town, the bay, the beach and the ocean can be seen on a nice day. The little girls and boys had a good time Hallowe'end night, all dressed up. I guess some of the older ones had fun going from home to home; and I guess a good time also. The friends of J. Howard Perrine are very glad to see him out again if it is only for a little while after his two weeks' sickness. Carlton Bros. are having an ice house built at the lower landing, ready for next season's fishing. With the condition of our creek they are likely to get most of the business as it is quite difficult to get the upper landing at ordinary tide. At the rate our creek is filling up, it's only a matter of a short time before we will have to abandon the upper landing except for very small boats, and a few more docks built out at the lower landing, that, too, will soon be impassable. If the bay business should go there it would soon fill up the entire front, but no one seems to care just so he can get in and out today. BAY HEAD Thirteen Swede fishermen employed at the pounds of the Bay Head Fish Co. struck on Saturday last. They had been working for $70 a month, and when their demand for $80 was refused, they all quit. The fishery has four pounds, and the company managers stated that they would likely close out two of them and work only two for the balance of the season, which will not now last much longer. Bay Head school is one of the Junior Red Cross schools, and the pupils have been packing Christmas boxes for the poor children of Europe. Today will be the yearly meeting of the local Home and School Association, when officers for the year will be chosen. This association has been active. It has bought a fine victrola for the local school, and recently made a payment of $50 on its cost. The remainder they expect to clean up soon. The children of the school raised $25 toward the victrola fund with the sale of flower bulbs. Frank Ferry, the Bay Head builder, has taken the contract to repair all the stations on the Trenton division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. BAYVILLE Yesterday morning, as the children were gathering at school, a truck went by with a rope trailing behind, and in the rope was a loop. Elmer, the 11-year-old son of Clarence Worth, boy-like, jumped on the rope, caught his foot in the loop and was dragged a considerable distance before the driver of the truck found out what was the matter. Dr. Brouwer found the lad scratched and bruised, the skin off in many and large spots, but no bones broken, and no serious injuries. BEACH HAVEN The Misses Atkins, who have spent the summer touring through Europe, could not finish up the vacation season without a visit to Beach Haven. They have been at their Atlantic Avenue cottage with a jolly house party of friends, but returned home last week. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hanson have moved from Beach Haven to their Tuckerton home for the winter. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson have charge of the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club House during the summer. BEACHWOOD The Hallowe'en party held at the club house on Saturday evening, by the Beachwood Women's Club, was a delightful affair, and a merry group gathered around the high fireplace, partook of cider and doughnuts, while another merry group played pinochle and enjoyed it immensely. The Jack O'Lantern on Atlantic City Boulevard will be open all winter. FORKED RIVER Senator Frelinghuysen, Governor Runyon, Congressman Appleby and party took dinner at the Greyhound Inn, on their trip through Ocean County last week, and also spoke in the big hall at this hotel. The dinner was a revelation to the visitors as to what a Forked River shore dinner is, and they enjoyed it hugely. They held an enthusiastic meeting here. Mrs. Charles Mason this week received a cable from her husband overseas. The Wider Bros., on Hollywood farm, have a fine crop of sweet potatoes. One of the sons of George Gould, of Lakewood, has engaged John Horner's houseboat for a gunning trip after wild fowl. Capt. Joe Smires is enclosing the porch at his home, and building a summer kitchen. Capt. Joe Smires is building two sneakboxes for Dr. Cladek, of Rahway. ISLAND HEIGHTS Gunners are in evidence now, and a few ducks are seen carried home by them. Our net fishermen are getting ready for the fall fishing. Not so many interested in this as there were a few years ago, the boys say. Too much other work. Many of our building mechanics are busy making alterations and repairs at various homes about the borough. Boatbuilding, just now, also seems to consist chiefly of repairs and alterations to craft already built rather than building new yachts. Mrs. Peto had a full house for the week end. LAKEHURST The Lakehurst Fire Company held a dance in Red Men's Hall Thursday evening, of last week, which was well attended and a financial success. Oscar W.F. Hicks, of the Naval Air Station, and Miss Sarah Herrick, of Lakehurst, were married at the Presbyterian parsonage in Lakehurst Saturday. LANOKA George Mason had strawberries ripening from early spring up till frost. The young folks celebrated Hallowe'en on Saturday night, ahead of time and thus took folks by surprise. When you drive through Lanoka stop and go down Bayway to Lanoka Beach and see what a fine location it is. Some fine houses are to go up there soon. We are destined to have a considerable settlement there, we firmly believe. MANAHAWKIN The recent sale of the Predmore hall and store, at Manahawkin, has made it necessary to change the voting place for Stafford Township to C.H. Cranmer's office, just a few doors from the Predmore building. OCEAN GATE A Hallowe'en party was given at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Throckmorten, Jr., on Tuesday evening of this week. The evening was spent in games and dancing. At a late hour refreshments were served. All had a fine time. Work on the new addition to the fire house was started this week. SEASIDE HEIGHTS The masquerade held in the basement of the church last Friday was a great success, the young people enjoying the games which Rev. Mr. Hampton had prepared. Cake and lemonade was served to all. A Hallowe'en social and masquerade was held on Monday evening by the school children in Holland Hall. Several prizes were given out. George Applegate, of Coast Guard Station 109, was home in Toms River on Wednesday. SEASIDE PARK On Tuesday morning a goodly crowd gathered to meet Governor Edwards, James W. Lille, Addison U. Moore and Mr. Geran, and to hear the addresses. The fire siren was blown and a band of several pieces preceded the party to call the people. Henry La Fetra has stared a bungalow on Farragut Avenue, expecting to occupy it this winter. The Boy Scouts had a large attendance at their dance at the Manhasset Hotel. Many out -of-town visitors. William Bates is making preparations to go to Florida for the winter. Fred Penn will superintend the milk business. Current talk is that there will be as much building this winter and spring as there was last year. A new platform has been built at the P.R.R. freight station. The Girl Scouts held a masquerade ball on Hallowe'en at Firemen's Hall. Quite a number of our people motor to Toms River Saturday evening for shopping and the motion pictures. SILVERTON The postman left a number of invitations in Silverton last week for relatives and friends of Miss Alda Tilton, of Bay Head, whose marriage to Frank Hewitt, of Seaside Park, will take place Wednesday, November 8. The Hallowe'en merrymakers were out in quite a large body Tuesday evening. The processional, in coming into the writer's home, was led by a couple wearing bridal attire, bearing a sign, “Just Married.” When questioned who did it, they answered we just left the parsonage. This was pronounced at this stop, first prize costume; all the others, masks and costumes, were funny, and we must give them credit for excellent behavior. Doesn't that sound good for a bunch of boys and girls on Hallowe'en? WEST CREEK Our oyster shippers are making good use of the good weather and disposing of their stock in city markets in large quantities. Miss Blanche Cranmer has accepted the position of “Hello” girl in the Central office, in Tuckerton. The political pot is simmering, getting ready for the spill over in the near future. Messrs. Runyon, Frelinghuysen, Appleby and several of the lesser lights stopped in our town on their way along the shore route, and told us the same old story, though perhaps more modernized by necessity of recent laws to be enforced. Of course each faction expected to be elected, but let us hope that while right is right, we will exercise the best there is in us to see the right man in the right place. ADS OF INTERESTMISSED AN ISSUE?Summer-Autumn 1922 Catchup May & June 1922 April 1922 March 1922 Part II March 1922 Part I February 17th, 1922 February 10th, 1922 February 3rd, 1922 January 27th, 1922 January 20th, 1922 January 13th, 1922 January 6th, 1922 December 30th, 1921 December 23rd, 1921 December 16th, 1921 December 9th, 1921 December 2nd, 1921 November 25th, 1921 November 18th, 1921 November 11th, 1921 November 4th, 1921 October 28th, 1921 October 21st, 1921 October 14th, 1921 October 7th, 1921 September 30th, 1921 September 23rd, 1921 September 16th, 1921 September 9th, 1921 Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays - 10 am to 2 pm
78 East Water Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 Guided Tours By Request - New Members Always Welcome (732) 349-9209 - office@tomsriverseaport.org Miss us? We missed you! Here are some news briefs to catch us all up and bring us back to our normal weekly schedule. Enjoy! Let your mind wander as you consider life around summer and autumn 1922, courtesy the New Jersey Courier weekly newspaper and Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around an 8 minute read). NEWS HIGHLIGHTSAirship Construction Begins! Construction of the U.S.S. Shenandoah airship began at Naval Air Station Lakehurst. Surf City Sells 1218 Building Lots One of the largest lot sales on the shore in recent years happened when Surf City sold off 1218 50x100 ft lots on July 3rd. The lots were taken back by the municipality due to outstanding taxes. The lots mostly belonged to the old Wright and Culver estates. Fire! Late springtime fires continued to do damage to area lands, including cranberry bogs. Five Escape Stalled Car on Railroad Tracks Death was dodged by five individuals who bolted from their stalled car on the Pennsylvania Railroad line near Beachwood station in late June. When the train struck, it cut off the back end and a door went flying, striking one former passenger, who was cut on mouth and chin. Baseball Fever The great American pasttime enjoyed a renaissance in the area, with many towns and organizations forming nine-player teams to compete. Save Barnegat Light The battle to save Ol' Barney continued, with area Congressmen battling a largely indifferent Washington, D.C. Toms River High School Seniors Graduate A total of 22 seniors from area towns up and down Ocean County graduated in mid-June. Smashing Independence Day Records Crowds visiting from the cities and elsewhere shattered tourism records to date for the shore area over the July 4th holiday. Oyster Planters Large quantities of oysters were planted in Barnegat Bay from the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge (which carried passengers across between Good Luck Point and Seaside Park) to Cedar Creek. Many other areas were also staked out and received new plantings. Prohibition Continued as the law of the land, though rumrunners (on land and water) and illicit liquor sales carried on, with area authorities sometimes making lucky busts that likely didn't put much of a dent in the overall trade. Machine Planting A new machine was used to plant sweet potatoes as an experiment that proved much faster than by hand. First New Cruiser Built Since World War The first new locally-built cruiser, a 55 ft. keel with 16 ft. beam craft, was launched out of Island Heights, built by Mayor William D. Rote from his shop there, for Charles K. Haddon of Haddonfield. It was christened Mary D. Sneakbox Racing Hitting Its Stride Starting with the purchase of the first fleet of 15-foot racing sneakboxes by Polyhue Yacht Club, Beachwood, other clubs in the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association had been following suit with orders all spring, leading to many new races of the design on the river and bay. Circus Train Held for Stealing by Employees The train of the Walter L. Main Circus was halted at Lakehurst in early August upon accusations that its employees had been stealing and eating produce from roadside farm stands in Toms River. The show the night before had been a smashing success but a torrential downpour ended the night, with most of the 2,500 spectators leaving drenched. West Virginians Visit Toms River Poultrymen Farmers from that state arrived to look at how our area chicken farmers handled their industry. Return of Horse Disease Feared Inoculations for hundreds of horses between Toms River and Burlington County took place to try and dodge the dreaded sickness, botalinus, that had taken so many animal lives in recent prior years and had started up again. All Night Regatta Toms River Yacht Club held an all-night sailing regatta with race course running from the Crabbe Boathouse on Toms River (still there, 2022) to a stakeboat off Barnegat Lighthouse (also still there!). The sloop Viking, sailed by the Schofield boys of Island Heights, took the win. Race started at 10:30 pm (delayed due to a storm) Saturday, August 18th and Viking crossed the finish line at 6:28 am the following morning. Gem, a catboat owned by the Crabbes, took second at 6:56 am, with Hawk, a sneakbox owned by the Doan family, in third at 7:14 am. A-Cat Mary Ann Sweeping Bay Races The biggest yachting trophy events of the summer went to the Mary Ann, the new catboat that resulted in the dawn of the A-Cat fleet. Highway Robberies Authorities warned the public not to stop on the highways (faster roads running through wooded and farm areas, of the time) to pick up stray tires, as they were often bait for thieves to hold up motorists and rob them, steal their cars or both. Pennsylvania Railroad Wants Off LBI The company, in mid-September, asked permission from the state to abandon the line from the bridge at Barnegat City Junction, below Surf City, to Barnegat City [now Barnegat Light]. The proliferation of passenger cars and trucks had cut into its bottom line too much on the largely summer island. United Feed Company Builds New Plant Below Toms River A new plant was constructed on the Central Railroad line in Berkeley Township, in what would eventually become South Toms River borough, in an area roughly across from what today is Mathis Plaza. Its features included a grain elevator, bins and mill. Frost Damages Cranberry Harvest Regional growers of the crop were upset to find that early autumn frosts had ruined about 20 percent of their unpicked crop. Picking continued at a fast pace to beat the weather. Railroad Sparks Burn Mantoloking Lumber Yard The coal, lumber yards and ice house of the Stillwell's at Mantoloking were damaged by a fire that began from sparks of a passing Pennsylvania Railroad train headed to that city. Damage was estimated to be $15,000 [$265,000 in 2022 dollars]. Halloween Parade Canceled The annual Toms River Halloween Parade, put on by the volunteer fire department, was canceled for the year as the organization was too busy raising funds for its new La France pumper truck and the parade was too large an expense to carry at the time. Another literal roadblock to the parade was that much of downtown was torn up as part of a project to pave its main thoroughfares for the first time. Seaside Park Amusement Properties Sold at Auction In early October, the Casino and bath house property on the beach front at North Avenue, Seaside Park, were sold by the county sheriff for $6900 [$122,000 in 2022 dollars] to V. Claude Palmer, a Mount Holly lawyer. The buildings had been owned by Amos K. Dubell, Margaret E. Dubell and Charles J. McCready, who bought them two years earlier and attempted to start an amusement center there. Jersey Cranberries Open at $10 to $13 Per Barrel The Jersey cranberries were put on the market for the first on Wednesday, October 25. The opening prices quoted in New York Market were $5 for the ordinary Jerseys and $6.50 for the Howes, for the half barrel box or from $10 to $13 per barrel [$177 to $230 in 2022 dollars]. Early blacks were still selling from $8 to $10.50 per barrel [$141 to $186 in 2022 dollars]. Next Week: Return to 1922 with our weekly installments!Toms River Seaport Society presents our new Holiday Bonus 50/50 Fundraising Raffle, where one winner can win up to $5,000!JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!Tickets are $100 each and limited to 100 tickets sold. Once they sell out - no more will be sold.
Drawing will take place on the deck of the A-Cat Spy in its museum shed located at 78 East Water Street, Toms River, on Saturday, December 17th at 2 pm. Winner need not be present. No substitution of offered prize will be made. Total of prize monies equal to 50% of all proceeds collected. All proceeds will benefit the Toms River Seaport Society's ongoing mission to preserve and celebrate Toms River and Barnegat Bay's rich maritime history. Purchasing tickets can be made online below ($100 plus $2 processing fee), by visiting our museum during open hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm with cash or check, or by mailing a check CLEARLY INDICATING 50/50 ON THE CHECK for $100 to: Toms River Seaport Society P.O. Box 1111 Toms River, N.J. 08754 CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKET(S) ONLINE
Welcome back to another era in the Toms River area's past, one century ago this week!
Let your mind wander as you consider life around May & June 1922, courtesy the New Jersey Courier weekly newspaper and Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around a 25 minute read). BREVITIES AND EDITORIALS
(written by NJ Courier editor, William H. Fischer, as he sat at his desk above Main Street near Washington Street; it was much like a collection of online social media updates seen today)
May.
Flowers. Forest fires. More rain needed. May day was a beauty. Dry and dusty weather. Purple wisteria blooms. Lilacs show regal purple. Frost have been frequent. Street sprinkler out this week. Tulip and daffodils still stay with us. Swallows and martins have come back. Wild beach plum bushes are white with bloom. The sound of the lawnmower is heard once more. Purple violets border the roads through the woods. A dance will be given by Toms River Fire Company No. 2, at the new Novins garage on Water Street on Friday, May 19. Growers are giving cranberry bogs a little rest period, drawing the water off for awhile, and will flood them again before the vines start to bud. Cephas Johnson has bought the “old Potter house” at the corner of Irons Road and Lakehurst Road, and will tear it down for the timber and bricks in it. With its fireplace and brickpanes, there are enough bricks to build several frame houses these days. The sisters who have charge of the “fresh air home” out Pleasant Plains way, make frequent visits there these spring days, getting things ready for the sick children and their mothers, when the hot days come. Mr. Christansen, an employee at the Naval Air Station, has moved from Beachwood into the Alsheimer building apartments. The other apartment is also rented to an officer at the Air station. Saunders Levy is building a bungalow on the Cornelius Johnson farm at Pleasant Plains. He will subdivide the 80 odd acres in this farm, and make chicken farms of it. Yesterday afternoon a demonstration in planting sweet potatoes, cabbages and similar plants by machine was given at the farm of Borman and Schimel, Laurelton, under direction of County Agent Waite. Maples are almost full leaved; oaks are commencing to show leaf and blossom; swamp maples are aflame with red seedvanes; sassafras shows its yellow bloom; elms look like dainty lace against the sky. John P. Kirk has started a boatshop on the Hensler property above the Main street bridge. Mr. Kirk is an old time yacht builder, known all along the coast. Campbell's circus, which was in winter quarters at Bamber the past winter, showed here on Tuesday. A very creditable little show was the general verdict. A good many seem to be gathering dandelions. Moonlit evenings. Blossom time is about gone. Lillies of the valley are in bloom. Warm days bring up the garden truck and potatoes. In spite of the reports that the strawberries were all killed, one sees many beds white with bloom. The Ocean County Feed Company has been building a large feed store on the north side of West Water street, on the lot they bought recently. The building is one story high, 30x86 feet on the ground plan, and will hold several hundred tons of feed. The playground apparatus, bought by the Home and School Association, has been set up at the school grounds. It includes swings, ladders, seesaws, and similar play things. At a sale of boats for storage at the Irons boat storage yards, by Hadley Woolley last Saturday, the old time yacht Spider was bought by Win Snyder and Vern Sutton. They plan rigging her up in racing trim again this summer, to see if she has kept her swiftness. Ed. E. Snyder bought a sneak-box at the same sale. Charles L. Barney is building himself a home and chicken plant on Stanton avenue, near Quail Run in Berkeley. Edward J. Kelly is planning to build himself a home on South Main street, near the Pennsylvania railroad station, this summer. Catbirds, kingbirds and thrashers came from the south last week end. Butterflies are frequently seen, also moths and millers. A large number of Toms River people motored to Lakewood last Friday and Saturday to see Sheldon Lewis and Virginia Pearson in vaudeville at the Strand theatre. Joseph Roy, captain of the rumrunning schooner Pocomoke, seized in Atlantic City last summer, has just been released after being in jail eight months for smuggling liquor. Part of this liquor was buried at Barnegat and spent the fall and winter in Toms River jail. Roses in bloom. May is slipping by. Daisies dot the fields. Wildcherries are in bloom. The white oaks are in bloom. The laurel is bursting its pink buds. Gasoline has jumped to 29 cents a gallon retail. Large spikes of white flowers decorate the horse chestnuts now. Whippoorwill's shoes, or lady slipper, or moccasin flower, whichever you like to call it, are blooming in the oakwoods. Automobile drivers say that there should be a traffic post at the corner of Washington street and Hooper avenue, where a number of accidents have happened. The danger is greater now that through traffic is to be diverted from Main street that way. A restaurant is being built opposite the Central Railroad Station and next to Max Leet's store. Traveling about the county there are two things that hit the observer between the eyes in every section—new chicken houses, and aerials for radio receivers. Roses blooming. New moon today. Field daisies abound. Most trees in full leaf. A little rain on Sunday. School will close June 16. June comes next Thursday. Building mechanics are on the rush. Heavy showers last Friday morning. When we get Main Street paved—oh boy! Pleasure boats are coming back into favor. Housewives struggle with spring cleaning. Business competition grows keener in this old town. Now and then an early magnolia bud—fragrant as ever. Bluefish, weakfish, kingfish, croakers have been caught in the bay. The playground apparatus has been working overtime at the schoolground. Children have been swinging as early as 7.00 A.M. And late as 9.00 P.M. Tulip polars are covered with their green and yellow flowers. The ayringa bushes are starry white with blossoms. County Agent E.H. Waite yesterday moved from the Court House to the Traco Theatre building. The office he has had at the Court House will be used by Prosecutor W.H. Jayne. Capt. Ben Asay says he celebrated his 65th birthday on Saturday last, but he promises never to do it again. A fourteen-passenger airplane is now making trips between Atlantic City and New York, and people in the shore towns watch her go by. A.H. Willard. M.D., has bought twenty-two acres of the old Rayner place, on the old Freehold road, and has engaged P.P. Elkinton to prepare plans for a home, to cost about $6000 [$105,825 in 2022 dollars]. Dr. Willard also has visions of a private hospital at Toms River in the future. Fire Company No. 2 had a fine dance at the Novins hall on Friday evening of last week, with a large gathering of young people, all of whom seemed to enjoy the evening. The dance was held in the large new feed storage house that the Novins boys had just completed, and it was prettily decorated for the occasion. One of the most active figures at the dance was the president of the company, Joseph Novins, whose untimely death a few days later had caused a pall of sadness to settle over the whole community. Two flying machines were here on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, making the Capt. Caleb Grant field, on the Cedar Grove road their flying field, and taking up passengers at $3.50 a ride. They did quite a business both afternoons. They called themselves “The Aerial Hobos,” and said they had taken up passengers in every state in the Union. They come here from Philadelphia. One machine was piloted by Robert Jefferson, of Philadelphia, and one by Merrill Riddick, son of Congressman Riddick, of Montana. Bill Jefferson, Bob's brother, was the ground man. They said they would come back again. Judge Berry has had his big yacht brought here from New York, and it is anchored off the Doan property. Capt. Lambert, of the Lambert boat line, is tuning up the engines in Ariella and Dorianna, in preparation for the summer season. Jack Costa snapped some bird's eye views of Toms River village this week while in the air, and they gave us an altogether different idea of how our town looks. Louis Davis, of the American Market, has moved his family here from Sunapee, N.H., to the house he recently bought on Messenger Street, formerly the Roy Tilton house. Mr. Davis is very proud of her family, which consists of himself, wife and eleven children. Snyder & Sutton have started work on the bungalow of the first poultry farm, to be built for the Toms River Poultry Development Co., south of the P.R.R. on the Dover road. The location is a beautiful one, commanding the best view of Toms River village to be found anywhere. During the easterly weather last week dwellers on the beach gathered up great quantities of driftwood and also fruit and vegetable in eatable state. An 11-year-old boy was found in the woods near Cassville last week, and proved to be the son of Fred Spring, of Rahway. It was said by his brother, who came after him, that the boy had run away from home thirty times.
AND “GAS” GOES UP
The cost of gasoline has been rising for several weeks past, till now it is 26 cents a gallon wholesale [$4.59 in 2022 dollars]. Ordinarily when gas goes up the explanation from the refiners and distributors is that there is not enough gasoline to meet the demand. This time the assertion is made that there are larger stocks stored than ever before, and that the production is in excess of the demand. The United States Senate has designated a committee to investigate why gas should enhance in value under those circumstances... TOO MANY WOODS FIRES There are altogether too many woods fires. Most of them start from criminal carelessness or criminal ignorance. When your carelessness or your ignorance lend you to destroy many thousands of dollars worth of other folks' property, it is rightly characterized as criminal. In the old days, every forest fire was charged up to the nearest railroad, but railroads are no longer the chief offenders. There are three other fire-starters that apparently line up even with the railroad. They are: The newcomer in the country who starts burning off grass or brush on a windy day; the careless auto camper, who starts a fire to cook his dinner along the road in the edge of a wood or field; the cigarette smoker who flings the burning paper tip out into leaves, brush or grass. Thousands of dollars worth of damage in the past few weeks have been caused by these four offenders, and of the four, only one, the railroad, ever pays for the loss caused by its acts. The brush burner is generally too poor, and the camper or cigarette thrower are both unknown in most instances. Bad as the fires have been, they would have been worse were it not for the organized fire warden system, with deputy wardens in every locality, with power to call on men to fight fire and pay them for their services. NATURE SPOILS A THEORY Nature thinks nothing of spoiling a perfectly good theory that man may make for himself and hug to himself in glee. For the past two years the lighthouse authorities in Washington have again and again stated that nothing could be done to save Barnegat Light “because inlets on the Jersey coast work to the south,” and therefore Barnegat Lighthouse was, in their opinion and by their theory, doomed. It availed nothing to show them that Atlantic City and Ocean City are both building up by their inlets working to the north. Now the newest of all inlets on the coast, the Little Egg Harbor Inlet, below Beach Haven, not only broke through several miles north of the other inlet, but is continually working to the north. The government last winter had to move the coast guard station from its clutches, and it is still cutting to the north. Nature thinks nothing of spoiling our pet theories and then laughing at us. THE AGE OF MACHINERY To the New Jersey Courier: A short time ago, while walking through our park I asked a friend if he had noticed the scarcity of sparrows during the last few years. He was much amazed to find that I was right, but when I told him that the automobile was the cause he thought I was a fit candidate for that institution for the sequestration of the mentally deficient. The fact is, as I have observed, that the auto spreads so much oil and grease around that the birds get it on their feet and feathers and transfer some of it to the eggs, which then refuse to hatch. This fact was first learned by reading that crude oil put on perches of henhouses would kill the lice. It did, and also the germs in perfectly fertile eggs. New Jersey may have more than their share of sparrows, as The Courier recently intimated, but in Philadelphia they are certainly much fewer than they were a few years ago. Now that machines are so numerous on the farms, care must be taken in the disposition of waste oil and grease. What effect refuse oil from ships is going to have on aquatic fowls remains to be learned, but I fear it will not be good. When oil is struck in Ocean County, keep the chickens away. H.I.P. Germantown, Pa. HEADLINE NEWS
HEAD OF TOMS RIVER FIRE CO. NO. 2 DIES AS RESULT OF MYSTERIOUS FIRE
KEROSENE SOAKED, HANKINS HOUSE BURNED TO GROUND The home of James Hankins, on upper Main Street, or Lakewood road, was burned to the ground late on Saturday night, May 20, the fire being without doubt set with malicious intent, but what was worse than the loss of the house was the fact that the fire was directly or indirectly the cause of the death of Joseph Novins, a young business man of Toms River, and president of Fire Company No. 2. Young Novins was found unconscious on the ground after he had been in the burning house, and died on Tuesday, at Kimball Hospital, Lakewood, without having regained consciousness. The illness and death of Mr. Novins accentuated the rumors about the fire, and have resulted in an inquiry being made by Prosecutor Jayne in an effort to learn who set fire to the house. The fire was discovered by a driver of a passing automobile, who stopped at the home of T.L. Corwell, across the way and told him. The two started to the burned house and found the door locked. John Page, another neighbor, going out to care for some small chicks, also saw the fire and reached there just after them. They broke the door in, went up stairs and found there was no one in the house and very little furniture. The fire was burning merrily upstairs and the smell of kerosene was everywhere. In fact those who were in the burning building, including the firemen who soon arrived, said that there was kerosene on the floor, on the stairs, and on the walls. There was no water in the neighborhood, and all the firemen and neighbors could do was to watch the house burn down, from the roof to the ground, and, as there was no wind, it was about an hour doing so. The fire was discovered shortly after 11 P.M. The house and land are in the name of Mrs. James Hankins. The house was insured for $1500 [$26,456 in 2022 dollars] and the furniture for $500 [$8,818.78 in 2022 dollars], in the P.L. Grover Agency. About three weeks before the fire, marital troubles between husband and wife resulted in the wife packing up her goods and moving to Bradley Beach, leaving but a few pieces of furniture in the house. James Hankins continued to make his home there. The quarrel between the two was over another woman. Harry Hankins, a son of James Hankins, with his wife and child, went to Bradley Beach with Mrs. Hankins. James Hankins for some time has been driving a taxicab, and was at the Main Street stand at the time the fire alarm was given. He says that while he had been sleeping in the house he had no fire there. The house was two-story and attic, and was built a few years ago to take the place of another that had burned down. Joseph Novins, whose death resulted from the fire, was the son of Mr. Hyman Novoselsky, who lives on the north side of town. When Joe and his brothers started the Ocean County Feed Company, finding the name Novoselsky long and cumbersome, they shortened it to Novins. Deceased was one of six brothers, the others being Abram, Benjamin, Robert and Louis, the sixth brother, Samuel, being killed in action on September 27, 1918, in France. He was keen and energetic in business matters, pleasant and affable and was well liked in town. He was one of the organizers of the Fire Company No. 2, and its president. The physicians say that he had serious kidney trouble, and hard work he had been doing, the excitement of the firemens' ball on Friday night, the rush to the fire, and the work he did there, with the possibility that he may have fallen a considerable distance, resulted in the breaking down of the power of the kidneys to rid his body of poison, and that he died of acute uraemic poison. Novins was one of the first firemen at the fire, and was upstairs in the stifling smoke, going up a second time with a fire extinguisher. Some thought he fell from a porch roof, others that he fell from a ladder, but no one has been found who saw him fall. He was taken to the hospital shortly after the fire, and physicians from New York were called in, but he died on Tuesday. Funeral services were held in the Jewish Synagogue, in Lakewood Wednesday afternoon, and burial made in the Jewish Cemetery there. The members of Fire Company No. 2 went in a body, and almost every taxi on the jitney stand was sent voluntarily by its owner in the funeral, showing in what esteem he was held. He was 24 years old.
MUST ACT TO SAVE LONG BEACH FROM TIDE EROSION
With the tides of Barnegat eating away at the north end of Long Beach, the ocean currents cutting in here and there along the beach front, and the new inlet below Beach Haven widening its channel every day, property owners on Long Beach feel that some definite and concerted action must be taken to preserve that island from this continuous whittling away by the tides. To that end a meeting has been called to discuss the situation...
NAVY TO GET BIG ZEP, TO BE “MADE IN GERMANY”
In addition to the huge airship that is now being assembled at the huge hangar, in the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, from materials fabricated at League Island Navy Yard, Philadelphia, in the past two years, it is understood that the Navy is to have another big Zeppelin, to take the place of the ZR-2, which was bought from England, but which collapsed in a trial flight, just before an American crew were to leave England with it for Lakehurst last August. The new No. 2, if she is to bear that name, is to be “made in Germany,” from the original Zeppelin plans... The Navy Department expects to determine decisively through experiments with the ZR-1, now building at Lakehurst, whether rigid airships are practical, either for war or commercial purposes... GYPSIES CAUSE TROUBLE A hurry-up call for aid against a band of thieving gypsies reached the county seat from Tuckerton yesterday and aid was sent down. $20 had been taken from Ephraim Berry [$352 in 2022 dollars], an aged Tuckertonian. Brought to Toms River before Justice King, the Gypsies refunded the money and paid the costs and left via the Bay Bridge. There were two cars in the band and they said they were from Massachusetts. CONKLIN'S BOAT STUCK ON WAYS Warren Conklin started on Saturday last to launch his big power boat that he has been two years in building, on the sandspit in the river; but the boat stuck on her ways, and is still on the sandspit. The craft is the only boat of size built at Toms River in the past six or seven years. It has a 60 foot keel and 18 foot beam, 72 feet over all, and was modeled and built by Conklin himself, from white oak timbers and cedar planking, cut in nearby swamps. The timbers are on the old-fashioned order, natural growth knees, cut from crooked material. Twin engines of twenty horsepower are to drive her. She will carry fifty or more people, and has a cabin and pilot house. She was built for passenger carrying. Conklin talks of running her between Bay Head and Atlantic City, stopping at way ports.
BIG BEACH HAVEN PICNIC ON OCEAN COUNTY DAY, JULY 15
The Ocean County Society of Philadelphia have another big stunt that they expect to pull off Saturday, July 15, when they propose an Ocean County Day, in the form of a beach picnic, at Beach Haven. The Society, according to the plans as outlined by its president, Lafayette Taylor, of Philadelphia, will run a special train from that city, with a big band, in approved excursion and picnic style. All their friends in the county are expected to motor to the beach to meet them and shake hands, and have an old home day reception and renewal of friendships. The matter will be taken up by a joint committee from the Ocean County Society of Philadelphia, and one from Long Beach Board of Trade, so one of the biggest days in the history of the county may be confidently looked forward to. The Society now has about 650 members, though it was only organized last winter. A week or so ago it gave a theatre party in Philadelphia, at which some 300 attended. They will guarantee 300 on the special train next July, and hope to bring twice that number. It is quite likely that Ocean County Day will be made an annual affair each summer, meeting at various resorts on the shore. HEAVY TRUCK CRUSHES LIFE FROM SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY Point Pleasant, May 24—Howard Morton, 7-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Morton of Bay and Trenton avenues, here, died last evening in the Ann May hospital at Spring Lake from injuries sustained when he was run down by a 5-ton truck of the Harrison Construction company of Passaic, which is working on the bridge over the Manasquan river here. It was said young Morton, with other children was playing in the street at Bay and Arnold avenues, when the truck knocked him down. At the hospital this morning it was stated his leg was broken, he had sustained many lacerations and suffered from loss of blood. BOOZE PEDDLER FINED $500 Tom Donofrio of Egg Harbor City, who has been supplying certain resorts and individuals in the lower part of the county with hooch, was caught last Saturday by Constable Edward Kelley of Toms River, and on Wednesday pleaded guilty. He was fined $500 [$8,818 in 2022 dollars], and told a second offence would mean a jail sentence. He traveled in a motor truck, distributing his stuff. TO BUILD LACEY ROAD Joseph Parker, of Forked River, has been selected to build Lacey road for the Board of Freeholders and Lacey Township. The township has appropriated $500 [$8,818 in 2022 dollars] and the county $1500 [$26,456 in 2022 dollars]. Mr. Parker figures that this may build four miles of road, as there is good gravel most of the way right along the line of the road. The Lacey road was named after General Lacey, an officer in the Revolutionary War, who after that war came from Pennsylvania to this part of New Jersey, and built the iron furnace, or forge, at Lacey. The road runs in a straight line from the Lacey Forge to the landing on Forked River, whence the iron was shipped by water after being manufactured. As in all old forges of South Jersey, bog iron was smelted with charcoal fires, and the huge forests of pinewood furnished the charcoal. The South Jersey pines in the primeval forests were not the scrubby weaklings of today, but were from one to two feet in diameter at the butt, and appropriately tall. After the forges shut down from lack of iron ore, Lacey road was used to cart charcoal and cordwood to the landing to ship to New York in schooners.
MILES OF COUNTRY BURNT OVER BY MANY FIERCE FOREST FIRES
WOODS FIRE SWEEP WIDE TRACTS AND THREATEN HOMES Woods fires have continued to do great damage, sweeping wide tracts and threatening homes in various parts of the county. Last week the worst fire in this county this spring was on the county line between Monmouth and Ocean, threatening at various times Greenville, Herbertsville and Laurelton. Houses and barns in all these sections were saved only by the hardest kind of fighting. The Lakewood, Point Pleasant and Naval Air Station firemen joined with the firewardens under District Warden Joseph E. Abbott of Toms River, and the men from all the countryside, to save the threatened villages... Last Friday afternoon, April 28, Toms River had a fire scare again, when brush and grass in the meadow between Lakehurst road and the Central Railroad got on fire and threatened the Toms River Electric Co., the Ocean County Gas Co. plants, and the American Supply lumber yards. It was conquered with no loss to speak of. Saturday and Sunday a fire raged to the south of Whitings, and on Sunday one in Jackson township at Webbsville. Tuesday a fire was alleged to have been started at Pinewald by the C.R.R. midday freight, and with a strong southwest wind back of it, rushed toward Bayville. It swept almost the whole of the rear of Bayville on the western edge, and must have burned a number of homes, but for the firefighters... During the fire at Bayville Tuesday, two deer were trapped by the flames, and did not seem to know how to get out. Some of the fire fighters broke through a weak spot in the fire and drove them out safely. Two bad fires burned from Friday till Monday in Burlington and Ocean counties. Both started in Burlington County, one at Hedger House, and spread to Woodmansie an then across the Plains to Cedar Bridge; the other began west of Four Mile, and burned from Ong's Hat to Lower Mill and Brown's Mill Junction. 20,000 acres were swept by these fires and 500 men were out fighting them. The report in last week's Courier that the shed, used as a railroad station at Ortley, had been burned, was a mistake. The shed still stands. Ortley Inn and two houses was the loss at that place. LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP MUST FIGHT SEA'S ENCROACHMENT Long Beach Township is being seriously affected by the encroachment of the sea. The inlet that opened south of Beach Haven in the big storm on February 4, 1920, is continually moving northward, and in short time has swallowed up fifty acres of valuable beachland. Just now the inlet, which last year carried deep water, is full of sand bars, and seems to be a seething turmoil of sand and water. Some of the old-time beach and baymen think that this may possibly mean that the inlet will close itself, provided the right conditions happen along, as it did years ago, when there was a big inlet at practically the same spot. Others think they see the inlet widening till much more valuable land is lost. A meeting was held on Saturday evening last, at Beach Haven, attended by representatives from all the boroughs on Long Beach, who came together at the request of the Long Beach Township Committee. This committee wanted the aid of the other municipalities in enlisting the interest of the county, the state and the federal authorities to help stop the erosion. The matter was talked over from every angle, and seeing the unlikeliness of getting any aid within a reasonable time from other governmental sources, it is likely that the Township Commitee will do as Barnegat City Borough did, issue bonds and build its own bulkheads. A meeting of the next Township Committee will be held next Saturday night at which this matter will be taken up by them. TOMS RIVER CLASS OF '22, NUMBERS 22 The Class of 1922, Toms River High School, which is preparing to graduate in June, numbers twenty-two, or thirteen girls and nine boys. This will be one of the largest classes ever to be graduated from the local school... BOATBUILDER PEARCE SICK S. Bartley Pearce, of Brielle, better known as Bart Pierce, the boatbuilder, was taken ill last week while walking along Main Street, Asbury Park, with his wife, and was removed to the hospital. It was called acute indigestion, complicated with a heart attack. Pearce built and run the famous succession of “Dixies,” the motor boats which for a long time held the international records. HALF OF SURF CITY GOES TO BOROUGH FOR TAXES The Borough of Surf City has about completed the formula of taking title to nearly half the lots in that borough for unpaid taxes. The borough has in fact foreclosed a tax title against the former owners of these lots, through its counsel, Judge Maja Leon Berry, in the Chancery Court. The taxes due on these lots aggregated $20,168.45 [$355,722.24 in 2022 dollars], and the proceedings go back to 1904, when the lots in question were sold for taxes and bid in by the borough. The lots are part of the former Culver and Wright holdings, though both Culver and Wright have been dead for a long time... The failure of these defendants to meet the amount of taxes due on April 24th last, the date set by the Chancery Court, results in George C. Low, the Master in Chancery, giving to the borough title to the land, so that they can dispose of it in fee simple. This large amount of land on which the taxes were held back has long been a drawback that has prevented the growth of Surf City, in spite of the economical government and careful administration of borough affairs, it has enjoyed, largely through the efforts of the late Thomas Callahan and his family of boys, and of William H. Donahue, son-in-law of Mr. Callahan, and the few all the year round residents in the borough. Now that the Borough is in the position to dispose of these lots by selling them to people who will build homes on them and pay taxes, there is no reason why Surf City should not take its place along with the most progressive summer resorts on Long Beach. APPLEBY ASKS FEDERAL AID TO PRESERVE JERSEY BEACHES Washington, D.C., April 23.—Congressman T. Frank Appleby yesterday introduced a bill providing federal aid in the construction of sea walls, bulkheads, jetties and other appropriate devices necessary and proper to protect the island waterways, navigable rivers and waterways of the coast of the State of New Jersey from Sandy Hook to Cape May from destruction by encroachment of the Atlantic Ocean... Mr. Appleby further stated that the gradual encroachment of the surf along the Atlantic coast had destroyed property of immense value; has caused buildings of all classes to be removed; closed many highways; has cut new channels where the land between the ocean bays is narrow, and millions could have been saved had there been organized work in the last fifty years by the state and national governments.
OCEAN COUNTY BOYS' RADIO CLUB IS FIRST IN UNITED STATES
The following story and illustrations are from the February issue of “New Jersey Agriculture,” a state publication. To give every farmer in Ocean County a chance to hear good music, good lectures, first hand results of athletic sports, and, most important of all, market reports in plenty of time to do him some good. This is an ideal toward which the Ocean County Wireless Club, an organization of 56 members, representing 11 communities, is working at a 56 boy-power rate of speed. We have heard of poultry clubs, calf clubs, garden clubs, gunning clubs—the United States is full of them—but it remained for Ocean County to establish the first Boys' and Girls' Agricultural Wireless Club of the country... ASK $198,000 FOR DOVER'S NEW SCHOOL [$3.5 MILLION IN 2022 DOLLARS] $198,000 is the amount the Dover Township School Board think is needed to build and equip a modern school at Toms River. A special school meeting has been called for Tuesday, May 16, at 4.00 P.M., to vote for or against a bond issue of $198,000, and for or against building a new school house on the hill east of the present school house—a 16-room building and large assembly hall... The plans call for a new building on the crest of the school house hill, facing to the west, or Hyers street. Wings will run back on Sheriff street and School street ends, and between these wings will be built an auditorium, with a stage, and capable of seating about 650 pupils. The building is to be two stories high with a basement beneath it. There will be fourteen new grade rooms in this building, also a lunchroom for serving hot lunches to the children from out of town, a library, rest rooms for the teachers, etc. It is to be of fire-proof construction, as planned, and of course rules of the State Department as to space, ventilation, size of corridors and stairways, etc. FRIEND P. KELLY HAS LEFT US Dr. W.H. Ballou, Editor of the Science News Service, New York, writes: “Another devotee of the art of angling striped bass, the pioneer of Barnegat Bay, one might say, has gone on his long vacation. I shall remember him as friend P. Kelly, because he was a friend to almost every angler who either went to Forked River or resided there, friend of the baymen and friends of the townspeople. He has passed on to complete the triumvirate of former great anglers of the Bay, Byron E. Eno and John B. Frazer, always together between fishing hours, grouped on the veranda of either the Riverside House or its Casino, telling laughable stories and experiences. Somewhere, like the Indians' 'happy hunting grounds,' there must be in the Great Beyond, a gathering place of anglers, and let us home that the triumvirate has already convened and reminisced on old times. “Friend Kelly's daily habits were known to all. He went out on the bay mornings to reach the bass trolling grounds on the falling tide. Whether he returned with bass or not, he always had good-sized weakfish in his bag. In fact, he often had better luck capturing big weaks while trolling for bass, than many anglers who still fished for weaks only. He invariably returned to the wharf early in the afternoon, being the first arrival usually. His habit was fixed. Leaving his boat, he took a chair on the Casino veranda and sat there until dinner time, watching the arrival of anglers from the bay, noting their bags, and conversing with them on the day's experiences. He constantly asked and answered the sole two queries at Forked River, 'How many did you get?' and 'How much did they weigh?' When I answered how many and how much, he had only one reply: 'Fish must have been thick, if you got any!' Hundreds, perhaps thousands of men and women, anglers and summer guests knew friend Kelly during the past thirty-five years and no one who knew him will ever forget him, while many with myself, will mourn sincerely his passing.” ROBBERY AT FORKED RIVER The barber shop and cigar store of Oscar Wilbert, at Forked River, was robbed of about $45 in cash from the till [$793 in 2022 dollars], while he was absent from town, sometime between 1 P.M. Sunday and 5:30 on Tuesday. The thieves, presumably local talent, knowing he was away, entered through a cellar window. Other valuables were untouched.
WHAT CAUSED “THE PLAINS?”
That South Jersey mystery, “The Plains,” are to be investigated by two distinct scientific parties, to discover, if possible, their cause. The Plains lie partly in Ocean and partly in Burlington County, west of Barnegat and Manahawkin, and north of Tuckerton. They are on the height of land between the streams that flow south and west into the Mullica River system, via the Oswego and Wading River, and those that flow direct into the coast bays. For spaces of several miles on the two Plains, the Greater and the Lesser or the Big and Little Plains, there are no trees as high as a man's head. Instead the trees and shrubbery seem to be the same as that just below the snow line on a mountain—pine trees, laurel, etc., stunted, gnarled and creeping along the ground, showing that they are of great age in spite of their stunted size. The State Department of Conservation and Development are making an investigation to see if they can find out the cause of this peculiar condition which was found by the first white men who crossed that part of the state more than 200 years ago, and which is still unchanged. The Agricultural Department at Washington also promises an investigation by a group of scientists. It is even alleged that some insects and animals found on the Plains are not found in the adjoining and surrounding territory. One of the old stories of a hundred years ago is that prairie chickens, afterward found by new settlers in all the Middle West, were so numerous on the Plains that parties used to drive up there in the fall and fill their wagon bodies with them, clubbing them to death. FISHHAWKS MOVED YOUNG FROM PATH OF THE FLAMES During the woods fires at Bayville recently a fishhawk's nest, containing young birds, was in the path of the flame. The fire did not burn up to the tree it was in, being stopped by a road, but the nest seemed to be in danger. Township Fire Warden J. Reed Tilton, of Toms River, saw the birds take their young in their claws, when the danger was at its worst, and fly away with them. Next morning, after the fire was over, Division Warden Joseph E. Abbott, of Toms River, and Township Warden Harry Allen, of Bayville, were going over the lines of the fire, and they saw the two fishhawks bringing the young back to the nest. Each made two trips with one bird in its claws. Where the birds secreted their young ones for safety neither of the parties saw. On the other hand, on Wardell's Neck, during the big fire in Brick Township, Division Warden Abbott saw another fishhawk stick by her nest and burn up with her eggs. TO PAVE WASHINGTON ST. WITH ASPHALT FROM CURB TO CURB The Board of Freeholders at their meeting on Tuesday of this week, May 2, adopted the plans for the improved concrete roadways through the villages of Toms River, Barnegat and Tuckerton... On Friday of last week, April 26, the Freeholders awarded the contract for the mile of Route No. 4 in Point Pleasant Beach Borough to C.H. Earle of Hackensack, who already has the contract for the four mile stretch between Laurelton and Lakewood... NEW LIFE-BOAT FOR BARNEGAT COAST GUARD STATION CREW Through the efforts of Congressman Appleby and Senator Hagaman, who called his attention to the situation at Barnegat Inlet, a new life-boat is to be given the Coast Guard Station at Barnegat City. Keeper Raymond Palmer and crew have been using an ordinary life-boat, and have had to go out often every day, in the fishing season. GEORGIA TO TRY OUT OCEAN COUNTY SWEETS J.C. Stickney, Secretary of Barrow County Chamber of Commerce, Winder, Ga., has requested the Ocean County Board of Agriculture to supply some certified sweet potato plants of Big Stem Jersey, Jersey Yellow, Porto Rico, Nancy Hall, Triumph and Jersey Reds. These plants are to be in comparison with Georgia seed. County Agent E.H. Waite is now growing these plants and expects to ship them about the 20th of May. TOWNSHIP MOVES TO WIDEN THE “HOLE IN THE WALL” Dover Township Committee, at its meeting on Friday last, May 19, voted in favor of widening the “hole in the wall,” where Hyers Street opens from Washington Street. This is a dangerous corner, and one that should be widened. When Main Street is torn up this summer, as was shown by last summer's happenings, traffic will crowd through this narrow place, and it will be a marvel if accidents do not occur. The Committee last Friday instructed their solicitor, Judge W. H. Jeffrey, to proceed in opening this street end... CONSUL VANSANT EXPECTED HOME IN AUGUST FROM SCOTIA U.S. Consul Howard D. VanSant, of Dunfermline, Scotland, who has not been home in this country since 1912, is now planning to cross the ocean and see his old friends and relatives and clean up some business matters this summer. He is expected to arrive early in August, accompanied by his daughter, Miss Gretchen, now a girl of 13 years. He will sail from England on July 23. JUSTICE KALISCH'S WARNING Justice Kalisch, who sits in Ocean, Monmouth and Burlington counties, in his charge last week to the Burlington County Grand Jury, called their attention to carnival gambling games. The Mt. Holly Herald tells of this charge as follows: “When Justice Kalisch delivered his charge to the grand jury at the opening of the April term of court on Tuesday morning he threw a broadside at the general plan of conducting summer carnivals, festivals and various outdoor attractions, and if the admonition he laid down is followed, and there is reason to believe that it will be, games of chance and other forms of gambling will be brought to a standstill in Burlington County. He said that games of chance are violations of the law and they must be stopped, no matter what the object, whether for religious purposes or for something else, worthy or otherwise. He further said that persons participating in such games are guilty of a misdemeanor and if the grand jury is called on to consider matters of this kind they should be handled in a strong manner, with idea of having the law respected and the practice broken up. It sounded as though this charge were intended to be a warning for the guidance of amusement purveyors in this county during the coming open-air season.” BEACHWOOD'S NEW MAYOR At the organization of the new Borough Commission in Beachwood Borough, E.D. Collins was chosen Director of Public Safety and Public Affairs, which carries with it the title of Mayor; George F. Middleton was made Director of Revenues and Finances; John J. Nolze is Director of Streets, Public Improvement, Parks and Public Property. W.H. Jeffrey resigned as borough solicitor, but was unanimously re-elected.
PERSONAL MENTION WITH LOCAL FLAVOR
FORMER BARNEGAT CONDUCTOR RETIRES FROM CENTRAL R.R. Charles A. Wyatt, a conductor, whose face is familiar to every one who has traveled to any extent on the C.R.R. Of New Jersey, retired the last day of April, after a continuous service with the railroad for fifty-five years [since 1867]. Mr. Wyatt has given splendid service, but he is now 74 years old, and has decided that it is time to quit. For thirty-nine years Mr. Wyatt had been going through Lakewood, at first, on the run from New York to Barnegat, and latterly to Atlantic City. In the entire time his trains had never killed but one person, and that was Mrs. E.N. Hair, whose death occurred on the River Avenue crossing, Lakewood, some weeks ago. It was indeed unfortunate, and Mr. Wyatt was visibly affected by the accident. Mr. Wyatt is at present time living in Atlantic City, but upon his retirement he will move his family to Barnegat. He has always liked Ocean County, and has a great desire to be near the bay. The Central is losing a good man with the passing of Mr. Wyatt. He was always kind and obliging and was one of the most efficient conductors on the road. His long service is a silent reminder of his efficiency.—Lakewood Citizen. RADIO WAVES FROM TOMS RIVER Leo Powers, of Toms River, is constructing a crystal receiving set. His aerial is up and he expects to be in working trim in the near future. In the near future it will be possible to talk back and forth between your home and any ship at sea by radio. For the past year radio-telephone experiments have been going on between the Deal Beach Radio Station (2 x —) and the S.S. America (K D O W), plying across the ocean. These experiments were conducted by engineers of the American Telegraph and Telephone Co. and the Radio Corporation, to perfect a method whereby passengers on ships would be in touch with their friends, relatives or business associates anywhere on land provided they have the convenience of the ordinary telephone. Why not be absolutely up to the instant and be married in an airship that is equipped with a radio transmitting set. PERSONAL A.L. Wardell, our Assessor elect, has moved his family from the farm at Cedar Grove, which he sold recently, and is living in Mrs. Frances Falkenburgh's house on Washington street. Keeper Lewis E. Mitchell of Island Beach Coastguard station was in town Wednesday. Capt. Mitchell has the experience of being Keeper at six stations on this coast at various times, something that few Keepers can say. He has been stationed at Barnegat, Forked River, Loveladies, Cedar Creek, Island Beach and Shark River, beside being on duty in New York and Philadelphia harbors during the war. Sheldon Lewis and Virginia Pearson appear tonight and tomorrow night at the Strand Theatre in Lakewood. Toms River is almost home for Mr. Lewis as three of his brothers, Samuel, Saunders and Henry Levy, live here. He and his wife, Virginia Pearson, are just now in vaudeville with their own company. Alfred R. Scott of Rockville Center, Long Island, spent the week end at his Pine Beach poultry farm, with his son Harold... William L. Liming spent the week end at his home in Pine Beach, being now connected with the office of Collector of Internal Revenues in Camden, having begun his duties on May 1. He is at present stationed in Trenton district, and is finding his work very interesting. Mr. Liming has been with the Pennsylvania railroad since 1900, beginning at South Amboy, and has since filled the following positions in that railroad's service: clerk in terminal, shipping, round house foreman, and master mechanic's offices, and was then station agent at Pine Beach from September, 1910, till the present time. In all he was with the railroad 22 years. He has also been postmaster at Pine Beach, treasurer and district clerk of the Berkeley Township Board of Education for the past six years. Former Senator and former Sheriff C. Asa Francis, of Long Branch, stopped at Toms River on Friday last to say “Howdydo” to old-time friends, while on a motor trip to Atlantic City. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Grover have moved to Beachwood for the summer, occupying the Widmaier house. [This house had just finished construction for Mrs. Widmaier, who lived next door, and rented it out. In later years her daughter, husband and family would establish their home there for many decades, eventually passing to their daughter, Carolyn Campbell. It still stands at 325 Ship Avenue.]
FISH AND GAME
Menhaden, or mossbunkers, are reported in the bay and as being caught in nets, along with weakfish. Croakers are reported in vast schools off Atlantic and Cape May County coasts, and taken in big hauls by the fish pounds. The fires of the past few weeks have, it is said, killed off a great deal of game, and not only game, but also vermin that feed on game. Rabbits and birds lost their lives when bewildered by the fires. So did foxes and other animals that prey on game. Many deer coverts were burned over by the big fires south of Whitings. Party boatmen are overhauling and rigging up for the summer traffic. Rigging up today is not what it used to be. In the old days it meant getting new cordage to replace the old, liming the canvas, or perhaps at rare interviews new deck. Now it means getting a machinist to use his stillson on the kicker. Gas is more costly than wind, but it is more reliable, and that is what the city fishermen demand these days. They come and go by auto and want to make the fishing grounds without a moment's delay, while as soon as they are tired of fishing they want to go ashore on their way home. They have lost entirely the big end of the old-time fishing trip, the restfulness of a day on old Barnegat. Al Boshier, of Waretown, made a fine haul in his nets one night last week, as the story filters through to Toms River—four barrels of weakfish, that brought him in $60 a barrel [$1,058 in 2022 dollars] in the New York markets. Time to bob for eels, which are seeking fresh water and going up stream. When we were boys the favorite spot for this sport was the Central Railroad bridge, just west of the Toms River depot, and the hour was just after dusk. Warden J.H. Evernham, of Bayville, with Wardens Charles C. Morton and Zeb Mathis, of Burlington County, on Sunday, rounded up seven Italians, who were prowling about the woods armed, and hunting for game. They were taken to Chatsworth, where a justice fined them. All paid but one, who had not the money, and he was passed on to Mt. Holly jail. The men were all from Philadelphia, employed on a cranberry bog below Chatsworth. Al Boshier, of Waretown, shipped nine barrels of bluefish one day last week. The blues were in the bay in large numbers, running about two pounds or so in weight, and were caught in nets. A few were caught by trolling with small squids. This is the first year in some time that there has been any May blue-fishing worth reporting. Long Beach fishermen, who fish off shore, have been catching mackerel in good quantities. RECENT DEATHS Commander William C. de Hart Commander William Chetwood de Hart, aged 81, son of a Mexican war veteran and grandson of an officer in the Revolution, who was a resident of Toms River in the late 70's and early 80's, died May 23, at his home, at 1081 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth, N.J. At the age of 18 Commander de Hart ran away from Williams College to go to sea. His first vessel was a clipper, the Sweepstakes. In the Civil War he entered the revenue service, which became later the United States Coast Guard Service. He retired fifteen years ago. He leaves two daughters, Miss Mary de Hart, of Elizabeth, and Mrs. Ann Middleton, of Concord, N.H., and a son, George C. de Hart, of Elizabeth. Captain de Hart, as he then ranked, and as he was always called at Toms River, came to Toms River in 1876, as Inspector of the Life Saving Service on the New Jersey coast, and commander of the revenue cutter Alert. The Alert was a fair-sized sloop, and Captain de Hart lived in the house now occupied by Bernard Hainer, tying the cutter up to the dock in Robbins Cove alongside his home. Later the Alert was lengthened out and sent south, and the de Hart family moved to the Hobbs house, recently bought by Samuel Kaufman, on Hooper Avenue, living there for a number of years. One son of Captain de Hart, William, named after his father, was drowned from the deck of the Alert. Another son, Harry, came back to Toms River a few years ago and spent the last few months of his life here, dying from heart trouble while occupying the Brackenridge home on Magnolia Avenue. Commander de Hart was buried yesterday, in Elizabeth. TOWN LIFE
BARNEGAT
It looks as if our lighthouse is doomed. With all the promises and encouraging stories about appropriations, we have not as yet seen anything materialise in that line, and from what we hear it does not look as if we would. Assemblyman Parker has been an earnest worker for this cause, getting the high officials here, taking them over to the lighthouse and co-operating in every way and trying to get the officials in favor of it. Senator Frelinghuysen and Congressman Appleby have been indefatigable workers for this cause, and after a long, earnest hard struggle to get a bill looked on as being favorable, a certain high-up Washington puts a damper on it and leaves the case about where it was a year or more ago, so if the old beacon falls it will not be the fault of our representatives, as there are others who have to say what shall be done about it. It looks as though they want it to go; if they did not they could easily save it... Campbell's Circus, on Monday night, was very good and was largely attended. BARNEGAT CITY (today Barnegat Light Borough) A.R. Myers is bringing in fair catches from his pounds. E.E. Johnson, Fred Peterson and Tom Hansen are very busy each day the sea permits unloading and lightering [transporting] scow loads of lumber from the stranded schooner Wooten, which grounded off North Beach Station some time ago. The Bell brothers, of Westfield, are here for a few days to get into shape again their bungalow that was partly undermined by the January northeaster. They have set up a radio-telephone receiving apparatus and a number of people have enjoyed concerts, music and speaking sent out by the Newark station. BAY HEAD The Bay Head Property Owners' Association recently gave Bay Head Fire Company $100 as a reward for their prompt action in stopping a brush and grass fire in the north end of the borough, which threatened much valuable property. Several owners of buildings that had been threatened sent separate sums of money to help the Fire Company secure more apparatus. BEACH HAVEN Saturday evening, at 8 o'clock, at the council chamber, there will be a conference of men interested in Long Beach on what to do to save the various parts of the island that are being cut away by the sea. The question has become a serious one in many parts of Long Beach. Beach Haven expects to have electric lights by August 1. The contract has been awarded by Borough Council to Pangborn & Co., of Philadelphia, to install an up-to-date electric light equipment, the cost to be $36,500 in round figures [$643,700 in 2022 dollars]. Fuel oil burning engines will be used to develop power for the dynamos. The borough will light the streets, and will also sell light and power to the general public. This will scrap the acetylene gas plant that has been in use here for a long time. It is generally conceded that electric lights and power are part of the equipment for every up and moving community, and Beach Haven includes itself in that class. R.F. Engle is getting the Engleside ready for the opening in about a month from now. The Baldwin is being redecorated and will be opened for the summer in June. The Ocean House is also expected to open soon. John W. Cranmer has given the Hotel Acme a coat of paint, and is fixing up for the summer. The old Hotel de Crab, claimed to be the oldest house at this resort and long a summer home and business place of Capt. “Tilt” Fox, is being remodeled and a new porch built into it. Moses Cranmer is having a very find home build for himself on the Dock Road, and it will probably be completed for the summer's use. Quite a number of new houses are being built here and everybody is busy getting work done for the opening of the summer. Carpenters, painters, masons and plumbers, etc., all on the jump. Fishermen are overhauling their boats and fishing parties, also. We are glad to see William Harvey's smiling face again, after spending the winter in his home at Columbus. Mr. Harvey has opened his garage and will handle Gulf gasoline this season as well as Standard. Mr. Engle has greatly improved the appearance of the Engleside by having the fence removed along Amber Street and Atlantic Avenue. A force is at work clearing the house and papering and painting is being done in anticipation of a busy season. Mr. Aaron's clerk is here opening up the drug store and getting stock in shape for the summer. Mr. Aaron will come later. With several new cottages going up, the hotels and boarding houses being renovated and cottages cleaned and put in readiness for their owners, the borough is a busy place these days. If warm weather continues the season will open early and prospects are for a prosperous summer. Mr. Sawyer, who conducts the photograph studio on the boardwalk every summer, is advertising the place for sale. Capt. Manas Kelly, of Bonds Coast Guard Station, has been transferred to the Terrace Station, and Captain Rogers, of the Terrace Station, has been sent down to Bonds. Several of the icemen who have regular routes through the mainland towns and up the beach have commenced business, coming here every morning for ice. BEACHWOOD The election for three Commissioners takes place on Tuesday next, May 9. There are three names on the ticket: Charles Haring, one of the present Commission; E.D. Collins, who has been a cottager here and active in the Yacht Club and other matters, and George F. Middleton. Mr. Middleton, like the other two candidates, has been active in summer life here and interested in civic affairs. In addition John Nolze will run on stickers. Mayor Senior and family have been at their summer home here. Mrs. Wanda Lohr has opened her summer home here and is enjoying life in the Beachwood pines. Every week end sees a greater number of summer people down to look things over and plan for the summer. Beachwood is expecting the coming summer to surpass all previous years in the number of people and the brilliance of social events. Many of our summer folks were down for the week end and remained over to vote on Tuesday. The fire on Sunday was near enough for comfort, too near in fact, as some kept wondering if the wind might not shift and bring it back on Beachwood. The Beachwood fire department were out with their apparatus. George Arway, who has the concessions at the club house and bathing beach, has arrived for the summer, to get ready for business. Three new men were elected on the Beachwood Commission, at the election on Tuesday, George F. Middleton, E.D. Collins and John J. Nolze. What was formerly the Scoble house, on the Boulevard, will be known as the Jack o' Lantern, and will be opened soon as a stopping place for motor parties. Every visitor at Beachwood, from the time he first came here, feels that there is about Beachwood something different from the usual run of summer resorts. This difference is perhaps intangible, and perhaps it cannot be explained, or described, but it certainly can be felt. The oldtimers in Beachwood, who were here from the beginning, and have seen its growth and development, will tell you that Beachwood was the favorite child of the late B.C. Mayo, that upon it he lavished his love and his attention, and that he planned it with care, and saw that his plans were just as carefully carried out, giving it personal planning and attention beyond any of his other varied resort promotions. Following the creation of the Borough, the first Commission was composed of men of broad outlook, capable of visualizing the Beachwood of the future as Mr. Mayo had dreamed it, and with the painstaking care to bring it about. Mayor Senior, Mr. Haring, Mr. Price and later on Mr. Nickerson gave a great deal of time and close attention to the affairs of the Borough, which needed this attention the more in the early days, and it was a new venture and was practically a summer colony only. Through their efforts in aiding the natural charm of the place, and in careful administration of borough affairs, the borough has grown, the Commission have taken over the clubhouse and other valuable properties on the Point and have graveled miles of streets, in addition to making it possible to have a community life in summer such as can be found in few resorts. The recent election has resulted in an entirely new Commission, who will now assume the responsibilities and duties laid down by the former members. Every love of Beachwood is wishing the new Commission the best possible results, and none will be more pleased than the retiring Mayor and Commission if the new officials succeed even better than the outgoing ones did. It is recognized by all, both by those going out and those coming in, and by the real friends of Beachwood, that there is nothing to be gained by petty bickerings over small matters, and that little jealousies and personalities must be submerged in the great desire for the advancement of the Borough, if the Beachwood of the future is to be the fulfillment of the dream of the broadminded founder and those who followed in his footsteps. CEDAR GROVE The building boom seems to have hit Cedar Grove and vicinity about as much as anywhere. With the houses built in the past year and those going up now, we are growing finely. The road from Hooper Avenue toward the church seems to be especially favorable with new houses.
FORKED RIVER
Many of our boys seem to feel the call to the baseball field on Sunday afternoons. We don't blame them for loving the sport, and we would help them along with it on any other day. But boys, and young men! Can you not understand the Sabbath desecration is against the Divine Law as well as against the laws of our commonwealth? We cannot think you desire to become anarchists and thus destroy the virtues of our Christian land. You boys who have good homes and Christian parents should hold yourselves above such degrading pursuits. We are sincerely hoping you will think better of these things. Let your civic pride lend you to purify rather than degrade your community. Plan evenings and play Saturdays, but don't—please do not take God's day, too. One of our oldest summer residents, P. Kelly, who had the cottage next the Riverside House, on the River Road, and had been coming here for thirty-three years, died May 3, aged 76 years. He was engaged in the wholesale fish and oyster business, in New York City. He leaves a widow and one daughter, Miss Katherine Kelly. He was a noted striped bass angler, one of the most persistent and successful on Barnegat Bay. The body was sent to New York for burial last Friday. He will be greatly missed in Forked River, where he was highly respected. Watson Penn and party recently caught a flour barrel full of flounders. Watson also caught five kingfish with hook and line on Saturday. Capt. Fred L. Brouwer and son Frank have gone to Bell Harbor, L.I., to bring down their new forty-foot cruiser, the Ethel. Auto traffic is heavy, particularly so on Sundays. Wallace Parker last week went to the Highlands to help Wood Patten bring a yacht in Barnegat Inlet. Amos Lewis and son are building two sinkboxes to be placed on George J. Gould's Clam Island property for gunning purposes. The Riverside House opens for the season on Saturday of this week. It has a record of more than thirty years under the management of the Eno family, a record unsurpassed probably by any other summer hotel in the county except the Engleside, at Beach Haven. Miss Dorothy Penn, daughter of Mrs. Mamie Penn, of the Riverside, has sailed for a summer in Europe on the steamer La France, with Mr. and Mrs. Arthur V. Wilcox and family, who have been summer guests at the Riverside for a long time. They are expected back in October. Capt. A.C. Wilbert, Jr., arrived here the middle of the week from a winter in Florida, going both ways in his power yacht on the inside passage. He looks as if he had enjoyed it. A State Highway truck went through here painting white and blue bands on the 'phone poles to designate a north and south route. Randolph Phillips says the deer are destroying the crops on his land along the Lacey road. Capt. Joe Smires has put a new Palmer engine in Capt. E.L. Holmes's boat. Peach growers here think the crop was killed by the frosts. Wilbert's marine railway is busy overhauling boats for the summer. Memorial Day will be old home day at Good Luck burying grounds, as usual. The ladies of Forked River and Lanoka will serve dinner; proceeds to keep the cemetery in good shape. ISLAND HEIGHTS Howard Siddons has bought the Gus Pyott cottage, on the Camp Walk. Mrs. J. Harris is at her store on Central Avenue after a winter spent in Lakewood. Messrs. McFarland and DeRuche were week-end visitors at Stokes' boatyard. Mrs. Abby Ayres has bought the Mainwaring house next to the Perrine's, on the water front. Ed Dilley spent the week end on his boat, the Kit-n-Kat. Mrs. Abbey Ayers is having a cement block wall put in front of her property on Oak Avenue. Mr. Barnes, of Overbrook, Pa., has started his now summer home on the corner of Central and Summit Avenues. Capt. John Page has certainly made a fine job of Charles Peck's house, at Ocean and Jayne's Avenue. A row boat was found at bay front; owner can get same by applying to Henry Campbell. Messrs. McFarland and De Rouch are having a self-bailing cockpit put in their cruiser Jeanette at Stokes boatyard. Frank Hoover had the misfortune last Friday night to break his wrist while cranking a friend's auto. LAKEHURST Several of our people are having electric pumping outfits, bath room fixtures and septic tanks installed. Funeral services for Richard B. Ford, for many years a resident of Lakehurst, and a veteran of the Civil War, who died May 4, at Lakewood, after an illness, of seventeen weeks, were held Sunday. Mr. Ford was 78 years of age and was born at Pemberton, in 1844. After service in the Civil War he was for thirty-eight years in the employ of the Central Railroad, living at Lakehurst. He lived with his only sister, Mrs. Thos. Truex, of Lakewood, during the past three years. Mr. Ford was a member of Pemberton Lodge No. 49, I.O.O.F. Internment was made at Lakehurst. The guard house at the entrance of the proving grounds was burned to the ground last week. The Naval Air fire apparatus responded, but could not save the building. This was the sleeping quarters for the guards who kept the outer entrance. Since the closing of the Pine Tree Inn we note very few strangers on our streets. No more movies for Lakehurst until further notice. The movies have not been a paying proposition. LAVALLETTE We are glad there is an excursion train on Sunday morning. It brings lots of people to the shore to spend the day. There are more new houses going up for the summer. It looks as if the town is growing with the streets lighted with electric lights. We are in need of a good rain to keep the grass fires from burning up the whole beach, from Seaside Park to Bay Head. There was a fire on Sunday afternoon which looked as if it was going to destroy some cottages; with hard work the buildings were saved. There was another fire shortly after, but was put out very quickly before any damage was done. It would be a good thing if all the men of the borough would have a meeting and organize a good fire company as it is needed very badly. Let's all get together and have a real fire company. Charles Hankins has three more new boats to build. He is a hustler in his business. All who are thinking of handing their houses wired for lights would be wise to have the work done right away. There are several more new houses started this week. Lavallette is going to be a shore town, and with good wide streets, makes this a good place to spend your vacation in the summer. The Yacht Club has had their dock put in good shape for the summer. There has been several beach parties so far this season. There should be someone as a chaperon with them. Mr. Strickland lost a very fine horse last week. MONEY ISLAND The hole on the Bluff left by the fire looks sad and forlorn. The new bungalow of the Thompson family is now completed. Indications point to the coming season being one of the best in the history of the island. All the visitors to the scene of the recent fire gave expressions of delight at the indescribable marine view from the hills of the island. Many travelers have stated that it is not surpassed in any respect by any other spot in the nation. OCEAN GATE Charles Guttentagg [founder of the development of Ocean Gate] was down Sunday looking over his new river-front home, which is near completion. When completed this will be one of the finest up-to-date homes in this town, with all the latest improvements. The Fire Company was called out last Sunday afternoon to a wood's fire between Anglesea and Narragansett Avenues. At the meeting of the Fire Company on Monday evening the Chief was directed to have a signal chart made so that when the fire bell is sounded firemen will know in which direction the fire is. Also the first fireman at the Fire House will stay at Fire House to notify members in which direction the fire is. Frank Biernbaum has started work on his new bungalow on Angelsea Avenue. Miss Martha Barger has gone to Philadelphia for several days visiting friends. The Dorsett Laundry Co., of Toms River, have started to make their collections and deliveries of laundry here. They collect on Monday and deliver on Saturday all through the summer months. This is the first time has in this town. H.D. Black has started ice deliveries three days a week now; later on they will deliver every day. We hear that one of our young ladies is going to give swimming lessons this season and says that she expects to hold swimming tournaments several times during the summer months and will issue challenges to the different resorts. This young lady we may mention is herself one of the popular swimmers, who has carried off high honors in several matches in Philadelphia. Council meeting in the fire house on Saturday evening last. Reports say that R. Moldovsky has traded his house on Long Branch Avenue, west of Ocean Gate Avenue, to E. Shagen, of Philadelphia, for the corner stores at the railroad and will make several improvements to the look of this place. Raymond C. Keisel wishes to thank all his patrons for their past patronage and is now prepared to serve them again with good pure milk, both at Ocean Gate and Pine Beach—adv. The Ocean Gate Yacht Club will hold a dance on Saturday evening, May 27, with a four-piece orchestra on hand to supply the music. Raymond Keisel is building a large garage on Ocean Gate Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Holt have left for Barnegat, where they will take charge of the branch of the Palm House Bakery for the summer months. We hear the Sweet Shop, under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bertsch, will open around May 27. Mr. and Mrs. Bertsch will arrive here around May 22, after having spent the winter months with Mrs. Bertsch's parents, in Knoxville, Tenn. Contractor Vogler is busy this week on an addition to the shop of D.L. Jones, on Ocean Gate Avenue. Several members of the Ocean Gate A.A. [Athletic Association] spent Sunday here. They played their first game in Philadelphia on Saturday last and won from the Kaywood Club, of Philadelphia, by the score of 6 to 1. Season opens here June 4, with the American Railway Express team, from Philadelphia. Work on the new club house has been temporarily suspended on account of contractors being unable to get some grades of lumber. Mr. and Mrs. A.S. Webster, of Camden, spent a few days at the Swiss cottage this past week. PINE BEACH Mrs. E.P. Smith has sold her store to Mr. and Mrs. Halligan, who have taken possession. Mrs. Smith is now spending a few days with friends in Philadelphia. Nothing done about the docks yet and it is already May. After all these years of progress here why has the railroad put us so far back that our freight and express packages have to be addressed to Island Heights Station, which is so much further away. If the railroad was logical, the point on the main road, which is Pine Beach, would be the main station, and not the one on an out-of-the-way spur. During the summer it takes a large force of men to man the tower, attend to the bridge and also the station at Island Heights. Sometimes the spur train goes over or back with a single passenger, for the full crew on the train to look after. Even the children here have remarked on the waste entailed on running this spur. Pine Beach Station is on the main line and costs very little to run, yet we are now back to where we were in 1909, thirteen years ago. The pioneers here have vivid memories of goods going over to Island Heights, and the great furore made over giving people back their own household necessities. At the time it was a nightmare, for if the spirit moved the people over there to give you your things you got them, but if they did not care to be annoyed you waited until they were ready. Some men went over with row boats and carried heavy building material back in rowboats, which nearly capsized with the weight. Today we hear so much of efficiency and economy. Wasn't that efficient? To take goods across the river, about a mile out of their way, deprive the owner of the use of the goods... And after all these years we are back to having our goods marked “Via Island Heights.” This entails more handling, more bookkeeping, more delay, and is unfair to Pine Beach people. Very fortunately the automobile and the automobile truck are making people independent of the railroads, both for passengers and freight traffic. SEASIDE HEIGHTS The stores and dance hall which are being erected by Steidle & Freeman, on the ocean front, near the carousel are progressing, and no doubt will draw the crowd from near by towns this summer. The movies at the Colonial Theatre as well patronized by our folks, being under the management of F.F. Beseigle. Music was furnished by Miss Lena Endres. Charles Kropf, of Philadelphia, is stopping at his cottage and getting his boat in commission for the summer. A number of new houses are going up in the borough. Dr. Lord, of Mt. Holly, who was owner of the Ortley Inn, which burned to the ground recently, was a Sunday visitor. SEASIDE PARK Mrs. D. Parker and little Selena Gilison moved to Tuckerton last week and will occupy their home this summer, Mr. Parker being stationed in Coast Guard Station 109. Our children made quite a showing in attending the circus held in Toms River on Tuesday. Uncle Sam is giving many of the Coast Guard Stations a coat of paint this spring, the white buildings showing up from a distance. Francis Sprague is building a restaurant on Fifth Avenue, and will serve lunches, etc., at all hours, which will be very convenient to the people coming in for the day. E.W. Esham, of Mt. Holly, has been awarded the contract to build a summer home at Seaside Park for Henry B. Coles, of Moorestown, whose house on the beach was destroyed by fire on Easter Sunday. Mr. Coles has bought the Joseph T. Richards house that adjoins the Coles house and was partly burned during that destructive fire, and it is this property that Mr. Esham is to work on. It is expected that the house will be ready for Mr. Coles' occupancy close to July 1. Miss Helen Stoup has charge of the railroad station during the absence of Agent Lippincott. Mr. and Mrs. Hass are here and will soon open the Kittatinny Hotel. F.W. Greger has about completed his new meat market building in Lavallette and will open the business at the beginning of the season. This will enable him to handle his extensive trade in that town much more conveniently. Alfred Mathis has his real estate office open in the new Mathis Building, on Fifth Avenue. The post office and grocery business will be moved there from the Thompson Building about June 1. The borough is considering a bond issue of $70,000 [$1.23 million in 2022 dollars] to replace the wooden mains of the water system with iron mains, and also build a new water tower. STAFFORDVILLE Arnold, a little boy, of Barnegat, walked from the home of his parents to this village, where for a few days he stopped with Mr. A. Krajicek. He was barefooted and alone. Jacob Pear, whose home is at Poplar Neck, near here, left his home on foot, the 5th day of last July. He went west through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, his westernmost point being Los Angeles, Cal. After a few days there he returned home, arriving a few weeks ago. Can his pedestrian's experience be duplicated? WEST CREEK Everybody busy and prospects bright for a successful season in the oyster trade. Some of our shippers, who have oysters planted in Barnegat Bay, predict good trade in their line of work, should their stock continue to progress as at present. Several of our oyster planters are busy on their Cedar Creek beds, bringing loads of the larger seed down here and replanting in the beds here. Warren P. Hayes is now employed in a railway terminal in New York City as postal clerk, and J.W. Tierney, who has resigned his position in the Coast Guard Service, has recently been appointed to a like position. ADS OF INTERESTMISSED AN ISSUE?
April 1922
March 1922 Part II March 1922 Part I February 17th, 1922 February 10th, 1922 February 3rd, 1922 January 27th, 1922 January 20th, 1922 January 13th, 1922 January 6th, 1922 December 30th, 1921 December 23rd, 1921 December 16th, 1921 December 9th, 1921 December 2nd, 1921 November 25th, 1921 November 18th, 1921 November 11th, 1921 November 4th, 1921 October 28th, 1921 October 21st, 1921 October 14th, 1921 October 7th, 1921 September 30th, 1921 September 23rd, 1921 September 16th, 1921 September 9th, 1921 Enjoyed this article? Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation today!
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78 East Water Street, Toms River, NJ 08753 Guided Tours By Request - New Members Always Welcome (732) 349-9209 - office@tomsriverseaport.org While preparing the next round of century-past articles for the Seaport, we came across this prize-winning essay on the history of Toms River and the county. With another school year coming to a close, marking fully 100 school years since this essay was written, it felt appropriate to share as an interesting reminder of our past through the work of one of our local scholars. It was originally published in the May 5th, 1922 edition of the New Jersey Courier, Toms River’s then-weekly newspaper of record. PRIZE ESSAY: 'HISTORY OF TOMS RIVER'by Miss Charlotte Morris This essay was voted the first prize in a contest held by the Toms River Chamber of Commerce, in which Toms River school pupils from the sixth grade up were allowed to enter. All of us study the history of our state and our nation while in school, but how many of us know anything about our own town in which we live? This is not a long, detailed account, but just a story of how Toms River came into existence and its early happenings. Perhaps the first thing to be considered in telling the history of anything is how it got its name. This town was named for the river on which it is situated. How the river received its name always has been a matter of doubt. One story is that it was named for Indian Tom, who lived at the mouth of the river. The other story, which seems to be more probable, is that it was named after Captain William Tom, who settled here with an English colony in 1665. The first settlers of this section were a mixture, principally the people driven from other colonies on account of religious ideas. Later, a great many Mormons settled in Toms River. The old Mormon church stood for many years at the fork of the road just across the bridge. Most of the first settlements were made on Barnegat Bay, because of the fishing and oystering. In 1740 land began to be taken up in and about Toms River and farther south. The settlements grew very fast and at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Toms River was a good-sized town. Up until this time this country depended upon England for most of her supplies, but when the Revolution broke out, and our trade with that country was cut off, it was necessary for us to manage the best we could alone. The new government built salt works in Ocean County around Barnegat Bay, because it was midway between the army headquarters at New York and Philadelphia. One of these salt works was located at the mouth of Toms River. At the outbreak of the Revolution, Toms River held the only garrison in the county, and was, therefore, of great importance. This town was also a center of privateering, which was conducted on a large scale during the war. The first attack made by the British forces in 1777, on the salt works, was unsuccessful, but on April 1, 1778, another attack was made, and all the salt works, including those of both private and government ownership, were burned to the ground. These, however, were soon rebuilt. The third attack on Toms River, March 24, 1782, was a great deal more serious than the two previous ones. The British planned to destroy the only defense in Ocean County, and they did so. The alarm had been given by one of our men, and Captain Huddy, who was in charge of the Block House, gathered as many men of the town as possible in addition to the twenty-five men of the militia. The British, however, numbered five or six to our one, and we soon had to surrender. Many of our men were wounded or killed, a few escaped into the woods, and the rest were taken prisoners, Huddy among them. The prisoners were exchanged or carried off, except Captain Huddy, who was deliberately hung. For this cruel murder, Washington instituted a reprisal, and a young prisoner from Yorktown was sentenced to die. Captain Charles Asgill was of noble family, and a relative of his was a member of the commission to make the treaty of peace. When the treaty was being arranged, Washington held Asgill, and to get him back, the British consented to extend the line of the treaty from the Allegheny Mountains westward to the Mississippi. Thus Huddy was, indirectly, the means of making our boundary the Mississippi River. To return to Toms River. The British had not only taken and burned the Block House, but the whole town, with the exception of two houses. After the war, people fell back into their old peaceful life of industry. The salt works were abandoned, as it was cheaper to import the salt than to manufacture it, but other and new industries took its place. Towards the beginning of the nineteenth century the iron industry came into prominence. The first iron works were built in 1789, at what is now Lakehurst, known then as Federal Furnace. Later, one was built at Lakewood, which for many years was called Bergen Iron Works. Others were built around the county, Dover Forge being only six miles from here. This industry died out after a time and the charcoal and pine-wood industries took its place. Around the early fifties a cranberry growing craze came. This did not last, either, and land that was at one time valued at $100 an acre, dropped to almost nothing after the panic of 1873. Toms River was the chief shipping place for these products. Today, cranberry growing is a leading industry in Ocean County. Toms River did its share in the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Cranberry Inlet, which was open during the Revolution, closed in 1812, and thus kept the British ships out of the river. Afterward, a great deal of money was spent trying to reopen it but the attempts were unsuccessful. In 1850, when Ocean County was set apart from Monmouth, and Toms River made the county seat, the town took on a new and rapid growth. The first newspaper was started, new churches were organized and built, and new stores set up. The first railroad in the county was built in 1857, and extended from Manchester (Lakehurst) through Toms River and down the shore as far as Barnegat. This added greatly to the growth of the town. Today, Toms River is a good sized town. There are two newspapers published, five churches, two banks, and the town is on two railroads, the Pennsylvania and the New Jersey Central. Toms River flourishes as a summer resort, and is the chief trading center for the smaller towns around. In order to keep step with the onward march of things, the residents of Toms River organized a Chamber of Commerce. With this progressive and energetic body of men at the helm, the future of Toms River is assured. 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