This Was Doylestown, 1948

DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN (in Bucks) -

Editor's note - In 1948, the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer was owned by Bristol industrialist Joseph R. Grundy, the Republican boss of Bucks County and a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania. The newspaper vigorously supported Republican presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey (governor of New York) over Democratic incumbent Harry S. Truman. When Truman defeated Dewey in a huge upset, the Intelligencer downplayed the news on the front page of the next day's edition. The main headline read: "Dewey Got 12,731 Majority In Bucks County"; the secondary headline read: "Gov. Dewey Sends Congratulations To President Truman, Admitting Defeat, Hoping For World Peace."

Governor Thomas E. Dewey, Republican candidate for President, carried Bucks county over his Democratic opponent, President Truman, by a majority of 12,731, according to the unofficial count compiled by the Daily Intelligencer in the county's 111 voting districts. Governor Dewey outpolled President Truman by a margin of 29,376 to 16,645.

In the 8th Congressional District (Bucks-Lehigh), the Republican incumbent, Congressman Franklin H. Lichtenwalter, of Center Valley, was re-elected by a majority of 19,388 votes over his Democratic opponent, Wynne James, Jr., of Doylestown. In the Bucks county portion of the district Congressman Lichtenwalter garnered 29,267 votes to James' 17,230.

In Doylestown borough, Governor Dewey polled 1,738 votes to President Truman's 503, a majority of 1,235, the best Republican showing among the boroughs of the county. In Doylestown township, Governor Dewey received 453 votes to President Truman's 136.

The only Doylestown candidate on the ticket Tuesday was Wynne James, Jr., local attorney and Realtor, who was defeated for Congress by Congressman Franklin H. Lichtenwalter in James' home district--Doylestown township--by a vote of 439 to 150. Congressman Lichtenwalter carried Doylestown borough over James by a vote of 1,722 to 534.

There were 2,276 votes polled in Doylestown borough out of a total registration of 2,760 in all parties, which shows that 484 registered voters failed to go to the polls in the County Seat.

President Truman carried 18 of the 111 Bucks county districts over Governor Dewey, receiving his largest single vote in Warminster township, 2d district (Lacey Park), where he polled 522 votes to Governor Dewey's 350.

Governor Dewey's largest vote in a single district in Bucks county was polled in Lower Makefield South, where he received 640 votes to 58 for President Truman.

High school girls' field hockey team shares championship -

Doylestown High School's girls' field hockey team finished the 1948 season undefeated Thursday and annexed the co-championship of the Bux-Mont Conference as they held the Quakertown High team to a 1-1 tie score in a playoff game on the neutral Upper Moreland High field at Willow Grove.

The game was one of the best-played field hockey contests on record in the Philadelphia suburban area--not only in the opinion of the fans who saw the game, but in the opinion of the officials on the field. The game was very hard-fought throughout, but cleanly played.

The stickwork of Anne Toor, Doylestown's center, and Paula Lippincott, right wing, was a pattern of perfection throughout the contest. After Miss Loughridge had scored for the Quakers in the middle of the first half, the Doylestown team entered the second half with their backs to the wall.

Playing their hearts out, the Doylestown team, through excellent team play, was rewarded about the middle of the second half when Miss Toor scored to tie the count. That score gave Doylestown a part of the 1948 championship, with Quakertown sharing the honors.

During the season, Doylestown played seven games, won four and tied three, including the playoff contest Thursday. Six of Coach Keller's players are seniors this year.

Doylestown Fire Company awards contracts for addition -

At a special meeting Monday evening, the Doylestown Fire Company awarded contracts totaling $17,228 for general construction, roofing, heating, plumbing, doors and wiring for an addition to the Shewell avenue fire house.

Angeny Brothers, of Danboro, whose bid amounted to $10,850, was awarded the general contract because they can begin work on the new one-story, concrete block addition immediately.

Histand Brothers, who will do the roofing and will contribute 10 percent of the amount of their bid because it is their hometown fire company, received a contract for $949

Young & Bowman, bidding for the plumbing, overall heating system including the installation of a new oil burner, shower room and other improvements, received a contract of $2,851.

Jacob Frater, whose bid for the electrical work was $515, was awarded a contract. The Philadelphia Metal Windowframes Company's bid was $463.50, and the two overhead doors will cost $1,600.

Treasurer Horace M. Mann reported $5,500 in cash in the company's treasury and $8,300 in bonds which were bought for the purpose of savings, making a total of $13,800 to be used toward the expansion. The Doylestown Fire Company Relief Association is willing to make the fire company a loan, if ncecesary.

Treasurer Mann assured Chief John F. Gwinner that the fire company should be able to get along several months on a reserve of at least $800 until some more revenue is obtained through gifts and taxes from Doylestown Borough Council.

The firemen discussed the urgency of not having the present building torn open any longer than necessary because of the danger of the equipment and fire engines being tampered with or sabotaged. A 1,000-gallon fuel oil tank must be buried on the lot somewhere.

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Girl miraculously escapes serious injury -

In her excitement over a new snow suit, Sandra Nancy Holkey, two years old, fell from the rear door of her father's car about 3:45 Tuesday afternoon just below Edison, but miraculously escaped serious injury.

Sandra, who is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Holkey, of South Main street, was returning from a sale with her parents; her sister, Sharon, one; and her grandmother, Mrs. William Holkey, of West Oakland avenue. The little tot reached for the front seat and fell against the rear door, somehow opening the lock as she fell.

Cars were coming both ways on the Easton highway, approaching the first bridge at Edison. A truck which was following the Holkey car managed to stop before reaching the child, who had fallen in the center of the road.

Sandra was driven to the Doylestown Emergency Hospital, where Dr. Bradford Green had X-rays taken. Fortunately, there was no fracture, but a large cut on her forehead required stitches.

Her head, knees and other portions of her face were cut, bruised and scratched. She will remain in the hospital several days.

Spectators watch blacktopping of Main street -

With spectators lining the pavements, the blacktopping of two blocks of Main street in mid-town began Monday morning.

The paving machine or spreader, which cost between $12,000 and $15,000, attracted attention because of its many processing features, including receiving a load from trucks, determining the depth and other details.

The blacktop is heated at a plant in East Rockhill. "When it is mixed at the plant, which is at Rock Hill station along the Reading railroad, the stones are red hot," said a state highway worker.

The "hot mix asphalt" is conveyed here by trucks at a temperature between 275 and 300 degrees. The temperature varies with the time of day when it is poured on the street surface. Even in the afternoon, when it gets cooler, the temperature still ranges from 240 to 265 degrees.

"Don't try to make any snowballs out of that blacktop or it will burn your hands right off," warned a highway foreman.

The men wore heavy, thick wooden soles, resembling Dutch or French sabots, to resist the heat of the freshly laid paving.

Three hours after the base had been laid, the intersections were open for cross traffic on State street and Oakland avenue. By the end of the day, the block between Oakland avenue and State street was finished, and one lane was done between State street and Monument Square.

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Doylestown Town Notes -

A lot on Stryker avenue in the Maplewood development has been sold to Mr. and Mrs. Anthony O. Hafler by the Veterans Land Improvement Co

Walter Erwin and Lew Wonsidler, employees of the A&P store, snared two pheasants the opening day of hunting season.

Kirby Katz, who served as a sergeant with the Marine Corps during World War II, was recently commissioned a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Rohrman will entertain members of the choir of the Doylestown Methodist Church on Thursday evening at their home on North Franklin street.

Raymond C. Price, of Washington street, underwent a lung operation on Saturday at the Abington Memorial Hospital. He is recuperating nicely.

Miss Gloria Keyser, of Union street, in company with friends and relatives from Lahaska, attended a performance of the Ice Capades in Philadelphia on Saturday.

J. Leonard Harris, of West Ashland street, has retired from the Philadelphia Transit Co. after thirty years of service.

Lawrence Terry, Lewis Kauffman and Clarence Heppe, of Southampton, were on a hunting trip at Sinnemahoning, Cameron county, over the weekend. While there, they saw a flock of fourteen wild turkeys.

Mr. and Mrs. Lutrel W. Briggs have returned to their home, "Pennstone," after spending the Summer in England, Norway and Denmark. Mr. Briggs was the American representative to the Landscape Architects' Conference in London.

Courtland Dudbridge, a clerk at Clymer's Department Store, has flown to Florida for a few days as part of his G.I. training.

Mrs. Mary O'Neill, of Swamp road, underwent an operation Monday at Jeane's Hospital, Fox Chase, Philadelphia.

Future printers and reporters, members of the eighth grade at the Doylestown Public School, took a tour of the Intelligencer Co. printing facilities Tuesday afternoon.

From the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Week of Nov. 1-7, 1948