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Community Corner

This Was Doylestown, 1924

The Doylestown Fair is held, James Michener receives a new honor, a baby boy abandoned in Edison is to be adopted, and high school girls shun a homecraft course, 88 years ago this week.

"Pigmobile" race a highlight of Doylestown Fair -

The Doylestown Fair opened Wednesday for the second season in a blaze of glory and sunshine. The cool weather made the crowd peppy and the country fair spirit was in the air everywhere. [The fairgrounds were bounded by East Court Street, East Street, Maple Avenue and Swamp Road.]

In the 2:24 harness race, Buddy Direct, from the Stackhouse stables at Horsham, driven by Krouse, won the event after taking the third and fourth heats in 2:24-1/2 and 2:25-1/2. The winner of the 2:24 pace received first prize money and a handsome silver trophy cup presented by Arthur M. Eastburn, of Doylestown.

The "pigmobile" race caused more laughter than anything during the afternoon. Thomas Hunt, of Lambertville, won the event, with "Colonel" E. Newlin Brown, of Wrightstown, a close second, and William Ely, of New Hope, third.

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The entrants were required to race around the track in automobiles with live pigs under their arms. "Colonel" Brown showed new form in this event by sitting on the pig as he drove his car.

No fair is complete without "Peanut Jakie" Fretz, of Lansdale, the oldest vendor of the famous monkey fruit in the East. "Jakie" is doing a big business along the midway.

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In the new exhibition building are found numerous displays. Dr. George T. Hayman, of Doylestown, has an attractive display of bees and a most instructive demonstration of honey making.

Charles Moyer, local electrician, has a fine display of electrical and radio goods. Next to him is found the display of the William P. Ely store, where lucky number holders will receive a free overcoat, shoes and hat.

The display of dahlias is probably the finest shown in any fair in Pennsylvania, according to exhibitors. The exhibit of the W. Atlee Burpee Company is attracting the eye of everybody attending the fair. This exhibit does not compete for prizes, but is practically the same exhibit that competed for prizes in trade shows through the United States this year.

Of unusual quality is the exhibit of white Plymouth Rock hens entered by Max A. Marschner, of Willow Grove, who won most of the first place ribbons in his class. The Marschner birds are of fine quality, good color and excellent type.

 

Edison couple to adopt abandoned baby boy -

Crowing in the good-humored way that made him many friends in the Doylestown Emergency Hospital, the little baby found abandoned along the road at Edison has gone to make his home with Mr. and Mrs. John J. Naegele, whose attractive home is within a short distance of where the little stranger was found two weeks ago.

Mr. and Mrs. Naegele, who have no children of their own, will adopt the baby entrusted to them after the hospital committee had considered eight or nine persons who sought to make the baby their own. Legal steps for adoption will be taken this month.

"We are very happy over the outcome because we know the baby will have a splendid home," said Mrs. John F. Stillwell, chairman of the committee.

The baby, described as perfect by the nurses, has been gaining normally and has been given great attention by scores of interested persons. Almost in no time $57.25 was contributed to pay his board at the hospital, and the balance was turned over for a fund for the baby.

Up to this time, no clues have been gotten to the identity of the little stranger, but the little fellow's condition when he was found and his clothing indicated that he had been very well cared for before he was abandoned.

 

Doylestown merchant praises town's business men -

Business men of the county seat were highly praised by Robert L. Clymer, proprietor of the town's largest department store, in an address before the Rotary Club at its mid-week luncheon Wednesday.

Mr. Clymer, in closing his talk on his career in merchandising. said there never had been such a good spirit existing among business men of the town as today.

Replying to a question, he said that the habit of dealing with home stores had been growing steadily as people discovered how well stocked the stores were.

Chain stores, he said, have not hurt business. They have helped it, he explained, by helping to bring more people into the town. The only business injured, he said, is that of the county store.

Mr. Clymer surprised his fellow club members by announcing that this will be his last year as owner of his large department store after twenty-eight years in the mercantile business. He proposes, after the holidays, devoting his attention to several special lines.

Editor's note - Clymer must have changed his mind, because he continued as owner of Clymer's Department Store (which moved from West State Street to South Main Street in 1930) until his death in 1949 at age 77.

 

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Principal: Girls prefer bookkeeping to housekeeping -

Girls in the Doylestown High School have not shown any interest in the homecraft course, Dr. Carmon Ross, supervising principal [superintendent], told the Doylestown School Welfare Association at its first meeting of the year Friday night.

"I cannot figure out why girls will not take the homecraft course," said Dr. Ross. "I have advised them and pointed out the advantages of this course, but have met with no results."

Dr. Ross said that if there was course in bobbing hair, it would probably be filled.

"The homecraft course is a wonderful thing for young girls, for it fits them to perform in the future the duties of the home. Parents can assist us in urging their daughters to become interested in this course and point out to them its advantages."

It was stated by the supervising principal that no trouble is experienced in getting girls to take the bookkeeping or typewriting course, but he said that he felt girls should be more interested in homecraft.

"This attitude is due to a mistaken idea in part. Girls think that nothing is in the future for them but the work of a 'kitchen mechanic' when they take the homecraft course. That is not true," said Dr. Ross.

Rev. Charles F. Freeman, who was re-elected president of the association, remarked that he was sorry to hear of the lack of interest on the part of girls in homecraft.

"It is indeed a serious thing to feed a man," Rev. Freeman contended, "and I would hate to see girls fail to take advantage of this course, for we need to continue our happy American home life."

 

V.I.A. hears talk on "Samplers" -

An interesting talk on "Samplers" was given Tuesday at the meeting of the Village Improvement Association by Mrs. Cunningham, of Holicong, who had a very fine exhibit and explained the different kinds.

"Sampler," she said, means example, and they had three objects: the example of stitches, the task for the little girls, and schoolroom work.

At first, she explained, samplers were used to decorate church altars rather than homes, and the periods to which they belong may be determined by the width of the linen. The earliest were very narrow and the Dutch samplers were always square.

Following this talk, a business meeting was held.

The visiting nurse committee gave an interesting report with statistics, and also announced that health work was started in the Doylestown township schools.

Regret was expressed that Mrs. James Pollock had tendered her resignation as visiting nurse, and the association voted $25 to Mrs. Pollock, who was recently married, as a wedding gift. Mrs. Pollock has consented to continue her work until her place is filled.

Announcement was made that $10 was cleared by the educational committee's bakery sale, and that a committee was appointed to select books to be bought with the money for the Melinda Cox Free Library.

 

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Doylestown Town Notes -

At a meeting of the senior class of Doylestown High School last week, the following persons were elected officers for the coming year: President, James Michener; vice president, Edward Twining; secretary, Dora Rufe; treasurer, Edith Hartzel. Student council members are Robert Engart and Edith Garges.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Haring, of Shewell avenue, motored to the Poconos on Sunday.

David D. Nyce has sold one of his houses on Clinton street to J.D. Royer, of Centre Point, who will move in very soon.

Mrs. E.S. Quinn and children, of Jenkintown, visited relatives in Doylestown on Friday and spent some time at the fair.

Rev. J.L. Kraemer, of East Stroudsburg, will preach at the morning services at the First Baptist Church on Sunday.

Numerous Lehigh University students passed through town Saturday morning on a hike to Princeton to attend an afternoon football game between the two schools. Some of the students had been walking all night.

Dr. and Mrs. William Edgar Geil have returned to their home, "The Barrens," Doylestown township, after attending the wedding of the latter's nephew, Edward Emerson, in Stamford, Conn.

Ella Kratz captured the juniors' first match in the finals of the inter-class tennis tournament at Doylestown High School, when she defeated Edith Hartzel, 6-3, 6-2.

Mr. and Mrs. Otto A. Stangle, of Farm School [now Delaware Valley College], and Mr. and Mrs. Ira J. Mills, of Fountainville, have issued invitations for a "Costume Harvest" party.

On Monday night, there will be a meeting of the Armistice Eve ball committee of the American Legion at the offices of John P. Stillwell, 50 South Main street. The ball this year will be the social attraction for Monday night, November 10. [November 11, named Armistice Day after World War I, today is observed as Veterans Day.]

Mrs. Mildred Leo Clemens Schenk, a member of the Swarthmore Chautauqua, was the dinner guest of Mr. and Mrs. Horace M. Mann, of Shewell avenue, on Sunday.

Edith LaRue is now the happiest girl in town. Friday, her pet dog, "Beauty," was stolen from the yard of the LaRue home, and the owner was just about heartbroken. Saturday morning, a search was made of the fairgrounds and the dog was found tied fast in an empty stable, and returned to the owner.

 

From the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Week of Oct. 5-11, 1924

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