This Was Doylestown, 1927

Doylestown Fair draws crowd of 10,000 -

More than 10,000 persons, including several thousand school children from every section of Bucks county, passed through the gates Tuesday at the opening of the fifth annual Doylestown Fair. [The fairgrounds were bounded by East Court Street, East Street, Maple Avenue and Swamp Road.]

Enthusiastic patronage, excellent harness, running and steeplechase races, together with a happy midway crowd, made it a gala opening.

Perfect weather conditions, with the exception of a stiff breeze in the afternoon, prevailed during the races. The track was in excellent condition, and according to fair officials the opening day crowd was the largest in five years to watch the races.

In the first steeplechase of the week Tuesday afternoon, over a distance of close to two miles, the crowd got a real thrill when Dave Williams, jockey riding Austoay 3rd, owned by Albert Heite, was thrown from the horse on the last jump. The jockey landed hard on the turf, and the horse's front knees struck him and knocked him out temporarily. At the stables it was found that Williams was not injured seriously

The steeplechase event was won by The Wind, owned by W.B. McCullough with Bud Johnson riding, the time being 4:07-1/2.

It was a pretty sight to see the timber-toppers in action over the improvised course inside the half-mile track, and many of the fair patrons remarked about the addition of color to the racing program with a steeplechase race.

The harness racing events brought out three classes. "Ollie" Leatherman, Doylestown horseman and owner of Peter Jolla, a four-year-old, continued on his clean-up of fair circuit money by taking the third race of the afternoon, the 2:24 pace, by winning the last two heats after finishing third in the first heat.

Squirrel goes nuts -

A common, ordinary gray squirrel that had been given the privileges of a good home outside the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Irvin M. James, on West Court street, became unruly on Thursday.

The squirrel in some manner gained entrance to the house while the occupants were away from home. Mr. James came home shortly before 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon and heard the sound of cracking dishes and splintering wood in the dining room. Thinking that burglars were at work, he investigated.

On the top of a chandelier in the dining room was a big gray squirrel. Three large holes had been chewed into the window sills, several valuable paintings had been knocked off the walls, plates had been broken and havoc wreaked in general.

After a thirty-minute struggle, the squirrel was persuaded to leave by a rear entrance.

Theater Guild adopts scaled ticket prices -

At its annual meeting Tuesday evening, the Doylestown Theatre Guild adopted a system of scaled prices for seats in the Strand Theatre.

The guild finds that scaled prices for seats is necessary to insure continued outside direction and raise the standard of performance without a deficit. The total deficit of the guild during the present season just closed was $138, with more than $300 still in the treasury.

Since the average cost of production of a play with outside direction has been in the neighborhood of $250 with all seats as they have been, it would require all but a capacity house in each instance to come out even, according to guild members. Season tickets at the new price scale will be placed on sale in the near future.

A motion to obtain outside semi-professional direction for each production during the coming season was carried unanimously by the guild. It was deemed advisable to put on four plays instead of seven as in the present season.

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Dental wagon serves Doylestown Township schools -

Accomplishments of the dental wagon were explained by Mrs. William R. Mercer and Miss Elsie Ross at the October meeting of the Doylestown Township School Board.

This, they said, enables the children to be benefited by receiving necessary dental attention without the loss of time from school that has been required by making the trip to town. It will also save the time of a visiting nurse who has before accompanied the pupils to the town clinic, and bring about dental treatment for others who would not otherwise get it.

The benefit, to township pupils, of this work, sponsored by the local Red Cross chapter, is appreciated by the School Board, which made an increase in the contribution toward defraying the expense involved.

The board also heard that some of the teachers are using the privilege of a day of observation in other schools this month, as this will give them opportunity to make use of the result of this observation in their own school rooms. With the increase of subjects taught and constantly increasing demand for efficiency in teaching, the problem of handling eight grades and doing it well, becomes more difficult.

(Editor's Note: at the time, Doylestown Township had several one- to two-room schoolhouses. They were , which opened in 1936.)

District commander praises American Legion post -

With the installation of newly elected officers as a feature of the evening, the monthly meeting of the was held Monday night in the Legion headquarters.

District Commander Benjamin Howarth, of Willow Grove, head of the Bucks-Montgomery county division, installed the new officers of the post, who were elected at the last meeting.

"The Doylestown post certainly upheld the dignity of the American Legion in Bucks county with the fine showing last year. At the York convention your post was complimented upon the efforts put forth by the newly organized drum and bugle corps, said Commander Howarth in his remarks following the installation ceremony.

"Your outstanding achievement in Legion activities in Doylestown was the splendid and very dignified district meeting staged in the Court House some months ago. Never was a better conducted district meeting staged in the state," said Commander Howarth.

Final plans were announced for the post's participation in the big celebration at Norristown on Armistice Day [now Veterans Day]. Forty members, at least, together with the drum and bugle corps, will go to Norristown in the afternoon to participate in the parade.

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Doylestown Town Notes -

Members of the Doylestown Nature Club will meet at the home of the Misses Ott, on Court street, Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. for the moonlight walk to the little stone house at Fonthill.

Miss Florence Haldeman, who is in training at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, is spending her vacation with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Haldeman, of Green street.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hobensack on Monday moved to the home on East Court street they purchased recently from Mrs. Paul H. Applebach.

While opening clams at the Doylestown Fair on Wednesday, George Beatz, an employee, found a pearl the size of a large pea.

Mrs. Mary H. Kirk and Mrs. Carrie F. Vansant have returned from a week's visit to Ridgewood, N.J. and New York.

Rev. William C. Hicks, of Cleveland, will be the speaker on Sunday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Mrs. Ralph Stone has been confined to her home by illness for several weeks.

The Pine Street Garage reports the sale and delivery of a Reo "Flying Cloud" coupe to Dr. Allen H. Moore, of East State street.

Mr. and Mrs. Warren L. Laster, of East Court street, announced the birth of a girl on Friday.

Miss Marion Ely, of East Oakland avenue, delightfully entertained a number of her young friends Saturday afternoon at a bridge luncheon at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Ely.

Representing the Doylestown Blue Sox, Stanley Haldeman attended a meeting Thursday night of the Bucks-Montgomery Football League in Yardley.

The warm weather over the weekend brought out 256 bathers and 57 guests to the Chapman Memorial Swimming Pool during the Saturday and Sunday hours.

From the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Week of Oct. 2-8, 1927