This Was Doylestown, 1950

Students launch clean-up campaign -

Spring cleaning days are here again--and the biggest clean-up campaign in the history of the County Seat is about to begin! And the most unusual thing about this campaign will be the clean-up men themselves--drafted by themselves.

Some months ago, accused of littering up the streets of the town with trash, Doylestown High School students decided to play Hawkshaw [a comic strip detective] to find out whether they were really guilty or not. Snoopers-Junior grade went into action, watching themselves, townspeople and visitors--and what these "private eyes" bumped into has brought immediate action.

Millard Carroll said the survey found the students really were responsible for 75 percent of the litter on streets, in movies and lunchrooms. The remainder, he added, was due mostly to passing cars and general carelessness. So the students are going to do something about it themselves. Every student will be a cleaner-upper!

The super clean-up campaign was launched Monday at the high school with a clever skit, "Doylestown Daze," a pep talk by regional Superintendent Dr. J. Edward Smith, and grateful support offered by representatives of Borough Council, the Chamber of Commerce and this newspaper.

In the skit, produced with the co-operation of the public speaking classes and the boys' chorus, "Litterbugs" brought mess and bedlam to a typical classroom, snack shop and along the street by "stinging" the children. They were "exterminated" with a spray of "civic pride" administered by the student cleaner-uppers.

The street scene at "Broad and State" showed Pat Warren, Pete Leibrick, Rosalind Case and Bob Steskal succumbing to the "bugs." Members of the public speaking chorus and the boys' chorus took over the "Madhouse Movie" scene. The skit closed with the song, "Keep the Trash Fires Burning," sung by the boys' and girls' choruses.

At the close of the program, Ann Biester announced a poster contest for the Junior and Senior high school, to find an appropriate campaign slogan. First prize will be $7.50, second $5 and third $2.50, all posters to be turned into the art room by next Monday noon.

Date stone ceremony held at hospital maternity wing -

Editor's note - Doylestown Emergency Hospital, owned by the Village Improvement Association, opened in a former house at East Oakland Avenue and Pine Street in 1923. The hospital moved in 1939 to a new building at Belmont Avenue and Spruce Street. The hospital expanded over the years at that location, and moved to West State Street in 1975.

The first of the 5,200 babies born in the present Doylestown Emergency Hospital, Nancy Closson Labs, an 11-year-old towhead, enhanced the ceremony of the laying of the date stone for the hospital's new $208,000 maternity wing Saturday afternoon.

Mrs. Fred F. Martin, VIA president, who presided at the December ground-breaking for the maternity wing, presented Nancy as a surprise guest, the first baby to be born in the Belmont avenue and Spruce street building.

The charming, friendly youngster, who was born Jan. 27, 1939, lives in Fountainville. Nancy helped the workmen smooth out the mortar before sealing the copper box in the marble date stone.

Mrs. James M. Shellenberger, chairman of the hospital committee, enumerated each item placed in the copper box. These included a copy of the VIA yearbook, a copy of the Junior Woman's Club yearbook, copies of the construction contracts, a 1950 half-dollar, two pictures of the ground-breaking ceremonies, copies of the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer and a picture of Nancy Closson Labs.

Between 60 and 65 persons attended the ceremony held on the West side of the new structure, which is up to the first-floor level. It was a field day for local camera enthusiasts who record the growth of the various community projects in the County Seat.

Rev. Frank Damrosch, Jr., rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, gave the invocation, and the benediction was offered by Rev. Bernard Repass, D.D., pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

Dr. Bradford Green, a member of the advisory board, brought greetings from the physicians who serve the hospital. VIA President Martin noted that 30 doctors are connected with the medical and surgical departments of the hospital.

The new maternity wing is expected to be finished by January 1. Architect Fred F. Martin said the work is about a month ahead of schedule. The sum of $100,000 will represent the cost of the equipment and furnishings in the new annex, in addition to the $208,000 construction cost.

Council approves youth fishing at borough dam -

Good news for the kids of the community quickly spread after Doylestown Borough Council on Monday night approved a plan to stock the borough dam.

Supervised fishing will be permitted there from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., six days a week--every day but Monday, for children, 7 to 15 years of age inclusive. Sunday hours will be from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The proper care will be taken by the Borough as to liability, with Council authorizing the purchase of a liability insurance policy.

Dr. William J. McEvoy, representing the Doylestown Recreational Council, and William V. Rouse, representing the Bucks County Fish and Game Association, told Council that the project is being supported by both organizations.

The fishing will start April 15, with the season ending August 15. The various organizations--also including the Doylestown Township Emergency Police--have volunteered to properly supervise the fishing daily, with at least one or more adults present.

Fishing cards will be issued to the youngsters, and in case of any violations of the rules, the cards will be lifted. No fee of any type will be charged the youngsters. There will be no fishing on Mondays, for that day will be clean-up day.

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Doylestown High Rifle Team runner-up in State competition -

For the second time since 1947, the Doylestown High Rifle Team competed in the State Championship PIAA finals at State College, last Saturday, and finished in the runner-up position in Pennsylvania--a grand showing for the localities, coached by Bill Zahniser.

Munhall High [Allegheny County], one of the crack high school teams of the entire United States, was never in danger, but the teams from Bradford High [McKean County] and Doylestown High staged a real hard-fisted showdown for the runner-up honors and individual silver medals. Doylestown beat out Bradford, a community with 20,000 population, by a tally of 991 to 987.

Doylestown High's team of five boys and three girls left for State College last Friday. The match was held Saturday noon under the direction of Range Officer Vins, who presented the Doylestown team members with individual silver medals. Team scores were the total of the five highest individual scores.

On the State championship Munhall team, two boys shot 200 out of a possible 200, and three girls fired 199, for a total of 997.

The five highest scorers for Doylestown were:Jack Kennedy, 200; Jack Shelley, 199; Richard Shively, 198; Mary Trauch, 197; Bradford Wiley, 197; Total, 991.

Bradford finished close behind, with the top team members scoring 199, 198, 197, 197 and 196; Total, 987.

During the season, Doylestown won the Spira League title and the District One PIAA honors that took the team into State competition.

Route 202 to be rebuilt -

The widening of Route 202 and its rebuilding between Doylestown and Chalfont will get started in earnest within the next few weeks.

Councilman C. Eldon Clemens, chairman of the street committee, said that he had been in conference with the State Highway Department on several occasions recently and was informed the work will be under way not later than April 15.

Construction work on Route 202 will start at Chalfont and move East toward Doylestown, where the entrance to the County Seat on West State street will undergo extensive improvement and widening.

When the work is completed, Route 202 will be practically a straight line between Doylestown and Chalfont. The highway will cut through the W. Atlee Burpee Company property, eliminating the dangerous curve at the dairy barns of the National Agricultural College [now Delaware Valley College]. The realigned roadway will again meet the straight-line highway at the entrance gate of the college.

It will not be necessary for any extensive detouring while Route 202 is being reconstructed. One side will be done at a time so that traffic can move along one lane.

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Doylestown Town Notes -

President Judge Hiram H. Keller left Friday by train for St. Petersburg, Florida, where he will visit his sister, Miss Elsie H. Keller. He expects to return by April 5.

Mrs. Grace Bancroft is recuperating slowly from an attack of bronchitis at her home on Oakland avenue.

Thirty-five sixth grade students from the Doylestown Borough School will take a field trip in the school bus Thursday to Philadelphia, under the supervision of Raymond C. Barney. They will visit Independence Hall and the Betsy Ross House, and in the afternoon will see a planetarium show at the Franklin Institute.

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert J. Trauger have purchased Lot 11 of the Chestnut Grove addition on West Oakland avenue from Mr. and Mrs. William Holkey.

Alden B. McArthur, of Willow Grove, and Harry E. Richards, of Quakertown, have taken positions on the sales staff of the Sears, Roebuck and Co. store in Doylestown.

Edward Miller, 5, of the Colonial Trailer Park, was admitted to the Emergency Hospital on Wednesday to undergo an operation.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul B. Emrich, of "Elmwood," spent Sunday in Atlantic City.

Miss Helen McCain, of North Main street, opened the Pudding Stone Antique Shop with a Spring tea Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Frederic Jaekel and Miss Elizabeth McCain poured.

Charles E. Radcliff, of Maple avenue, attended a district meeting of Chevrolet dealers in Philadelphia on Friday.

Mr. and Mrs. Renton Meininger, of North Main street; John Lodholz, of East Ashland street; Bob Stiner, of Oakland avenue; and George Hoffman, of East street, were among the locals who participated in the snow sports and skiing at Bushkill Falls on Sunday.

Joseph Beck, of West Court street, is confined to his home with an attack of rheumatism.

Friends have received cards announcing the birth of a son, Richard William, to Lt. Col. and Mrs. Charles Horner, of Bath, Somerset, England, formerly of Doylestown.

From the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Week of March 19-25, 1950