Ocean County: 100 Years This Week! (May 2, 1924)

Welcome to another era in Ocean County's past, one century ago this week!

Let your mind wander as you consider life around early May 1924, 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).

Fred Wagner, 1910

BREVITIES AND EDITORIALS

(often 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.
Easterly winds.
Showers and wet.
Many spring flowers.
Flowers and flowers.
Children gather violets.
Gorgeous array of tulips.
Maple leaves are unfolding.
Apple blooms are about due.
Forest fires near us on Monday.
Farmers are plowing extensively.
Jury here Wednesday and Thursday.
Boatmen are thinking of next summer.
Peach, plum, pear and cherry trees in bloom.
Grass is high enough for the lawn mower.
Hundreds of butterflies were seen on Sunday last.
Some folks report whippoorwills calling.
April wept as she said goodbye—May smiled her greetings yesterday.
Township Clerk Theodore Fischer has painters at work on his Hooper avenue residence.
Fruit trees promise of abundant fruit.
More chicken houses going up in all the surrounding territory.
Jack Irons has improved his store by putting in a new pastry case.
Fred Gaskill, the contractor and builder, is driving a new Ford roadster.
The oriole arrived on May 1. He sings as cheerily as ever, and dresses as bravely.
There are a score or so of new houses now being built about Toms River.
Forest fires to the southwest of the town on Monday afternoon, caused somewhat of loss and alarm, and called out the fire department. James D. Holman, of Whitesville, owners of the bogs on Jakes Branch, known as the Aumack bogs, had some men burning off around the bogs that day, and the fire got away from them. It swept in a wide path, but aside from destroying timber, did no other damage. Fire Warden Frank Goodrich had his hands full for awhile.
John Grover on Monday attended a meeting of Overland sales agents in New York. On Tuesday, with Bud Tice, he drove two new cars down from the city.
The tent caterpillar, which was such a pest last spring, is here again. You can see the web on almost any wild cherry tree or bush and on the young apple trees everywhere in the neighborhood.
C.H. Elwell has installed a swell new soda fountain in his Main street store, resplendent in marble and plate glass.
Radio sets have not yet caught up with pianos, phonographs or flivers, but they are on their way and going strong.
Some poultrymen think the next move in the co-operative line might be a cold storage plant for keeping eggs and poultry meat till the winter months.
Daylight saving time went into effect last Sunday morning. Farmers and chicken raisers say that while they set their clocks ahead, the sun didn't change with the clock, and their day is all disarranged.
Someone has figured it up that closed cars have at last surpassed touring cars [open top] in the number on the road. Dealers say they sell more closed than open cars.
Everybody in this section is figuring on getting to Lakehurst on May 31—the day of the aerial circus.
Many herring are caught in nets in the streams.
William Seaman and William Gifford are putting up a gas station on the Toms River and Island Heights road near the cranberry bog.
Huddy Park will soon be in its summer beauty; paths are being graveled with bright red gravel, which is not commonly used for paths, but is very beautiful alongside of a well kept lawn.
S.R. Hankins, of Point Pleasant, has started a fish market at 12 Robbins Street.
Charles Thompson has moved his news stand to the ground floor of the Rost building, on Main street, and put in a big window.
Metal lath and metal window casing has been arriving this week for the new school house, and that job shows more life again. It is promised by the contractor that it will be ready when school opens next September.
Daylight saving time seems to please some folks and not others, but does confuse us all. In these parts the chicken farmer seems to be the one most affected, because of his flock going to roost so late.
When James Hever, a Lakewood fan was found lying in the street, dead drunk, his faithful dog kept watch over him and would not allow even the police to touch him. The dog had first to be noosed and dragged away.

NATIONAL GRATITUDE
Gratitude, in politics, has been defined as a lively hope of favors to come. There seems little difference in international politics. Last September, stricken Japan, could not say enough in thanks for the aid hurried across the Pacific by the United States [the magnitude 7.9 Great Kanto Earthquake on Sept. 1st, 1923 decimated parts of central Japan].
Today Japan is threatening and blustering about what will happen if we make laws to suit ourselves for the government of our own land, instead of making them to suit Japan. To be sure Japan makes her own laws to suit her own citizens, without consulting us—but that seems to be different. However, as the United States is the biggest customer of Japan, it would seem that Japan, not the U.S.A., stood to lose if there were to come that rupture of friendly relations that Japan blusters about...

THE ALL-NIGHT HANGOUT
The closing of barrooms and the prevalence of the automobile has brought a new problem to the country town—the “all-night hangout.” This is generally either a restaurant, quick-lunch room, or poolroom. In the old days, the courts in granting licenses regulated hours, and the license holder who kept his bar open after midnight stood a chance of losing his license. So far there is no regulation upon the lunch room and the pool room. They have become the meeting place of those inclined to break the law. Bootleggers and rum-runners find them handy in the early morning hours; joyriders, of both sexes, make the lunch room a meeting place. Disorder gathers about them, and the drinkers of hooch or witch hazel have discovered in them a retreat.
What's to be done about it?

STATE ALONE REGULATES R.R.s.
The Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey has recently decided that municipalities cannot regulate the speed of railroad trains through any particular town or city by ordinance...

THAT SEEM'S FAIR
The Trenton Times makes an eminently fair suggestion regarding the often-talked-of plan to save the seacoast. It urges, that if the general public is called upon for money to protect private property on the beaches, then all the land that makes up on the beachfronts should not, as now, become the property of the individual owner on whose shore the accretions formed, but should become the property of the public.
Surely that is fair.

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HEADLINE NEWS

BIG RACING PROGRAM FOR BARNEGAT BAY IN 1924
B.B.Y.R.A. LEAVES OUT GIRLS' RACES FOR 1924
Several changes have been made in the racing schedule of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association for the coming summer of 1924, the most important of which are leaving off the former series of girls' twenty-foot sneakbox races, and the addition of a second class of catboats, which will take care of heavier craft than the Mary Ann type. At present the only catboats having a chance at all in the regattas are those of very light build, large sail area in fact of the type bordering on the racing machine. There will also, as heretofore, be races in the sloop class, and the sneakboxes will have three classes of their own—20-foot, and Class A and Class B in the 15-foot measurement.
There are new rules for the two fifteen foot classes of boxes, as those of 1922 and even those of 1923 did not altogether suit. These rules are being worked out to suit the peculiarities of these races. The new class of what might be termed working catboats also requires a new set of rules. H.B. Atkin formulated the catboat rules, and A.Q. Kean the fifteen foot sneakbox rules.
Races featuring the various yacht clubs will be held this year, on the plan of last summer. Each club in the association will be allowed a day for its races. Toms River Yacht Club will again hold its races off Cedar Creek Point, as it did in the [18]70s, 80s and 90s, when it was the only yacht club on the bay, and in fact held the championship of the racing world in the catboat class. An innovation this year will be a cruise to Beach Haven, where a race will be held by the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club. The entire schedule has not yet been prepared. It is understood that the Philadelphia Record will give the trophies for one race this year.
The plans for 1924, so far as the have been developed, were agreed upon at a meeting of the association held last week at the office of Frank Scofield, at the Finance Building, Philadelphia.
Gossip of the racing for the coming summer shows that Com. Frank W. Thatcher of Seaside Park, will have a new catboat to compete with Mary Ann and her class. The new boat is being built by Morton Johnson, at Bay Head, from the same model as the Mary Ann. The latter craft has swept  the bay for two summers, though last year she had four new competitors. These new boats were just getting to be well understood by their sailing masters at the close of the 1923 racing season, and it is the opinion of a number of the bay yachtsmen that they ought to do better in 1924 than they did in 1923.
There are also four new sneakboxes to make their debut this year. Two will fly the blue and white of the Toms River Yacht Club, being built by Edward Crabbe and Franklin Doan, Lyddon Pennock, of Seaside Park, and Orton G. Dale, of Bay Head, who for years sailed the redoubtable Arran, winner of many hard fought races are also building new twenty foot sneakboxes.

ISLAND HEIGHTS FACES LOSS OF COMMUTERS
P.R.R. ASKS TO ABANDON ISLAND HEIGHTS BRIDGE
Making application to the Interstate Commerce Commission, and through that federal body to the State Public Utility Board, the Pennsylvania Railroad system, or, rather, its subsidiary, the Pennsylvania and Atlantic Railroad Company, is asking to be allowed to abandon the Island Heights spur and bridge, running from Pine Beach station, across the river, to Island Heights.
This application is no surprise, as it has been in the air for two years past, and prior to that the railroad had been for some time getting ready for the movement. It comes now directly after several conferences between Vice President A.J. County, and other P.R.R. officials, on the one hand, and summer residents at Island Heights, with others interested in the welfare of that resort, on the other hand...
The bridge across the river was originally built by the Island Heights Railroad Company, and organization of men interested in developing Island Heights. When built, it was after a long fight in courts, in which it was opposed by Toms River people, on the ground that the bridge would interfere with navigation on the river—as in that day, 1883, there was nothing but sail boats, in use on the river.
The railroad won, and the bridge was built, and has since operated. It is understood that the P.R.R. afterward bought up the stock of the Island Heights Railroad Company, having first leased the road for a period of years. The purchase of the road is said to have merged the two properties and to have automatically set aside the lease. Should the road be abandoned, the right of way on West End avenue, Island Heights, may revert to the Island Heights Association, which gave it. The right of way south of the river might also revert to the original owners...

​NAVY TO PUT OVER BIGGEST FLYING STUNT
PLAN ALL SET FOR BIG NAVAL AERIAL CIRCUS
Plans are all set for the aerial circus on Saturday, May 31, at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, according to reports that come from that station. A lot of novel stunts will be introduced, and the navy will do its utmost to exceed the aerial circus put on last fall at Mineola, Long Island, by the army.
The Shenandoah is practically repaired after its sensational runaway flight of last winter and will make its public appearance about May 15. The damaged nose cap has been repaired together with several sections of the envelope. The motors are being reduced from six to five, the engineers having decided that this battery will give all the speed required. The Shenandoah will give an exhibition flight on the day of the circus and will go to the mast early in the day, where it will be on exhibition.
Blimp J-1 being assembled by mechanics at the station is expected to be finished in about ten days, material and parts of the blimp having arrived from Hampton Roads the latter part of last week. This non-rigid airship will be 200 feet long, with a 45 foot diameter, carrying two motors in a 35 foot control car, specified to give a fifty-five mile an hour cruising speed. The ship will have a 5000 lbs. lifting capacity. The J-1 will be in several stunts in the circus.
Lieutenant Al Williams, U.S. Navy, the world champion speed flyer, with a record of 268 miles per hour and Lieutenant David Rittenhouse, U.S. Navy, who won the International Seaplane race from England, France and Italy last year, will take part. Other famous pilots will demonstrate their special stunts.
Special trains will be run to the hangar from New York, Newark, Jersey City, etc. and from Camden and Atlantic City.
The program lasts from 10.30 a.m. To 4.00 p.m. and includes parachute drops from kite balloons, free balloon flights, flights of Shenandoah, a blimp picking up a man without landing, formation flying of five planes, a stunt rolling and side-slipping, in synchronism.
Two pilots will stage a “dog fight,” which in aerial parlance, is a sham battle in the air in which the two pilots loop, spin and roll to gain advantageous positions to “strafe” the opponent with machine gun, simulating wartime combat.
It is planned to stage a quadruple parachute race; four men jumping off a Martin bomber from a height of 3000 feet, the one reaching the field first to win. Aerial smoke screens, comic hopping balloons, and other events not yet definitely decided on will complete the program. The Station detachment of Marines will furnish the mimic attack on a machine-gun next, assisted by airplanes.
A giant lout speaker, which the contractor states, can be heard for three miles will be used to communicate with the Shenandoah while she is in the vicinity of the field.
Commander J.H. Klein, Jr., U.S. Navy, the Commanding Officer, states that he expects fully 100,000 visitors to the Station.

TOMS RIVER KIWANIS CLUB PRESENTED WITH CHARTER
Toms River Kiwanis Club had a gala night on Monday evening last, when it received its charter and became a full fledged club. The charter was presented by Robert J. Rendall, of Jersey City, Governor of the district of New Jersey. The evening was also a Ladies Night, and there were delegations present from numerous Kiwanis Clubs in the state. The affair was in the dining room of the Ocean House [2024 site of 7-11 and closed Chase Bank at Main and Water streets], and about 150 people sat down to the dinner...

WEAKFISH IN BARNEGAT BAY
Weakfish are in the Bay. The past week Forked River and Waretown fishermen have found them in their nets. Some fine catches have been made, one man claiming that he found over 70 filled in his nets, and another man 80.

​FLYER, HERO OF WORLD WAR GOES WEST IN PEACE TIME FLIGHT
FORMER LAKEHURST FLIER KILLED IN CHICAGO CRASH
Word was received at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, last Friday that “Joe” Green, a former flier at that station, during which time he resided at Beachwood, had been killed on Thursday, April 24, while flying. The story is that Green and another flier H.R. Cruickshank were trying out a plane, and for some unknown reason it was disabled, so that they fell from a height of 1,000 or 1,500 feet, striking a tree in the fall to the earth.
Joseph H. Green was born in Norfolk, Va., in 1887. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1904, serving on the U.S.S. Maryland under Admiral Moffett. At the outbreak of the World War he was sent to France with the first Air Detachment, serving on various fronts. He was later transferred to Italy and served with the American forces on the Austrian front until the close of the war. He took part in bombing raids on Austrian Naval bases at Pola and Trieste and was decorated with the Italian Croix de Guerre for conspicuous service in those raids. While serving on the Austrian front he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. During this time he was shot down in combat with Austrian aeroplanes sustaining injuries which kept him out of active service for three months.
At the close of the war he returned to the United States and was placed in command of the Naval Air Station at Dalgren, Virginia. He was later transferred tot eh Naval Aircraft factory, Philadelphia, Pa., as Chief Test Pilot. In August 1922, he was transferred to the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst and served on the U.S.S. Shenandoah as Elevator Pilot. In January 1924, he was transferred to the Great Lakes to train Naval Reserve aviators, and met his death while engaged in this duty. He would have retired from the United States Navy in December 1925, with twenty years' service.
His body was brought from Chicago to Washington, D.C. where it was met by six of his brother officers from Lakehurst and escorted to its last resting place in Arlington Cemetery. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Jane Green.
He was piloting a sea plane and was attempting to land it on the ground as the engine had stopped and he could not get back to the water. As he neared the ground an automobile was in his way, and it was thought that to avoid hitting it he tried to glide over a clump of trees, but crashed into them.
He was in war time rated as a Lieutenant and was a flier of exceptional skill and daring, according to his friends. After the war, because of his physical condition resulting from gas, he was offered retirement as a lieutenant, but preferred to stay in the service and take his demotion to chief petty officer, as the result of cutting down the number of men in the navy.
While living at Beachwood Green built himself a home there, which he sold when he was transferred from Lakehurst to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, near Chicago, where he met his death. Green was well liked in this neighborhood. He was said to be an enthusiast about flying, and wanted to be up in the air every minute possible. His friends also say that his lungs were badly affected by gas, the trouble being aggravated by his work in the air. While here he became a member of Harmony Lodge, F. and A.M.

TRACO THEATRE WILL HAVE STAGE TO COST $30,000 [$550K in 2024 Dollars]
The Traco Theatre Company has arranged for the construction of a stage, the addition to cost about $30,000, when fully equipped with the electric outfit, flies, drops, scenes, etc. The stage will be built this summer, in fact is promised in 72 working days.
The Old Union Construction Co., of Elizabeth, which is building the public school were awarded the contract for the general building; Finley and Wainwright, for electrical work; E.A. Smith, for plumbing and heating. The company is issuing preferred stock to pay for the addition. Holders of this preferred stock on May one received the eighth semi-annual dividend at the rate of seven per cent yearly.

SUNSHINE INVESTORS PAID BACK ONE-HALF BY LAKE
Simon Lake, a former Toms River school boy, now of Milford, Conn., inventor and developer of the submarine, has paid back one-half of their investment to twenty-six people who had invested money in the Sunshine Homes and Concrete Products Company. He offers to give them the other fifty per cent in bonds against his own property.
The Sunshine Homes Company seems to have been a case of an inventor being fleeced, along with investors, by the poor management of the promoters. The Sunshine Company agreed to make model homes of poured concrete at lesser cost than the ordinary house costs to build. Some thirty-one people put up money for these homes and did not get them. Twenty-six of these were paid one-half their claims amounting to about $15,000 in cash by Lake personally. Mr. Lake said he intended to pay all creditors and claims against the company, and reorganize it, as he was the largest creditor. But all the rest of the creditors were to be paid first.
Lake lived at Toms River in the eighties, and attended the village high school, as a boy of sixteen or seventeen. His father at that time had an iron foundry on Jakes Branch, south of the P.R.R., making specialties, including window shade fixtures.

TUCKERTON BOYS RUN WELL
Tuckerton high school relay ream won second place in their race at the annual sports of the University of Pennsylvania, last Saturday, April 26. High school, prep school and college teams from all over the country compete in these sports. In the running mile relays, four men take part. Tuckerton was beaten by Walter Read school, and in turn defeated Allegheny high, and Cranford.

​PT. PLEASANT MAN TOLD COURT HOW TO MAKE HOOCH
Secrets of prohibition, the manufacture and sale of bootleg whiskey, termed as “stuff you buy over the bar,” were unfolded one day recently in the Newark chancery court by Louis Brown, special officer at Point Pleasant, and a self-confessed bootlegger.
Brown told how he had mixed liquors, transported them, turned alcohol into “whiskey” upon request, and went into the minute details of the “game” which is making America's latest crop of millionaires.
“We took denatured alcohol and reduced it to grain alcohol with a certain acid and sold it. This was accomplished through phospherence acid strained through a felt hat and tested with litmus paper. The ammonia was syphoned off and the alcohol put in five gallon cans, four of spirits and one of water. A little caramel and the stuff was ready for bottling.”
Brown declared he had also bought liquor at the docks for $30 a case, delivering it to cafes all over the city and receiving from $60 to $85 per case. He admitted delivering about 3,000 cases in Newark alone.
He also told of “cutting” rye, but declared that the Scotch was delivered as received from the boats.
The disclosures were made by Brown while testifying before Vice Chancellor Backes in a suit instituted by Mrs. Mae Klein, of 690 South Nineteenth street against her husband Harry for separate support. She contends that Klein is a prosperous bootlegger worth more than $100,000 [$1.8 million in 2024 dollars].

TOMS RIVER 29, BARNEGAT 4, IN FOUR AND A HALF INNINGS
It would have been some score if it had been played the same style for the whole nine innings, when Toms River played Barnegat on a wet field and more or less rain, last Tuesday, April 29. As it was there was hardly room on the score book, as Toms River pounded out the ball all over Gulick field and brought in 29 runs in four and a half innings, to four for Barnegat.

FLOUNDER FISHING GETS 'EM
Flounder fishing seems to be getting the saltwater fishermen who can't wait for the weakfish, croaker and channel bass. They must wet their lines in salt water, and so they come to Barnegat Bay and hoist in the small winter flounders by the dozen or score. The Newark Call of Sunday says:
Barnegat fishing parties seem to be well satisfied with their catches of flounders. Some of the best catches last week were reported from Island Heights, Forked River, Waretown with over 100 pounds in a bag, and Sam Dirkes of Roseville left Barnegat with all the fish he cared to handle on the train. One motor party from the Oranges went out from Forked River and fished the channel for the larger flounders, catching forty-eight and three eels...

P.R.R. USES TRUCKS TO DISTRIBUTE ITS FREIGHT
The Pennsylvania Railroad has become a convert to the theory that freight can be better distributed, on short hauls, by truck than by rail. There is now a freight service in this locality, by which trucks take the place of the railroad. Freight for Pine Beach, Beachwood, Ocean Gate and Island Heights are now taken from the cars at Toms River freight station and trucked to the freight stations in these towns. Freight from points between Seaside Park and Bay Head Junction is handled the same way from Seaside Park. A big five-ton White truck is used. It is said that this allows one freight train to cover this territory, where formerly two relief freights were run from Camden...

BUYERS AND SPECTATORS CROWD GOULD AUCTION
Lakewood, April 29.—Many noted collectors and buyers attended the opening of the auction sale of furnishings and valuable art treasures at Georgian Court, home of the late Geo. Jay Gould, here yesterday.
Over 3,000 spectators and buyers gathered in and about the reception hall of the Gould residence where rich tapestries, furniture and art objects were being put under the hammer. The sale will be continued today and tomorrow to dispose of the Gould personal property which will make way for the establishment in September of the Plainfield girls' school, St. Mary's college which purchased the building and 200 acre property in March. 

CAR HIT AT R.R. CROSSING
Another car was smashed up at Larrabee's Crossing, near Lakewood, the scene of numerous fatal accidents, on April 18. The car got its wheel caught between the steel rail and the plank roadbed between the rails, and its occupants, three women from Philadelphia, just got out as a train came along and struck the car...

FATE OF ALLEGED BOOTLEGGER IN COURT'S HANDS
The fate of Frank Falkinburg, notorious in all the northeastern part of the county for the number of times his name has been associated with bootlegging, is now in the hands of Judge Newman. The Judge has set the precedent and made the statement on a number of occasions that a jail sentence awaits the man twice convicted before him of violating the liquor laws, and Falkinburg is in court on his second indictment. He escaped on the first with a fine of $100 [approx. $1,826 in 2024 dollars], and has had so many other narrow escapes, that people are wondering whether or not he bears a charmed life and will get off this time?
Falkinburg's record goes back to the days of the VanNess act, when he was arrested and held. The ruling of Supreme Court Justice Kalisch, that the VanNess act had been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and that all the allegations under it were dismissed, saved Falkinburg that time... Not a great while after this escape, Falkinburg's garage and home, at Point Pleasant, where he is agent for the Studebaker car, were searched by federal agents, and he was indicted in the federal courts. It is stated that luck stood by him there, and he escaped conviction.
Falkinburg within the past year has been four times connected up in some way with the bootlegging game. He was picked up in a car with a “cargo” of booze, but Leonard Furman, of Point Pleasant, took the responsibility saying that the car was his and the booze was his...

PASSENGER TRAFFIC BY AIR IS CAPT. HEINEN'S PREDICTION
Captain Anton Heinen, of Toms River, German Zeppelin expert, is authority for the prediction that the United States will soon have lighter than air, or Zeppelin, ships flying from place to place, carrying passengers.
Capt. Heinen was the expert who helped build the big aircraft Shenandoah, for the U.S. Navy. He has now given up his connection with the navy, and has gone with Aircraft Construction-Transportation Corporation, which also controls the Connecticut Aircraft Company, the latter company for twelve years past supplying the U.S. Government with ligher than air balloons of various types, including the small zeppelins that patrolled the coast during the war.
Capt. Heinen says that it is possible to run airships on schedule, and that for months he made daily trips in the Bodensee, between north and south Germany, carrying passengers, and of the more than one million passengers carried on these trips, not one got so much as a scratch.
The first plan is to build an airship at the cost of $1,250,000, to fly between New York and Cape May. This would require a mooring mast at each end of the route, and the corporation hopes to buy a Naval hangar at Cape May also. These mooring masts would cost $100,000 each. The airship would have one million cubic feet of gas capacity; 1200 horsepower engine development, and would carry twenty-five passengers beside her crew. After this ship was proven to be a success, another ship to sail between New York and Cuba would be on the program, followed by a passenger service between New York and South America, as well as New York and various parts of the United States.
One of the methods of deriving profit from this aircraft service would be to paint huge advertising signs on the sides and bottom of the ship, and fly low over the cities, charging a high price for the advertisements, as the “smoke-writers” do. Capt. Heinen has figured that the build the one airship and maintain it a year on the route between Cape May and New York would cost $2,000,000 for the construction of ship masts, equipment, etc. and $1,300,000 for the year's maintenance.

​ARMY ENGINEERS MAKE PLANS TO SAVE LIGHTHOUSE
Assistant light keeper Andrew Applegate, of Barnegat lighthouse, was at Toms River, his home, on Wednesday of this week. He said that the army engineers completed their surveys at the lighthouse last week and had gone away. The lighthouse suffered no damage during winter and spring storms.

LAVALLETTE NEEDS WATER; WILL COST ABOUT $87,000 [$1.6 MILLION IN 2024 DOLLARS]
The Borough of Lavallette, one of the flourishing resorts on Squan Beach, has reached the stage of development where a water supply is now necessary as a health measure. The town is getting so thickly built up that water from shallow wells in the beach sand are no longer safe from a sanitary standpoint. For a year or more the progressive Borough Council, headed by Mayor Enoch T. VanCamp, have been working on the water problem. The tangible results of their work are now seen in an estimate prepared by Haines and Sleeper, engineers, of Camden. This estimate shows a probable total cost of $86,632.61. It calls for an artesian well, 700 feet deep, to supply pure water. A large standpipe, for reservoir purposes, is also provided. Over five miles of pipe would be laid, most of it eight, six and four inch mains, though there would be about 600 feet of ten inch main from the pump to the standpipe...
Lavallette has been growing rapidly in the past few years. Its location, with a fine harbor on the bay shore, its wide streets, its boardwalk, and its yacht club, as well as a good bathing beach, combined with moderate priced lands for building, have altogether made it a remarkably attractive place for the city dweller in moderate circumstances. Consequently the resort has grown rapidly, and the new houses built in the last two years would number about one hundred. Through the efforts of Mayor VanCamp, aided heartily and loyally by progressive councilmen, the town has secured electric lights, has graded new streets, curbed them, put in sidewalks, and has an efficient fire department.

RECOMMEND CONNOLLY FOR OUTDOOR JOB AT PRISON
Owing to the fact that Norman Robert Connolly, who is doing from 20 to 30 years for murder, at Trenton prison, has a tendency to tuberculosis, Sheriff Holman has recommended to the prison authorities that he be given if possible, an outdoor job. Connolly was gassed while in France, and since then it has been thought by medical officers in the Marine Corps that he had tubercular tendencies, and he had been under observation.
Connolly, while drunk, last January, shot and killed John Otto Eaton, another Marine, located at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst. Sheriff Holman gave Connolly a good name to the state prison authorities, as having been a model prisoner while at the county jail.

PERSONAL
Edward Grant, son of Thomas I. Grant, is on his way east, making the trip by auto from Los Angeles, Calif., to Florida. Ed was heard from this week, when he wrote from towns in Louisiana and Mississippi. Last fall he and Teddy Page motored from Toms River to Oregon, and then down the Pacific coast.
Ira E. Whyte, district passenger agent of the Central Railroad, was in Toms River on Friday last, from Asbury Park, arranging for the trip to Washington, D.C., of the class of 1924, Toms River High School. The graduating classes of Lakewood and Barnegat high schools will also take this trip.
Mrs. Robert Lomax, Willard and Herbert Todd recently returned from a trip to Wyoming, where they went to see Edmund Todd. The latter has the pioneer spirit and they found him preparing to move 200 miles further back into the wilds, and planning to carve out a place for himself. Mrs. Lomax, who has been ill, is now somewhat better.
William A. Simpson, father of Miss Harriet Simpson of this place, is likely to lose the place he has had at Amatol, since the war times, as superintendent of that big plant, as the government has advertised the buildings there for sale at auction. Mr. Simpson as a boy lived at Island Heights, Beach Haven, Whitings and Manahawkin, and is well known in this county.

FISH AND GAME
The best deer story so far was not told in Grover's store—but in Fischer's barber shop. It was that Nat Austin, at Dover, recently counted 32 deer in one view, near his home. Deer are plentiful just now in all the section to the southwest of Toms River, and are frequently seen in early morning or late evening along the main roads. One man swears he counted seven going across the road between Toms River and Lakehurst, on a recent morning.
Forest fires are hard on deer, rabbits, foxes and all wild game. Fire fighters have many yarns to spin about deer and foxes more particularly.
A young buck deer became entangled in some wire fence at Hedger Place, down in the pines last week, and when discovered it had broken one leg in its endeavors to get free. Game Wardens Mathis and Graham were notified and relieved the deer's distress by killing it and afterward presented its carcass to Sheriq Fleetwood for the prisoners at the jail. The latter were not long removing its hide and then enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the wardens hugely.

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TOWN LIFE

Beachwood Train Depot c. 1950s courtesy BeachwoodHistory.com

BARNEGAT
Is our country becoming a lawless nation, desecrating the Sabbath, disregarding our laws of all kinds, rum-running upheld by some of our nation's biggest men? What class of people is it that are our greatest lawbreakers, are they American citizens? They are not, nor never will be. They didn't come over here for that purpose, but to spread an unrest all over our land and we are just easy enough to allow it.
What does it matter what the country is coming to? If we watch the doings of our representatives in Washington, it would seem that the whole world is forgotten while they scandalize, muck-rake, accuse each other of lying and stealing and everything else that can be thought of in the political world. How they swell up with pride and boast of their integrity and honor. Put it all on the other fellow, but don't think of anything I have done, for if you do, it will be a damnable frame-up.
What must other nations think of this great body of men who are spending their time disgracing the country and scandalizing each other? They seem to have lost their own honor for themselves and the whole country. They are drawing big salaries to make a laughing stock of the country in the eyes of the whole world...
Charles Hutchinson has sold his property on South Main street and expects to build a home on North Main street, where he has bought a lot.
Harry Biedeman, who has been very sick for a long time, is able to go out, and will take his position back at the schoolhouse. His wife and son will assist him in his work.
Mr. Barrett has his six-car garage finished at the Barnegat hotel.

BEACH HAVEN
Borough Council has adopted daylight saving time for the town and everybody here is now living by it.
Harry Cook of Boston made the trip here on Sunday and will make a visit with his sister, Mrs. Charles Cramer. Mr. Cook left Boston on his motorcycle leaving about eleven A.M. and reached Beach Haven at six p.m.
The Gun Club cottage is being improved by a coat of paint. 
Commander S.C. Loveland, of the Beach Haven Yacht Club, spent the week end here with his family, motoring from their home in Hammonton.
From what we can see about town the line of new homes, there seems to be a big demand for a certain style house. We learned that these are built by J. Willitts Berry. Mrs. Amelia Goode of Philadelphia is the latest builder to adopt this style—“Berry-Built,” so to speak. This one is to be erected on Chatsworth avenue. And this street is starting to build up. Contractor Firman H. Cranmer has the contract to build another house for a Mrs. Johnson, of Philadelphia, next to the Goode house.
Mrs. Soper, one of the teachers in the local school appeared before the [School] Board in person, and asked that the board consider raising her salary for next year. Mrs. Soper now receives about $1150 per year [$20,761 in 2024 dollars]. With the work she has handled this year, she believes that she is entitled to an increase. It was brought out that Miss Salmons, principal at the school receives $1,500 [$27.080 in 2024 dollars].

BEACHWOOD
Mr. and Mrs. Gamp, of Bronx, New York, are now at Beachwood and will make their permanent home here.
Jack Nolze has sold his house and four lots on Atlantic City boulevard.
Mrs. Scoble, one of the pioneers of Beachwood, died recently at her home in New York.
The many friends in Beachwood of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Green, who formerly resided here in the pretty house they built on the corner of Lookout and Forepeak, and which they sold to Mr. Wm. H. Knowles of Elizabeth, when Mr. Green was transferred to the Great Lakes Naval Air Station, were shocked to learn of the fatal accident which befell him and a comrade on Wednesday, April 23, when a seaplane in which they were flying, crashed to earth from a height of 1500 feet. His remains were interred at Arlington cemetery, Virginia, on Saturday.
Miss Alice Patch has sold her bungalow on Ensign avenue, near Locker street, to William H. Addayson, of Newark. Miss Patch is going to California. Nelson Palmer will open a garage near Los Angeles.
John J. Nolze is to build the Armstrong house on the corner of Compass avenue and Harpoon street. He is building a garage for Mrs. Walters on Capstan avenue, near Larboard street.

CASSVILLE [section of Jackson Township]
A baby girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Cottrell last week. Mr. and Mrs. Cottrell are the parents of seventeen children, eleven of whom are living.

FORKED RIVER
Harold Tilton has resumed his old job on the C.R.R., at Long Branch.
Watson Penn reports that on April 26 he caught his first weakfish in his nets, and that the bay is full of shrimp which is dainty feed for weakfish. Frank Penn also reports catching weakfish in his nets Tuesday morning. Some of these catches have been unusually large for the first run of weakfish.
Taylor, the garage man, has added two new stores at his garage, on the state highway.
The two year old child of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Taylor was taken to a Philadelphia hospital. The child got a peanut shell lodged in its throat, which required surgical aid to remove.
Capt. Joe Smires and family spent Sunday in Keyport, with Mrs Smires' sister, Mrs. Samuel Smith. Capt. Joe is overhauling Capt. George Woolley's party boat, and also building a new cabin on the craft.
Randolph Phillips has a lot of garden stuff in the ground—and the lima beans will be on time. He has been gathering rhubarb.
Lots of peach and pear bloom. We hope for lots of fruit.
Capt. Joe Barkalow recently took out a party of city sportsmen after flounders. They caught 232. Lewis Barkalow, with another party, caught 103. Several more parties have been out, and all brought back good catches.
David Chamberlain will be back home for the summer, and will sail parties, after being away for the winter.
[Barnegat Lighthouse] Keeper and Mrs. Nelson Rogers of Beach Haven, spent Wednesday with Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Phillips.
Raymond Penn, Ernest Thomas, and other coastguards, have been home occasionally for liberty days.
Sunday was the first big day of the fishing season, many parties motoring to go out on the bay.
Mrs. Shotwell E. Frazee recently sat a hen on 15 blackduck eggs, and hatched out fifteen ducklings.
E.H. Clayton and his son Buddy returned to Woodhaven, L.I. after a visit with Mr. and Mrs. E.A. Gerdy. Buddy thinks there is no place like Forked River.

ISLAND HEIGHTS
Hon. J. Hampton and Mrs. Moore have been spending a few days at their handsome home on the West End. They have just returned from an extended trip through South America, accounts of which all Philadelphia Record readers have enjoyed from the pen of Mr. Moore himself.
The movie entertainment was all to the good last Saturday night. Dr. J. Schnair and Mr. Hierholzer furnished the music. Another good one is promised for this coming Saturday night.
Mr. S.E. Leming has moved his real estate office to the Bogert Building and Mrs. S.J. Harris has changed her Little Wool Shop to the store just vacated by Mr. Leming.
The Rev. and Mrs. Alfonso Dare of Atlantic City are at their cottage, “Hollywood Lodge,” where he is having considerable work done.
Mr. Fred Lembreyer is making rapid headway with his new house and store in Windsor Park.

LAKEHURST
A.W. Carr tells a yarn that takes the bun. It seems that Thursday morning of last week, he went into his chicken house and found two hens on nests. His first thought was that they wanted to set; he lifted up one hen and found in the nest, an egg and one small kitten; he then lifted up the other hen and found and egg and another small kitten. At noon when he went home he found one of the hens covering the mother cat and the two kittens. Al says this beats all the yarns told in “Grover's store.” [Grover's was a general store in downtown Toms River where locals often stopped to talk and gossip]

OCEAN GATE
A meeting of the trustees and the building committee of the new M.E. Church was held at the church on Friday evening last. The erecting of the foundation for the new church, at the corner of Asbury and Bayview avenues was given to Harry Staples, who will start this work within the next week. H.D. Black was on hand with a sketch he had made of the new church, although the building has not been given out as yet. The present plan is to have the church in readiness for this summers use and the Sunday-school portion will be added later. From the plans shown this will be one of the best looking churches along the shore when completed.
The Ocean Gate A.A. [Athletic Association] opened their session at Roxborough last Saturday, with a defeat, losing to the Roxborough by a score of 12 to 4. They are now booking games for this season at the home grounds, season to open May 31 until Labor Day, and are anxious to hear from such teams as Lakehurst, Forked River, and other semi-professional teams.
Mayor Newlin was a recent Phila. visitor.
Reports say the Castor House, at the corner of Lakewood and Wildwood avenues, was sold last week to Mrs. Charles Godwin of Philadelphia.

PERSHING [section of Toms River]
The whippoorwills were heard on Sunday night, April 27.
The thrush has returned for the summer and also the chimney dicks.

PINE BEACH
The spring air and weather makes many people come to Pine Beach over the week ends and holidays.
Mrs. Halligan will open a boarding house, formerly the Mitchel property, at Pine Beach, on Memorial Day, with first-class accommodations for visitors.
A new house is being erected opposite Miss Mulrenan's new place on Cedar avenue.

POINT PLEASANT
A recent flurry of wind blew over a barn on the Joseph Fleming place, at Point Pleasant. Some children and a pony were in the barn, which was lifted up in the air, and dropped 25 feet away, according to the story told. None was hurt.
Arthur Brisbane, editorial writer for the Hearst publications, has asked the state for riparian grants on three ocean front tracts and two tracts fronting on Manasquan river. The ocean frontage totals 767 feet and the river frontage aggregates 1635 feet.
$650 has been raised for a war memorial at Point Pleasant Beach [$11,735 in 2024 dollars].

SEASIDE PARK
Ralph Marks has gone down to Ship Bottom to cook for the Ship Bottom Pound Fisheries.
Wickham's drug store is open with Mr. Andrew Wickham in charge.
The Colonial Theatre expects to open on Saturday evening, May 3. Shows will be given on Saturday only until further notice.

TUCKERTON
The sum of $250 awarded the Southern Ocean Co. Poultry Association from the New Jersey State Poultry exhibition funds for the second annual show held during February was paid to the successful exhibitors a few days ago by C.R. Cox, Secretary of the Association...
It is very gratifying to note that the State has so generously recognized the efforts of the poultrymen of this section.
The Southern Ocean Co. Poultry Association, during the two years of its existence, has conducted two successful shows, over forty educational lectures on poultry, ten poultry culling demonstrations, and by their continuous campaign for the improvement of the industry, they are largely responsible for placing Southern Ocean Co. on the map of Poultrydom.
Duane Mott, the nine year old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Milton Mott, was quite seriously injured on Saturday, when he slipped and fell against the engine of his father's boat when they were coming up the creek. He sustained injuries about his head and arms and also a broken leg. The little fellow is under the care of Dr. J.L. Lane and at this writing is said to be getting along very nicely.
There was a lengthy discussion about setting the clocks ahead, and since public opinion seemed adverse to this the matter was dropped and the Council took no action.
The ball tossers representing Tuckerton High lost two close games during the Easter holidays, losing at Lakewood on Saturday 12-10, and by Point Pleasant Beach, 10-9.
The game at Lakewood was a good one, though both pitchers were hit hard and several misplays were made. The wireless boys tied the score after an uphill fight, in the seventh and the score stood 8-8. With victory in their hands they withered and Lakewood scored four runs in the last two innings. The down shore crowd made another brave attempt in the ninth when they shoved two tallies over the pan. But that was all and Lakewood won.
The game with Point Pleasant Beach on Monday was a sloppy affair. Loose fielding, poor twirling and heavy hitting were features on both sides. The beach crowd got wise to Sprague's slants and slammed out no less than fourteen safe bingles. These, with five bases on balls and five hit by pitched balls were enough to win any ordinary ball game. Tuckerton got its share of hits, getting thirteen, which drove the northern slabmen to the showers. Poor base running cost Tuckerton the game, for with several chances to score they failed to take advantage of the situation and were left stranded.
On Friday the Tuckerton boys will travel to Barnegat and there cross bats with the Lighthouse crowd. Assistant Manager, Walter Atkinson, of Tuckerton expects his boys to come out of their slump and take Barnegat's number. A big crowd is expected at this game.

WEST CREEK
Quite a little excitement in town on Friday morning when some of our people arose from their slumbers by finding they had unwelcome guests during the previous night. E.P. Brown and Mr. Wanser of Division street, Mrs. H. Gaskill of Thomas avenue, the railroad station and schoolhouse, were surprised to find their doors and windows open and ground floors in disorder. Evidently the intruder wanted nothing but money and they got very little of that. State police are on the job and we hope the culprit will soon be apprehended.

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