This Week in Ocean County, 1922! (February 10th)

2/14/2022

Welcome to another era in the Toms River area's past, one century ago this week!

Let your mind wander as you consider life around February 10th, 1922, courtesy the New Jersey Courier weekly newspaper and Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around a 15 minute read).

BREVITIES AND EDITORIALS

(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)

Full moon tomorrow.
Snow and rain last night.
Venus is now evening star.
School meeting next Tuesday.
Miller Chamberlain is making additions to his home at the old toll gate—Main Shore Road and Jake's Branch.
Carl Wainwright reports seeing a blue heron on January 31, the same day that our Lanoka correspondent tells of seeing one.
Henry South has built himself a shop at the Central Railroad crossing of the Main Shore Road, in Beachwood, and has moved his vulcanizing business there from Main St.
Sun rises tomorrow at 7 and sets at 5:30, making 10 hours and 30 minutes of sunshine. This is a gain of 25 minutes in the morning and of 58 minutes in the afternoon, since midwinter.
Capt. Jim Chamberlain says that one of his neighbors insists she saw two turtles sunning themselves on a log in the brook near the Central Railroad bridge. As the discharge from the water cooling system of the Toms River electric plant comes into the stream there, it may be that this warm water accounts for the active turtles.
R. Ricossi has sold the house on Messenger street, that he recently bought from Roy Tilton, to Louis Davis.
When the north face of the town clock shows 12.10, the west 11.50 and the east 11.45, and the clock strikes 12, what time is it?
The school busses, between snow and mud, have all kinds of trouble the past two weeks, and were unable to make all their trips.
John Schmi, of Tuckerton, lost a horse recently. Running over a stick in the road, it flew up and hit the horse in the stomach, piercing it and causing the horse to bleed to death. Mr. Schmi has been unfortunate in the matter of horses, having sixteen to die in about five years.

HEADLINE NEWS

YACHTING COMING BACK AS QUEEN OF ALL SPORTS
Yachting, the queen of all sports, is coming back. The war put a crimp in yachting many ways. All the larger craft were taken over by the government for mine-sweepers and patrols; all the boat builders were taken into government jobs; the tax on new boats, added to the high cost of labor and material would have made boat-building out of the question, if the builders were to be had.
Now that boat-builders are back on private jobs, and that materials have dropped within reason, there are numerous new boats being planned or under way. At Island Heights, Mayor William T. Rote is building a fifty-foot cruiser for Charles K. Haddon, of Island Heights and Haddonfield. This will be perhaps the finest craft of her type on Barnegat Bay, and will be comfortable for outside cruising. It is about the first good-sized craft started on the coast since the war.
Morgan Lister, of Philadelphia, who learned the yachting game as a summer resident with his parents, at Seaside Park, is to have a schooner yacht built at Delanco, by the Delanco Shipbuilding Co. This craft will be known as the Elizabeth, and will be an auxiliary schooner, designed by J. Murray Watts, of Philadelphia. Her length will be 41 feet, beam 14 feet, draught 5 feet. The auxiliary power will be a Mianus 18 horsepower engine. Mr. Lister intends using the craft on Delaware River and Bay. She will be built strong for sea cruising, and will be finished in mahogany.
It is reported that Morton Johnson, of Bay Head, will build a fleet of fifteen or more 18-footers for the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club, at Beach Haven. These small craft will be light draught, center-board craft, and sloop rigged, all of the same design, and will be used for racing this summer at Beach Haven, where the racing game had almost died out. These small craft are expected to do for the lower bay what the 20-foot sneakbox has done for yacht racing in the upper bay.
Edward Crabbe, of Toms River, who recently bought the old Barnegat Bay champion catboat Gem, and who expects to rig her up with a racing sail to see if there is still life in her hull, is also having a 24-foot power bank skiff built at Lavallette, by Charles Hankins. This builder makes a specialty of pound boats and bank skiffs.
One of the busiest yards along the coast is that of J. Howard Perrine, of Barnegat, whose Barnegat sneakboxes are now almost as widely known as the much advertised Swampscott dory, or the Oldtown canoe. He has a bunch of work on hand, so much that he hasn't room for it in his shops and has had to set up a number of small craft out in the open.
There is talk that the Island Heights and Seaside Park Yacht Clubs will join with Beachwood (Polyhue) Club this summer in racing 15-footers. Also that Bay Head will take a hand in this game. The idea is that it will break in the younger boys, and by the time they have their muscles hardened, they will be ready to take up the racing of larger craft.
The Yachtsmen's Club of Philadelphia will revive its ocean race this summer. One of the courses that has many points in its favor is from Philadelphia to Barnegat Inlet and return. The Yachtsmen's Club has elected Robert Young, commodore; Charles Ragan, vice-commodore; H.G. Gardiner, rear commodore; William Drew, financial secretary; James Connor, recording secretary; Walter Biddle, treasurer; directors, Dr. Walter E. Uffenheimer, Harry Klein, John Mackin, Gene Conway, Frank Thompson, H.G. Evans, John Talley.

CUTTER WATCHES FOR RUM RUNNERS OFF JERSEY COAST
The Coast Guard Cutter Kickapoo is said to be cruising along the Jersey coast keeping a watch for rum runners that may approach the coast from foreign ports. Coast Guard crews are said to be instructed to keep an eye open for possible smugglers. The combination of schooners from Bermuda and fast motor boats from the Jersey inlets, is said to have been at work again, as it was last summer.

TUG CAPTAIN NOT TO BLAME FOR DROWNING OF BARGEMEN
Providence, Feb. 1.—United States Steamboat Inspectors yesterday exonerated the captain and crew of the tug Watuppa, of the Staples Transportation Company, of Fall River, from all blame in connection of the sinking of the barge Havana, off Mantoloking, N.J., January 11. Two lives were lost when the Havana, coal laden, for this port, went down. The inspectors stated the loss of the barge was due to heavy winds of hurricane force. Two of the barge's crew reached shore alive at Mantoloking, and two more washed ashore there, dead.

CUSTOMS OFFICERS TOOK WHISKEY FROM COUNTY JAIL
Fearing that the whiskey in the Ocean County jail, at Toms River, part of the smuggled stuff brought to Atlantic City on the schooner Pocomoke, might be replevined [a procedure whereby seized goods may be provisionally restored to their owner pending the outcome of an action to determine the rights of the parties concerned] by its alleged owners, as a result of the Van Ness act being unconstitutional, the whiskey was removed from the jail on Sunday morning, February 5, by customs officials in Philadelphia. The claim of the customs service was that the whiskey was smuggled in and therefore was forfeited, as having paid no duty.
This whiskey was found in a tract of woodland belonging to Assemblyman Ezra Parker, west of Barnegat, on August 6, last. The whiskey was bottled, and was packed in straw in 106 burlap bags. It was estimated to be 1000 quarts, worth at current rates nearly or quite $20,000 [$334k in 2022 dollars]. The whiskey was being dug up by Andrew Grob, of Atlantic City, one of the proprietors of the Extra Dry Cafe, at 1110 Atlantic Avenue, and a number of local men whom Grob had hired to dig up the whiskey and put it aboard touring cars for transportation. Instead it was brought to the county jail and sealed up in the steel cells of the new jail.
Grob was taken before Judge Jeffrey, under the Van Ness act, and sentenced to ninety days in the county jail.
Sunday the stuff was taken away in a truck by John R. Agnew, Inspector of Customs, and carried to the Appraiser's Stores, at 134 South Second Street, Philadelphia. He gave the Sheriff's office a receipt for 106 packages of liquor. The whiskey was said to be Old Crow, a Kentucky whiskey; Five-Star Haig, and Buchanan & Co.'s Black and White, both Scotch brands.

T.R.H.S. DEBATES WITH BARNEGAT ON MARCH 24
Toms River High School will debate with Barnegat High School at Barnegat on the evening of Friday, March 24. The Toms River school took choice of subject, leaving choice of place to Barnegat. The question to be debated is: “Resolved that the world powers reduce land and naval armament to the point only of providing for policing their own territories.” Toms River took the affirmative side. Tuckerton and Point Pleasant are to debate the same night, and Lakewood will debate with a Monmouth county high school.

PARKER'S BILL WOULD STOP SETTING STEEL TRAPS IN WOODS
Assemblyman Parker has been asked to introduce a bill to make it illegal to set steel traps in the upland woods. It would not stop the trapping of muskrats in the marshes. It is urged for it that steel traps catch more rabbit, pheasant and game generally than they do foxes or fur-bearing animals, and that hound dogs are also more or less frequently caught and crippled.

DURING TUCKERTON WOMAN'S FUNERAL, HOUSE IS ROBBED
While the funeral service was being said over the dead body of Mrs. William McDaniels, formerly a Tuckerton woman, at 314 East Main Street, Millville, a thief broke into the house and rifled the second story, stealing the dead woman's clothing. Mr. McDaniels is a cripple, being badly burned some months ago while rescuing a fellow worker from a fire in the glass plant where they were employed. He goes about on crutches.

COUNTY ASSESSMENT SHOWS MILLION GAIN OVER 1921
While the County Board of Taxation is still revising the tax duplicates for the year 1922, and has a number of districts to go over, enough books have been footed up to show that there will be a gain in tax valuations over the year 1921 of at least a million dollars [$16.73 million in 2022 dollars]. Of course all the homes built since October, 1920, are exempt from taxes, and had they been assessed the increase would have been double what it is now. About 70 per cent., or more than $700,000 of the increase comes from Lakewood.

FREE MOVIES DREW BOYS AND GIRLS FROM ALL AROUND
The free movies, showing “Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp,” at the Opera House, last Friday and Saturday, was a gala event for the grade pupils of Toms river and all the nearby towns. Tickets were given out to every pupil, either in the local school or in any school within reach of Toms River, up to and including the Eighth Grade. As a consequence the children from Lakehurst, Whitings, Pine Beach, Bayville, Lanoka, Forked River, Island Heights, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Lavallette and Osbornville, all enjoyed the film. Nor will they object if the picnic is repeated, so good a time did they have.

BEACH HAVEN TO HAVE ITS OWN ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT
The Borough of Beach Haven is to have its own electric light plant, owned by the borough. This was voted on Monday night last, at the meeting of the Borough Council. The plans in view are for a Diesel engine, burning heavy fuel oil. R.F. Engle was appointed a committee to interview engineers, that Council might select one to draw plans for the plant. Solicitor Berry was instructed to draw the necessary ordinance.

PERSONAL
Did you ever hear of a policeman putting out a fire with a snowball? Officer Johnson did that trick, when a short circuit set fire to an electric light pole on Main Street, in front of the Ocean House.

RECENT DEATHS
William R. Van Schoick
Willaim R. Van Schoick, former Postmaster and one of the best known citizens of Island Heights, died at Kimball hospital, Lakewood, Sunday, February 5, after an illness of more than two years, most of which time he had been at the hospital. He would have been 71 years of age in March, and was the son of Joseph and Annie (Cook) Van Schiock. He was a sawmill man in his younger days, and for some years past had been in the coal business. He was appointed Postmaster by President McKinley and served for sixteen years. He leaves a widow, two sons, Arthur, of Lakewood, and Howard of Island Heights, and a daughter, Mrs. Harry Sharp of Camden. Rev. H.J. Smith held funeral services at the home at 1.00 P.M., Wednesday; burial at Riverside cemetery.

George B. Barone
George B. Barone, son of Mrs. R. Ricossi of Toms River, died Tuesday, February 7, at Kimball hospital, Lakewood, following an operation. Death was caused by peritonitis, from a ruptured gall bladder. He would have been 21 years of age on February 22, and had helped his stepfather in his fruit store on Main Street...

Benjamin B. Lister
Benjamin B. Lister, a prominent real estate agent in Germantown, Pa., and for twenty years a summer cottager at Seaside Park, died Friday, January 27, and was buried at Media, Pa. He was the father of Mrs. Goble, wife of Dr. Paul E. Goble, of Toms River. He was 68 years of age, and leaves a son and three daughters and a widow. He was trustee of the Seaside Park Yacht Club, and interested in all the civic affairs at that resort, where he will be greatly missed by both the summer colony and the year-round folks.

Rev. E.H. Durell
Rev. E.H. Durell, a well-known Methodist clergyman, and also a prominent cranberry grower, died at his home, in Woodbury, Saturday, aged 93 years. He was long president of the American Cranberry Growers' Association, and on retiring, was made honorary president for life. His son, Anthony Durell, used to visit the Riverside House, at Toms River, and married Miss Olga Burchard, of Philadelphia, who was a frequent visitor at Toms River.

TOWN LIFE

BARNEGAT
When the chilly blasts whistle through your whiskers, just think three weeks more we can get out our garden tools and delve in mother earth. Who said long winter!
The recent storm... lifted the ice from the creeks, carried it out on the meadows and also hundreds of bushels of oysters that had frozen in it. Many people have been reaping a harvest by gathering them...
J.H. Perrine is building another fleet of sneakboxes for different boat clubs on the bay. He is also fitting out one of his famous racing 16-foot sneakboxes for the motor boat show in New York...
The death of Capt. Garrett Lippincott, at Snug Harbor, on January 29, removed another of our oldest and well-known citizens. He was born at Forked River, in 1835, and all his younger days were spent on the sea...

BEACH HAVEN
Mrs. Ella Pharo, waitress of the Central House, is taking her vacation now while the boarders are few, and spending some time in West Creek, also visiting relatives in Mount Holly, Camden and Atlantic City.
The borough has a bunch of men at work repairing the damage done to the boardwalk during the storm.
George H. Penrod is having alterations made in his store, and having installed a large refrigerator to accommodate a line of fresh meats which he will carry for the convenience of his customers.
The storm left the county road in very bad condition where the tides came in from the bay and crossed in many places; wherever there was new gravel put last year they seemed to be the worst, and were bad as far as Manahawkin. Those who had business came over from the mainland, among them R.F. Rutter and William P. Rutter, George Kelly and Capt. Henry Cowperthwaite, of West Creek. George says he is not coming over any more no matter what happens, and Captain Henry says not to expect him over again until the Fourth of July. However, the men got to work at the roads the last of the week and if we have no more bad weather we believe these gentlemen will find our roads in good condition again before long, we are hoping so any way.
Capt. Mannas Kelly, of Bonds Coast Guard Station, spent the week end with his family, in West Creek.

BEACHWOOD
Mr. and Mrs. William Mill Butler had an exciting and strenuous time recently moving their household effects to Beachwood from the apartment which they have occupied for over nine years past, at 454 Fort Washington Avenue, New York. The first van load arrived at their new garage, just over the Pine Beach line, on January 20, and the second and third van loads motored into the borough five days later; but the fourth and fifth van loads got caught in the deep snow which fell during the blizzard, and one of the trucks broke an axle four miles this side of Freehold. The other van got through and unloaded on February 1, and then went back for the contents of the other next day. Mr. and Mrs. Butler are now permanently located in their pretty bungalow, on Bayside Avenue, which they have occupied from early spring until late in the fall, each year, since 1916. Their New York household goods are stored in their spacious garage, pending the completion of their new home, on the water front. Mr. Butler commutes to his business in New York, two or three times a week, going early in the morning and returning in the evening [via the Central Railroad of New Jersey], being the first resident of Beachwood to do this.

FORKED RIVER
The Barkalow brothers report trapping two mink, a big muskrat and two opossums.
Some of our folks report finding maypinks almost ready to burst their buds in an old field belonging to W.B. Penn.
Tuesday morning, when the 6:16 left the depot, it struck a big buck deer at Lacey Crossing and hurt it so badly it died. It was taken to Toms River and turned over to Game Warden J.H. Evernham.

ISLAND HEIGHTS
Mr. Diesinger was a week-end visitor at Stokes' boat-yard.
Last Thursday evening a Community Social was held in Siddon's Hall. Most everyone on the Heights attended. Games were played and talk fests held, and old and young all had a good time. Refreshments of cake and ice cream were served and all went home after having spent a very happy evening.
What is it that doesn't cost much dough. And goes where other cars can't go. And fights its way through ice and snow.—The Flivver.
And when a tire flies off, by ging, it doesn't stop, but starts to sing, and takes you home on one bare rim.—The Tin Lizzie.
When the Studebaker engine stalls, and the Cadillac won't go at all, who comes to their aid and helps them all?—Why, the dear old Ford!

LAKEHURST
Lakehurst for the past five years has stood way up the line as one of the largest business producing stations on the entire Central Railroad system. That being the case, it would seem as if the village was entitled to a better depot than it has. At any rate, now that electric lights are in the village, the least the railroad company could do, would be to take out the smoky oil lamps, that only serve to show you how dark it is, and replace them with electric lights.
The Lakehurst Fire Company have bought a new Reo chassis for their fire apparatus. They have now a gasoline-driven pump, which will be set the Reo chassis, also a hose reel, and a fifty-gallon chemical tank. The new outfit costing the company $1500 [$25k in 2022 dollars]. The company will be busy for some time raising this money. One of the methods will be a barn dance at Red Men's Hall, on March 18.
Central Railroad men are proud of the record of the road in the recent snow storm. There were plenty of drifts, but no trains were blocked and no delays of any moment.

LANOKA
Harold Worth is taking out the large oak trees out of South Railroad Avenue to widen the street, which we hope will be a township road in the near future.

LAVALLETTE
Gus Helmuth has rented I.B. Osborn's store and garage.
There are several new men in town who are going to help work on the new cottages that are going up for the coming season.
Norman MacGregor has plans out for a new house, to take the place of the one that burned down a few years ago on the beach front.
I.B. Osborn is moving over to Manasquan, where he has bought a very nice place for business.
The beach road has been kept in good shape so far this winter. John Strickland keeps the scraper going over it after a rain or a thaw.
The Lakewood Coast Electric Company had some of their men down, to go over and fix up our lights. It was quite a treat to have the lights on after being in darkness for three nights.

MANAHAWKIN
George Frederickson is installing a Delco Light System in his residence on Main Street. He expects soon to open a barber shop with William Cranmer, of Barnegat, as barber.

OCEAN GATE
Council meeting Saturday P.M. At the Council room.
Harry D. Black has started work on the new Mason bungalow on the corner of Bay View and Asbury Avenues.
Mrs. Frank Biernbaum and children are spending a few days in Philadelphia with her parents.
Two of the members of the Ocean Gate A.A. [Athletic Association] were here Sunday. It is rumored they will build a club house near the ball field this spring.
People from Philadelphia were looking over the stores on Ocean Gate and Atlantic Avenues this week, which have been advertised for sale several times this winter.
Recently one of our Ford owners took a trip to the county seat, and after transacting his business, invited a couple of Ocean Gate ladies to ride back with him. After trying vainly for quite a while to start his car he finally was compelled to secure the services of a mechanic, but still the Ford refused to move. Happening to put his hand in his pocket he felt a plug he had previously removed and which was causing his trouble. After paying the mechanic he started for home.

PLEASANT PLAINS
Rev. W.B. Nobles met with an accident last week. He was in his well cleaning it; a brick fell from the top, cutting his head; he is around now and feeling some better.

SEASIDE PARK
The Seaside Park Fire Company has in the past year bought a pumping engine and 1000 feet of hose, at a cost of $5500 [$92k in 2022 dollars]. All but $1000 of this has been paid for. The Company is busy trying to raise by April 1 the remaining $1000. On Washington's birthday they will have their annual ball in the firehouse hall. Wardell's Orchestra will furnish music. The Company was organized in 1915.
At the Council meeting on Saturday last it was decided not to lease any privileges at the public dock to individuals for the present. This move is thought by some to be a bad one, taking into consideration the condition of the dock, which at present is unsafe and really requires a new one, with no borough funds available, which means another bond issue. In Mr. Kennedy's agreement a new and enlarged structure would be installed for the summer traffic and other much needed improvements were also scheduled.
Council decided to erect a public drinking fountain on the school grounds, the installation to be made as soon as the weather will permit.
Council decided to include in the 1922 appropriation, $500 [$8400 in 2022 dollars], which will be distributed by the Board of Trade for resort advertising.
Aided by public subscription the borough will erect comfort stations about the Park; the sites will be determined later...
Howard Keough was given a contract to paint fifty road signs to be placed along the highway.
The [Board of Trade] will also erect an illuminated sign at the borough line.
Emory Peck and family are again living in the Berkeley station after a short sojourn to one of the Thompson cottages.
C.W. Mathis will soon erect a new building on Fifth Avenue, and it is rumored will move his grocery business there.
Robert Disbrow, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Disbrow, of Toms River, has enlisted for one year in the Coast Guard Service, and is now stationed at Station 109.

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