This Week in Ocean County, 1922! (February 3rd)

2/4/2022

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 3rd, 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)

February.
Second month.
28 days in February.
Moonlit evenings now.
Yesterday was Ground Hog day.
Lincoln's birthday Sunday, 12th last.
Hooray, you can see the days get longer.
Last-week was the wintriest of the winter.
How bright the stars were after the storm Sunday night.
Put chains on the hind wheels and the motor car doesn't mind snow and ice.
Carl Wainwright ended the gunning season Tuesday by bagging two black ducks.
The United Feed Co. is planning a new building next the Central Railroad and the Main Shore Road.
The Ground Hog is a canny beastie. Like the oracles of old, you can generally read his weather prediction either way. Yesterday it was cloudy all the morning, but broke away enough in the noon hour for some light to filter through—enough to cast a faint shadow. Later the sun came out bright.
The Courier 1922 Almanac is in this issue.
Howard Tice drove into town from Pine Beach this week in a cutter of the vintage of 1880, bells and all. Some boy, some rig!
Freeholders meet on Tuesday of next week and take up the County budget for 1922.
Louis Davis has bought the old Lawrence house at the corner of Lakehurst road and Irons street from the Toms River Amusement Co. Since he bought it he has had a chance to sell it at an advanced price.
A heavy sea on the beach after the big storm. The surf's roar could be heard in Toms River both Sunday and Monday nights.
Adolph Anderson, who for several years has lived in Merchantville, has returned to Bayville and is now working for J.P. Evernham on his new Main street store building.
The Girl Scouts held a cake sale in the Red Cross room on Saturday and garnered some $33 [$548 in 2022 dollars] toward the maintenance fund for the car used by the Child Welfare Nurse, Miss Bergen.
The State Highway Department kept Route 4 open in spite of the snow. Scrapers, tractor drawn, were used on Saturday and again on Sunday to break the road.
Boys and girls had a lot of fun coasting and snowballing this week. But they couldn't do it as we used to—“cut behind”—for there were no sleighs to “hitch onto.”
The boy who had a sleigh and rubber boots for Christmas, since this week has decided that all things comes to him who waits.
As the days lengthen, yachtsmen begin to talk and plan for summer.
School meeting on Tuesday, February 14. The terms of Mrs. Crabbe and judge W.H. Jeffrey expire. If the voters wish, both these members will serve another term. Leonard Clark is announced to be a candidate also. There may be more by the 14th.
A Main street young woman is wearing a handsome diamond ring.
The Toms River Motor Co., with quick discernment, utilized the snow storm as a good advertising opportunity. They sent out a snow plow, drawn by a Fordson tractor, and opened the streets around town on Sunday afternoon.
Sun rises tomorrow at 7:08, and sets at 5:21, making the day ten hours and 18 minutes long.

HEADLINE NEWS

RECALLING LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS, LIFE-SAVING SURFMEN, SHIPWRECKS AND THEIR COLLECTORS
As we look across the bay our attention is centered on Barnegat Light, the faithful old beacon that has never failed since 1859 to warn “Ships that pass in the night.” Of all the keepers—Fuller, Brown, Kelly, Yates, Reeves, Bills, Woodmansee and Cranmer, all are dead except Joshua Reeves and Clarence Cranmer. When we read of the bill to pension old Life Savers, we find there are but few of the old members left. The old crew years ago were Sam Perrine, Joel Ridgway, Stephen Inman, Solomon and John Soper, Furman Perrine, Alexander Chandler, William Inman and some others we cannot call to mind, but they are all gone, and very few of the men are left who were then under the old Life Saving Department. As to the early settlers and builders of Barnegat City [today Barnegat Light Borough], which started about 1878 or 79 we hardly think there is one living today. They were Buzby, Wm. Bailey, Ben Archer, Enoch Boice, Charles Elmer Smith, Mr. Sparks, Lloyd Butterworth, William Kroger, Isaac Peckworth, Enoch Jones, Caleb Parker, always known as “Dad”; Warner Kinsey, Frank Fennimore, Mr. Girard, Richard Whetstone, Mr. Whitney, and perhaps one or two more, but we feel sure there is not one of those above living today who were the original founders of these places. One of the later ones to make it his home was John W. Haddock, well known as a collector of marine relics and had them displayed around his home. Now the home, Mr. Haddock and the relics are all gone, the house moved to higher ground, the site and relics swept away by the encroaching sea, and Mr. Haddock was removed by the all-devouring hand of time and his remains now rest in the quiet little graveyard at Waretown, overlooking the bay and Barnegat City, the place he was so much interested in.
In his yard was the large wooden image of St. Patrick taken from the bow of the old ship of that name wrecked about two miles below the Inlet, December, 1854, and buried in the sand until a few years ago, when it was dug out and placed in his yard. Some of the more superstitious say there has not been a snake or toad on that part of the beach since the old Saint was put there. Mr. Haddock's place was a memorial to most of the old ships that left their bones on that part of the beach, as he had anchors, chains, boats, blocks, steering wheels, images, names and most everything to be found on the beach after a wreck had broken up. Among the names were J. & C. Meritt, Samuel C. Holmes, Oliver G. Colbly, J.H. Trusty, Sinbad, C.S. Edwards, Cultivator, Alert, Imperial, Mary Moses, Madeline, Louis Burke, J. Sherwood, Sultana, City of Aberdeen, Mattie E. Tabor, Ella, L. & A. Babcock, John A. McKie, and others we have forgotten, but there are many of these who have interesting and thrilling stories connected with them, but all the old men are gone who knew the circumstances.
It used to be said among the old timers that the spirit of the departed sailors could be seen on the beach at night hovering around the old wrecks, and even after Mr. Haddock resurrected some of the old relics, it was said on dark, stormy nights these gruesome figures could be seen around these images of the ships that bore them to their doom. Some of these old names are old enough to have belonged to some of the ships that were lured ashore in the days when Barnegat pirates held sway along the coast and made false beacons to mislead the mariner in steering for the light which drove him on the treacherous sands when the pirate as once confiscated ship and cargo, the crew barely escaping with their lives. This, long ago has passed, and the Coast Guards are ever on the alert to save life and property.
Years ago one could not spend a more interesting hour than that of visiting the old-time Life Saving Station, and listening to the tales of the sea from actual experience at the times when wrecks were common and the Life Saving crews were old men who had seen real service at sea and resembled an old mariner with his sou'wester and canvas-patched clothes. But today our Coast Guards are the exact counterpart of a West Point Cadet, and many of them with about as much experience with the sea, as the Cadet has up the Hudson River, but it matters little as the days of wrecks are past, and the main thing the present, up-to-date, fine-looking young military man is for is to look after the ladies during bathing hours, and from all accounts our Harvey Cedars crew fitly filled the bill last summer. [the above was originally written by the Barnegat reporter under that section of this issue, but is of such interest as to be promoted to the top of our page's interests, today]

BIGGEST SNOW IN TWO YEARS CAME SATURDAY
The biggest snow we had since February 4, 1920, came on Saturday last, January 28, and lasted well into Sunday. The snow was one of the continental storms, and came up the coast from the gulf, and swung out to sea. About a foot of snow fell here, but further south it was much heavier, thirty inches being reported from Washington, D.C.
The snow began shortly before noon on Saturday, though there had been occasional spurts of snow before that in the morning. The wind blew a gale out of the northeast, and kept it up all night. During the night the snow, part of the time, turned to sleet and rain. The storm cleared up with an east wind and by no means cold weather, about noon on Sunday. At this place little damage was done. Electric light wires went down here and there, and that was about all...

ESCAPED IN NIGHT CLOTHES FROM BURNING HOME IN STORM
The home of Mr. and Mrs. L.W. Rice, on the old Freehold road, opposite the cemetery, burnt to the ground on Sunday morning, at the height of the storm. Mrs. Rice, her brother, Hubert Dougherty, and her nephew, Charles Dougherty, who lived with her, escaped from the burning house in their night clothing and barefooted. Mr. Rice, who is employed in New York, was not at home.
Mrs. Rice heard a noise, and called her brother, saying there must be some one in the house. He laughed at the idea, but she was sure she heard it, and went down stairs to investigate. As she opened the dining room door, the room was all ablaze. She had just time to run up the stairs and get her brother and nephew out of bed, and they escaped into the snow and storm. Dougherty ran in his bare feet through the snow to Winnie Applegate's home, below the cemetery, and Applegate ran down town and gave the alarm. The firemen were quickly on the job, but the house was a total loss when they got there. The home of Lewis Irons was threatened, but between the snow and sleet and the firemen, and the neighbors, it was saved.
The house belonged to Mrs. James Britton, of this place, and was insured for $1000 [$16,595 in 2022 dollars]. Her loss will be $1500 or more beyond the insurance. Rice had $500 on his furniture, and he also lost heavily. He had started work on a new house at the northeast corner of Walnut Street and Freehold Road, and had several hundred dollars worth of material for that house in the house that was burnt, and this was also a total loss.

SLEIGHING BELONGS TO THE PAST
We may sing “Jingle Bells,” and the older folk may tell their children of the jolly sleighing parties they enjoyed when young, but sleighing seems to belong to the past. Probably not over two or three sleighs were out during the past snow at Toms River. At Lakewood, where it is still fashionable to drive horses, liverymen put out their sleighs and did a good business over the week end taking out parties of city visitors. Country folks, however, left the sleigh in the mow, Dobbin in the stall, the bells on the old harness rack and came to town in the flivver.

CARD OF THANKS
We desire to make public expression of our thanks to the people of Toms River, more especially to the kind-hearted neighbors and to the Fire Company for their efforts in our behalf at the time of the fire on Sunday morning, and the kindness of neighbors since the loss of our home and its contents. Mr. and Mrs. L.W. Rice, Toms River, N.J., January 30, 1922.—Adv.

CAPT. GWYER OFFERS SILVER CUP FOR BEST COCKEREL
As has been his custom for a number of years, Capt. Edgar L. Gwyer, of Toms River, has offered a silver cup for the best cockerel of any breed raised by any boy or girl in the Ocean County schools. It is not necessary that the boy or girl should belong to one of the poultry raising clubs, but any boy or girl who by his own or her own raised poultry in the year 1921, can compete for this cup. All they need to do is to write to Miss Beatrice Farrall, at the County Agents' Office, Court House, Toms River, and enter their prize bird for the contest. The cup is on exhibition at Worstall's jewelry store window, at Toms River.

OLD POUND FISHERMAN DEAD
All the fishermen along the coast, and many old-time Ocean County men who used to follow fishing off shore and up the North River, will recall Capt. William W. Jeffrey, of North Long Branch, whose death occurred January 28, within a few days of his 92d year. He served with the Twenty-ninth New Jersey Volunteers during the Civil War, along with some Ocean County men, and also in the Thirty-eighth. He was the oldest living pound fisherman on our coast, and was an authority on sea fishing. He was a prominent Methodist.

LAKEHURST BALLOON ADRIFT
The captive observation balloon at Lakehurst broke loose one day last week and started for Toms River. It landed on the Gontz place. Nobody hurt, and little damage done. It was taken back to the hangar by the sailors.

BEACH BUILDING BOOM AT POINT PLEASANT EXPANDS
One hundred bungalows is the prediction of the Point Pleasant Leader, will be ready for renting when the 1922 season opens, at the beach front in that borough near Manasquan Inlet. Last summer there were a number of small houses built there, on the plan of Manasquan Beach, by Dr. Frank Deniston and Edward Griggs. This winter every available lot has been bought. Among those who are building or intend to are Messrs. Deniston and Griggs, Earl Limroth, W.H. Barton, Edward Harvey, Lee Conover, Freeman Stines, Augustus Hayes, Joseph Vetrini and others. The building of the county road a year ago along the beach made this development possible.
It is also proposed to run a new street down the river front to the beach, across the old Cook farm, now the property of the River and Ocean Front Land Co., this company offering to deed the land to the borough for a street. S. Van Wagnan, of Suffern, N.Y., is building a summer home along the proposed line of this road, and it is stated other tracts have been sold and buildings will go up, contingent on the laying out of the road.

FEDERAL HUNTING LICENSES
Passage of the new Anthony bill to provide for federal licenses to hunt migratory birds and for the establishment of game refuges and public shooting grounds for such birds would affect about 5,000,000 American sportsmen, the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture, estimates. The bill has been favorably reported by the Senate Committee on Public Lands and Surveys. In the House the bill is in the Committee on Agriculture.
The bill provides that each hunter of migratory birds shall obtain a Federal license, at a cost of $1 for the season, the licenses to be issued at any post office in the United States. Out of the proceeds not less than 45 per cent is to be spent by the government, through a proposed migratory bird refuge commission, in buying or renting land suitable for the establishment of migratory game bird refugees which would serve as breeding and feeding places for birds during the period of their flight north, or the closed season, and as public shooting grounds during the open season. An additional 45 per cent will be used for the enforcement of the migratory bird treaty act and the Lacey act, and the remaining 10 per cent for expenses and other administrative expenses.
The bill provides that the Secretary of Agriculture shall be chairman of the Commission, and that other members shall be the Attorney General, the Postmaster General, and two members of each House of Congress. Rules and regulations governing the administration of the proposed refuge would be placed in the hands of the Secretary of Agriculture. The proposed measure does not in any way obviate the necessity of procuring a state hunting license.

FACE VALUE HOPED FOR BY BRIDGE STOCKHOLDERS
Now that the State Highway Commission has set a price of $178,000 on the Island Heights and Seaside Park bridge across Barnegat Bay and of $96,112.83 on the Long Beach Turnpike Company bridge crossing the bay from Manahawkin to Long Beach, the stockholders in these two projects are hoping to get face value for their stock. It was the stockholders who made the bridges possible, but as is usually the case, they are the last to be considered, from the very nature of the relative position of stocks and bonds in any enterprise...
The state took over these bridges on March 1, 1921. Since that time no tolls have been charged, and the traffic on both bridges in the summer of 1921, was two or three times what it was in any previous year.

THANKS OF PRESIDENT FOR SWEETS SENT BY MRS. JOHN
Mrs. Jannett John, of Toms River, has a letter sent from the White House, conveying the thanks of President Warren G. Harding, for the basket of prize Jersey sweet potatoes sent to him a fortnight ago, from the Farmers' Week Exhibit, at Trenton. Part of the prize hamper of sweets were taken from the exhibit of Mrs. John, which helped Ocean County to win the silver cup as the best exhibit in the state. Mrs. John has had many commendations of her premium sweet potatoes last year and this, but the letter from the White House is one of the most highly prized of them all.

LAKEWOOD MAN CRUSHED TO DEATH IN [RAILROAD] CARLOAD OF COAL
Charles Cookie, an employee of the Lakewood and Coast Electric Company, of Lakewood, was crushed to death or suffocated in a carload of coal, at the Lakewood plant of the company on January 26. He was unloading a [railroad] car of coal, and got in the car, presumably to break up the frozen bunches of coal. He was caught in the rush of coal as it ran out of the bottom of the car into the coal chute, and was dragged under. He was working alone and no one knew of the trouble till night when he did not show up and search was made. It took a half hour to dig him out of the coal. He was then dead. Dr. Frank Brouwer, of Toms River, gave a certificate of death from accidental suffocation. He was 35 years of age and leaves a widow and two small children.

SEC'Y DENBY WOULD BUY AIR STATION LANDS AT LAKEHURST
Washington, Jan. 27.—Authority was sought from Congress yesterday by Secretary Denby to acquire, out of funds appropriated tot he Navy Department for the current fiscal year, title to tracts used for naval aviation purposes at Chatham, Mass.; Lakehurst, N.J.; and Galveston, Tex., and for a marine corps flying field at Quantico, Va.
For construction of a dirigible station at Lakehurst, $6,000,000 has been spent, Mr. Denby said, but an allotment of $18,000, made several years ago for the purchase of the site was turned back to the Treasury.

RAILROAD MAN'S BODY FOUND IN SURF AT PT. PLEASANT
Point Pleasant, Jan. 30.—Funeral services for Joseph M. Pickel, aged 65 years, whose body was found on the beach here Friday, were conducted from his residence Monday afternoon, at 2 o'clock. Mr. Pickel was a retired railroad conductor, having been in the employ of the Pennsylvania Company for many years. Inactivity since he retired from active service, about six weeks ago, is believed to be by his friends to have caused his mental derangement and ill health.
It is supposed he jumped in the sea from the fishing pier, as he had been walking up and down the pier just a short time before the body was found. Every effort was made to revive him but without avail. Mr. Pickel was well known along the Jersey coast and was a member of the railroad brotherhood as well as the Masonic fraternity. Internment in Harleigh Cemetery, Camden, N.J. His wife, Mrs. Louise M. Pickel, survives.

CHARGED WITH SELLING LIQUOR
Lakewood, Jan. 30.—Constables McDonald, of Beachwood, and Riley, of Lakewood, made two arrests here Saturday, taking Mr. Lipps, of the Lakewood Hotel bar, and Mr. Markus, of Fourth Street, for selling liquor. They were apprehended on a bench warrant issued by Judge Jeffrey and were taken to Toms River.

WOULD TAKE AUTO LICENSE FROM FARM CROP PILFERERS
New Jersey farmers and market gardeners who have suffered heavy losses from raids on their fruit and vegetable crops by thieving automobile parties would welcome the enactment by the New Jersey Legislature of a bill similar to one that has been introduced in the New York Assembly. This authorizes revocation of the license of any automobilist convicted of stealing any kind of farm produce. Many men who will now take a chance of being compelled to pay a small fine if detected in their marauding raids, would think twice before risking the loss of their license.

BARNEGAT PARK AGAIN
Rumor is busy down around Bayville and Pinewald, and even in Toms River, that Barnegat Park, or Pinewald, is again to be put on the map. It is now thirty years ago since Barnegat Park bloomed forth as a new winter resort and made rapid progress, only to flicker out in a succession of lawsuits. The firm of Baker Bros., of Wildwood, now hold title to much of the tract, and as it is again possible now to sell real estate, rumor says that things about Barnegat Park will again show activity. Major Edward S. Farrow, the founder of the resort, is a frequent visitor again, and that adds to the local interest.

CRANBERRY ASSOCIATION HELD ANNUAL MEETING
The American Cranberry Growers' Association held its annual meeting at the Adelphia Hotel, Philadelphia, on Saturday last, January 28. Program as previously announced, was carried out. James D. Holman, of Whitesville, the retiring president, gave a talk on scooping berries, and the effect of the practice upon the vines; C.S. Beckwith gave a report of the work done at the cranberry experiment station, at Whitesbogs; H.B. Weiss, state crop statistician, reported upon the acreage of cranberry bogs in New Jersey...

A FEW HONORED MEN AND WOMEN PAST 90 YEARS
There are a few honored men and women in the county who have passed ninety years, according to reports that come to The Courier, though there are doubtless more to be heard from here [Editor's note: meaning that when these people were born and children, there still walked among them Revolutionary War veterans]. Here is the list to date:
Mrs. Elizabeth Stephenson, of Barnegat, born July 11, 1829, and is now 92 years and 6 months. She is the mother of Miss Amelia Stephenson, of Barnegat, and of J. Fred Stephenson, of Lakewood.
Mrs. Mary Gillis, of Pleasant Plains, Dover Township, was born April 2, 1825 [editor's note: this means Mrs. Gillis, alive one century ago from 2022, was born when Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were both still alive], and April 2, 1922, will be 97 years of age. She lives on her own farm (bought from the late Israel Giberson) where she has lived for the past thirty-five years, her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. John Tilton, living with her. She is the widow of a Civil War veteran, and a pensioner. Mrs. William Whitty, of Pleasant Plains, is also her daughter.
Capt. Richard A. Wood, of West Creek, a man of great activity and of a many-sided life, full of adventure, is rounding out his 94th year, his birthday being August 26. His health is excellent and he can read print without glasses. When he was in his late seventies and early eighties he served the state as game warden, being out in all kinds of weather.
Last weeks' Courier, in its Forked River letter, told of Mrs. Eleanor Lewis, now in her 97th year, who has lived her whole life practically at that place. She is well and around the house daily.
Mrs. Harriet Wardell, of Laurelton, mother of Assessor Atwood L. Wardell, while not yet a nonagenarian, has passed her 89th birthday. Her health is good for one of that age, and her children are hoping that she will be with them for several years yet to come.
If you know of any to add to this list, let us have them.

SEA DAMAGE AT ASBURY PARK
At the heights of the storm on the beach at Asbury Park on Sunday last, parts of a barge that went to pieces off Long Branch a few weeks before, came hurtling down the beach, and did some $40,000 damage to the piling under the Casino, the Asbury Park and Ocean Grove fishing piers and the Ocean Grove Pavilion.

CRANBERRIES AT $35 A BARREL
For several weeks past reports say that cranberries have been wholesaling at $35 per one hundred quart barrel. This accounts for retailers charging 40 cents a quart up in many places. Unfortunately for the growers, they did not come in for these high prices, as the growers all put their berries out for the Christmas trade. The sales have been made by one commission man or merchant to another.

PERSONAL
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Crabbe and Miss Georgiana Crabbe sail tomorrow for a three week trip to Bermuda.
Samuel L. Cohan of Philadelphia, a former Toms River boy, sails on the Aquitania on February 9, as buyer for Lit Bros. of Philadelphia. He will visit Scotland, Ireland, France and Switzerland, while gone, his special line being hosiery and underwear.
Thomas Shibe, who is well known at Toms River and Seaside Park, has been elected as president of the Athletics base ball corporation in Philadelphia, succeeding his father, Benjamin Shibe Sr., who died a few weeks ago.
Major Edward S. Farrow of Asbury Park, was in town on Tuesday.
I.W. Richtmeyer spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Newark, attending the State Retail Monument Association, and getting the latest ideas in his line. He reports that the marble industry has made a ten per cent cut in its finished product, and the granite quarries a 20 per cent cut; and that the granite cutters are on strike in some New England quarries rather than take a reduction in wages.

FISH AND GAME
Wildfowl shooting ended on Tuesday of this week, January 31. Some say it was a successful shooting season. Others—well, it depends upon the luck of the individual gunner, how he regards it. There have been huge flocks of ducks, geese and brant in the bays, and while the bay was open they were hard to get at. But with ice in the bays, and with the winds blowing, the shooting was better.
Now that the wildfowl season is over, a gunner can't trail through the woods with his gun and explain that he was going after black ducks to a near-by pond or stream. Fox hunting is the one excuse to get out with a gun now.
By the way the snow this week brought just the conditions the local fox hunters like. They say that Mr. Fox tires sooner in a snow than does man or dog, and he is easier to get when the snow is soft.
Over in Burlington County the sportsmen have organized to hunt down the fox. Already they claim to have killed more than in an ordinary year, and are going to have several organized drives in the pines sections, like the jackrabbit and wolf drives in the far west...
Eel spearing is now in season. Not much of it done these days. The eels harbor in the mud and are caught between the tines of a three-pronged fork. They are dormant this time of year. Eels are said to be worth ten cents a pound these days.

RECENT DEATHS
Capt. Garrett L. Lippincott
Capt. Garrett L. Lippincott, an old-time mariner, died Monday, January 30, at Sailors' Snug Harbor, West New Brighton, Staten Island, N.Y. He was the father of Mrs. Parker, of Beachwood, and of Mrs. A.J. Newbury, of Porterville, Cal. He was 86 years of age and was well known to all the older generation along shore. Funeral service will be held at the Barnegat M.E. Church this (Friday) afternoon, at 2 o'clock. Burial at Barnegat Masonic Cemetery, with Masonic ritual.

Mrs. Augustus Chamberlain
Mrs. Sarah E., wife of Augustus Chamberlain, died at her home on Lakehurst road, Toms River, Monday, January 30, aged 71 years. A short time ago she ran a splinter in her right hand, resulting in death from blood poison. Rev. W.W. Payne conducted the funeral services at the M.E. Church yesterday, at 1 P.M. Burial in charge of Undertaker C.P. Anderson, at Riverside Cemetery. She was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Grant) Horner, and had lived here many years. Beside her husband she leaves two sons, Howard and Harry Chamberlain.

John Norton Frese, the 10-day-old child of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Frese, died January 19, and was buried at Riverside the day following. Services by Rev. W.W. Payne.
Harry Nolze, the day-old child of Mr. and Mrs. Nolze, of Beachwood, died January 27, and was buried at Riverside Cemetery.

COLD DAYS IN FLORIDA
Hotel Belmont, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Jan. 28, 1922

Editor New Jersey Courier:
We hear you are having some real-for-sure winter back in old New Jersey. Well, we are not using fans here in Florida. Fifty miles north of us they had a snow squall, but down here on this Pinellas peninsula we have escaped with nothing worse than very chilly breezes. Wood fires are in order, but a cold wave seldom lasts here longer than four days, and we'll be donning our bathing suits for a dip in the Gulf ere long.
Mr. and Mrs. George H. Holman, from Toms River, are registered here, at the Huntington Hotel. The Huntington is one of our largest and best hotels, and is beautifully located right in the midst of a grape fruit grove, with a fine view of the bay. Many Jersey people are in St. Petersburg, including Miss Addie Rogers, from your city, also Jonathan P. Smith, of Trenton, and Miss Lillian Rusling, of Asbury Park. These two latter Jerseyites are working in the interest of the Government Conference for Limitation of Armaments. Their speeches have instructed and delighted many large audiences in this city and county.
Hoping for an early spring, so we all return to Jersey—God's country.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Matilda C. Polk.

TOWN LIFE

BARNEGAT
A number attended the movies at Manahawkin Monday night to see “The Sheik.”
The little girls and boys are having a good time coasting with their sleds in the snow. We certainly have plenty of it down here.

BAYVILLE
Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Falkinburg, of Barnegat Pier, have taken rooms for the remainder of the winter with Mrs. Laura Brockway.

BEACH HAVEN
Colds and hoarseness seem to be epidemic in this town just now; nearly every person you meet either has it or is just recovering.
Mrs. E.A. Dease is adding to the further comfort of her boarding house “The St. Rita,” by having a sun parlor built on the south and east sides.
Mr. Thompson, of Red Bank, of the A.A. Thompson Company, which has the contract for moving Bond's Coast Guard Station, was down here last week inspecting the work. About one-third of the distance was accomplished; the station now standing on the new road which route it will follow for a short distance. The storm tides of Saturday and Sunday washed around it but did no damage.
The foreman, William Layton, with Mrs. Layton and the gang who return to Red Bank every week end, started home on Saturday afternoon, as usual, but found facing the storm too hard, and stopped in Manahawkin, from where they made the rest of the trip by train, returning here Monday afternoon and resuming work Tuesday.
The high winds and blizzard of evening train was unable to get over here from Manahawkin. But our heroic 'busman, Leon Cranmer, with the able assistance of Tommy Crane and dependable Premier, faced the gale and went to the rescue of the twenty-three passengers and the mail, patiently and hopefully waiting at Manahawkin. Although arriving home late, he brought them all safely into the home port, sound and dry. It is safe to wager that none of them ever before had such a memorable trip across the bridge, and does not want the experience again.
The high winds and blizzard of Saturday and Sunday did considerable damage on different parts of the island. Three approaches to the boardwalk were washed out or so weakened they are unsafe for travel, and the lower end of the boardwalk was ripped up and undermined. The high tide from the bay came in over the meadows around the Little Egg Harbor Yacht Club property, and flooded Bay Avenue as far as Amber Street. The ocean tides came through and crossed Atlantic Avenue at Norwood, Belvoir and Chatsworth, washing in much trash, but receded, leaving a few lakes on the lowest lots, but doing no damage to the cottages near there, although it washed entirely around several of them. Several feet were taken off the end of the island at the Inlet, and some of the gravel was washed off the new road. The cistern which had been left where Bond's Coast Guard Station was moved from, was caved in, and a great deal of trash and some wreckage washed ashore near there.

FORKED RIVER
The snow tied up things here pretty well, but the state scraped the Main Shore road, and J.B. Haines made a path along the sidewalks.
Parents, do you indulge your children in late rising in the morning? If so, you are sowing the seeds of tardiness in the child that may ruin his whole career. One girl was heard to say, “I was eating my breakfast when the first bell rang” (referring to the 8:45 school bell) whereupon another spoke up and said, “Well, I was in bed and it woke me up.” Yes, and their eyes showed plainly they were telling the truth. Would it not be far better to send them to bed earlier that they might rise the earlier? Bright morning hours are the best. Teach them to be alive and punctual.

ISLAND HEIGHTS
Charles K. Haddon, and son Will, were down last week to inspect the new boat being built by William T. Rote.
We are sorry to say that the young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Phil Applegate is down with pneumonia.
Oh the snow, the beautiful snow, we all call it that, but we're lying, we know! There's not a road broke so we walk on the top, when without the least warning, we go through, kerflop! Then your tin Lizzie balks and refuses to go, till you get out and dig in the — — — snow!
The Island Heights Library is doing splendidly, 150 books having been in circulation in the month of January. Young and old seem to find it a nice, cosy place on Monday and Thursday evenings. We are all wondering how we all did without it so long. Rev. Mr. Smith has a vote of thanks for starting it.

LAKEHURST
The Lakewood and Coast Electric Co. are somewhat behind their schedule on the street lights of the borough, which were supposed to be in operation a month ago.

LAVALLETTE
The snow storm did quite some damage to the boardwalk. It took several pilings out and tore some of the electric light poles out on the beach front.
There was lots of wood washed in from the storm. Some of the people carted seven to eight loads on Monday.
The snow here was only about three inches in depth; quite a contrast to other places.

LANOKA
A blue heron was seen at Lanoka on the last day of January. You know they are warm weather birds, but he did not say we were to have warm weather yet.

NEW EGYPT
Work on the part of our townspeople made traffic possible through the snow in our village on Sunday. George Halpin, as usual, brought out his tractor and broke the roads. Several followed him in automobiles. On Monday, George R.A. Brown, Township Committeeman, who has charge of the roads in the village of New Egypt, hired men, who dug through the deepest drifts in the road leading in the village. The road between Edward Applegate's tenant house, occupied by Charles Reynolds, and the residence of Mr. Applegate was impassible until Tuesday, all vehicles going through the fields. The drifts in and near the road leading from Jacobstown to Harry Borden's farm are from two to six feet high. Mr. Brown, who sends milk to Bordentown, got as far as Mr. Borden's, on Monday, and left his milk there, where it was taken on Tuesday to Bordentown after the roads were opened. No church services were held in the Catholic, Methodist, or Presbyterian churches as none of the pastors were able to get here...
No trains arrived all day from Philadelphia. One train, the 7:45, came in from Hightstown at 5 P.M. This train had gotten as far as Cream Ridge, and workmen had to clear the drifts before it could get to New Egypt. On Monday, the 6:30 train to the city left, but no school train ran. On Tuesday, most of the school children, who attend school at Pemberton, left here on the 6:30.
The quarantine has been lifted from the home of Harry Worth. Little Salome had scarlitina. We are glad to be able to report that through the carefulness of Mrs. Worth and her sister, Miss Salome Klopp, the illness was confined to the one child.

PLEASANT PLAINS
School 'bus got along Monday at 11 o'clock; mail arrived about 3:30 o'clock. Both did well to get along at that time considering the condition of the roads.

SEASIDE PARK
Both wind and sea caused considerable damage to our town during the storm. Electric wire were torn down which plunged the town into darkness for a couple of nights and caused the old discarded oil lamp to be pressed into service. Railings and lattice work around some of the cottages were tornaway from their fastenings, and along the ocean front sand was heaped up so as to make some of the streets impassable. At the lower end of the boardwalk wreckage hammered away at the jetty until a hole was started which gave the sea a clean sweep, cutting through into the avenues and cutting sidewalks and water mains at the junction of Twelfth and Ocean Avenues. No damage was done to the boardwalk except to cut out the sand from several of the approaches.
Mrs. Edward Mangold has resigned as primary teacher of the public school, and Miss Margaret Vetter, of Long Branch, a Normal graduate, has been elected to fill her place.
Ice boating is held up at present owing to the bay opening up in places.

SHIP BOTTOM
The storm Saturday and Sunday swept the coast, and the high tides ran across the beach so that bay and ocean came together in many places. It washed across two of our streets, taking everything with it. No train service Saturday or Sunday, not until Monday morning.

SILVERTON
The first blizzard of the season struck us with full force on last Saturday afternoon, the wind blowing from the northeast at the velocity of a hurricane for more than twenty-four hours and the snow that fell during the gale was a foot deep on the level, and any number of drifts from two to three feet deep, but we can't kick, for January was a pretty decent month. We wonder if—February will be. Not if the ground hog sees his shadow.
Asbury Park friends report that wreckage from a barge that washed ashore there during the storm damaged the beach front to the extent of $40,000 [$664,000 in 2022 dollars]. It was feared that the entire beach front would be destroyed at one time, but the debris submerged and did not return.
Harry Pitcher, of Red Bank, and Bartine Clayton, of this place, made a farewell gunning trip for the season down to Barnegat Inlet last Monday. They bagged 4 geese and 20 ducks.

ADS OF INTEREST

MISSED AN ISSUE?

Boats of Barnegat Bay T-Shirts Make Great Gifts!

All Sizes Available - Order Today! (CLICK HERE)

Enjoyed this article? Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation today!

Your donations support preserving and restoring our shared maritime heritage on the waters of Toms River and Barnegat Bay, through our boat workshop, educational programs and special events. Thank you.

Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays - 10 am to 2 pm
78 East Water Street, Toms River, NJ 08753
Guided Tours By Request - New Members Always Welcome
(732) 349-9209 - [email protected]

News