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September 08 1916/2016

New Milford – John Nelson is seriously ill at the Carpenter Hotel. Mr. Nelson has been a resident of this place for 22 years. His sister and husband, Mr. and Mrs. John Hicks, came from Wharton, NJ on Monday evening, to see him. Though Mr. Nelson had been only 150 miles from her, she had not seen him in 29 years.


Springville – The ball team and a bunch of fans went to LeRaysville to play a game with that team. That our boys not win was only an incident. They had a good time.


Montrose – Chief of Police Harry L. Mack has been having strenuous times the past few days keeping autoists to the “right” on the corners at lower Public avenue. The red flags of warning with the letters “Go to the Right” are generally observed, although some autoists still habitually “cut the corners.” Another sign is located near the Montrose House. Some of the drivers of machines growl a little when told to swing out, but there is no reason in the world why they should not gracefully conform to the new ordinance.


Rush - Dr. A.D. Gary, of this place, was in Montrose yesterday on his way to visit relatives in the west and also to view the sights in some of the national parks and beauty spots in the west and northwest. He will visit his sons, Dr. A.G. Gary, of Walker, Iowa, and C.R. Gary, of Victoria, British Columbia, and daughter, Mrs. V.D. Burch, in Rifle, Colorado.  Among other points he intends to visit are Cedar Rapids, Ia., Denver, the Grand Canyon, Seattle, and other places.


Hallstead – The W.C.T.U. of this place has started a free circulating library. A room in the home of Mrs. Thomas, corner of Pine and Susquehanna streets, has been rented for the purpose and the library was opened to the public on September 5. Hours for the opening will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Many friends have generously donated about 75 books and a traveling library from the Susquehanna County Library, in Montrose, has been received. The Hallstead ladies have worked hard to start this library for the enjoyment of the public.


Hop Bottom – A very attractive and enjoyable shower was given for Miss Lillian Rose at the home of Mrs. M.W. Stevens. The dining room was most artistically decorated in a scheme of birds’ nests and evergreens and when little Harold Roberts and Freda Stevens, dressed as miniature bride and groom escorted the real bride to be, the scene was complete. The spacious nests suspended above the tables had overflowed with the many beautiful gifts from 40 friends, those being beautiful pieces of hand-work, embroidery, crochet, tatting, paintings, etc. A dainty lunch was served and the afternoon was enlivened by several musical numbers by Mrs. Sadie Tanner, Mrs. Van de Sand and Miss Byram.


McKinney Mills, Great Bend – The neighbors of this place held a picnic under the trees at the schoolhouse. A bounteous dinner was served with plenty of ice cream and cake, and 61 people sat down at the tables. The children enjoyed themselves by swinging, and the older ones by visiting.


Ararat – The Ararat Hotel, at Ararat Summit, of which Joseph Zaveral was proprietor, burned to the ground Sunday night. Mr. and Mrs. Zaveral were away from home at the time.


Thompson – At a meeting of the Board of Health it was decided to protect the borough from infantile paralysis. All children under 16 are debarred from the borough who have not a health certificate and none to be permitted to attend any public gathering during September. Also to notify all merchants to elevate and screen all fruit and vegetables; also that they have cleanup day


Uniondale – M.D. Daniels and Nelson Coleman ran a foot race, in which Mr. Daniels came out victorious. For particulars ask either party. ALSO The Woman’s Suffrage Club was very pleasantly entertained at the home of Mrs. Haddie Reynolds.


Herrick Center – W.H. Fletcher has moved his household goods in the store building owned by P.H. Flynn and will open up a dry goods store in the near future.


Lawton – Walter Millard, well known and popular with the base ball fans and others in the western part of the county, having been Fairdale’s regular pitcher and playing as right field in the sensational game with Camp Susquehannock, has gone to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he expects to take a position on the railroad.  He has a brother and other relatives living in Fort Wayne.


Death of a Veteran – Gilbert R. Whitbeck, aged 84 years, a native of Susquehanna county, having been born near Montrose [Bridgewater Twp.], died in Boone, Iowa, on Aug. 27th. He was until three years ago a resident of St. Paul, Minn. The body was taken to that city for interment. Mr. Whitbeck enlisted in Co. C, 151st Regt. Pa. Vols. Comrade Geo. M. Wilson, of Downs, Kan., who is probably the only surviving member of this company, has kindly sent us this notice. At the recent G.A.R. reunion in Kansas City, he writes, he thought he might meet some members of his regiment, but failed. We believe he would appreciate a letter very much from any veterans in this county who may remember him.


News Brief: Owing to the many stories being circulated relative to Infantile Paralysis, in regard to the ban that has been placed upon children attending fairs, I deem it but just to our society that a statement be made to clarify the atmosphere from the delusions. It is true that the State Board of Health sent a letter to the president of the society “ADVISING” that children under 16 not attend the fair. There was nothing MANDATORY in this letter, but merely ADVISORY and the officers of the Susq. Co. Agricultural Society take the stand that the hysteria existing in the promulgation of many of the stories being circulated, as well as many of the needless orders sent out, shall be treated as the letter received, that if fathers and mothers will exert the care of their children as they always should, it will meet with the requirements of the State Board and of the officers of this Society.


200 Years Ago from the Centinel, Montrose, PA, Sept. 10, 1816. +MARRIED – In Harford township, on Sunday the 1st inst. By Squire Tiffany, Mr. Edmund Worth, to Miss Mary T. Carpenter, all of that place. +ANOTHER BRIDGE, Over the Susquehanna It is a source of the highest gratification, to observe the spirit of improvement which is extending through the interior of our country. Wilds, where only a few years since, the noise of the owl and the wolf were heard, have given way to cultivated fields: and extensive turnpikes are opened, where the warrior’s lone path wound its serpentine way through the forest. The visions of a poetic fancy could with difficulty imagine a greater change that a few of the last years have produced in the northern and western part of Pennsylvania and New York. Six yr’s since, there was not a bridge over the Susquehanna in its whole course from the northern boundary of Pennsylvania to its mouth; and in one year more it may boast as many bridges as the Rhine, which has washed the feet of Imperial Cities for 2000 years. Lewis Wernwag esq, the architect who constructed the beautiful bridge over the Schuylkill, at the upper ferry, opposite the city of Philadelphia, has contracted to build a bridge over the Susquehanna at this place, upon the same model of the excellent bridge over the Delaware at New Hope, of which he was the inventor and constructor. This bridge is to be commenced immediately, and to be passable by the first of November, 1817. It is to consist of four arches, of 185 ft. each and will be erected opposite centre street. In this contract, the public have the most ample assurance of the faithful -performance of the work, which will be an ornament and a valuable acquisition to our country.


[Thinking this was the first bridge built across the Susquehanna in Great Bend, a few trips to Google and Wikipedia convinced me that I was wrong. However, a lesson was learned—don’t assume and check Miss Blackman’s history. Peter Burgot was awarded the contract for the first bridge at Great Bend and in September of 1814 bridge inspectors were appointed and accepted the construction. So what bridge is “Another Bridge, Over the Susquehanna?” Lewis Wernwag did build a bridge over the Susquehanna, in Wilkes-Barre, in 1817.]

Compiled By: Betty Smith

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