This Was Newtown: 1917

From the Newtown Enterprise, August 1917

Temperance group selects rally cry

The regular meeting of the Newtown Young People's Baptist Union was held at the home of Helen Miller on August 9 at 8 o'clock. The meeting was opened by singing "Till Pennsylvania's Dry," followed by Scripture reading and prayer, led by Rev. Waltemeyer, of Thurmont, Md.

The decision of the judges to select a local rally cry from those submitted was then given, and the prize of 200 miles was given to the "Prohibition Special." After some discussion, the Y.P.B. adopted the second choice of the judges for the local rally cry, as follows:

"Zip, zowie, rip, bang, boom!

Move before us, give us room;

Newtown Y.P.B. are we;

We'll help make our nation free--

Drive away all rum and sin;

Victory, victory we will win."

After singing "Vote It Down," Miss Lavinia B. Eyre announced that the "Prohibition Special" won the race across the continent, and a committee was appointed from the losing train to arrange for the next meeting.

The superintendent of the Department of Soldiers and Sailors gave her report and was voted $5 for expenses. In connection with this department, Miss Eyre requested members to save clippings of humorous and cheerful sayings, to be sent later.

After the business meeting, the members enjoyed a social hour of games and watermelons.

The girls of the Y.P.B. are invited to be present at a sewing bee to be held at the home of Miss Keehn on Saturday afternoon, August 18, at 2:30 o'clock.

Fire destroys large barn

The large stone and frame barn on the farm of John J. Tierney (known as the Rice farm), below Newtown, was destroyed by fire late Tuesday afternoon.

The farm has for some years been tenanted by Jacob Brown and his son, Howard. The fire was discovered by Howard's son shortly before 5 o'clock as he was working about the barn. The blaze was then on the threshing floor, but it made such rapid progress that by the time help arrived (the men on the farm were plowing some distance from the barn), it was impossible to save muich from the doomed building.

Two wagons and an automobile were about all that could be gotten out. The barn contained all the crops harvested this year on the large farm, together with machinery and implements, and a lot of hay from a neighboring farm. Two calves, the only livestock in the barn, lost their lives in the blaze.

Word was sent to Newtown and the local firemen hurried to the scene and did what they could to prevent the spread of the flames, but the barn and its contents were beyond aid at the time of their arrival. Many neighbors and others were also soon on the ground but could do little more than watch the work of destruction. A wagon house attached to the barn was also burned, but a corn crib standing near was saved. The dwelling house was in no danger.

The origin of the fire is in doubt. A thunderstorm was not far distant at the time and some think that a lightning bolt may have started the fire. In Langhorne about that time, the populace was startled by a heavy peal of thunder and flash of lightning without much warning, and there may have been such a visitation, unnoticed, on the Tierney barn.

The loss is estimated at $5,000 or more. Buildings and contents were insured, but probably not enough to cover the loss.

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Newtown council approves purchase of fire engine

Newtown council approved the purchase of a new fire engine at its August meeting.

Communications from committees of the board of trade and the fire association were read, each recommending the purchase of the Boyd engine. Those signing the former were J. Wilmer Lundy, Lewis C. Wettling and Robert Kenderdine. They certified to having personally inspected the engine and being satisfied with it. The signers of the latter recommendation were John Bothwell, George Ettenger, W. Aubrey Merrick and David Voorhees.

Councilman Afflerbach moved that on the strength of these letters, the Boyds be instructed to proceed with their work of fitting up the engine for the borough, and that the bank be directed to honor the check for $500--an initial payment--which has been held up pending the investigation.

After some discussion, this motion was adopted, with Councilman Pugh in the negative. He gave his reason for so voting--that he has found it will be impossible to get parts for the engine when such are needed--and asked that he might be recorded as voting the way he did.

Attorney Stuckert was directed to proceed with the preparation of the bonds, from the sale of which funds are to be obtained to pay for the new fire engine. The amount of the issue will be $4,000, the price of the engine; in the denomination of $500, with interest at 4-1/2 percent, and to be dated September 1, 1917. They will be twenty-year bonds, redeemable after five years. It was thought these bonds can be sold to local capitalists without difficulty.

Chief Bothwell was authorized to sell the steam fire engine at the best price obtainable.

Council was informed in a communication from the fire association that the heater in the cellar of the fire house is in bad shape and must be repaired before it can be used. Also, the cornice of the building needs repairs. On motion, it was directed that the necessary repairs be made.

Man dies from injuries suffered in automobile accident

Alfred R. Lang, trouble man for the past few weeks at Newtown for the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, was fatally injured between 3 and 4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon in an automobile accident.

He had been doing some work at Smith W. Krewson's, in Lower Makefield, and had started for Newtown. His automobile skidded in some sand at the foot of a hill near the junction of the back road from Newtown to Yardley and the Mill road, and turned turtle, pinning Lang underneath the machine. He was found shortly afterward and was suffering intense pain.

Elmer B. Leedom, who lives near the scene of the accident, brought the injured man to Dr. Charles B. Smith's office in Newtown, where an examination showed no bones broken and no abrasions. Lang told Dr. Smith that the ladder which he carried on the automobile had punched him in the abdomen when the machine turned over.

As Lang had evidently suffered serious internal injury, Dr. Smith had Leedom take him at once to Mercer Hospital in Trenton, after having given him a hypodermic injection to relieve him of the great pain he was experiencing.

At the hospital, Lang continued to grow worse, and died at 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon. It has not been learned whether any operation was performed.

The unfortunate victim was an Englishman, aged about 23 years. His parents live in Trenton. An only brother was drowned a year or two ago.

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Newtown Notes

Mrs. Darrah will close her place of business for the last two weeks in August, when she will attend millinery openings. She will return the first week of September with new goods and splendid ideas for your new fall hat.

On a fishing excursion one day last week, Frank S. Lovett caught nine bass and one other big fish in the Neshaminy.

A. G. Anderson on Thursday moved from Buckingham to a house on Sterling street, opposite the bobbin factory.

George C. Worstall and his wife this week are on a trip to Boston to attend the annual encampment of the G.A.R. [Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union Civil War veterans].

Mrs. Moessner has resumed the duties of toll collector at the gate on the Bridgetown and Newtown turnpike.

Stanley A. Watson is home this week from the Niagara training camp. He has been appointed second lieutenant of the First Battery, field artillery, and from here will go to Camp Meade, near Annapolis, Md.

Albert C. Fell on Thursday visited his grandfather, Abner F. Cleaver, at Paulsboro, N.J. He found the aged man quite feeble and confined to his room, but not entirely to bed. Cleaver presented his grandson with a fine gold watch and chain.

David Sutton, of Riegelsville, who has the contract for the construction of the Barclay street bridge, began work on the job last Monday and has nine men working. They are boarding at the Temperance House. The old wooden superstructure is being replaced with reinforced concrete construction.

Mrs. Sallie Taylor, of Leonia, N.J., is spending a week with Miss Olive Balderston, of North Chancellor street.

Fred, the 15-year-old son of Phares Bilger, is home from Mercer Hospital in Trenton, where he had been undergoing treatment following an accident when he fell on the railroad track near his home. It was feared he had ruptured a blood vessel near the heart. This proved not to be the case, and the youth is now much improved.

Harold H. Conrad is spending his vacation at a summer camp in the White Mountains, near Ashland, N.H.

Twenty-seven cows were sold at the sale of Seth Fisher & Son, held at the Brick Hotel on Friday. The average price was about $86.