The Hershey Press 1915-02-04

              Statistics Show That the Death Kate
Here is About One-Sixth That of
the Most Fortunate Cities.
One of the World's Healthy
Spots. Improvements
Since Hershey was begun its death
rate has been about 2 per 1,000, and
the rate for the whole period of its
existence is probably a little under
that average.
What this means may "be under-stood
when: it is known that in the
registration area of the United States
the death rate is 17 per 1,000.
Philadelphia is one of the healthiest
cities in the world but it's death rate
is 14 % per 1,000. According to the
figures Hershey is more than six
times healthier than Philadelphia.
Girard College is. being praised be-cause
it has reduced the average
death rate to 2 per 1,000. There they
deal in boys primarily selected for
their soundness, and so Hershey with
all ages in its population excells its
showing. The. Commissioner of Edu-cation—
Hon. P. P. Claxton—has. just
made an inspection of Girard as a
basis for advanced work in the vari-ous
Government Schools in which
there are 90,000 boys and girls. In
one year there was not a single death
among the 1550 boys in Girard Col-lege.
In the Hershey Industrial
School there has not been a single
death since the institution was open-ed,
and it might almost be said there
has not been a serious case of illness.
The 650 children in the M. S. Her-shey
, Consolidated Public School of
Derry Township are a remarkably
healthy lot. When the moving picture
showing all these students is placed
upon the screen it is noticed that
there , is not a single deformed child
in the ranks.
All-this is a record of which every
person in Hershey should be pro-foundly
proud and the best way to
show this pride is to cooperate more
faithfully than ever in the sanitary
work that gets rid of the garbage and
keeps clean the alleys and yards.
" Hershey the healthiest town in the
United States—that is a reputation
worth having and keeping.
Hershey's Unique Record
In the Matter of Health
Mrs, William Miller, a pioneer resi-dent
of this place living, with her son
William Miller, Jr., on Spring Creek
avenue, has in her possession a num-ber
of relics which she has preserved
for years. One of the most interesting
in her collection is an old spelling
book which was used by Miss Mary
Hershey when she taught school in
the little stone school still standing
on the ^Hershey mansion grounds dur-ing
the year of 1815. The book can
be traced back as far as the year
1771. It is still in good condition and
all . the composition is legible. Mrs.
Miller also has a collection of 21 old
pennies, United States money, which
were found on what is now the John
Habecker property on Spring Creek
avenue. The dates on the money go
back as far as the year 1780. The
small tea pot in which Mrs. Miller
keeps the pennies is over a hundred
years old and belonged to her great-grandmother.
She also has a quilt
which is 140 years old which was
made by her greatgrandmothcr.
Mrs. Miller's Relics
Fire Company's Banque t
In order not to conflict with any of
the scheduled events in Horshoy next
week the Horshoy Volunteer Firo
Company decided to hold its annual
banquet at the Rising Sun Hotel,
Campbelltown, next Tuesday evening,
February 9. Members please notify
the secretary II. A. Newton by Mon-day
next if they can attend. At the
regular mooting Tuesday night 10
now members wore taken in , the larg-est
number at any ono time since the
company was organized.
York Five Are Coming
On Friday evening local basketball
funs will bo given an opportunity of
seeing ono of the host professional
basketball fives in the State in action
at the Horshoy Men 's Club when I ho
York AU-CoIIogians will bo the at-traction.'
York has had a very suc-cessful
Sanson thus far defeating
Hourly nil teams that make up the
JDrtHtorn Longiio, Horshoy will pre-sent
several now mon in the lino-up
und will put forth ovory effort to win
the game. IIcrHhoy him never won
from the York team , at this place or
nb York. A record crowd is expected
to ho on hand. The York team pro-roiUh
the following llno-up! Colo und
flouholt/., forwards; M. WuyH, center;
Humes, Shottor und K. Ways, guards,
Safe!
Evidently the war has not hit the
Horwhoy chocolate plunt.—Harris-hur'ir
Star Independent.
Hershey .Well Prepared to Take Good
Care of All Who Attend. Recom-mendations
of the Committee
in Local Schools. Some
Topics for Discussion '
Great interest is being shown in
the midwinter meeting of the Dau-phin
County School Directors' Asso-ciation
to be held in the Hershey
Central Theater February 12 and 13.
Some doubt was expressed as to
Hershey's ability to room and feed
so large a crowd, but all that has
been settled. The local committee
have made full arrangements and
everybody who comes will be well
cared for. The county executive
committee is Ira W. Hoover, presi-dent,
John M. Erb, Calvin Kramer,
"W. H. Nell and W. H. Horner, sec-retary.
The Hershey committee is,
William F. R. Murrie, chairman, F.
B. Snavely, J. M. Millard, Ezra F.
Hershey, S. D. Clark, with A. W.
Snavely secretary.
In a circular to the directors Coun-ty
Superintendent Frank E. Sham-baugh
says each director shall re-ceive
for his necessary expenses in
attending the meeting compensation
at the rate of two dollars a day and
mileage at the rate of three cents per
mile, Mr. Shambaugh adds the sub-jects
of round table discussion to the
program which was printed in last
¦week's Press. These will include :
What preparation should be de-manded
from candidates for provis-ional
and professional certificates ? '
Standards in rating the efiiciency
of a school.
A county uniform course of study.
Libraries in rural schools.
What standards should be adopted
for the admission of pupils of rural
schools to high schools?
How may the patrons be aroused
to a sense of co-operation with the
schools ?
Should the teachers' salaries be
paid by the state ?
The county unit of taxation.
State uniformity of taxation for
school purposes.
A trained school for rural teachers
in Dauphin county.
Relationship of good roads and
good schools.
State system of standard rural
schools.
The causes for poor reading in our
schools.
Committee's Recommendations
To the program is attached a full
statement of the recommendations of
the committee on rural schools, in-cluding,
$5 a month to the minimum
salary of teachers; That special as-sistance
be given to rural districts
which cannot secure the needed funds
for the erection of better buildings
and the maintenance of their schools
during a term of seven months.
That in any revision of the pres-ent
system of taxation State uni-formity
of taxation for school pur-poses
be carefully considered.
That the county unit of school ad-ministration
be adopted so far as
feasible, including county uniformity
of taxation for school purposes, and
that a small county board of educa-tion
be elected at large with the fol-lowing
powers : (1) To levy a coun-ty
school tax. (2) To elect the coun-ty
superintendent of schools and his
assistants. (8) To have general
supervision of attendance officers
throughout the county. (4) To fur-nish
supplies at the expense of local
boards , when they fail to do so
promptly. (5) To f ix the bounda ries
of local school districts regardless of
township linos.
And that all other powers now con-ferred
by the school code upon local
authorities bo exercised by local
boards.
That all re-elections of supervising
principals bo subject to tho approval
of tho county superintendent.
, That tho efforts of teachers and
county superintendents to establish
social centers in rural schools bo
highly commended,
That tho compulsory education
laws bo further amended so us to
roach more effectively tho unemploy-ed
between 14 and 1(1 years of ago.
That tho normal schools provide
courses on tho improvement of rural
llfo, as well us courses in agriculture.
That tho normal schools provide
ono room rural schools for observa-tion
, experiment mid practice teach-ing,
such model schools to bo located
in tho open country convenient to the
normal schools, '
That tho establishment of rural
high schools with departments for
touching ugi'lculturo and domestic
flcionco bo encouraged by a lurg"'' «P-proprlntion.
That state appropriations bo with-hold
from districts in which school
buildin g und grounds are not in i\
thoroughly sanitary condition .
That medical inspection bo mndo
obligatory in all rurul districts unci
thuli wherever postilblo school nurses
In tho employ of tho school board vis-it
tho homos to secure proper medical
attention to tho children in need of
help.
School Directors ' Meeting
Will Discuss Big Topics
Splendid Reading Room is Opened
With Equipment Model in Every
Respect. New Arrangements
Increase Efficiency' and
Service to Community '
Progress is the watchword in Her-shey.
Among the latest ' improve-ments
is the new Free Public Library,
established in the Hershey Central
Theater Building this week. Though
books have been circulated from the
Store Building since 1913, the need of
a reading room was felt. The new
quarters are admirably aaapted for
library purposes.
A large room, 23%x29% feet, on
the first floor, has.been completely re-novated.
Light green, with a slight-ly
darker base, is the color of the
walls. This is more restful to the
eyes than any other color. A frieze
of artistic design adds an attractive
touch to the decoration. The -wood-work
is finished in Flemish oak, -which
harmonizes well with the general
scheme.
In its lighting the new Library has
exceptional advantages. Four large
double windows furnish a sufficiency
of daylight. The electrical fixtures
are of the latest type. Instead of un-sightly
drop cords, the electricians in-stalled
a system of ceiling lights that
give ' uniform illumination without
shadows, so that in ' whatever direc-tion
the reader may turn his chair he
can see perf ectly.
From the plans of Librarian Lynn
W. Meekins new bookshelves have
been built. In these new ideas are
incorporated. The lowest shelves
are high enough above tne floor to
place the books within easy reach. A
spacing of ' 11 inches between the
shelves notsbnly gives room for vol-umes
of all heights but also permits
a better view of the books'. The
shelves are six inches wide—much
narrower than the average. The pur-pose
is to overcome the disadvantage
of wider shelves. Books are kept
clean more easily. They cannot fall
behind other books; Most important,
their titles are. always in plain view,
as they cannot be pushed back far
from the edge of ,the shelf.
The adults' hooks are placed along
the north wall of the Library in a
handsome case of 36 shelves. The ap-pearance
is that of a sectional book-case.
Each of the nine sections con-tains
four shelves and each shelf is
three feet long. On the opposite
side are the juvenile books in a large
case of two sections, each having six
shelves. Room has been, provided
for frequent additions of new books.
At the east end of the room are the
sectional cases whose glass doors pro-tect
the more valuable possessions of
the Library—the books of reference
and the sets of standard works. Af-ter
the glass doors are lifted these
books are just as accessible as the
others.
There are four new reading tables,
3x6 feet, and six specially-constructed
arm-chairs for each table, or 24 in
all. The chairs are fitted with rub-ber
tips to obviate noise.
The card catalog has been revised,
enlarged , and made available for
Members' use. It is indexed by au-thors,
titles, subjects, and classifica-tions.
A railing of substantial design en-closes
the Librarian's office. Form-ing
part of tho railing is the charg-ing
desk, commanding a view of the
whole room. There is adequate space
for tho administrative work of tho
Library and for book repairing.
Tho recent growth of tho Hershey
Free Public Library is remarkable.
1458 volumes wore circulated in Janu-ary,
compared with 004 in December.
(15 persons have joined since tho first
of tho your, bringing tho membership
to 882. There are 1250 books in the
Library at present and 250 -will soon
bo added , making 1500, an unusual
number for a town of Horshoy 's size.
Girls' Basketball Team
The Horshoy Y. W. C. A. basketball
team will play the Moravian girls at
Lebanon on Monday, February 8th.
The Hershey Free Library
Moves to Theater Building
One of the Popular Superintendents
of the Hershey Chocolate , Com-pany
Will Take Charge as Soon
as His Appointment is Con-firmed
by the Senate
George J: Eppley will be the new
postmaster of Hershey. The ap-pointment
was expected and it meets
with general favor. Mr. Eppley was
so strongly endorsed that his success
was a foregone conclusion. He will
take charge after his appointment is
confirmed by the Seriate.
Mr. Eppley is in the prime of life
and is very popular and highly es-teemed
in the community and in Lan-caster
where he formerly lived. He
was one of the first men brought to
the' new factory after M. S. Hershey
established the Chocolate Company
and started the new town, and he has
grown up with the business and is
personally known to' all the workers.
He is a devoted Democrat.
Hershey is now fourth among the
postoffices of Dauphin county, the
three ahead of it being Harrisburg,
Steelton and Middletown, but all of
these are much older. For the first
few months Ezra F. Hershey was
postmaster. The office had its great
growth under Dr, M. L. Hershey.
When he took hold of its affairs, it
was in the fourth class but the busi-ness
grew steadily and on July 1 last
it became a second class office with
the salary raised to $2100, an in-crease
of $200 over the previous year.
On August 12 last Dr. Hershey retir-ed
from the office and Herbert A.
Newton became acting postmaster.
December 12, 1914 the office left
the small and unsufficient quarters
in the Fire Company building which
it had so long occupied and moved to
spacious and finely furnished quar-ters
in the room formerly used by
the Hershey Trust Company.
The business continues to increase
and the salary will probably be rais-ed
again this year. The present
force consists of Charles L. Peiffer ,
assistant postmaster, Miss Bessie P.
Moyer regular clerk and Miss Viola
S. Boyer auxiliary clerk.
Hershey's New Postmas ter
Will be George J. Eppley
All Members and their Friends In-vited
to be Present to Enjoy
Unusually Attractive Program
Offered by the Hershey
Band. Excellent Music
In compliment to the Hershey
Men's Club and the Important work
it has been, doing for the community
this winter the Hershey Band un-der
Director Samuel J. Feese will
give the most elaborate concert of
the season in the club gymnasium
to-night. All the members and their
friends are invited. The indications
are that there will be a crowded
house. The program , which follows
is full, of harmony and beauty:
1. March.—"Militaire Francaise,"
C^ Saint-Saens
2. Overture.—"II Guarany,"
A. Carlo Gomez
3. Selection.—from "Aida" .
L. P. -Laurendeau
4. Reverie—Twilight Dreams...
T. W. Thurban
5. Waltzes—"L'E'studiantina" .
E. Waldteufel
6. Fantasia—"Reminicences of
Grieg" Chas. Godfrey, Jr.
7. Largo—(a) From the "New
World Symphony" (b) Slav-onic
Dance No. Ill ;.¦' .
V. F. Safranek
8. Finale-^-"The Quaker Girl".. ,
Shipley Douglas
(Star Spangled Banner)
Big Free Concert Tonight
at the Hershey Men's Club
The Best for the Last
Hershey Men s Club s Lyceum Course
to End With Splendid En-tainment
It would have been a far less inter-esting
and profitable winter in Her-shey
if the Men's Club had not pro-vided
the people with exceptional en-tertainments
and addresses. In ad-dition
to the Sunday meetings the
Club ran its lyceum course and se-cured
the best attractions that Her-shey
has had since it was established.
All have. been, successful and now that
the course . is to be . completed on
Thursday evening of next week the
best has been retained for the last.
It will be the Cecilian Concert Com-pany,
composed of the following, each
a thoroughly competent artist: Miss
Olive Annette Wheat, first soprano
and reader ; Miss Mary Wilson Burns,
second soprano; Miss Clara Irene
Gray, first alto; Miss Lucia Van
Liere, second alto. They present one
of the finest programs in the lyceum
and the indications are that a crowd-ed
house will greet them next Thurs-day
evening.
Fjne Motion Pictures
Large audiences continue to ensoy
the presentation of the quality mov-ing
pictures at the Hershey Central
Theater. Some excellent ones have
been shown recently. , The special
features for Saturday night include
six reels of spectacle and comedy;
"The Floor Above" is a four reel
show and is said to. be one of tho
best. Monday and Wednesday the
price is 5 cents, but owing to the ex-tra
features tho price Saturday night
is 10 cents.
Tho Renfax talking pictures proved
to bo very interesting. Several of
them were unexpectedly meritorious
and they wore warmly applauded ,
especially the tickling and laughing
song and also the song, "Come Over
Hero."
Coastin g Accident
While descending tho Park avenue
hill on a largo Flexible Flyor sled
on Monday evening, M. S. May and
Ira Mumma wore slightly injured
when thoir slod became unmanage-able
and ran into the iron bridge
crossing Spring Crook at tho bottom
of tho hill. Several other young peo-ple
wore in tho party but escaped in-jury,
i' •*¦ ' . "
¦
. , ' , '
A few of the buildings of The Hershey ' Indus trial School. Whole estate over 800 acres
John Shottor of Campbelltown had
a narrow escape from being seriously
injured on Sunday morning while de-livering
milk on his route at this
place. While passing over the bridge
which spans tho P. & R. tracks on
Park avenue his horse took frigh t at
a train passing underneath and mndo
a mad dash down tho hill towards tho
Horshoy gargago. In making tho
turn at tho bottom of . the hill tho
wagon overturned throwing tho wag-on
and driver against tho stone wall
at the garage. Tho horse was caught
by Ira Kohr, n witness of tho accident.
Mr. Shottor was slightly cut about
tho arms and face with broken milk
bottles. Little damage was done to
tho wagon.
A Narrow Escape
Superintendent George Copenhaver
Tells of What is Being Done and
the Progress That is Being
Made. Some Unique Feat-ures.
All Boys Happy
Of The Hershey Industrial ' School
there is not usually much said, as its
work is charitable and true charity
"vaunteth not itself," but occassional-ly
it is creditable. to review some of
the work done here.
There are at present fifty boys in
this school divided into three groups
according to their ages and school
grading.
In the. Kindergarten department
are the 4 and 5 year old tots and if
you enjoy seeing . life at its best-when
the child still has his baby face,
happy, care-free disposition—then
visit this department some afternoon
when these boys are in their little
kindergarten building; drawing, cut-ting
out, pasting, singing or drilling
and if you don't wish you could be
one of them, we miss our guess. '
Making Real Things
The boys in this department make
sniall paper rugs, mats, windows,
baskets, soldiercaps, animals, etc., all
work being so arranged that it di-rects
their hands, eyes and brains
and prepares them for the next steps
in the "Primary Department" where
they will have "Stripit and Clipit"
work consisting of small strips of
wood and metal with which they
build ladders, wheelbarrows, wagons,
cranes, bridges, etc. You will at
once notice the gradual and easy
steps which lead these boys gradu-ally
onward to the point where they
can enter the mechanical shops where
you find third grade boys making
bird-cages, bird-feeding boxes, chick
troughs, etc., but when you see the
sixth grade fellows with sleeves roll-ed
up and pencils on ears busy mak-ing
real sleds, beds, chairs, electric
doorrbell outfits, gates, poultry
houses and dozens of useful things
all well done you will begin to real-ize
what the plan of the work here is.
Busy and Happy
Come with us into the school
rooms. In the primary school you
will see 20 of the busiest little first
and second grade pupils ever you
saw and all around on the walls you
will see drawings, writing and writ-ten
class work, all evidence of their
busy minds and hands. If you find
a discontented boy in this lot you
will be given a gold watch.
Next we go into the intermediate
room where you find twenty fourth,
fifth and sixth grade boys, just as
happy and busy as the primary grade
boys. If you find a boy in these
grades not as happy as the others
it's usually because he has struck a
knot somewhere in his work but you
can bet your watch he is sawing to
get through it. On the walls you
will also find evidence of the careful
work done by these boys. No paper
under 90 per cent is put on the wall
and none is allowed to hang more
than a week so there is a constant
striving for high marks.
The Model Store
You will observe in this room a
"Model Store." Here one boy is
clerk and ho has quite a good stock
of merchandise, (this stock is furn-ished
by different manufacturers and
was procured through "Educational
Foundations"). The boys make thoir
purchases and tho clerk gives them
an itemized bill which they take to
thoir seats and verify, after which
they pay with toy money of various
denominations , thus learning to
make proper change. The third ,
fourth and sixth grade boys buy in
fractions of dozens and gross and the
sixth grade boys are allowed dis-counts
for quantity and cash, so you
discover tho real practical value of
this now method of instruction.
Right Way to Learn
Again you Will soo an oblong case
and on opening it you will find an
outfit of weights and , measures and
also a box of mind close ny. No boy
hero is told that there are-' 4 gills in
a pint or 10 ounces in a
pound but ho is allowed to
find out by actual trial ,
This outfit consists of a
pair of scales and weights
fro m Yj, or,, to 1 lb., a foot
rule, yardstick , 50 ft. Jape
measure , dry measures from
1 qt. to Mi bushel , liquid
measure from 1 gill to 1 gal-
Ion and a metric system of
measures all in regular use.
Now do you wondor why
tho children arc apt in thoir
school or mechanical work ?
llavo tho boys in this
grade sing for youf or repeat
poetry or, hotter still listen
to thoir gonorn l class work,
nml you will not wondor why
everybody in proud of thorn.
Thoro Is a man making pro-cess
Kolng on horo.
Just .outsida of tho school-room
you will find tho gym-
(Continuod Pago 4)
Manhood in the Making at
Hershe y Industrial School