Sewickley Herald

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Herald
The Sewickley Valley's Home-News Weekly
Vol. XXXI.   No. 45.
SEWICKLEY, PA., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1934
Price 5 Cents
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ALL Sewickloy holds "Jimmy" Gray
in affection and sincere respect; and
all Sewickley wishes him well in his
newest enterprise, the illustrated song-
cycle concert he's to give next Thursday and Friday evenings in tho grnd.i
school auditorium; and all Sowickloy
scems willing to help him, taking advertising linos in his program, giving
him window-spaco to exhibit his unique
pictures-on-punk, or anything ols.i ho
may happen to need; singing in his
chorus at tho show. And people of the
whole Valley and Heights arc willingly
buying his 'tickets, even if thoy can't
attend, just to show appreciation for
all he has done for tho community, or
admiration for tho public spirit ho has
so unstintingly oxliibited in these endeavors. Now he's 82 or thorcabouts,
and is well entitled to support in this,
his first enterprise for his own benefit.
Tho Herald gladly falls in lino, to recall somo of tho things he's done for
the community, justifying such support.
Wo all know his Drum Corps, which
lias played freely for all Grand Army
affairs since .1868, in Now Brighton,
Beavor Falls, Sowickloy, Pittsburgh or
anywherd within roach, earning Mr.
Gray tho unusual honor of a G. A. B.
Our Mtost  Jpublic-Spirited (Titian
'Jimmy" Gray and his most recent public work, the Station Path
honorary membership; it's always been
part of the Memorial Day parades here,
escorted the Sewickloy Spanish War
bovs to their train in Pittsburgh, escorted tho World War men to the station as well. And Mr. Gray's corps
led the children, organized by him, in
the parade to the cemetery when the
Spanish War cannon were placed at the
Soldiers' Monument there. Ho was in
charge, of the music on the occasion of
tho celebration that marked the opening of the Sewickley bridge, and one
of tho guarantors of that event.
Ho has staged concerts and entertainments without number for many
good causes; the original song-cycle
concert given for tho Men's Club of
tho Methodist Church in .1007 is remembered as au outstanding success; tho
minstrel show of 10.15 raised the money
to repaint and light the Town Clock, as
.well as to furnish a piano for .the public
school, both projects originated and
carried through by him. His latest
public projoct, tho path from the bridge
entrance to the station, a daily convenience to hundreds, was worked out almost single-handed, through securing
the right-of-way from the county commissioners, doing much of tho actual
work of opening it himself with a few
helpers, keeping it before the borough
council until ho succeeded in getting it
paved, and securing consent of the Park
Place owners to plant flowers and ornamental shrubs along it, as will be done
next year.
He initiated his great enterprise, the
former Walnut Beach, and without any
considerable funds cleared the ground,
erected buildings, built entrance roads,
beautified the neglected river-bank, and
mado a financial success of it, while
managing it in such a way as to cause
littlo if any annoyance to Sewickloy
residents, and to keep it on such a high
plane that it attracted annual picnics
of 38 churches in Pittsburgh and vicinity, and a group of cottagers well behaved and orderly; a fine contrast to
many riverside resorts. After the railroad took his ground, ho could have,
had tho management of another park,
but preferred to stay in Sewickley.
Of all his public work, best known
and most appreciated is his annual management of the Hallowe'en celebrations
—this will be his 23rd year of this.
With or without active cooperation brothers, he's always managed to get up
a good parade,  entertaining features,
and a good time for kiddies and grown
folk alike. Usually he has planned and
worked a good deal of the year for this
event, getting ideas, sketching floats,
making costumes and masks, hiring a
few masks or other accessories, at small
expense; and practically always out of
pocket, personally as a reward. Long
ago he staged a memorable "circus
parade," complete with "menagerie"
and band and performers; and for the
Washington sesquicentennial two years
ago ho had made Colonial costumes by
thc hundred, prepared a striking and
most picturesque series of historical
floats—too bad a rainy evening interfered with the real glory of that pageant. This year he has some more new
idcas. But of course ho'11 have to got
the concert through first—naturally.
The song-cycle will be good—we're
all willing to take Mr. Gray's word for
that. Old favorites, sung by a chorus
of 100, and good soloists, accompanied,
by Joe Nirolla's Westinghouse orchestra; each song illustrated by an appropriate picture thrown on the screen
above the singers. Tho slides have been
collected by Mr. Gray through the
years, a valuable scrios indeed. It will
all bo well worth hearing and seeing.
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