Ambler Gazette

              The Ambler Gazette.
VOL.  XVH-NO.  33.
AMBLER,  PA.,  JULY  27,   1899.
81.25  A  YEAR
NORRISTOWN   LETTER.
noifville, formerly
Lower Providence,
have   itrvck    in*
delight,   as  it
Carriage Trip of Forty Tear. Ago—Selec-
nf Eliliu Boot—Agnostic—Action to Compel Publication of Proposed Amendments
to Constitution.
Norristown, Pa., July 22, 1899.
Forty years ago today I was taking
my glimmer vacation in a carriage,
making a trip through this county by
wav of what is now Ambler and
through Three Tuns and Hatboro, passing over to Adilisville. Phipps' Mills,
Newtown, Wrightstown, Pennsville,
Forrestville, NewHope, Ingham Springs,
Centreville and Dovlestown te Bucks
county, and I have just come across my
letter giving an account of my trip ia
the Doylestown Intelligencer, copied
from the Norristown Herald and Free
Press of July 20,' 1899, and on reading
it over I an reminded that every man
i visited has passed awav. Addisville
bad been formerly called "The Bear"
and Pennsville was known as "Log-
town." We have its parallel in Shan-
siil-d Hogtown, in
Newtown seems to
with unexpected
last vear, when I
attended the congressional convention,
•with disappointment at first. Two
miles and a half beyond* "The Bear"—
the sign on one hotel was a white
bear and on the other a black bear-
was located Phipps' mill, formerly
Bncbman's, further back Blaker's,
which attained to great celebrity as the
locus in quo of a famous law suit be
tween William Buckman, plaintiff, and*
Peter Phipps and James W. Phipps,
who resided on the adjoining farm to
Cleaver's mill (in Whitemarsh), on the
Wissahickon,. in our countv, defendants. The Phipps people had entered
into articles of agreement to trade a
house in Norristown and a farm in
Chester county for the Spring Garden
mills above mentioned, then owned I>y
William Buckman. Phipps discovered
after tihe trade that he had been deceived, as he thought, and he backed
ont, although he had moved in, and
Buckman then filed a hill in equity fo
compel specific performance. Judge
Smyser, our president judge, decided
in favor of tbe Phipps party, but tbe
associate judges, Longaker and Jacoby,
decided in favor of Buckman and signed a decree for specific performance.
Phipps appealed to the supreme court,
but. the supreme court sustained the
associate judges. Phipps, Buckman and
all the judges of our county and of the
supreme court connected with the case
are now dead, and I do not know who
now owns the famous Spring Garden
mill. Over 100 witnesses from Bucks
and Montgomery were examined at
Norristown in' the case, and I was the
exaifliner.
The crops in that July of 1859 rivaled anv that we have now, and with all
our improvements and little arts and
sciences,our silos and short cuts to easy
harvesting and agricultural machinery
and patent manures, the country looked
better then than it does today. I mean
in Montgomery countv. I visited my
father's uncle, Amos Corson, two miles
east of Newtown on Core creek, where
had formerly been the residence of M.J
H. Jenks, Esq. It was a beautiful farm'
jof 150 acres, level, arable and elaborately shaded with stately evergreens over
topping the lonely mansion. I passed
the venerable meeting house 'of the
Frienda upon the hill at Wrightstown,
and at Forrestville found Joshua Corson,
another venerable great-uncle, then 80
years of age, and discoursed long witb
him of men and things for a period
of 60 years looking backward. I had a
pleasant visit to Alfred Blaker's, with
Martha Ellen Corson, daughter of Unole
Amos, and who afterward-married, then
died at Prospectville, above Ambler,
in onr county. I visited Dr. diaries
Hnffnagle's farm . while stay ing at Dr.
Charles Foulke's in New Hope. New
Hope I found more hospitable than
magnificent. My letter savs: "About
two miles south of New Hope a strong
stream of water—Ingham spring-
gushes from iha hill immediately under
the public road, and in a distance of
about two miles lt turns five large mills
and at its very source furnishes one of
the best trout fisheries in that vicinity.
Dr. Charles Huffnagle resides on the
east bank of this stream about one mile
from New Hope and has one of the
most attractive places in that region.
He has been American consul general
of the United States in British India
for upwards of 20 years, and though
home at present upon furlough is still
in commission. He has gathered around
bis farm here all the curiosities he
could collect dnring his long absence
—Brahma cattle, Shetland ponies, hairy
sheep, Arabian horses. In his house
may be seen elegant and costl v foreign
paintings; grand statues of pure Parisian marble; great tall graceful Nankin
porcelain vases; a gorgeous leopard
skin, answering for a piano cover, while
that of a real old Bengal tiger makes
the best rug. In a niche an Egyptian
mummy," etc.
Then I visited Wm. Corson at Centreville. Now all are dead. I do not
mean that all the towns, townships
and villages are dead, bnt all tbe men
that) I visited. Joshua Corson was the
last of my father's uncles to pass away,
and Dr. William Corson, my ancle, and
I attended his funeral a few years before the doctor died. Now ail bis and
In iv uncles are gone.
■ The- appointment yesterday of Elihu
Boot, a lawyer tt New York, to succeed Secretary of War Alger, of Michigan, who resigned on the 19th inst., is
as great a surprise to us as the death of
the distinguished agnostic and orator,
Bobert G. Ingersoll, who died at his
home at Walston-on-the-Hudson, N.
Y., on the same day. That the president should select a lawyer is in accordance with good form in following the
example of Lincoln in selecting Stanton, of Pittsburg, to succeed Cameron,
of Pennsylvania in that office. Stanton
was known in his neighborhood as an
able lawyer and had been selected by
Buchanan to fill for a brief space a
place in bis cabinet. Eliliu Boot is]
known in New York as an astute,
statesmanlike and profound lawyer,
and will come clean handed, broad-
breasted and fresh  from the people  to
fill the place so   recently made  vacant.
ft is  known to   some of   us  that but
for one fact the secretary of war would
have been   taken  from   Pennsylvania;
I but, although   a New Yorker, the postmaster general is accredited to Philadelphia; and hence a New Yorker is taken
for the war office and   not  a  Pennsyl-
I vanian.    Alger's   resignation has   been
expected.   He  was  much criticised, as
I every one will be in that office  during
the early part of a great war.
It was Huxley in 1869 who gave us
the word agnostic to exactly define the
status of Bob Ingersoll and men of his
school before the thinking world:
Agnostic, one who professes ignorance
or denies tbat we have any knowledge,
save of phenomena; one who supports
agnosticism—that doctrine which, professing ignorance, neither asserts nor
denies. "The doctrine that tbe existence of a personal deity, and an unseen
world, can be neither proved nor disproved, because of the necessary limits
of the human mind (as sometimes
charged upon Hamilton and Mansel),
or because of the insufficiency of the
evidence furnished by psychical or
physical data to warrant a positive
conclusion (as taught by Herbert Spencer). " Thomas Jefferson, the author
of the statute of Virginia for religious
freedom, who proposed and had passed
a bill forbidding tbe future importation
of slaves into Virginia, the author of
the ".Summary View" of 1774, whicb
contained the germ and substance of
the declaration of independence which
he afterwards formulated, was of this
same school of thinkers aod writers to
which Ingersoll belonged, but lived in
an age when to think and write was
not a crime in America. All reformers
are heretics, and all revolutionists are
traitors unless successful. Jefferson
"carried the rule of subjecting everything to the test of abstract reason into
matters of religion, venerating the moral character of Christ, bnt refusing belief ia his divine mission." A bill tor
treason was enrolled against Jefferson
and brought into parliament on account
of his "Summary Views of the Rights
of. British America,'' which he sent
to Peyton Randolph, president of a
convention held to reallv inaugurate the
revolution tbat followed in the independence of the states. Jefferson was
fortunate in living in an era when his
services were required for an overpowering issue, and hence polemical divines
left him alone in hia free thinking.
His heart was right; lie wrought for
liberty; be wrote for independence and
for the manumission -of the -slaves; he
abolished pound, shilling and pence
and substituted the dollar and its subdivisions down to the hundredth part,
to whioh he gave the name of cent.
Ingersoll was not so fortunate. He was
not born to serve, but to agitate, to put
men to thinking and reading; inst as
tbe Quakers filled the mission of quiet
reflection and silent deliberation. Ingersoll loved liberty as much as Jefferson did, could wi ite as beautiful an
essay, and bound as high in the regions
of fancy and imagination, chastened
by pure thoughts and lofty motives, as
ever inspired the soul of the sage of
Montieello to soar is colonial days. If
Ingersoll had lived in the davs of the
agitation for American independence
he would today line up tbe pages of
history in the ranks with Patrick
Henry, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. He was cf a vivacious
nature. I once tried a case In wbich he
was of counsel for .the defendants before Judge Blodgitt in the circuit
court of the United States at Chicago,
involving $40,000 for two steam engines
built by the Norris works, of Norristown, for Mattison A Hazeler, of La
Salle, III., in 1870, and I last mrt him
in tlie "Star route" trials at Washing*,
ton. He was a big. man, with a big
brain house, well stored with knowledge, and he had a pleasing address,
fluent tongue and agreeable manners.
He was especially charitable toward
his adversaries.
An application has been made for a
mandamus to compel the secretary of
the commonwealth to certify and have
published certain proposed amendments
to the constitution of Pennsylvania, approval bv tne last legislature in a concurrent resolution, which was submitted to tbe governor for his approval,
or disapproval, unto* Section 28 of
A**t_*_* 8 of tbe constitution, which
reads as follows: '' Sec. 26. Every order,
resolution or vote to which the concurrence ot both bouses may be necessary, except on the question of adjournment, ■ball be presented to the governor and before it shall take effect be approved by him, or being disapproved,
shall be repassed by two-thirds of both
bouses according to the rules and
limitations prescribed in case of a
bill."
Now this the legislature- did. and
this they had no occasion to do. If they
were honest and in earnest they could
have followed the directions of tbe constitution as clearly prescribed in Article
18, Section 1, relating to future amendments and bas nothing to do witb concurrent resolutions, vis:
"Any amendment or amendments to
this constitution may be proposed In the
senate or house of representatives and
if tbe same shall be agreed to by a
majority of tike members elected to each
house such proposed amendment or
amendments shall be entered on their
journals with the yeas and nays' taken
thereon, and the secretary of the commonwealth shall cause the same to be
published three months before the 'next
general election in at least two newspapers in eveiy county, etc."
When it comes up before the next
'legislature and they .agree to the amendments they are again published by the
society; and such proposed amendments
shall be submitted to the qualified
electors three months afterward for approval or rejection.
Now to every legal mind this is very
plain. If the majority in each house
recorded their votes in favor of the
proposed amendments it was the duty
of the house to send them to the secretary to be advertised. The governor had
notliing to do with it. But the members
of the legislature, either to shirk' the
responsibility qf the great cost and expense  or through   ignorance, passed  a
IN CAMP AT LENAPE.
Company D, .Seventh FeiitisylvaiiiH Regl-
ment, V. B. B. A., I"Itches Tents Along
Brandywine Creek— Ambler Hoys Aceom-
pany—Major Smiley Wiite*.
Camp Steel, Lenape Park, Lenape,
Chester Co., Pa., Julv 25, 1399.
To the "Ambler Gazette:"
Company' I), Seventh Pennsylvania
regiment, U. B. B. A., comprising the
boys of the Ambler Presbvterian Sunday school, left their barracks at 8.01 a.
m. Monday, connecting ut Twelfth and
Market streets with West Philadelphia.
After arriving at West Philadelphia we
met the rest of the bovs and proceeded
to West Chester. From there we marched to camp, a distance of about four
miles. This is what it seemed to some
of us. We arrived in camp hungry
enough to devour the whole camp,
tents, baggage and all. We did very
little except fix up tents and fill bags for
beds, after which we went in bathing
for about, half an hour.
Our first guards were posted and went
on duty about 9 p. m. Joseph Buchanan,
Alfred Harris and Mr. Nelson reported
from Company D, Mr. Nelson acting as
corporal. First call was sounded at 5.30
a. m. today and at 5.45 reveille was
sounded. It is very dull today and t&i,
boys" are doing about as they pleaser*
We had a good breakfast and every one
in camp is in good spirits. Mr. Nelson
is very faithful as corporal. He just
passed where I am writing, with his
squad. We have along with ns as assistant cook William Ford, son of J. D. C.
Ford. He is doing very well and is very
faithful to Company D. Will write
more next week.
MAJOR JOHN SMILEY,
Commanding Company D.
wife have
at Sea trie
Continued oa Page 4.
Fitzwatertown.
Mrs. Joseph Lukens   visited   friends
in Horsham last Thursday and Friday.
The  voung  sun of Charles   Burkett,
ot thia plaoe, died on  Saturday   afternoon.
Mr. Frank Potter and sister Edith
are enjoying the sea breezes at Atlantic
Oity.
Mr. Joseph L. Shoemaker and family
spent Saturday  and Sunday   witb  Mr.
and Mrs. Howard Robeson.
Mr. J.  D.   Niblock  and
been  spending some time
City.
Miss Annie Weigner and Mr. Joseph
Yeakle visited here Saturday evening.
Since Walter Damrosch and his famous orchestra have come to Willow Grove
park we notice the travel through this
section of the country to that place has
greatlv increased. His music undoubtedly draws the better class of people.
Miss  Elizabeth   R. Watson is spend -
ing a few days  in   Roxborough   with
I friends.
Walter Weigner returned from the
Germantown hospital last Wednesdav,
apparently none the worse for having
i fasted for nearly a week. The cherry
! stone which was caught in iiis throat
became dislodged, thereby rendering an
operation unnecessary.
Quite a number of people from  our
I town attended the annual picnic of the
Edge HIU Sunday   school   at  Willow
{Grove on Thursdav   last.   All  seem  to
have spent an  exceptionally  pleasant
I day.
John Cannon, wbo  had  the misfor-
I tune to have his leg broken   in  three
places by being kicked by a horse  several weeks ago, is improving under the
treatment of Dr. Tyson, of Jenkintown.
Pleasant; Birthday Surprise.
Although Monday proved such a
disagreeable dav an enjoyable time was
had by those wbo gathered at Willow
Grove park to help Isaac Ely, of Philadelphia, celebrate his birthday. What
was his surprise when on getting off
the trolley with Mrs. Ely to soon meet
his daughter and mother and later
other relati ves and friends. After deciding it to be too damn to prepare
supper under a roof of leaves the party
proceeded to tbe lower hotel, where
they secured a room and soon the table
was laden with many tempting viands,
which rapidly disappeared in tne usual
way of such occasions, After pleasant
social intercourse the company left for
their various destinations in steam
cars, trollevs and teams.
Those present were Mr. and Mrs.
Isaac Ely, Misses Mame and Fannie
Ely, Miss Mary Von Neida, Mr. and
Mrs. Edgar Black and son, Mr. George
Block,. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Boss and
Miss Martha Corson, of Philadelphia;
Mrs. Sarah Ely, Hartsville; Mrs.Joseph
Frederick ana Mrs. Jobn Rainey, of
Glen Milts, Delaware county; Mr. Silas
Morris, Miss Margaret ana Elizabeth
Morris. Master Carroll Moris and
Allie Rue and Mrs. Emma Johnson, of
Horsham; Mrs. Jerusha Rosenberger,
Hatboro; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Conard
and Miss Gertrude Conard,Maple Glen;
Mrs. Comly Wilson, Master Harry ant-
Paul Wilson, Newtown; Master Lewis
Wilson, Morrisville; Miss Lillie L.Lippincott, Lahaska; Mrs. Mary Bright,
Miss Emma Bright tad Master Jonathan
Bright, Norristown.
PanUvn.
Mr. and Mrs. George Geatrell are at
Ocean City.
Miss Marie Larsen, of Philadelphia,
spent several days last week with her
sister, Mrs. Ralph Sparks.
Mrs. Weddell ana children, Mabel
and Paul, bave gone to Ocean Ci ty fbr
the month of August.
Mrs. Cyrus Langstroth, who has been
spending several weeks here, returned
Jo her Germantown home on Monday.
Mr. Edward Trimbell, of Philadelphia, visited friends here Saturday.
Charl ic Lentil, St., is rid ing a brand
new bicycle.
The special Wednesday evening services inaugurated at the chapel last
week, and to continue for three weeks,
are of an interesting character. Programs of .the service are distributed
among the congregation and hearty]
singing and reading results. The hour
of service is 8 o'clock, and all are welcome.
J. L. Bro wiii is running a new ice
wagon on the road**, the product of the
Randall manufactory, at Newtown.
Mr. . and Mrs. Elmer Bean spent
Sundav at Charles Lentz's
Centre Sanare.
7_. 8. Young and wife and S. B.
Drake and wife returned home Sundav
after spending three days at Atlantic
City.
The Centre Square baseball team was
defeated by a team from Norristown in
a well-played game by a score of 9 to
6.
Miss Irene Rogers and friends, of
Camden, N. J., are visiting W. H. Baker.
Miss Elsie Kaisinger, of Churcli ville,
was visiting friends in Centre Square
on [Monday.
Ervin Graham, Harry Schwartz and
George Frantz and family spent several
days last week at Atlantic City.
Horace Geyer will sell a carload of
cows here on the 27th.
Dr. Beck and wife, of Chalfont, are
the guests of Mr. II. S. Young. *
Walter Haag, Wesley Grove and
Frank Gaugler left on Sunday morning
on their bicycles for Atlantic City.
Mrs. Emily C. Bird, of Chester, is
spending a couple of weeks with her
daughter, Mrs. W. J. Baker.
Nearly all the residents of Centre
Square attended St. John's picnic on
Wednesday at Zeiber's nark.
Mrs. Emily Bird, Mrs. Win. II., Mrs.
Wm. J. and Master Spencer Baker
spent a day at Collegeville with relatives
during last week.
Miss Susie Michael has returned home
from Bethlehem.
Hon. Theodore M. Harrar has secured a position as counter of lumber in
Philadelphia.
Misses May and Maggie Harrar
have returned home after spending several days with relatives at King-of-
Prussia.
Tinsmith S. B. Drake is very busy
at preseut. His men have steady work.
Read his adv. in this issue.
J. W. Brunner A Co., are doing an
extensive business in coal and feel.
They furnished the Worcester schools
witb coal and expect to get Whitpain.
The firm are building up a good trade.
Mr. Joseph Lenhardt bas sold out
his paper route to Mr. J. Street, of
Franklinville, wbo now furnishes Sundav papers.
Races will be held at Penn Square
driving park this Thursday. Ladies
admitted free.
The water supply in our immediate
neighborhood has become quite low.
A number of our fanners have commenced threshing tbeir crop of grain.
The yield is far below the  banal.
George Arp reoeived a consignment
of manure at Belfry on Monday last.
Three Tuns.
Watemelon parties.
Plenty of rain in Horsham on Sunday, yet we did not have anv.
Don't forget the picnic of the Luther
an  Sunday   school   in   Dr.    Mattison's
meadow this Saturday.
Frederick Hess, of Philadelphia, spent
Sunday at the residence of Mrs. Dilthey.
Miss Emma Esloe, of this neighborhood, spent Sundav at the McAlonan
farm.
Miss Elizabeth Reed ia in New York
city.
Thomas Kroupa, of Philadelphia, bas
been a guest at Daniel Shoemaker's for
several days.
A series of contest games are being
played by the members of the Rose
Hill Tennis clnb. • Prises will be
awarded the successful competitors at
tbe end of tbe season.
Croquet seems to have become quite
a fad in this community. Some of our
expert players should get up a contest
and if prizes were awarded the playing
would no doubt'become very interesting. The present method of playing
the game is more complicated tban the
old. Moro skill is called for and moro
care needed in the manipulation of
the many , colored balls. Even tbe
arches are set out by a different rule.
The heretofore straight lines of the
arches are done aWay with and they
aro crossed and angled until it requires
long practise to guide the mallet for the
different strokes.
Miss Blanche N. Walton had tbe
misfortune to sprain her ankle at the
A. A. A. lawn social last Thursday.
N. Tavlor Kulp lost a borse with
the choking distemper last week.
The Baptist Bible school is on a picnic to Funk's park this Wednesday,
where they were conveyed by teams.
John G. Davis, of Butler drive, is
building an addition to his tool house.
Charles Pfltzenmyer picked his potato
crop last week. The potatoes were all of
a good size.
Mrs. Brown, of Calvert, Md., Is the
guest of Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Wents,
win were formerly residents of that
place.
John . L. Shoemaker, pf tbe auditor
general's department at Harrisburg, is
home on a vacation.
Wm. Grey entertained a party of
Philadelphia friends on Sunday.
Harvey Blair, formerly employed in
the city, has taken a position as foreman
on the York stock farm.
. The Butler drive toll house has received a fresh coat of calcimine, considerably brightening its appearance.
Quite a number of oar residents were
seen at Chestnut Hill park last week.
This must be on account of the better
roads than to the Grove. The best of
order prevails and is insisted upon by
the guards.
An enjoyable party was given Tues- <
day evening at A. G. Yothers' hotel by
some of onr people and a large number
of Amblerites, who were eonveved thither in Dager's coacb, "Twilight." On
arriving, about 9 o'clock, thev proceeded at once to enjoy themselves. Music
and dancing occupied the greater part
of the time. Before adjourning tbe
guests were treated to a substantial repast. Toasts were numerous and it is
safe to state that a jollier crowd had
never been seen at the inn.
Horaham.
Miss Emma Bright, of Norristown,
is the guest of her cousin, Miss Bessie
Morris.   ;
I * Miss Fannie Ely, of Philadelphia, is
spending a taw days at Silas C. Morris'.
A young ladv of Horsham while
cycling recently had an upset and dislocated her wrist.
|    OPPOSED TO BOROUGH,    j
Residents and Property Owners In Fort
Washing-ton Generally Opposed to Incorporation—Views as Kxpressed — Time
Not Ripe—Industries Needed First.
The impression seems tq be going
around that the property owners of Fort
Washington are anxious to incorporate
the village into a borough and that preliminary steps have already been made.
Many of the property owners of the
place have been interviewed bv a representative of the''Gazette''and a very
large number of them are opposed to
the movement on the ground that the
place is yet too small and that the
greatest need is one or more industries
to build up the place. The views of the
residents are as follows:
Hon. John A. Wentz says:
"The question regarding the incorporation of Fort Washington into a borough is indeed a complex problem, not
at all easy of solution. To give tbe Fort
a municipal standing among the pros-
peious and progressive sister boroughs
of our county would certainly meet
with my- hearty approval, if such conditions were possible. I do not think
that his community is prepared to embrace the 'municipal idea,' i. e., to lay
out and macadamize streets, to erect a
public water supply and establish a
modern system of street lighting and
such other improvements and requirements requisite in the organization and
progressive movement of a real live
borough. Our people, or at least a large
majority of our population, du not desire the incorporation of this village,
and would not be in sympathy with
such improvements as would be necessary to transform our village into a borough. It is true that there is a universal sentiment in favor of good roadways
and desirable foot walks, and for lights
along the various avenues of travel.
But strong as the feeling in that direction may be, there is a pronounced
and obvious expression against an incorporation which would force these
conveniences upon the people. It is better, perhaps, to maintain a first-class
village in preference to a low-class bor
ough ; far better to endure certain undesirable features of a village than to
assume burdensome taxation that-would
surely come with the advent of a borongh, when one improvement after another would be demanded and obtained,
from the natural result of an incorporation having for its essential features
the transition of a place from country
to town, from rural to snrban, with all
that such change may imply. Fort
Washington is not ripe for municipal
proportions and it would be wise to
continue it as a village rather than a
borongh with no claim to incorporate
honors, until our people are willing to
unite in an expenditure of money that
will be consistent with the establishment* of every feature and need of a
modern borough, rich in public improvements that add joy and comfort to
her people and renown to the place. I
predict that it will be manv years before Fort Washington becomes a - borough, as it sbould . until conditions
change and population increases largely
beyond present numbers.''
'' Opposed to incorporation.''—U. G.
Funk.
'' I know absolutely nothing in reference to the subject. 1 did not know that
the question - of incorporation was being
considered."—Dr. T. F. Conover.
"Bitterly opposed to it."—R. H.
Gracey.
"I am sorry tbat I cannot give you
any information on tbe subject of incorporation except that I am opposed to
it."—W. R. Arbuckle.
Abram H. Carn says he is favorable
to the plan if tbe-limits are confined to
that portion of Fort Washington in Upper Dublin township, but will tight it
to the bitter end if fhe incorporation
includes his property.
M. G. Erb is opposed. He thinks that
instead  the  residents  should   get   to
get her and secure some industrial plants
for the place, so  that people would  be
induced to locate here.
H. K. Walker is opposed and says the
movement is premature. He thinks it
would be defeated if the attempt was
made. Of the 50 property owners scarcely one quarter are favorable. The vil
lage is not large enough.
Fitz White is not favorable, as the
right time has not yet arrived.
D. W. Sperry says the place is too
small at present to think about incorporation. The experiment would be
very expensive and result in a high tax
rate.
David Knipe is in flavor of the incorporation plan and thinks it would
boom the place, resulting in bringing
about just that condition of affairs that
all want.
James Craig is strongly in favor of a
borough. It would attract people to Fort
Washington and place It directly before
the public. Tbe incorporation would increase the tax, but the improvements
would moro than counteract.
"The question of incorporating Fort
Washington as a borough has for some
time been agitating tbe minds of some
of our citizens, but if the subject wero
closely dissected it would undoubtedly
be found to confine itself to that class
wbo might be termed transient. A borough is a desirable condition wben a
village has arrived at the required stage
of maturity, but Fort Washington is yet
in embryo. The owners of our residences see no immediate* demand for
borough requirements, as we have no
booming industries that call for electric
facilities to advance the interests of the
few, While the mass of onr citizens
(would be saddled with the financial
burdens which a borough must necessarily bring along with it. The time has
not yet arrived for the borough. The
people do not desire it, we have no use
for it, and to anticipate has always been
unwise.'' —William Shaffer.
"I have no motive or desire to see
Fort Washington incorporated."—H. C.
Richmond.
"I do not know anything about incorporation, only what I. have, seen, in
the 'Gazette.' If there is such a move
ment under way I have not been consulted. I think under the new township
law we will get all the improvements we
need withont incorporation.''—Nathaniel Dickey.
' "In response to your inquiry as to
the present likelihood of the people of
Fort Washington making application
for a borough charter, I would say that
in mv opinion the people are not ready
for incorporation. Incorporation would
doubtless bring many advantages, but
those advantages have more of the nature of luxuries than of necessities. The
people of Fort Washington, as a rule,
are not ready to pay the price of those
luxuries. There are quite a number
there who would be very glad to see
such iniprovmeuts to the road wavs and
the sidewalks as would be likely to be
obtained by incorporation, but there
are many others who own properties
with large frontages and subject to
heavy encumbrances, who are not in
position to __<-et the demands of a borough rate of taxation. It is quite likely
that in a few vears there will be a borough at Fort Washington, and it is also
likely that another borough will be
carved out of the lower end of Upper
Dublin township at Oreland. If a vote
were taken, however, at Fort Washington today the sentiment of the property
owners would be very decidedly expressed against incorporation, although this
should not be understood to mean that
the people fail to appreciate all that
would be gained in the way of improvements."—George R. Wallace.
'' Fort Washington is yet too weak in
the knees to carry such a burden "'—
Henry Unger.
Picnics and excursions are at band.
Cold Point Sabbath school will go to
Chestnut Hill park on Wednesday, Aug.
9.
The Steadfast band,of Cold Point, had
a successful lawn social at Mr. Miller's,
Cold 'Point, on Thursday evening of last
week.
George Dannehower, of Cold Point,
injured himself by falling on some wet
planks on Norristown dam one day last
week while landing a bass. We do not
know the size of the bass, but it must
have been a pretty large one to bring
down such an active person.
A large number of friends went on a
picnic last week to Conn's meadow,
Flourtown. There were about 200 invited
and fully half that number put in appearance. Three hav wagon loads of
people left Sandy Hill school house
about 9.30 a. m. Thursday. We will not
attempt to name them, but suffice it to
eav they had an enjoyable time, if they
did only catch a few sunflsh. The.only
episode to mar the day's enjoyment was
that of Mr. Shearer's horse getting into
a bog and having to be pulled out by
ropes. Then there was an animal of the .
bovine species feeding in tbe same
meadow, who resented the intrusion
and charged down on the party with
the impetuosity of the "light horse
brigade." The ladies fled in consternation to the wagons, and it is safe to say
that they did not stand on the order of
going, but it was every one for herself,
and they succeeded by surprising agility in getting safely into tho wagons,
while the male portion organized a
posse and drove the bull off. Narci.su
"clerk" was in the height of his glory
—'' about 50 girls and only three boys."
Mrs. Annie Ambler, of Plymouth
Meeting, is building a house-on the
Mark Jones estate.
Glenside.
The beautiful moonlight nights hardly
make the Kitson lights on Glenside
farms a necessity. The managers of the
operation, however, believe in uniform <
regularity and the strong glare of each
lamp burns away into the heart of ever-y-j
night.
The Glenside Country club is to be
entertained tbis Thursday evening by
Mrs. Kathryn T. May at her .beautiful
rustic farm at Springhouse. The party,
consisting of fnlly 18 persons, will leave
Glenside eany in the evening in a
coach and four.
Several members of the good old class
of '97 of Cheltenham high school, residing at Glenside, attended a class reunion held at the home of Miss Helen
Subers, Ashbourne, last Monday evening.
Pine Vila, the Glenside and Shady
Nook are filling up with summer boarders. A peculiarity of these places is that
many of the old boarders who have been
here for several years are again on hand.
An unusual sight was witnessed Sunday morning at the corner of Mt. Carmel and Roberts avenue by several persona. Voluminous yellow flames poured
forth from the sewer trap in the gutter
at this corner. They were not any ordinary flames, the result of some boyish
trick of burning paper in the trap. The
color took a peculiar pale yellowish hue,
bordering on blue. The phenomena is
not .yet explained. Some are of the
opinion that it was sewer gas; others
think it came from a Kitson lamp situated about 10 feet from the seat of the
fire. The former conjecture seems -the
more plausible.
Springhouse.
Timothy Sullivan, aged 74 years, died
b.i Friday morning and was buried on
Monday at St. Anthony's church, Ambler.
Mrs. Mary Beidler and son Warren
and Mrs. A. J. Link, of Philadelphia,
were visiting relatives here on Wednesday of last week.
Irvin Shearer and family, together
with a number of friends, spent Thursday fishing along the Wissahickon in
Comly's meadow.
Walter Hallowell and wife enjoyed a
trip to Sta ten Island on Saturday.
B. F. Danehower and family attended the funeral of Franklin T. Beerer at
Montgomery cemetery, Norristown, on
Thursday.
Misses Maggie and Josephine Fleck
have t returned home from a pleasant
visit to their sister, Mrs. Harry Worth.
August Reefer spends.his time riding his new wheel, a gift f_om his
father.
Miss Lillie M. Fleck was a recent
visitor at the home of her grandparents,
Mr, and Mrs! Charles Danehower. Sr.'
' Misses B. K. Dougherty and Ida M.
Sperry have returned home from a trip
to New York.
George II. Danehower is on the sick
list.