Copyright, 1928—All Rights Reserved
Amusement Publishing Co., of Atlantic City
VENTNOR. ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., MAY 2, 1923
Two Cents per Copy Vol. 16 No. 49
Just A Plea for
the Departing Prop
Old Time Small Boy Would Have
Looked Askance at Modern
Devices Holding House
hold Wash Up
Today
By H. C. TEST
Is the clothes prop doomed?
Has that great backyard symbol
of the efficiency and industry of
the American housewife entered
upon a day of decline in numbers
and importance?
The old intellect demands
some sort of answer to the ques
tion as I peregrinate about the
avenues of our lovely home re
sort intent on picking up bits
of news but lured by the touch
6f Spring into sometimes rather
errant speculative philosophy. I
count the number of new and
supposedly much more efficient
contraptions for hanging out
“the clothes,” and. wonder if the
clothes prop of my boyhood must
go the way of other things which
have departed with the years.
These unique and probably
competent iron and wire affairs,
with their compactness of build
and general “patent applied for”
appearance may dry the weekly
wash with as much neatness and
dispatch as does the modern elec
tric washer perform its function
of clearing the. contents of the
laundry bag of dirt; maybe they
do the work better. This is not
for me to say. But in the name
of the regular feller small boy—
if such a person still exists—I
must at least register a bit of a
kick.
For in my boyhood the clothes
prop was an important integral
in our youthful line of pleas
ure endeavor; we looked upon
the clothes prop as one of the
inanimate things difficult to do
without.
■ In the first place, the clothes
prop of our small boyhood was
considered treasure trove. Spank
ings never deterred us from tak
ing a prop or props for our boy
hood occasions.
And think of the uses we had
for clothes props. Seasoned by
long years of exposure to sun
and wind and rain, the pair of
clothes props that survived were
in the pink of condition for ad
dition of the two blocks which
made them into all but perfect
stilts. Surreptitiously secured
{Continued on page 4)
Mayor Back Today
Mayor Almerin Marston, of
Ventnor, who has been at Galen
Hall, Wernersville, Pa., for rest
and recuperation after recovery
from a recent serious illness, is
expected to return'to Ventnor and
to his official and business duties
today. Mayor Marston, in a
special message to the Ventnor
News, reported much improve
ment in his health and spirits and
his intention of motoring back to
his home resort.
Held by Atlantic City
As Intoxicated Driver
George Lacey; a painter of 329
Fourth Street, Ventnor Heights,
was arrested in Atlantic City
last Sunday night on the charge
^ of driving a car while under the
-**v influence of liquor. He is held
for a hearing next Saturday
morning before Recorder Corio.
—t—Fill Your Bins Early
Parsells Coal Co, Phone-—
Marine 9.—Adv. -
Resorts Have
Gasless Day
Then Fast Work by Company
Which Supplies Ventnor and
. Other Resorts Restores
Machinery Wrecked fcjr
Explosion ™
Herculean efforts on the part of
officials and workmen of the At
lantic City Gas Company relieved
householders of Ventnor and
Margate of possibility of a num
ber of gasless days after an ex
plosion of gas had wrecked the
boiler room of the gas plant in
Atlantic City on Sunday evening.
Within twenty-four hours after
the flow of gas to the lower re
sorts had been cut off by the ex
plosion repairs had been made to
the wrecked machinery and “cook
ing as usual” was resumed yes
terday morning.
The explosion took place early
Sunday evening and created great
excitement in Atlantic City. At
first it was reported that the
entire toiler used in gas making
power machinery had blown up
but immediate investigation made
under direction of Carlton Geist,
General Manager of the Gas Com
pany, showed that most of the
force of the impact of exploding
gas had been expended on the
boiler house building which was
badly wrecked. A great force of
experts and laborers began the
work of clearing the wreck within
a few hours of the accident and
the men were kept steadily on the
job in relays until resumption of
(Continued on Page 25)
Election Day to
Settle Contest
Margate Commission Fight
Proves to Have Many Angles 1
—Non - Partisan Meeting
Scheduled
With the municipal election less
;han a week off voters of Margate .
3ity are in the throes of a
political campaign probably more,
ixciting than any ever held in the
ower beach resort. -Nine candi
iates are aspiring for member
ship on the city commission,
rhree constitute the board as pro
vided for under the Walsh Act.
Six of the aspirants either now
hold or have held municipal of
fices.
Mayor-Norcross, who has been
a commissioner for the past eight
years, is seeking re-election, as is
Commissioner Charles Hart, a ]
former Freeholder, who has been :
a factor in politics for the past 1
thirty years.
Freeholder John W. Risley,
who has always taken an active
interest in civic affairs, is making
a strong fight to win. In the
event of his election he will re
linquish both the Freeholdership i
and the office of Sinking Fund
Commissioner.
Former Mayor Henry Gertzen
and former City Clerk William
McArdle, as well as Gottlieb i
Strotbeck, member of the Board :
of Education, have a large fol
lowing.
The candidates who have never
aeld office in Margate include i
lohn Ray, Mrs. Jessie McClain, !
and Capt. Carl M. Voelker, over- i
seas veteran and staff writer for ]
;he Ventnor News. <
A non-partisan mass-meeting ;
will be held at the Union Avenue ’
school building next Monday <
light at which time all candidates
are expected to be present and 1
address the voters on the issues 1
>f the day. _ v 1
E. B. Yellow Taxicab Co. Marine
500—.Quick, Safe Service.—Adv, ]
Former Mayor Brehman
: For State Legislature
_
Friends In and Out of Political Circles of Ventaor and Atlantic City
Voice Their Intention to Name Popular Citizen As
Candidate for Assembly
Amor W. Brehman, former
Mayor of Ventnor, prominent and
public-spirited citizen and staunch
Republican of the high-minded
type which believes in real service
to the people, will in all proba
bility be a member of the next
New Jersey House of Assembly
from Atlantic County. Without a
dissenting voice, the leading men
and women of Ventnor already
have enlisted in the campaign for
former Mayor Brehman, and a
number of quiet but heartily
given pledges have been secured
from big Atlantic City and
County leaders of the party that
they will give their support to the
Brehman boom. Pressure now is
being brought to bear upon the
man who served Ventnor City so
well as Mayor to enter the lists
for the Republican nomination
and accept the support of what is
the very best element of voters
seeking to name as legislator one
who would be an honor to his
home resort, his county and his
State._
Enthusiastic support of the
movement to nominate and elect
former Mayor Brehman to. the
lower House, as stepping stone to
still higher state honors, is voiced
by Mayor Almerin Marston.
“It would be a signal honor not
wily to Ventnor but to the entire
:ounty to have him occupy a seat
in the State Assemby of New
lersey,” declared Mayor Marston
n an exclusive statement made
o a representative of the Vent
«or News. “If the people of
Ientnor who know of his un
selfish devotion to his city and its
citizens daring his term as Mayor
can impress the voters of the
entire county with his fine
qualities as an official he would
receive the greatest vote ever
known in this Assembly district.”
“I will be glad to support
former Mayor Amor W. Brehman
for the County place in the As
sembly if he is given the endorse
ment of the Republican Organiza
tion,” stated Postmaster Alfred
J. Perkins, of Atlantic City and
Ventnor, who probably voices the
popular sentiment of leading At
lantic City Republicans. Post
master Perkins paid high tribute
to the qualities shown by Mr.
Brehman as an official and as a
man. '
One of the most, telling argu
ments in fa^or of both city and
county support of the Brehman
candidacy was voiced by Council
man Joseph H. Bartlett, former
Sheriff of Atlantic County and
one of the most widely known
residents of South Jersey. “The
Republican Organization of At
lantic City and Atlantic County
could take no surer course toward
proving their intention of going
before' the voters with the very
highest class of men than by aid
ing Ventnor in placing its hon
ored former Mayor in the State
Legislature,” asserted “Uncle
Joe” Bartlett. “It is seldom that
a man of such ability with means
which allow him to give his time!
to the service of the public can be
induced to accept such office.
When such a man is found he
should be given the support of
(Continued on Page 26)
Aayor Marston
on Jury Panel
Many Important Cates to Come
Before Jurors Who Will be
Finally Chosen Next Tuesday
The name of Mayor Almerin
Marston of Ventnor was drawn
ast week in the Court House at
Mays Landing before Judge Wil
iam H. Smathers, on the panel of
ifty from which the grand jury
lor May will be finally selected,
rhis jury, of which the Mayor
ivill probably be a member, will
be one of the most- important
juries in years. There will be
;ried before the May session sev
eral grave murder and man- j
slaughter cases, including the j
:ase of John C. Smith, of Sea Isle
Hity who ran over and killed Miss
Maiy Wood, and the innumerable
trials of bootleggers.
Another well-known Ventnor
citizen who will possibly be drawn
lor this body of jurors is George
A. Elvins, treasurer of H. G.
Harris and Company.
On the petit jury list have been :
Irawn from Ventnor, Richard T. j
Jowen and Earnest S. Albertson, i
'f the Albertson and Young Com-!
>any. There are also a number!
if Ventnor women on this pros
jective group of jurors, among
vhom are Florence I. Bock,
Catherine Cochran and May Gale.
James Boyce, of Margate, is
he only one picked from the
ower end of the island for the
letit jury.
‘Buy Coal Now" — Riley Bros.
Mar. 1266—116 N. Brighton-Adv.
Shore Resident
Hit In Yentnor
Driver I* Held in $500 Beil
Pending Outcome of Satur
day Accident at Newark
Avenue
Howard L. Porter, 9 South
Arkansas Avenue, Atlantic City,
was held under $500 bail by the
Ventnor police pending the out
come of injuries sustained by
Mrs. Sarah A. Dorthy, of 55 E.
Greenfield Avenue, Pleasantville,
who was struck by an automo
bile driven by Porter at Newark
and Atlantic Avenues, shortly
before 7 o’clock last Saturday
night. Officer Cremens arrested
Porter, who is also charged with
driving without a license.
Mrs. Dorthy was waiting for
a trolley when Porter’s machine
struck her. She was hurried to
the Atlantic City Hospital. Mrs.
Annie Snyder, of 15 North Ros
borough Avenue, and Franz T.
Voelker, of 115 Sumner Avenue,
Margate City, witnessed the ac
cident, the latter having been!
driving his machine immediately!
in rear of Porter.
While Mrs. Dorthy’s injuries
are serious, it is expected that
she will recover.
—NEXT WINTER’S COAL—
Austin Coal Co. Mar. 865—Adv.
BOARDWALK BOOK SHOP
711 Boardwalk—Marine 2126-M
Everything in Books. — Adv.
PACKARD TAXI SERVICE
—Phones—Marine 3113-3114—
Reliable tt Quick Service—Adv. j
Death Result of
Street Accident
Ventnor Resident Meets Prema
ture End As Nuptials Are
Planned — June Date Had
Been Set for Wedding
Miss Mary Elizabeth Wood,
who lived with her mother, Mrs.
Lily Montgomery Wood, at 6 S.
Buffalo Avenue, waa struck by
an automobile last Saturday
night at the comer of Buffalo
and Atlantic Avenues, and was
fatally injured, dying an hour
later at the Atlantic City Hospi
tal. When struck by the car,
Miss Wood was on her way to
meet her fiance, Lawrence Mc
Farland, with whom she was to
have attended a dance at one of
the piers. It is understood that
the young couple were to have
been married the early part of
June.
Mr. McFarland lives next to
the hospital. Even as he waited
| for the arrival of Miss Wood,
; she was carried, unknown to him,
! into the institution next his
j home. She died while he tried
! to locate her by telephone.
For several hours her body
! rested unidentified in the hospi
tal. It was only after the dis
covery by the police of her hand
bag that had been flung by the
impact of the machine against
, her slender form many yards
j from the spot of the accident
(Continued on Page 4)
Tax Rate $3.80
For this Year
Complete Date on Income from
Taxation I* Furnished by Col
lector Scull — Duplicates
Ready May 15th
For the year of 1923 the
taxes of Ventnor City will be com
puted at the rate of $3.80, accord
ing to the statement issued by
Tax Collector Scull. The figures
determined by the Atlantic
County Board of Taxation and
carried with arithmetical exact
ness to five decimal points is
$3,796.84.
Owing to the large amount of
work necessary to calculate the
assessment of individual prop
erty, the duplicate books will not
be ready for the collectors before
May 15th and it will require
energetic concentration on their
part to prepare the bills for de
livery before the month of June.
Assessments by the County
Board total in all $558,312.13 of
which sum $442,568.77 is local
tax.
The largest apportionment,
which is $33,027.47, goes for the
state school fund.
Next in rank is $12,009.98 for
state roads.
The Soldiers Bonus comes in
for its share of $2,998.82.
Then, $2,195.68 is taxed for
state bridges and tunnels. This
last shows a reduction of $800
over last year. The other as
sessments have all been increased.
Though the rate is lower than
last year, yet the actual sum of
the tax bill for individuals will
amount to practically the same
because- of the increase in the
valuation of Ventnor property.
Deliveries at any time desired
daily and this insures Ventnor
householders the best service for
all kinds of sea foods, if orders
are given to the CHELSEA FISH
MARKET, 2707 Atlantic Avenue.
Phones. Bell—Marine 2180 and
2181.—Adv.
Ventnor Has
Finest Brandi
Postmaster Alfred J. Perkin* in
Exclusive Interview For
Ventnor News Lends Local
Office and Promises
Postal Improvement
The Ventnor Branch of the
Atlantic City and Ventnor Post
Office district is the best
equipped branch office in the ter
| ritory of Absecon Island, accord
ing to Postmaster Alfred J. Per
| kins, who made the statement in
an exclusive interview granted
to a representative of the
Ventnor News.
“In comparison to the Ventnor
Branch Office every other branch
under Atlantic City postal juris
diction is extremely deficient and
I shall make it my duty to bring
the others up to a standard as
nearly perfect as rapidly as pos
sible,” declared Postmaster Per
kins.
Postmaster Perkins is one of
the earnest boosters for a new
Union Station for the railways
entering the resort, as he stated
in the interview. “Give Atlantic
City a Union Station and a Post
Office close enough to that sta
tion to admit of mail cars being
run directly into the office with
their loads of mail and we will
give Atlantic City and Ventnor
a service so near perfect that
the people will know what real
postal service can be,” he said.
“Once let me have the informa
tion that there will be a Union
Station, and inform me of its lo
cation and I shall enlist every
power possible to have the Post
Office placed adjacent. Already
11 have tried to give scientific
study to the exigencies of the
case and it is my hope that be
fore my term expires I will be
able to give Atlantic City and
Ventnor that perfect service.”
Seated in the private office
which is his center of daily ac
tivity as head of the Atlantic
City and Ventnor Postal Depart
ment, Postmaster Perkins was
deep in study of the many prob
(Continue on Page 26)
Zoning Conference Takes
Place of Council Meet
Council will not meet again in
regular session until May 14th.
Next Monday night the solons
will hold a committee meeting at
which time George B. Ford, of
New York vice-president of the
Technical Advisory Corporation,
will explain in detail the plan and
methods involving the zoning sys
tem which has been approved and
adopted in many cities.
Preliminary st^fps have been
taken with a view of adopting the
plan in Ventnor City. The cost
of the innovation will be nominal
and is expected to safeguard
established values of real estate
against depreciation through con
struction of objectionable build
| ings and invasion of mercantile
interests in sections where vast
! sums have been spent to maintain
handsome dwellings.
Today’s Editorials Page 10
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