The West Atlantic City news. [volume], May 03, 1927, Image 1

About The West Atlantic City news. [volume] (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1927-1928

Image provided by: Rutgers University Libraries

                
'Vv;
v -r
- ' V/' •' • ,. <t ■ ' - - -T 1
"V;; * $*77;vV; 7^
FROM THE WORLD’S PLAYGROUND JUST A STEP TO HOME
GATEWAY
TO THE WORLD’S
PLAYGROUND
The West Atlantic City News
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF WEST ATLANTIC CITY
GATEWAY
TO THE WORLD’S
PLAYGROUND
VoL 1. No. 16
THE WEST ATLANTIC CITY NEWS, WEST ATLANTIC CITY, N. J., TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1927
PRICE THREE CENTS
City Beautiful Rises Along Albany Ave. Boulevard
Boulevard
Location Pays
With the Completion of the
. New Bridge It Should
Become the Mecca ,
G. B. ALBRECHT
TELLS OF SUCCESS
"With the completion of the new
bridge now under construction, Al
bany Avenue 'Boulevard ought by
all rights to become the Mecca for
automobile dealers and all others
Interested in the trade.”
This statement was made by
George B. Albrecht, a member of'
the Ace Motor corporation, which
has Its showrooms and service
station on the Atlantic City 1 end
of the boulevard.
“We have been here for over two
years," said Mr. Albrecht. - "We
moved from Atlantic avenue, where
we first located our shop. During
the time we have remained here,
our business has increased favor
ably. Better, I think, than If we
had remained on Atlantic avenue.
All in all, I personally think that
the boulevard is one of the best
places in this vicinity whereon to
locate such a sliowplace.
"In our large showrooms here
we have ft better chance to exhibit
our models than ever before. Au
tolsts out driving, perhaps for
pleasure or perhaps business bent,
passing over this road cannot but
notice the places along its sides.
We have. noticed that more and
more people are 'beginning to use
it as a source of getting to Pleas
antvllle, and if Improvements keep
at their present rate of advance
ment, realty values will reach a
hitherto unknown peak on Albany
Avenue' Boulevard between Atlan
tic City and the Mainland.
CONNECT ARKANSAS
WITH HIGBEE ROAD
New Route To Make Up
For Proposed Closing
of Higbee
Mayor Ruffu has been In con
sultation with Northside property
owners and residents of Venice
Bark, assuring them that if pos
sible a plan would be evolved to
substitute a new route for the clos
ing of Higbee road made necessary
by the laying out of the new rail
road yard for tfie Reading.
At a conference with representa
tives of the Reading and of the
Atlantic City Gas company a plan
was agreed upon whereby Arkansas
avenue north of Baltic avenue can
be connected with Higbee road.
This will give an even more direct
outlet from Venice Park and the
Northside than they now have.
Also it will be safer than at pres
• ent, since the crossing of the
Reading tracks will be( eliminated.
The making of this route will
be made possible by the co-oper
ation of President Gelst, of the
gas jompany, which owns land
through which the new street will
' pass.
' --«Ar
I
CONSTRUCTION
STARTED $706,467
Non-Residential $316,510
Residential Structures
* $128,900
Building operations for which
permits were issued in March in
Atlantic City, amounted in value
to $706,467, aceormng to the report
by John Conway, building depart
" ment superintendent.
New residential buildings cost
ing in all $128,900 were started
These operations numbering 19
and comprised 80 one-family dwel
lings, $30,900; two one-famil>
apartments, $52,0/>Q, and one
apartment building $46,000.
The non-residential Itrueturee
numbered 33> and ,cost of con
struction will amount to $316,510
The Bankers Trust company oper
ation, valued at $143,800 was the
largest item in that class. There
were 20 private garages, $5,150
one public garage, $60,000; three
stores with apartments, $98,000
one control building, $15,000; one
storage house, $3,000, and twe
, sheds, $560. .
* .> ** •
FRANK B. OFF
President and Manager of Hotel
Brighton and Prominent in
v Insurance Circles.
Mr. Off believes It to be to the
best interests of the City of Atlan
tic City to take advantage of the
opportunities for development
which are afforded by the unused
lands to the west of the Thorough
fare. Mr. Off Considers the locality
west of the Thoroughfare ideal
for railroad terminals, which
would make improvement and
growth, relief from congestion and
traffic and other desirable de
velopment possible north of Atlan
tic avenue. Ratables would also be
increased and no doubt there
would be relief in taxation.
Mr. Off is a close student of all
situations affecting the gTowth of
Atlantic City.
TRUCKOWNERSTO
HELP CLEAR STREET
Respond to Atlantic City
Business Men’s Appeal to
Avoid Pacific Avenue
Business men to whom Mayor
Ruffu appealed to direct their
truck drivers to avoid using
Pacific avenue whenever possible
are responding with assurances of
oo-opei;ation. The Mayor received
many replies to his letters, both
by wire and mail.
(In every instance it was ad
mitted by the firms that heavy
trucks and horse-drawn vehicles
which have a tendency to slow up
traffic on that narrow street
should keep off the avenue' except
when absolutely necessary to make
deliveries, and then to confine
their movements -Only to the
squares in which the deliveries
are made.
Under the plan proposed to the
Mayor by the Pacific Avenue
Business Men’s Association^ the
heavy trucks are to enter Pacific
avenue from the cross street near
est to point of delivery and leave
Pacific avenue by the nearest cross
street.
A bakery company, in promising
co-operation, stated they would try
to serve Pacific avenue customers
during the forenoon hours and
would instruct the truck driver to
turn off that street as soon as
possible.
—---—
WILL BE WELCOMED BY BIG
PARADE
A striking innovation in the re
ceptlon cr conventions will be
brought into play Saturday, June
4, in honor of the fiftieth gather
ing of the National Electric Light
Association of America. An elabor
ate parade will be held on the
Boardwalk as a demonstration ol
welcome, the convention and
publicity bureau has announced,
The N. E. L. A. held its last con
vention in this city.
The' exhibits will comprise the
greatest display of the kind ever
assembled at a convention, and
will be installed on the Million
Dollar Pier. It is expected the at
tendance will exceed 10,000.
SPANISH DESIGN FOR
HOMES IS TENDENCY
By BENJAMIN R. POX.
■ Home architecture is tending
towards the Spanish and Italian
types. New materials have
great influence on architecture
and also people generally are
Influenced by what they see In
the movies.
In Hollywood and Southern
California, Spanish architecture
is greatly in vogue, and pictures
of homes in this section are fre
quently shown on the screen.
The widespread use of the cedar
concrete block, recently intro
duced in building, has likewise
had its Influence in moulding
the type of homes built.
The tendency in home build
ing is away from excessive or
namentation and heavy over
hangings in favor of a frank
expression through simple use
of materials available.
Will Be One Of
Many Spectacles
Gathering of Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine Here
Next Month
ENCAMPMENT AT
BADER FIELD
Tom Mix, hero of a hundred
Wild West film escapades, will be
grand marshal of the two mam
moth Hollywood parades in Atlan
tic City during the Shrine cere
monial of 150,000 Nobles next
month.
Tom has wired that he will
transfer his rodeo equipment,
prairie wagonB and other Wild West
paraphei nalia. He will participate
with Douglas Fairbanks, William
S. Hart and Harold Lloyd, ' in a
spectacular chariot race along the
beach.
A carload of electric generators,
to be used in creating photoplays
during the week, has arrived. A
special train will bring the Holly
wood performers a few days before
the Shrine ceremonial opens.
Governor Moore, who will wel
come the Shrlners on behalf of
New Jersey, has Issued an open
letter to Director General Earl E.
Jeffries assuring Potentate Jeffries
of the tull official cooperation of
the State in the gigantic entertain
ment program now being arranged,
j Medinah Temple, of Chicago, has
sent word it will come on seven
trains, bringing 2,000 Nobles. This
will be the largest delegation at
the convention.
The Steel Pier has set aside a
large space as working room for
the fifty or more newspaper men
expected here for the week. In
cidentally, It is planned tor hold a
massed concert of Shrine bands on
the pier with Creators conducting.
There will be a large encamp
ment of Shrlners, in tents at Bader
Field, Albany Avenue Boulevard,
West Atlantic City.
The roster of guests who have
made reservations, contain some
of the most distinguished names
in the United States and Canada.
Seventy-three special trains
already have been listed to come
into the Reading and Pennsylvania
terminals. More than sixty brass
bands will arrive with temple
delegations. Over 100 clerks will
be employed f*r the occasion by
the Convention and Publicity
Bureau for registration of visitors
and to assist them in various ways.
The gathering will be the largest
single convention ever held, in
Atlantic City, which Is the scene
each year of between 300 and 400
conventions.
——
LITTLE THEATRE PROMOTERS
Inspired to new endeavors by the
praise of William A. Brady, Grace
George and David Belasco, each of
whom paid a visit to the playhall,
the Little Theatre promoters are
studiously preparing to give Ibsen's
“Hedda Gabbler,, in a few days.
The company boasts of being the
only Little Theatre in existence
that has a boathouse for a shelter,
located at Richmond avenue and
the Thoroughfare. Performers
have been enlisted not only from
this city but Philadelphia, and en
thusiasm is at par.
Stucco Colors
for Home Types
Various Examples of Archi
tecture Demand Different
Finishes
HARMONIZE WITH
PERIOD STYLES
By BENJAMIN R. FOX.
Modern development of the use
of exterior stuccos has resulted in
the interesting discovery that spec
ial combinations of color and tex
ture were used in each of the his
toric periods of architecture. These
textures and colors may be repro
duced perfectly today. So an en
tirely correct finish is possible for
a home of any period style, no mat
ter how inexpensive it is.
This does not mean that you
can’t exercise any individuality of
taste in the matter. But you should
know that certain types of finish
go with certain periods,
Strong effects of light and shade
under intense sunlight were pro
duced by the white, yellow or pink
stucco of Spanish homes. Applied
with a coarse brush, the shaggier
spots smoothed down by hand, the
texture of Spanish stucco was
rough and thick. Modern reproduc
tion requires broad sweeps over
the stucco surface with a wall
brush. , -
Parallel up and down strokes in
light gray, cream or white mater
ial arc typical of the French cot
tage. This finish is simple for the
present-day plasterer to produce
with a stiff brush or broom.
Rough-trowel textures character
ize the English cottage and early
Italian types. On the old half-tim
bered English cottage the plasterer
strove for a smooth surface,1 but
seldom got it. Semi-circular marks
of their crude trowels were loft
visible, giving an effect that is part
of the quaint charm of the house.
This effect can be obtained by
working the trowel at an angle so
that it gouges the surface. Soft
buffs, tans and grays are the Eng
lish colors.
White, buffs, pinks and creams
are typically early Italian. The
right surface can be achieved by
applying ,the stucco in an uneven
surface, then roughening it as it
begins to set by dragging the back
of the trowel In short curved
strokes.
Spatter-dash surfaces in reds,
tans, buffs and yellows are typical
of the stucco finishes applied to Cal
ifornia missions by untrained In
dian workers. These textures can
be produced by bringing the stucco
to an even surface, then spattering
it with a thinner creamy mix, using
a long fiber brush or whisk broom.
American colonial homes with
their dignlfiell simplicity called for
a finer texture in contrast with the
rough ones juBt described. When
ever the colonists used stucco, they
finished it with a wood float which
left an almost smooth surface re
sembling a fine stipple.
Such examples Bhow how stucco
may be harmonized with period
styles. Desired effects can be ob
tained easily with any stucco fin
ish into which mineral colors are
ground at the factory.
I --
BATHING SEASON OPENS.
Soon it will be the middle of May
and it is possible the bathing sea
son may be opened in an official
way about that time. Director
Cuthbert under whose eye the
whole conduct of the beach force
comes with Beach Surgeon Dr.
Charles I. Bossert assisting, always
bases the opening upon the weath
er and the indications of a strand
attendance. If the beach is never
crowded at that time, it is often
sufficiently filled to justify giving
the bathers protection. The offi
cial time for certainty is fixed at
Memorial Day, and no later than
that date the beaches are declared
in use. Then the beach ponies re
tire and there is nothing to mar
the comfort of those who patronize
the seafront.
ALBANY AVENUE BOULEVARD HOME, WEST ATLANTIC CITY
Firty homes have been built and others are In the course of construction in the Benjamin R. Fox Devel
opments, North ot Albany Avenue Boulevard, West Atlantic City. This Is a new section of the
city and has great residential appeal. A feature of the new homes here are the new air-light,
layllght houses of six rooms with tile bath; hardwood floors; hot water heat; double floors on
first floor; separate garages. These homes are priced at $8,600—first payment of $1,000 cash and
the balance as rent. One only needs to pay a visit to the locality to become appreciative of the
growth going on there and note the best type of Fox-built construction.
The Hotel
Center Of
The World
Atlantic City With 1200 Ho
tels Stages Greatest
Spring Exposition
MORE THAN
200 EXHIBITS
Entire Floor Space of the
Great Steel Pier Given Over
to Hotelmen’s Displays —^
Attendance Promises to Ex
ceed 5,000
The Sixlh Annual National
Spring Hotel Exposition has pos
session of the Steel Pier for the
week. It is staged by the New Jer
sey State Hotel Association, the
Atlantic City Hotelmen’s Associa
tion and the Avenue Hotel Associa
tion of Atlantic City.
The entire floor space of the
hugh pier, extending out 2,200 feet
into the ocean, is taken up by the
exhibits placed by the host of hotel
supply men seeking to make per
sonal contact with the thousands
of hotel owners, managers and
buyers who attend. Atlantic City
alone has twelve hundred hotels,
making it the hotel center of the.
world.
Regional Meeting Planned
In'addition to the exhibits there
will be a regional meeting of hotel
officials from the Eastern states,
various other business sessions,
dinners and dances and an almost
constant presentation of entertain
ment features, including many
musical numbers of note that will
be broadcast over WPG—World’s
Playground—the municipal radio
station here, one of the most
powerful in the world. i
More than 5,000 persons a day
LABOR COSTS MOST
IN HOUSE BUILDING
Labor constitutes G2 per cent,
af the cost ot building the aver
age house, while materials rep
resent 38 per cent., accord
ing to a study of construction
made by the U. 0. Department
of Labor.
The Labor Department’s ap
portionment differs slightly from
a new set of data worked out
by contractors and which is now
being studied by Washington
officials. These data apportion
to labor a cost of 60 per cent.,
aiid to materials 40 per cent.
Foundation and masonry work
represent ?6 per cent of the to
tal of the completed job. The
foundation is the largest single
item of construction expense.
The second largest item of cost
is 29 per cent., and covers car
pentry, both labor and materials
inspected the exposition last year
and It is fully expected that be
cause of the various features this
year, as well as the seasonal
weather and many exhibits—more
than 200—the attendance this year
will exceed that number.
Other features of the exposition
program include the opening lunch
eon at the Hotel Dennis at 1
o’clock this afternoon* with the
Hotel Dennis Company as host;
luncheon at Chalfonte-Haddon Hall
at 1 o’clock on tomorrow afternoon,
with the Leeds-Lipplncott Company
as host; a supper-dance beginning
at 10 o’clock that night at the
Ambassador, with the Atlantic City
Stewaits’ Club, as host; the
annual banquet, beginning at 6.3(1
o'clock on Thurs.day evening with
the Avenue Hotel Association ol
Atlantic City as host, in the Chel
sea, and a supper-dance, beginning
at 10 o’clock on Friday evening, in
the Ambassador, with the Ambas
l sador Hotel Company as host.
Bathing Suits Of All The
Colors Of The Rainbow
Fair Bathers Adopt Jersey Trunk Ensembles Because of Col
lege Trend in Styles — Playing Around in The
World’s Playground Today •
Judging by the advanced styles
of the early season mermaids, the
bathing suits hereabout during the
coming summer will be nothing if
not colorful. Red and blue' one
piece affairs are already seen, and
a canvass made of the dealers
discloses that they have ordered
bathing suits of all the colors of
the rainbow, but, unlike the stories
from Hollywood, there is no dis
position to go back to the bulky
two-piece affairs. The one-piece
suit, with and without stockings,
will continue to be the vogue at
this seaside resort, but besides
black they will be in blue, red and
even orange.
The fair bathers are adopting
the jersey trunk ensembles be
cause of the collegiate trend in
styles. The trunks are usually of
silk with striped effects, and the
jerseys of snappy hues. The beach
shawl of Spanish modes has made
its appearance, replacing the Eu
ropeau robes that had the call Iasi
summer.
Yachts Back Again.
Inlet yachts are back again foi
j regular service. They made theii
I first appearance on Easter Sundaj
| and have since continued to make
j sailings. Their presence on sur
j rounding waters has given a toucl
jto the landscape that silently re
minds the visitors of the fast ap
I proaching summer. The airplanes
too, have been saved for the sea
son, thanks to an insistent groui
of civic bodies who deplored the
threatened extinction of the Cur
tiss hangar at the Inlet by having
the Boardwalk changed to a height
that would prevent ingress and eg
ress from the building.
Arrives Here
By Plane
!
—
Assistant Secretary of War
Lands in West At
lantic City
i _
HOPE MAC NIDER
SETS THE FASHION
Col. Hanford MacNlder, assistant
secretary of war, who landed at
the Bader Fields West Atlantic
City Friday, after his flight from
Washington, was the principal
speaker at the sixth annual ban
quet of the Jamas Harvey Post,
American Legion, given at the
Chelsea Hotel, Friday night. /
This dinner was in honor -of
Mayor Carleton Adams, of Ventnor,
and Mayor John D. Risley, of
Margate.
When MacNlder arrived at
Bader Field, formerly known as
the Airport, the High school band
and several Atlantic City, Ventnor,
and Margate officials were on hand
to greet him. He was given the key
to the resort by Mayor Anthony
Ruffu. A squadron of army planes
hovered about during the field
reception.
The city officials of Atlantic
City expressed the hope that other
officials of the war and navy de
partment having business here
would follow MacNlder and take
this means of traveling to the
tesort.
Colonel MacNlder flew to West
Atlantic City from Washington by
airplane, making the distance of
approximately one hundred and
forty miles in an hour and twenty
fivo minutes.
With him was Captain R. B.
Irvin, aide, who piloted the plane
to the shore.
Colonel B. D. Poulers, command
ant of Mitchell Field, L. I., with
Captain Harold M. McClellan, from
•(he same station, came here by
plane also.
Colonel MacNlder flew from
here to Boston.
--
MAY ACT ON BACHARACH’S
SUGGESTION
Extensive Advertising Campaign
For Atlantic City.
The Atlantic City Chamber of
Commerce is likely to act favorably
on the suggestion of former Mayor
Harry Bacharach made on his re
turn from Europe. Mr. Bacharach
advocates an extensive advertising
campaign in behalf of Atlantic
City throughout Europe. He says
he encountered many over there
who had not even heard of Atlantic
City, and believes that if a system
atic advertising campaign were
waged it would result in attracting
European tourisls to the Jersey
resort. President Hickman and
others prominent in the Chamber
of Commerce are in favor of the
plan advocated by Mr. Bacharach,
and if sufficient encouragement is
given them from the hotelmen they
will likely proceed with plans for
a campaign at an early date.
SHAVE YOU HEARD THAT FOX-BUILT HOMES SAVE ONE-THIRD? WEST ATLANTIC CITY.
Great Wealth tp
- ! ...
Comes From
Shore Lands
Development In And Around
West Atlantic City Equal
to Acres of Diamonds
FOUNDATIONS ARE
MOST SUBSTANTIAL
$600,000 Refused For Tract
That Once Sold for $282.50;
Shores of Lakes Bay Prove
to Be Fine Home Sites
Talas of the pot of gold at the
end of the rainbow, of buried '
treasure and acres of diamonds
may well be laughed at In some
places—but not hereabouts. The
wily pirates who once sought this
coast as a refuge never dreamed of
the potential value of the shore
land that they stealthily trod, or
they might well have left the high
seas to peace, and settled here to
proclaim Its merits to the world.
This buried treasure lies in no par
ticular spot. It has no death-bed
charts, written in blood and sealed
with a terrible vow. Rather, the'
treasure is thousands of acres
broad, the secret. charts are maps ■ -
of realty brokers.
In 1896, about fifty years ago, a
tract of salt land adjoining West
Atlantic City,was sold to an adven
turous buyer for 8282.60. One year. >
ago, 8600.000 was offered for the ,
same tract, and the offer was re
fused. v
From time Immemorial until al
most recently the lands had been
considered almost valueless. They
were merely a means of approach- :
lng Absecou Island and apparently .
had no' other worth than as the
sight of hundreds of gaudy bill
boards and advertising signs that
lined the right of way of the rail
roads, and the boulevard. No one
thought they would be of any use
except just that, and not until the
enterprise of Atlantic City people
began to push the city out over
the lands on Absecon Island and
show that they could be filled in
and used as building sites, did -
people dream that they would ever
be anything but a wind-swept acre
age of tall grasses.
Popular opinion had it that this
land would not support heavy
buildings and that any structures 1
erected, would sink gradually into
the muck. Then somebody dis
covered that the bottom of the soft
soil extended but a short distance
down and that beneath this was a
solid foundation which would sup
port any weight. *
Immediately the value of the
meadows began to rise and It was
seen that Atlamic City could ex
tend far Inland by use of these
lands. A comparatively shallow
filling of sand or ashes on top was
found to be sufficient to transform
the useless ground into good build
ing sites and the city gradually
extended block by block to the
edge of the Thoroughfare/
The City of Atlantic City acquir
ed a portion of Great Island, about
173 acres, bought in 1889 for $900.
Today this acreage has Increased
in value a thousandfold, and today
it is held at $900,000. The entire
island comprises 371 acres.
It is now proposed to create on
this island a permanent exposition
similar to a world's fair, where
nationally important manufactur
ers may display their wares.
Two hundred years ago beach
property on Absecon Island was
valued at 4 cents an acre, while
Great Island was considered a
detriment Today the price of an
acre of these latter lands Is set
at $3,125, a total value for the
entire tract iu excess of a million
dollars.
Beniamin R. Fox showed that
beautiful homes may be built along
Lakes Bay and as a pioneer started
a tremendous development. ' * J
In like manner frontage of de
veloped streets built over these
lands between Atlantic City and
Pleasantville has become of great
value with every prospect that the
Albany Avenue Boulevard will
command $1,000 a front foot.
-m
Why look around, we have
the ground? West Atlantic
City 1