Where Have You Gone Big John By Jack Coll
April 9, 2014
The Lee Way; Some Pretty Interesting Stuff
April 16, 2014This & That….
This & That
By Jack Coll
4-13-14
Welcome to another edition of This & That, if you’re not familiar with This & That it’s a random column of things on my mind, things to ponder, but mostly This & That is a gathering of tid-bits I’ve come across while researching other projects. The tid-bits mostly come from newspapers, something I wasn’t looking for but find interesting. Typically the tid-bit will be headed with the date from the paper and then reproduced word-for-word, mistakes and all, sometimes that’s the charm of the bit. Sometimes due to space restrictions I’ll edit the piece, but most of the bits are reproduced in full, so here we go.
March 30, 1961
How stupid of an idea was this? An editorial that appeared in the Conshohocken Recorder back in 1961 suggested that the state of Pennsylvania legalize gambling to ease the tax Burden.
“In dollar volume, gambling is America’s Number One business.
It’s an old business going back to the Garden of Eden and the results may be just as disastrous for many gamblers as the one chance that resulted in the fall of mankind.
There was gambling at the foot of the cross when soldiers cast lots for the Saviour’s garments.
In many communities most forms of gambling, including bingo, are illegal. The lid has been clamped on tight about 10 years in Montgomery County. While the law is the same throughout Pennsylvania, gambling is wide open in most other counties. One of the principal spots is the midway on the fairgrounds where volunteer fire companies derive the bulk of funds for their upkeep.
Some of America’s leaders favor legalized gambling, Why not? The revenue should ease the tax burden, provided every known form of gambling becomes taxable. This would include betting on the golf course as well as in the casino, the race track, numbers rackets, bingo and chances on automobiles, furs and jewelry.”
It’s not like they are gonna ever open a casino in Pennsylvania!
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February 16, 1961
Snow Halts Work
St. Mary’s Church is currently being demolished and had been condemned some time ago and has been unused for months. The church is more than a century old.
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October 9, 1958
Riant Theatre
Located on the corner of First Avenue and Fayette Street, Conshohocken
TA 8-0502
Air Conditioned
Every Monday thru Friday
99 cents—Family Nights—99 cents
Adults & Children Under 12 of one family
Today thru Saturday
2—cinemascope & Color Features
Aldo Ray Cliff Robertson
“Naked And The Dead”
Plus
Brian Keith Rita Gam
“Sierra Baron”
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October 9, 1958
RECORDS
This Week’s
Ten Top Tunes
1. It’s All In The Game
2. Rockin Robin
3. Little Star
4. Bird Dog
5. You Cheated
6. Hideaway
7. Tears On My Pillow
8. Volare
9. No One Knows
10. Topsy II
New L.P. Albums
“I Get A Kick Out Of Cole Porter”
Joe Buskin at the Piano
Private Listening Booths
In Our 22nd Year
Vernon E. BrookS
Marshall & Astor Sts. BR 2-2882
February 23, 1967
Pvt. Ciavarelli In Iron Triangle
Army Private First Class William L. Ciavarelli, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Emil J. Ciavarelli, 525 Fayette Street, Conshohocken Pa., recently returned from “Operation Cedar Falls,” the largest operation in Vietnam to date.
Ciavarelli, a radio repairman in the 196th Light Infantry, Brigade’s 175th Engineer Company helped deny the Viet Cong use of the “Iron Triangle” as a staging center for attacks and acts of terrorism on the Saigon area.
February 2, 1967
Korkus Leads Sharks By Unbeaten Eels
The last unbeaten five in the Whitemarsh Junior High Basketball League fell by the wayside when the Sharks slithered by the Eels, 34-33, behind Mike Korkus 10 points. Tom Eplett had 11 for the losers.
The Tunas thumped the Porpoises, 40-22, as Jim Mueller hit for 10. Stan Lukoff tossed in eight for the Dauphins.
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April 9, 1915
Boy Scout Notes
Fourteen members of the Conshohocken Troop of Boy Scouts, together with Assistant Scoutmaster George Giles, will be the guest of Mr. Connie Mack and Mr. Walter Baker at a game between the Phillies and the Athletics, to be played this afternoon at Shibe Park, Philadelphia.
This is the annual Boy Scout Day at Shibe Park. There will be scouts there from all over Philadelphia, from Delaware and Montgomery counties and New Jersey.
The members of the Eagle Patrol: C. Campbell, George Beaver, W. Davis, S. Engler, M. Millward, C. L. Montgomery, R. Wood, H. Woodward, will report to Scoutmaster Noble, at 1:30 o’clock, Sunday afternoon at the Calvary Church Parish House. These scouts will act as messengers and aids at the afternoon and evening services at the tabernacle.
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January 1, 1946
Rafferty’s Pharmacy
49 Fayette Street
Nicholas Talone
Beer Distributor
12 East Hector Street
Rea Fashion Shop
Ladies’ & Children’s Clothing
64 Fayette Street
William C. Koch
Sunoco Service Station
6th Avenue and Fayette Street
Fayette Motors
Ford and Fordson Agency
12th And Fayette Street
Thomas F. McCoy
Druggist—Prescriptions
4th Avenue and Fayette Street
Kehoe Brothers
Hardware, Glass & Paints
109 Fayette Street
LeRoy & Williams
Blue Coal
Elm and Ash Streets
McDade’s Auto Service
Auto Ignition Service
Elm and Harry Street
People’s Drug Store
301 East Hector Street
Ralph Altopiedi
Groceries & Meats
4th Avenue and Maple Street
E. F. Moore
Chevrolet & Oldsmobile Service
12th Avenue and Fayette Street
Paul D. Miller
Funeral Director
300 Fayette Street
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July 3, 1972
Girls Will Race Here First Time In History
The biggest soap box derby in Conshohocken history will be held tomorrow and for the first time the racers will be driven by girls as well as boys. Some 53 racers have registered for the race that will start at 8:30 a.m. with a parade from First Avenue and Fayette Street and the parade, soap box derby drivers included will march up Fayette Street to the starting line.
January 16, 1923
More Music For Riant
Employees of the Fulton & Larghey Company, organ builders, are engaged in installing and echo organ in the Riant Theatre, corner of First Avenue and Fayette Street. The echo organ is simply an addition to the large pipe organ installed at the time of the erection of the theatre. It consists of three sets of pipes—Vox humana, tibia clausa and orchestra oboe. The addition will be erected on the left side of the building and the chimes will be transferred from the right to the left side of the building it will it will be about a week before the work is completed and after it has been finished the local theatre will be able to boast of the largest pipe organ of any playhouse in this vicinity with the possible exception of one in the county.
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March 13, 1952
All-Girl Band To Parade Sunday
St. Matthew’s High School All-Girl Band will participate in the St. Patrick’s parade Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia. Rev. George L. Murphy, administrator of St. Matthew’s parish and Rev. Joseph Schuster, principal of St. Matthew’s High School, have been invited to sit in the grandstand in Reyburn Plaza where clergy, judiciary and invited officials will view the long line of marchers. The Knights of Columbus and Irish-American organizations are sponsoring the event.
The 70 piece band, wearing their smart blue-trimmed white uniforms and headed by Joseph Colantonio, will be the second band in line of march. Forming a shamrock at the grandstand, they will salute the dignitaries with “Irish Eyes Are Smiling.”
A number of local residents plan to view the parade, first of its kind held in many years.
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July 14, 1962
Conshohocken Launderette
A complete Laundry Serviced
Let Us Serve You
Modern Machines
Big Bundle Washers
Shirts Finished
Dry Cleaning
Up To 9 x 12 Cotton Rugs
Beautifully Cleaned
Ample Parking
TA 8-2729
First Avenue & Harry Street
“Let’s Get Acquainted”
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June 23, 1939
SPORT-O-GRAMS
The ten Pettine brothers, local athletes who formed two complete bowling teams and participated in a special match at Charlie Lutter’s emporium a few months back, found they aren’t the only ten bowling brothers in the business. Recently a communication came to them from the Westerman Brothers of Elgin, Illinois, with photographs enclosed of themselves. The Westerman’s differ a little from the Pettine’s. For instance, the youngest Westerman is 38 and they have been bowling as a family for the past 18 years, touring various western states. They urgently requested pictures of the Pettine’s. Maybe this coming Fall the brothers Westerman and Pettine may get together. Wouldn’t that be a match!
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If you had been standing on the 15th green at Marble Hall one day this week you’d have seen something unusual in the way of knocking old man par for a loop. Three fairway stars—collectively clipped five strokes off the par 5 hole. How? We’ll explain. Johnny Griffin, the Marble Hall pro, Bill Coan, former pro at Coatesville, and John Kelly, lanky long distance hitter, were playing together. Griffin and Coan each scored 3’s, a feat very seldom done—i.e. when two players playing together do it—and Kelly bagged a bird.
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BASEBALL
SIXTH AVE VS. THIRD AVE
Sixth Avenue Baseball team defeated the Third Avenue ball team in a special game at Kelly’s Field on Saturday last by a score of 1 to 4.
Welch pitched for the Third Avenue team and proved clearly that age goes against a pitcher. Flynn twirled for the Sixth Avenue boys and gives promise of a great career on the diamond. He also did great stick work, getting five hits out of five times up. Clark at first base, played a great game and accepted sixteen chances without the sign of an error. Hanlor, played a good game at second and gives promise of another great player. The Sixth Avenue team would like to arrange games with teams from 10-12 years. Address Manager D. Flynn 226 West Sixth Avenue, Conshohocken.
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January 12, 1945
WHERE MOST PEOPLE GO MOST
The
Montgomery
House
MUSICAL BAR
MUSIC NITELY
FAYETTE AND MARBLE STS.
CONSHOHOCKEN
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This & That was brought to you by
Aim High Studio &
Flanigan’s Boathouse
Thank You
Copies of the book “Tales of Conshohocken and Beyond” are still available for purchase at Coll’s Custom Framing, 324 Fayette Street.
“Tales of Conshohocken and Beyond” is a 450 page book depicting about 490 vintage photographs, with some very interesting stories and history to go along with the photographs.
A limited amount of books remain.
