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Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
| Posted 01-24-2006
SEVEN News-Bits of Reading-Berks historical interest.... ++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++ ++++++++ ++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++ ++++++++ ++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++ ++++++++ 1- Himmelreich's Grove (Womelsdorf) info requested... 2- Passing Scenes # 5, 6, and 9 for sale at Reiffton 3- Fascinating data regarding 1906---100 years ago 4- Open 24 hours a day: the Society's Internet gift shop 5- The canal article in the last News-Bits had a typo 6- The landmark Topton House revisted by intrepid reporter 7- Society's NEXT BCTV program has never-before-seen views! ++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ 1- In response to a number of inquiries, we'd like to include some photos and history of Himmelreich's Grove in "The Passing Scene--Volume 14," coming out next November. Can anyone direct us to a source of some photos and history of the Grove? Lots of well-known local and regional county and western stars performed there. We know that the place was conducted by Harvey Himmelreich until his demise at age 69 in Nov. 1951. Harvey had a children and grandchildren in the area. Himmelreich was buried in Hain's Chruch Cemetery. ++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ 2- John Cellucci < jcboxlot@ptd.net > of Reiffton, wrote to inform us that he has extra copies of The Passing Scene-- Vols. 5, 6, and 9, which are available at $75 each, plus post. Or they can be picked up locally. Mr. Cellucci's phone number is 610 - 779 - 0456. +++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++ 3- One of our readers forwarded the following data on the year 1906----a century ago. Many of the facts that follow are staggering! What a difference a century makes! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years. Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars. There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million people, California was the 21st most populous state in the Union. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower! The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour. The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year. More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home. Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard." Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound. Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30! Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea had not been invented yet. There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. 20 percent of U.S. adults could not read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then the pharmacist said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help. There were about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S. ++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ 4- Reminder to visit the Society's Internet Gift Shop.... Drop in at Very shortly, some of the Reading-Berks historical sites maps of 1976--pinpointing 760 sites--will again be offered in our Internet gift shop. We're pleased to report that another stash of the maps was found in storage. Selling price will be $7.50 postpaid-- or $5 at the Society. As the following photo shows, the two-sided map is quite large. Yours truly devoted 2,450 hours to its preparation. 
++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++ 5- In the last News-Bits dispatched, the Schuylkill Canal article was penned in 1824. Sorry for the typo! ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ 6- The same Bob Compton who supplied the back-bar photo of the historic Virginville Hotel---seen in the previous News-Bits---just visited the landmark Topton House, situated right by the railroad in Topton Borough. Here is his report: "We went up to Albany Township this afternoon to hunt for a Red-headed Woodpecker. Didn't find him, but that's okay, since we stopped first for lunch at The Topton House. "The fellow in the photo is Mr. Gore, the hotel's owner. 
"Mrs. Compton had clam chowder to start, and I had the soup of the day, chicken and mushroom. Both were outstanding, as evidenced by their "good-soup" reputation that reaches to Philadelphia. "She had crab-artichoke dip and stuffed mushrooms -- both appetizers. I got a daily special, Cajun catfish on a bed of fresh baby spinach. Not wanting to take a chance on reaming out my esophagus, I got it without the Cajun spices. Like all catfish, it was very, very good. "I was gorged after downing the catfish and maybe a quarter of the spinach; and my companion brought some of everything home except her soup. So the $34.30 that it cost will pay for lunch and dinner. "When you want to treat yourself really nicely, get a reservation at The Topton House." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 7- Our next BCTV program----on WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1st at 7 p.m.--- will contain a cache of really rare, never-before-seen views that have all been restored; some have been prepared for inclusion in the upcoming "The Passing Scene--Vol. 14," due out this November 2006. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++ gmmix ++++ END ++ |
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