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Scotch Bonnet: Good Water 9 Great Neighbors

By Doris Ward There's no Main Street, no public buildings and no local politicians. Only one sentence in county "historical records refers to the tiny settlement of Scotch Bonnet ; it is mentioned as a train stop on the Court House to Stone Harbor railroad during the early 1900's. Despite its lack of a lengthy historical record, most of its residents are still proud of their small community on Stone Harbor Boulevard in Middle Township. 'We have no mosquitoes, good crabbing and fishing and the greatest neighbors in the world," announced » Loretta Thomas. "To top it 'off, we residents own and

maintain our own water district." THOMAS. WHO MOVED 3 from Georgia to Scotch Bonnet two years ago, has i nothing but praise for the » five water commissioners who donate their time to » ensure excellent drinking > water for the settlement. ■ "They're not a team but they get the job done, "said Thomas. "We recently had i a major break in the system and the members, whose ages run from 40 to i 80, came running with picks and shovels and made temporary repairs. A new 8-inch line will be installed by a private contractor in the near future." According to Tom Quirk, 78, one of the five commissioners. the water is piped in from the Garden State Parkway and is purchased from the New Jersey Water Co. "It's the best water around and it's sal free," he added. "We pay for the water and the cost of repairs through a yearlyfee to the homeowners." We created the commission back in 1964 and have

since become so financially secure that we were able to make a donation to the Burdette Tomlln Memorial Hospital last year," said Quirk. The respect he holds for the four other members is evident :* "Frank Heise is right here pitching in. even lS8l

though he recently suffere a broken shoulder black Ray Blythe is 70 and Ernes Jacklinsky, who is chaii man of the board, recentl celebrated his 80t birthday. "Our youngest membei Mel Atwood, $-ho is only 4< is perhaps the oldest resi dent on the team, havinj lived in the area since h was a boy."

Ivtos a uiy . ERNEST JACKLINSK1 . laughingly interjected,' I -rfs-a-jetj.no one wanted ii the beginning. We had t. read the meters every da] ne— matter what the ^✓weather. Even now we have to walk the entire length of the pipes to find a break — come snow, wind or rain." Although none of the ; members are lifetime residents, each reflects z real concern for his neighbors. Little is known about the original owners of a series of small cottages known as "Stoneman Bungalows" which dotted the shores of Scotch Bonnet Creek around 1900. They were later moved to Stone Harbor by trailer to create the Stone Harbor Bungalow Colony that still exists there, according to reports. Only one of the original bungalows remains in Scotch Bonnet. AFTER STONE HARBor began to emerge as a promising real estate venture. Stone Harbor Boulevard was constructed from Court House to the Great Channel. Sand was dredged for the highway from the adjoining salt marsh. The dredged area later took on the appearance of a naturalwaterway. In 1912 a railway line, parallel to the boulevard, was laid by South Jersey Realty Co. Gov. Wood rowWilson drove a golden spike to mark the occasion. Trains proved financially unsuccessful, though, and the railway was abandoned until a lighter type motor omnibus, known widely as the "Toonerville Trolley," was introduced in 1921 by the Stone Harbor Railroad Co. Excursions reached their iSeak around 1926, with the trolleys carrying up to 5,000 passengers a month, but that business to declined with the advent of the automobile. Where Stone Harbor blossomed into a thriving resort town, Scotch Bonnet increased in-size'to about 150 homes. • But life there remained unhurried. An atmosphere of friendliness and good will is preserved.

Scotch Bonnet numbers about 150 homes. n oris ward

? 1NEIGHBORS — Tom Quirk, left, and William Collier J discuss Collier's plans to elevate his cottage by several | feet to protect the structure from flood waters.

Good crabbing and fishing. Dun, ward

™f" •">?. - Commission Jacklinsky. Prank Heise, Ray Blythe and Mel Atwood ... amtoed Hgh.-l.eh pip. that win cC d the Garden State Parkway to Scotch Baonei Tom twtw no. picturedrnlso Is . commisSTL^?' ***•

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