' |F ' POUR i OCEAN CITY SENTINEL. THURSDAY. APRIL 26. 1923 ■■ — — — ^==;'

Ocean City Sentinel "PrlaMS "4 PMsUabad Brmy Thoradaj OCEAN CITY PRINTING AND PUBUSHING CO. TH11 Bolkfim. 744-749 Ajborr Ar.no., Om Cltj. N. J.. Vataphooa 1»W LEWIS I* BAMKT^Canaii^MlMM Mananr - nu Ganpuqr lawim Ik. rl«bt to rajwt .or adrwtialn*. ;» ' AU if. to tkl. popo will b. pabllaM only mr th, nun. of writn Cbun. of .dnrllilnz copy mat to at Ula oBn not Uur than Tucaday noor Ikl. rola will b. atrictly adhmd to. Job work vratoptly don. by etperfead hud.. THURSDAY. APRIL 26, 1923 nm? — ■ — ; — <s. bund at til. Foat Offic .1 Oomb Oty. n. J., a wwod tlto mall motwr. DISQUIETING RUMORS Is there a foundation of facts, to some of the whispered rumors circulating through the city? The utter absence of anything approaching excitement, relative to the forthcoming election for City Commissioners, is seemingly a surprise to all and sundry. Within a few weeks of election, very litle interest appear* to be manifesting itself at the least on the surf see, and what is heard, is more frequently than not spoken in jest and fun. Are we a* citisens of Ocean City lacking a sense of civic duty and responsibility T Are we utterly wanting in civic pride? Have we become hopelessly materialistic and mercenary, engrossed in personal affairs, that we have neither the time nor the inclination, to devote some consideration to our civic obligations? There is no doubt we are facing a crucial hour. We are feeing the perils which confronts every city, passing through a period of imprecendent prosperity and through the period of transition from a provincial to a metropolitan dty. Moreover we are facing those perils in the most DANGEROUS AND INSIDIOUS form they can assume. Ocean City" i~ today- upon-the CROSSWAYS. Have we been caught hopelessly in the lure of dollars and cents, to the extent that we are in danger of trampling upon every sentiment we have been accustomed to hold of the highest worth and which through the years we have guarded jealously against every opposition and temptation? If upon un occasion during earlier years, the citizens of this resort met their obligations lightly and indifferently, they cannot afford to do so now. History may repeat itself, "While the people of the dty danced and feasted, the Saracens took possession of the garrison." If there is more than a substratum of truth in the rumors whispered abroad, it is time to sound the clarion. Some curious phyehological phenomena are being witnessed. Politicians are making up with strange bedfellows. Feuds of long-standing and political enemies of former days have seemingly become the closest of friends, bubbling over with the skim-milk of affection for one another — positively sentimental in their protestations of mutual love and esteem, and carried up into the seventh heaven of delight over the discovery, what an amasingly good fellow the other is. Incidentally too, there is some prodigiously energetic resurrecting of the past taking place. Never before has the recent-comer had a finer opportunity to study ancient history. Political cupboards are being thrown open, ahd dust-laden skeletons brougfit, to light. The archives of memory are yielding astounding revelations. Even the Cemetery of Political Scandal is not exempt; some loathsome carcasses are being exhumed, Un various stages of putiefaction.

The atmosphere during the past week has become dangerously , surcharged with electricity. There la considerabel wire-pulling. New cables are being laid. The net-work of lines threatens to become so 1 complicated and intricate, that the switchboard operators may be at a loss, how best to manipulate the plugs. t All this of course is lnseperable from an election, particularly that 1 of a small dty. The disquieting rumor however is that efforts are be- < ing made, to undermine the ethical foundations upon which, the dty was founded, and upon which the splendid fabric is being raised higher 1 and higher each year. In brief it it said that efforts are being made ' to secure the return of men as City Commissioners, at the forthcoming ' election, pledged in the cryptic language of the cabal, "to settle forever this d nonsense about the Sunday business." ' Now in the first place the "Sunday business" 1b not nonsense to f the vast majority of the dtixens of the mnnidpality, much less is it qualified by the expletive employed. The Sunday business is to Ocean City a very serious consideration. It is the dty's chief asset and charm. It is the essence of its distinctive quality, by virtue of which it has prospered. If we may employ a commonplace phrase and mix our metaphores a little, (as to v that, anything can be mixed in politics,) the Sunday business is the L "goose that has laid the golden eggs." Shall we kill the goose? ' One might ask what ia meant by this Sunday business? What would the mal-contents have in place of our traditional Sunday T What ( began the agitation and the silly imbroglio? ,j When pressed for an answer, a reply comes glibbly to the tongue; h "All we ask is the freedom to provide our visitors with the common " necessities and comforts of existence, while they are here." Frankly we cannot accept the answer, for the simple reason that until they " began to agitate and flagrantly abuse their privileges, they had all the K "freedom to provide our visitors with the common comforts and necessities of existence while they are here." If that was and is all they desired, there was no cause for dispute. They violated the privileges give them because they were not sufficient It can therefore be easily' conceived what my be involved in "settling forever the nonsense about the Sunday business." The two primary virtues for which Ocean City is far-famed ore temperance and Sunday observance. The dty consequently cannot at this period of its career, for a moment consider the possibility of the i reins of government falling into the hands of men, who are not in sympathy with its traditional policies. It is of course conceded that Ocean City as it increases in site, and the number o 4 visitors increase, will of necessity have to make proper provision for their comfort and entertainment. It will per- j haps be compelled to modify to a degree its polities. And this can be done without any real sacrifice of principle. We repeat, however, that we have come to the crosswsys. The future history of the dty, will be largely determined by the present \ WThe two alternatives waiting the choice of the electorate are clear'y defined. We know of the progress made during the last two years «nd we have every reasonable assurance the dty will continue to pros- ' par, in predsely the same manner indefinitely. America is by no means as degenerate, that we have exhausted the supply of the kind - of people, upon whom a dty of the character exercises a magic charm and appeal. On the other hand the dty might prosper to the same ' degree, although with a different class of visitor, if it does "settle the Sunday business nonsense." Which, however, would we prefer prosperity without a loss of.pres- 2 j tigt or prosperity purchased at the price of prestige? This is the vital question, and no man or woman can evade the < ! iaree. The crista offers no place for a neutral stand. _

GATES TO THE CITY In one very Important feature. Ocean City is most unfortunate, the entrances into the city are far from being attractive. Leigh Hunt, an essayist of a past generation, wrote a charming pavegyric on "The Picturesque in Squalor." * Seen through the poetic imagination of Leigh Hunt, there is a peculiar quality even in squalor and ugliness, which. appeals to the art^tic sense, 'inborn in every rational being. But the family of the Leigh Hunt's arc comparatively few in number. Being poets they are invariably poor; beiug |>oor they huve nothing to in£st in landed property, or in fact in anything which contributes to the material wealth of a community. The intellectual ami spiritual excellencies, contri- — buted by poets and dreamers to the life of a people, cannot be underestimated. But dreams must needs be materialized to be of practical = value, and few dreamers proved themselves builders; fewer less have possesed the materials with which to build. irg Leigh Hunt might have seen a peculiar charm and a sense of the h picturesque in the unsightly entrances ihto Ocean City. The Hunt is. species however, are in the infinite minority, and cities must be built ^ to attract mote mundane and less imaginative folk. I l)e J(ffijnttwkiu--aii.I John Burroughs saw beauty in everything. They . went into raptures over dirt. Ugliness to them did not exist. They loved dirt; they gloried and transfigured dirt. John Ruskin saw ilia- ' i(l monds and opals in dirt; Burroughs saw poems and songs.* i ' How these two alchemists of the fancy would have enjoyed com- ; ,d ing across the automobile bridge, into the wide and resplendent boulen vard leading into the dty over Ninth Street! , If in any place under the broad canopy of heaven, they could have ] je revelled in dirt, it is there. The dirtier the dirt the greater the beauty i John Ruskin could have exhausted the vast possibilities of human ' 4I speech, in his rapshody over beauty in the ugly, charms in the un- j |a sightly, and magic in mud, at the Ninth Street approach into the city; ! • while Leigh Hunt, who possessed the genius to see the "picturesque in ' 1 ^ squalor," could have woven around the dilapidated shacks and house- ; . ^ boats which greet the eye in crossing the bridge, the glamor of i , medieval romance. < Notwithstanding, we venture to think that if either Ruskin, Bur- < * roughs or Hunt, had formed his impressions of Ocean City from any one of its entrances, he would not have invested more in the dty 4 than the price of transportation out of the dty. _ We can with ample justification claim that our dty is one of the prettiest, cleanest and most attractive on the Atlantic Coast, Unfortunately, however, thousands pass through yearly without seeing its ' beauty and cleanliness, simply because of the unsightliness surround- u ing the approaches. <• h For the moment we cannot recall another dty, so unfortunate in f this respect It seems as if all the unsightliness and squalor in the n f dty are centered around the entrances. Entering by automobile, or a alighting at one of the depots, nothing but the undesirable and the R * repulsive meets the eye. Nothing could add more to the dignity of' 1 the dty nnd contribute to its progress, nothing could prove a richer u investment than the beautifying of these eyesores. r t The Chamber of Commerce has committed itself to an effort and <- ' scheme which will very materially improve the appearance of one en- 1 > trance, that of Ninth Street from the automobile bridge. ■ A petition has been made to the Railroad Company owning the " land, for a grant of suffident space to widen the street at this par- 0 ' ticular place. Our information is that the Company are prepared to g. - grant the land, upon the understanding that it will not be assessed n for the improvements. This however, should present no formidable s ior uie unpruvemenis. inis nowever, snouiu present lormidaoie

' obstacle in the way of agreement. Concessions should be rewarded by concessions, upon an equitable > basis. ' It is to be devoutly hoped however, tliat in its negotiations with the Railroad Company, the City should not forget to build for the Ocean City of ten and twenty years hence, and not for the Ocean City of the present day. Harry Headley's suggestion was that of a statesman, when at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, he suggested that efforts should be made to obtain suffident land now, to build a street that will be a honor and an asset to the dty in ten or twenty years to con^e. At all events the entrances all into the dty call for Immediate improvement The tyranny of first impressions should never be forgotten in dty building. DCDCnilll 0 [nard at the last luncheon of the rLliuUnnLu Kiwanis Club. Franklin Lane is !a member of the recently formed — j Club in Vineland. .Z',t m™"' ,"?• " 1 ta. Conner, of Philadelphia, a »llh the aP,«. of Jam,, M. Che. „li known ,o™„ eott.,.,, entertained his brother, J. R. j wn I. mil 1 among recent visitors. Duvall, of Oak Lane, over a re-1 cent Sunday. " 1 John Stockburger, prominent in , . . the legal drcles of Philadelphia A ™.de„, ,1 Oeean „„ ^ ^ „ ? ."'ia" l a """"•"•""a During the sommer month, J. ChMtarg ha. „|„„«d SUxkb^, j, „ „tto,|„Uc after spending the winter fisherman, months at West Palm Beach. ..... Lewis Breckley, accompanied by Gwrge and Jtfsaon Frank- Capt. s. B of th# locaI Po_ il^ f p Yln*land, were the Uce Department, started on an auto guests of President M. B. Stan-itrip to the New England states, n

Harry H. M&rte, of Camden, well _ known in our summer colony, was ' also seen among recent visitors. ( a Mrs. John Warner accompanied by her daughter, of Philadelphia, were visitors to town of recent Mr. and Mrs. August Wade, of e Philadelphia, the former a well e known architect, were visitors over a recent Sunday. [i j with the view of visiting Mr. _ ' Breckley's son Joseph, a resident of New Haven, Conn. The storm. ' 1 however, made it necessary for ' j them to return homeward, after s r reaching as fa ras Toms River. Justice of Peace John J. Devine > j was a recent visitor to Atlantic t : City, the guest of his brother. I Mrs. T. Stiles, of Philadelphia, j has opened her cottage, 412 Fourth' r George 'W. Harris has returned . i to this resort having spent very | happily the winter months among | friends in Florida. J J. A. Dittriek, of Philadelphia, ! was a recent visitor to this, resort, j the guest of his son Walter A. • j Dittrich, the well known and pop- . j ular realtor and secretary of the , | Kiwanis Club, j Harry W. Leib, of Philadelphia. . | a well known decorator, was in . I town during the past week looking over his property at 456 Asbury ' avenue. Mr. Leib acts as an out-of-city representative for the real estate broker Chattin & Son, of this city. John M. Simon, of Philadelphia, : who -has extensive property inter- ' ests in this city was a visitor to town during the past week. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Mealy, of have arrived for the season. Mr. Mealy is identified with the fir mof Johnson & Kelly, contractors and builders. W. H. Sithens of Woodbury, has | opened his cottage, 564 Central : avenue,' having wintered in the ; sunny clime of Florida, j C. L.' DuBois, of Woodbury, a ! well known and esteemed summer resident, has purchased a lit on ' Road, near Beach Road, thru the agency of R. L. Chester . Among recent visitors to town was seen, John Wilde, of Roxborough. Mr .and Mrs. Wilde, who are well and favorably known summer residents, have recently' returned from Florida, where they | spent the winter, residing in Mi-

ami and Daytona. Friends will be le glad to learn Mr. Wilde is rapidly i regaining Us health following a serious illnesfc-^, h Rev. and Mrs. S. Lord Gilberson ie were visitors to this dty during i' the past week, at their cotage 846 Second street. Dr. Gilberson, who ie is the highly esteemed incumbent s of one of the largest churches In | the dty of Philadelphia, is regard-1 lt ed as one of the most powerful and e- scholarly ministers of the Protese tant Episcopal Church. ,Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Cohen have returned from Lakewood where , they spent the winter, and are oc- - e cupying their cottage, 805 Eighth a street. Mr. and Mrs. Cohen con-j j ducted an extensive business on the Boardwalk for several years. a Mortimer Skinner, of Philadel-i s phia, has opened his summer cot-' tage locate dat 604 Fourteenth i street g John Newton, of Philadelphia, Q and an ardent disciple of Walton, { g was a recent visitor, c ames Franklin, of West Philadelphia, prominent in political dr- < y eles of a neighboring state, was _ seen in the resort during the past o »*e«k. i, Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Mallon, of j

. Most Unpopular Man In Town j |p " ^T7"\ I ! / YOU Ol' ] ? ^

,11 ' Philadelphia, have been in this re- j d is sort spending a few days. 'Jn Ms. ami Mrs. James M. Chester! Hl^returticf-home on fri.lay from P a I their winter sojourn in Florida. L nt Mr. and Mrs. Chester made their L headquarters at St. Petersburg, j iTbey also -toured extensively in | r of their ca ra round points of inter- jo '"lest and made the trip hack from | fF Jacksonville to New York by boat. ;1 The many friends of Capt. It. R. j •' r Sooy, tlie popular proprietor of the!a nt Brighton Hotel, will be glad to jj* learn he is improving slowly in!" 3r health, following the serious illness r ".rttt, oyMtook Urn I U£°' ' „ FIRE DEFfiRTMENT ||j S; CALLED 10 ASSIST " AT SOMERS POINT " — il THE WRIGHT MANSION PR AC- I »• TICALLY DESTROYED BY ! , J' AN EARLY BLAZE p. Early, between 2.30 and 3 o'clock | ie'on Sunday morning a call for as-i j sistuncc was received at the local • fire department from Somers Point , a' The paid members of the depart- 1 "intent immediately responded and, '* helped in extinguishing the flames! ?j enveloping the property knows as, I the Wright mansion, one of the j . most picturesque structures in the) ' 'vicinity. It Itecame the property! of former Commissioner Cochran,! ", !of Atlantic City, then mope-recent- j Mly came into the possession of Mr., " ° Levinsky. lt appears that the engine of the ,f ' Somers Point department broke * REPORT OF COMMTION* ll Ilorul* BDtl mortnn' BCES < IM(M(l.0o| iwoljooloo | rb^k.*" Jj* -h2 st.tsj Capit »! Btork pori! in t 200,000.00 j ,. Iicmnml iWpoBitB I.44S.002.2C . - ; Demand nriltnin of dcporti ooo.oo j y : Certified eheek, ^ ^ 7.2S0.77 | | County of Cnp* May ,, William K. Muaey ^.nd^PliBBBll- Jl- j q f,.c himaBlf. dejHiBCB and anya that the. n ! of hit knowledge and belief. william e. massey. t Preaidenl , i russell nulty. - Subneribed and aworn to, before me tbla , U'.h dA,- of April. A. i>. 192$. IC i i Ex"NTFeb °'l ""in*)" orreet ueet. CAMpBKLL C. HOMER SHOEMAKER l . R. HOWARD THORN ^

! down, hehcc the f all to the local I DEMOCRATIC CLTp" ! men. TO DINE THURSDAY I When the Ocean City fire-fight- — . ei-s arrived on the scene however, Ihnn,r WiH ^ ArrM|wd A, ^ i the structure was at the mercy of the flames. Part of the roof had "' Be HeJrd , . , „ _n_. The members of the (V.. rt.lv 0» ™ auk ,,f the building was sated. Thursday evening around the h." Some time later in the morning iquetting Uble at the Hotel te second call came, requiring the cayne. | assistance of local firemen again Since the safe return and n«ii at Somers Point. Sparks from a improvement of Cpmmiasjsiie w ! railroad engine are supposetl to H. Camp^Hwli^ cluk^^-wj^ ' , have set ablate the grass sur- a lease ftfl life j ' _ * j rounding the one-story dwelling of Quite a /arge n/mber of pT* Casey Mason. |are exported in/ addition to «, The house was hopelessly ile- memberW of the ^lub. jmolishe.1 liefore the engine could Acconitaju-rii the informtUo, ! l>e brought into action, the hydrant given, the recently appointed Pros being located so far away that the e tutor. Attorney Erricson will I, 'firemen were unable to secure suf- one of the chief speakers 0f tht | ficicnt water. , evening. B GRASP OF CONDITIONS | g The First National Bank of Ocean City, has a com- \ j B prehensive grasp of business and financial conditions— j ! S officers regarding matters of interest. I First National Bank I OCEAN CITY, N:J. ! 1 YOUR LOYALTY I to your home town is a splendid quality to possess. Your home merchant has reliable goods at reasonable j The Ocean City Title A Trust Company offers you tlie liest of service. Interest Paid on Time Deposits • j » OCEAN CITY TITLE & TRUST CO. Ocean City, N. J.

©cean (Lite's Cburcbce First M. E. Church First Presbyterian Church Eighth Street and Central Avenue. Seventh Street and Wesley The Rev. Dr. John Handley, Avense. Pastor. The Rev. Chas. F. N. Voegelin, Sunday services, 10:30 a. m. and Pastor. 7:30 p. m. Sunday School, 2:30 Morning worship 10:30 P- »• Bible School 2:30 Mid-week prayer meeting. Wed- Friendship Bible Class for nesday, 7:30 p. m. Men 2:80 Mary 'of Bethany Bible Class for Women — — 2:30 Cjj • Senior Christian Endeavor. 6:45 Intermediate Christian Endeavor — 6:^3 Holy Trinity Protestant Wednesday-Junior Christian r; • | . Endeavor — ®:4& episcopal Church Evening Worship 7:80 Northeast Corner of Eleventh Midweek service for praise J Street and Central Arena? . 11 ■ and prayer, Wednes The Rev. Joseph W. Watts, A. M. ***" ' — 7^0 p. m. Rector. ' A Homelike Church, with a corSund,y Servlc,, <""1 9:30 a. m. — Sunday School. 10:45 — Church service. flf 7:45 p. m.— Vespers and ad- ~ll dress. Holy Communion first Sunday ,t ,.,h IMS s.,,,,. First Baptist Church Days and Holy Days, 10 a m Tenth Street and Wesley Arenas. The Rev. Milton George Buck. ci p"*'- ^ "The Church with a Cordial Welcome." St. Augustine's Ckiir/.k' Preaching services, 10:30 a. m. I a. rtc raugustine s LhuifK Ind ,.M p m sfu, sd™l, u »■ I §L A,bnry ATC- Fourteenth St. Prayer service Wednesday trm- | ■ The Rev. Thos. F. Blake7~Reeror. "ng, 7:80. I Mass at 10 o'clock, followed bv Christian Endeavor, 8onday 6:30 ■ Benediction. p. m. I ■ Mass Sunday at 10 o'clock, fol- I lowed by Benediction. I Mass Sundays at St. Joseph's * * I Church, Somers Point, at 8 ofclock. I j