By Morris Rote-Rosen
The passing parade: Catherine Murphy with her two little daughters Kathleen and Claire, trailing close behind ... The three Kniess sisters - Anna, Jennie and Elsie ... Howard Chandler Christy, internationally famous artist, with his bushy gray hair and hand full of groceries ... Former Mayor Hugh G. Williams, leading two children, a boy and a girl, by the hand, heading for an ice cream parlor ... The bus unloading shoppers from the rural area ... The line-up at the bank waiting for the clock to strike 9:30, on a Monday morning ... The Sentinel delivery boys, fidgity and restless, waiting for the weekly to go to press.
The out of state cars: Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, etc., a lesson on geography ... The blatting calf in the truck in front of the Shell service station ... The Bogart, new steel bodied, garbage dumping truck ... Dr. Charles N. White, retired Granville dentist, bareheaded, shirt open at the neck, puffing his pipe, between his slow steps and taking a view of the street ... Dr. Henry Friedman with his two "internees" - Freddie and Rickie - who ride with him on his professional calls ... Michael Macura, strutting like a turkey gobbler, when wheeling his attractive little daughter.
What was that decoration Chief of Police Dick Stanton received as a welcome to the Yankee Stadium at a recent New York-Detroit baseball game? It was definitely not the Order of the British Empire ... And, didn't Police Justice Albert Berkowitz receive a ticket for overtime parking in violation of the two-hour parking ordinance? And what disposition did he make of it? No, you guessed wrong. He fined himself one dollar, saying: "The law applies to all and I'm no exception. We treat everyone alike." ... After watching motorboat maniacs going in circles and stopping at no particular place, it is good to see the "Water Wagon" on the lake with happy, pleasure loving passengers.
Which brings up the motor boat question once more in a few interesting lines, in a letter received by "Main Street" from George W. Davis, director of the Vermont Fish and Game Commission, dated, July 22: "Today, i have written to the Hon. Merritt A. Edson, Commissioner, Department of Public Safety, Montpelier, Vermont, offering the assistance of our men and facilities to the State Police in enforcing (the law) as passed at the last session of the Vermont Assembly. It is our hope that we may be able to help them do something which may prevent the loss of life through careless and negligent use of outboard or motor boats. You may be assured that we are anxious to be of help to you and other persons throughout the State of Vermont in this matter."
Mac Manchester, editor of "The Reserve Officer" official publication of former officers in the United States service, resembles his late grandfather, James L. McArthur as the years go on. He also inherited his grandfather's newspaper ability and is doing fine work on one of the most important publications in our country ... Has Nettie Button really had another birthday? It doesn't matter if it was the seventeenth or seventieth, her many friends will wish her well. We have known Nettie a long time as a friendly, kind-hearted friend and neighbor. Congratulations, Nettie, and may you go on for many more happy years.
Those who donate their dollars to the Boy Scouts of Granville, during their annual campaign, were more than rewarded by the post cards mailed them by some Scouts of Troop 44 from their summer camp, recently. We acknowledge such a card from our young friend Donald Fish of Middle Granville, which reads: "Dear Friend: Camp is swell. Swimming, hiking, good eats and other things sure make me glad I'm a Boy Scout. The gang here wants me to thank you for making our camps possible. Yours for Scouting, Donald Fish. Troop 44." ... There is no finer organization in our country for the building of good citizenship than the Boy Scouts.
Thumbed for a ride we stopped door and invited him in. Not a word was spoken until we reached the railroad crossing on North street and then: "Middle Granville is getting to be a hell of a place", said our passenger, "when you can't even buy a beer there any more. I have to make a daily trip to Granville for my beer" ... Which reminded us of the story the late Harry N. Jennings used to delight in telling, about a character in Middletown Springs, Vt., who after working hard all week, would get up early on Saturday mornings and say: "Well, it's Saturday. I got to go to Granville and get drunk and Lord how I dread it."
Seeing our happy, healthy children playing on the lawns and sidewalks of our village, and the many rose-cheeked babies in carriages, we have learned to appreciate the wealth which is Granville's and which we would not exchange for all the gold in the underground vaults of Fort Knox. This was particularly brought to our attention when we had the sad duty to issue a burial permit for an infant which had only lived two minutes. And the diagnosis on the death certificate chilled us from head to foot. It read: "Monstrosity".
We receive inquiries in the mail from people who are planning their vacation for the firemen's carnival week, asking the dates of the annual affair. Letters have come to us from Hartford and Bridgeport, Conn., and from Utica and Ilion. "We don't want to miss the carnival", writes one, "it is a good week to meet with our friends while we are vacationing." ... John B. Lloyd, octogenarian, stopped in and says: "I am ready to cut grass for the village. I wasn't feeling too good a few weeks ago, but if you have work for me know I am able to do it." Not bad for an eighty-year old man.
Frank W. Johnson of Rutland, paid us an office call. He left Pawlet 45 years ago and recalled his boyhood days when he knew Paul and Hazel Manchester and where he went to school with Nellie Bushee. Asked if he knew John D. Kelley, Mr. Johnson said that he did not. And we thought that every one in Pawlet knew John D. Kelley a hundred years or more ago. "Pawlet has changed", said Mr. Johnson, "I hardly know anyone there." If Mr. Johnson and John D. Kelley could get together we could compile a contemporary history of who's who in Pawlet for the past 50 years.
Then Halsey Woodell entered and personally delivered a friendly message to us from his parents Mr. and Mrs. Charles Woodell of Santa Monica, California ... We were given a lift by Walt Barnard and offered the seat in the grocery truck which was once occupied by LeRoy L. Barnard, Granville's last Civil War veteran. The low wooden chair, the cushion and blanket, is all there as when "L. L." rode in it last. Whether Walt or Will drives the truck there is that vacant seat and in it the spirit of one of Granville's outstanding citizens marches on beside them. The living dead.
Howard E. DeMott, who left Granville for his new home at Selinsgrove, Pa., to take up his new duties on the faculty of Susquehanna University, takes with him the best wishes of his Granville friends. And the new position is a well deserved promotion for Howard. We will miss little Sally's "Hi" and coy little smile ... Cottage owners on the West side of Lake St. Catherine are grateful to Gladys Cox, for taking the interest in spreading a petition to have the lake road "blacktopped". The petition has the approval of 100 per cent of the cottage owners on that side of the lake.
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