Camden Courier-Post, May 14, 1934View transcription
SOME OLD HALL FAMILIARS. Crumbling City Building Brings to Mind Many Who Once Took Active Part in Affairs of Camden and Spirited Political Scraps. By BEN COURTER. Walk along Haddon avenue these days of old City Hall destruction with veterans in politics like Fred W. George or Charlie Elfreth or Frank Fithian and they will tell you they can see in memory's eye a veritable host who once trod the corridor, rapidly crumbling away. One doesn't need to be a sentimentalist to stop for a space in the midst of what is left of the once proud municipal pile to bring to mind for the moment some who once took an active part in the city's affairs, who had their partisan fights and who were as a rule, "good fellows." Of course, those who composed Camden's official family back in '74 when the corner stone was laid have passed on. Boys like Joe Kobus or Dr. D. Louis Ireton who saw the corner stone laying are now men well along life's journey and they too have memories of the Hall through the many years. Mayor John H. Jones, as related in a previous article, died the year the Hall was started. He was succeeded by J. Willard Morgan who served a year. Then came James W. Ayres, Claudius W. Bradshaw, Jesse W. Pratt, J. Leighton Wescott and Cooper B. Hatch, all of whom have died. The surviving mayors who once held forth in the office at the southwest corner are Joseph E. Nowrey, Charles H. Ellis, Frank H. Vanhart, Victor King, General Winfield S. Price. With the advent of Mayor Roy Stewart quarters were taken in the great stone pile at Sixth and Market. The City Clerks. Joseph C. Nicholas was city clerk when the Hall was started, succeeded by Joseph Bontemps, Fred W. Tarr, Frank F. Michellon, Richard C. Thompson, D. Cooper Carman, Thad P. Varney, Morris Odell and William D. Brown, all of whom have died. The survivors are Colonel Harry C. Kramer, now at Washington, Isaac V. Bradley, "Al" White and Frank S. Albright, the last of the clerks in the old building and now happily with us in the new structure. But there were scores more who were familiar figures in the nearly two generations that have passed. One expects to see, for instance, Levi Farnham, city engineer for nearly two score years, coming out of the west corridor to make his way to see how Farnham Park is progressing. There is sure to be memories of the hearty laugh of "Pete" Young, who was Varney's assistant, and like as not there will be heard the gruff note from "old" Colonel Sam Hufty, watchdog of the treasury for many a year and a job his father held before him. One can see, too, George A. Frey, long city treasurer who was almost ridiculously proud when the experts, who made the survey in 1923, reported that of the more than $18,000,000 he handled every penny was accounted for. And surely passing what is left of what used to be the police department one can hear the hearty laughs of "Bill" Schregler or Jules Bosch or the pestering gasps of poor old Cale Williams who had the asthma and whose difficulties in getting calls under the new fangled signal system were rather tragic. Captain Hugh Boyle had a better time of it in getting those calls and so did Jimmie Tatem, later chief and now retired. Looking in the old police room one can see the domino game of 35 years ago going on with Schreg and Billy Husted, in the person of John Courter, Jimmie Polk, Frank Albright or Billy Paul interested as if it was a huge staked poker game. Peculiarly enough the uplifters of the time never fussed about that domino game, which, after all, was played to while away the late hours of night until something turned up. The Old Health Board. Across the way were Gene Roberts, the perennial secretary of the old Board of Health; Henry B. Francis, the "admiral" who fought with Farragut, or Joe Starr, who did his part in rounding up the property owners to get the Line Ditch swamp filled in and graded. Of all that board only Reuben Gaskill many years hence survives. Dr. John F. Leavitt, many years health physician, is living in retirement. Up in the Council Chamber, now virtually gone, old-timers will tell you they can yet hear Fred Finkelday in a brush with Joe Potter, the later of the councilman-at-large, or the booming voice of John Broome bringing order out of chaos. John's brother, Howard, by the way, was for a time an efficient water engineer who died at the early age of 33 of pneumonia. His son is now secretary to Mayor Stewart. There was the ill-fated George Felton, treasurer, who ended his life; Billy Doyle and J. Fred Newton, William Osler, Water Chief Hollingsworth, John McCabe, Constantine Scout and Larry King, all quite kindly recalled by many who pass the crumbling old Hall. One wonders what City Gardeners "Uncle Jake" Fish or John Schilke would say with their lawn all awry these days of destruction, a lawn they worked early and late to keep green throughout the Summer. Most of these have passed as the Hall is passing and even after the wreckers have finished their job who doubts but that the plot changed into a breathing spot along the Seventh street boulevard will not continue to have the memories to the older residents of Camden?
Crumbling City Building Brings to Mind Many Who Once Took Active Part in Affairs of Camden and Spirited Political Scraps
By Ben Courter
Walk along Haddon avenue these days of old City Hall destruction with veterans in politics like Fred W. George or Charlie Elfreth or indeed Fithian and they will tell you they can see in memory's eye a veritable host who once trod the corridor, rapidly crumbling away. One doesn't need to be a sentimentalist to stop for a space in the midst of hat is left of the once proud municipal pile to bring to mind for the moment some who once took an active part in the city's affairs, who had their partisan fights and who were as a rule, "good fellows."
Of course, those who composed Camden's official family back in '74 when the corner stone was laid have passed on. Boys like Joe Kobus or Dr. D. Louis Ireton who saw the corner stone laying are now men well along life's journey and they too have memories of the Hall through the many years. Mayor John H. Jones, as related in a previous article, died the year the Hall was started. He was succeeded by Morgan who served a year. Then came James W. Ayres, Claudius W. Bradshaw, Jesse W. Pratt, J. Leighton Wescott and Cooper B. Hatch, all of whom have died. The surviving mayors who once held forth in the office at the southwest corner are Joseph E. Nowrey, Charles H. Ellis, Frank H. Vanhart, Victor King, General Winfield S. Price. With the advent of Mayor Roy Stewart quarters were taken in the great stone pile at Sixth and Market.
The City Clerks
Joseph C. Nichols was city clerk when the Hall was started, succeeded by Joseph Bontemps, Fred W. Tarr, Frank F. Michellon, Richard C. Thompson, D. Cooper Carman, Thad P. Varney, Morris Odell and William D. Brown, all of whom have died. The survivors are Colonel Harry C. Kramer, now at Washington, Isaac V. Bradley, "Al" White and Frank S. Albright, the last of the clerks in the old building and now happily with us in the new structure.
But there were scores more who were familiar figures in the nearly two generations that have passed. One expects to see, for instance, Levi Farnham, city engineer for nearly two score years, coming out of the main corridor to make his way to see how Farnham Park is progressing. There is sure to be memories of the hearty laugh of "Pete" Young, who was Varney's assistant, and like as not there will be heard the gruff note from "old" Colonel Sam Hufty, "watchdog of the treasury for many a year and a job his father held before him. One can see, too, George A. Frey, long city treasurer, who was made rightfully proud when the experts, who made the survey in 1923, reported that of the more than $18,000,000 he handled every penny was accounted for.
And surely passing what is left of what used to be the police department one can hear the hearty laughs of "Bill" Schregler or Jules Bosch or the pestering gasps of poor old Cale Williams who had the asthma and whose difficulties in getting calls under the new fangled signal system were rather tragic. Captain Hugh Boyle had a better time of it in getting those calls and so did Jimmie Tatem, later chief and now retired. Looking in the old police room one can see the domino game of 35 years ago going on with Schreg and Billy Husted, or in the cafe John Courter, Jimmie Polk, Frank Albright or Billy Paul interested as if it was a huge staked poker game. Peculiarly enough the uplifters of the time never fussed about that domino game, which, after all, was played to while away the late hours of night until something turned up.
The Old Health Board
Across the way were Gene Roberts, Board of Health; Henry B. Francis, the "admiral" who fought with Farragut, or Joe Starr, who did his part in rounding up the property owners to get the Line Ditch swamp filled in and graded. Of all that board only Reuben Gaskill many years hence survives. Dr. John F. Leavitt, many years health physician, is living in retirement.
Up in the Council Chamber, now virtually gone, old-timers will tell you they can yet hear Fred Finkelday in a brush with Joe Potter, the later of the councilman-at-large, or the booming voice of John Broome bringing order out of chaos. John's brother, Howard, by the way, was for a time an efficient water engineer who died at the early age of 35 of pneumonia. His son is now secretary to Mayor Stewart.
Theer was the ill-fated George Felton, treasurer, who ended his life; Billy Doyle and J. Fred Newton, William Osler, Water Chief Hollingsworth, John McCabe, Constantine Scout and Larry King, all quite kindly recalled by many who pass the crumbling old Hall. One wonders what City Gardeners "Uncle Jake" Fish or John Schilke would say with their lawn all awry these days of destruction, a lawn they worked early and late to keep green throughout the Summer. Most of these have passed as the Hall is passing and even after the wreckers have finished their job who doubts but that the plot changed into a breathing spot along the Seventh street boulevard will not continue to have those memories to the older residents of Camden?
