April 1920
NOTICE
After this date the price of the Independent will be $1.50 a year. We have just paid 10 cents a pound for a quantity of print paper. This is just double the price we paid last fall and just about three times the price three or four years ago.
Regardless of any action that may be taken by the State Legislature, the business men of Highland refuse to accept the daylight saving law and at a meeting held in that village last week the have decided that all places in the village be opened and closed according to sun time.
The robins and bluebirds have been coming with a rush during the past week. It is cheering to hear their songs.
After two or three days work at clearing away the old ice and snow banks on Main St. the trolley cars now run all the way down the street.
People living in the Springtown neighborhood were unable to get to our village by the road for nearly two weeks on account of the high water. The ice left the Wallkill on Saturday morning and by night the water had run down sufficient for travel to be resumed.
It has been a very dull winter at the garages. Scarce an auto has been seen on the streets in months.
The autobus between New Paltz and Kingston has been running for about ten days and is making regular trips.
Mr. and Mrs. George E. Johnston are expected back from Florida about April 10. The Garage Domino Club has been in session all winter and will welcome the return of George before the fishing fever attacks some of their number.
The heaps of coal ashes in the yards are larger than ever before—in evidence of the severity of the winter.
Services at St. Joseph’s Church was largely attended on Easter Sunday. An eloquent sermon by the Pastor Father Hopkins was most impressive. The musical program was well rendered by the Children’s choir and was enjoyed by all. At the end of the service the Ladies’ club presented Father Hopkins with a set of altar chairs and a gold communion plate.
The committee having in charge the financing of the new Library project was made very happy by the receipt of a letter and telegram from Philip L F Elting of Chicago stating he would purchase Theora Hasbrouck’s house for the use of a public library. At a meeting of the Library Trustees Monday evening Mr. Elting’s offer was accepted with enthusiasm and plans were formulated for a drive to secure funds. During the last two weeks in April a house to house canvass will be made and it is hoped that everyone will give generously, this helping the library and showing to Mr. Elting New Paltz’ appreciation of his gift.
It seems fitting this week, when Mayor Gregory retires after seven years of service to the village that we should express our deep appreciation of his service. The mayoralty is an unpaid job and usually a most thankless one, particularly during these arduous war years, yet during these years he has given time and interest unsparingly to every movement for community betterment and served us well and cheerfully.
The new auditorium at the Normal was opened for the first time to the public on last Friday evening when the play, “Let’s Get Married” was given by the Arethusa Society. The auditorium was about two-thirds filled. One of the many decorations is a beautiful new curtain. The Normal Orchestra led by Miss Clark furnished the music for the evening.
On Saturday evening the annual Junior Prom was held in the gymnasium. The matter of decorations had received much consideration. French orchids and a general color scheme of blue and white, thro the medium of crepe paper transformed the cold and sever gym into a warm and bright and happy ballroom. The floor was crowded with dancers and the refreshment parlors on the floor below furnished a promenade and a delightful objective. Among those present was a generous sprinkling of alumnae, always welcome and always glad to get back for a glimpse from the outside, looking in.
About twenty-five young men who came to New Paltz to attend the Junior Prom at the Normal on Saturday evening were entertained at the New Paltz Hotel. A number also were entertained at the Sunset Inn and C. H. DuBois’.
This is the time of year to form the habit of keeping your chickens home. The warm weather has started bulbous plants and flowers in sheltered places that seem to be particularly attractive to chickens.
The first Hudson River shad of the season were caught last week. A good shad season is expected.
Mr. Oberfeldt and daughter caught in the Wallkill by hook and line last Saturday night six or eight of the largest suckers we have ever seen.
About forty men are now at work on the Dashville dam. About a dozen are from New Paltz. No work is being done on the buildings at present.
Mrs. Coleman, of New York, who furnished a number of girls for fruit picking last year was present at a recent meeting of the Marlborough fruit growers and agreed to send 500 farmerettes to help out during the fruit picking season.
The body of John Francis Kelly, of High Falls, a member of the A.E.F. force, who died in France was reported to have been sent to his home, but the body sent turned out to be another Kelly and did not come to High Falls.
The baseball team from the high school at Wallkill played a game with the Normal high school boys on the Normal grounds on afternoon last week. Wallkill won. This was the first game of the season.
All over the United States “Overalls Clubs” are being organized, the members pledging themselves to wear overalls or old clothes until prices are reduced. Manufacturers, clubmen, political leaders, lawyers and clergymen are uniting in this effort to force down the price of clothing. A number of high school boys appeared at the Normal in overalls or in old clothes on Tuesday.
Caption for picture: (Photo courtesy of Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection.)
Philip LeFevre Elting (1866-1929) grew up on Huguenot Street and attended the New Paltz Academy and the Eastman School of Business in Poughkeepsie before going to Yonkers to work in his uncle’s dry-goods store. In the 1880s an opportunity arose for him to go to Chicago and work in the paint business there. He formed a partnership with William Porter Adams. The Adams and Elting Company became one of the leading paint manufacturing concerns in the United States. The company produced the battleship grey color paint that was used on all the Navy warships during WWI. The company became a subsidiary of the Glidden Paint Company.
On March 25th, 1920 Philip wired the following telegram to his cousin, Lanetta Elting DuBois, who was the President of the New Paltz Free Library Association:
“I will assume the contract for the purchase of Theora’s house at a cost of $4,000 and present it as a public library, to be known as Elting Memorial Library, provided proper provision for equipment and maintenance can be made.”