Yesteryear
100 years ago
William A. Newell, New Jersey’s oldest surviving ex-governor, died at his home in Allentown on Aug. 8. In him the public loses a faithful servant, the people of Allentown and vicinity a skillful and self-sacrificing physician, and his family a true and tried friend. Dr. Newell’s death did not occur unexpectedly as he had been sick for several days and he had been in declining health for about one year. His death was due to old age. Dr. Johnson, who had been attending his aged colleague, saw Wednesday that the end was not far off and it was only Dr. Newell’s splendid constitution that enabled him to linger until yesterday. The end was peaceful. Yet it was a sad death-bed scene for the venerable doctor appeared like the last tree in a forest, dying, the last of his father’s family, his wife dead, and his only daughter miles away, hurrying in a fruitless endeavor to be at her father’s bedside during his last moments. It was only on July 22 last that Dr. Newell was in Freehold, attending the last session of the present grand jury, of which he was foreman. When the grand jury convened last May it was remarked by everyone that Dr. Newell was beginning to feel the weight of his years.
On Wednesday evening the members of the Freehold Fire Department held a largely attended special meeting at which it was unanimously voted to accept the invitation to participate in the fireman’s parade at Red Bank on Labor Day. Both Good Will Hook & Ladder Company and Hulse Hose Company desire to go as organizations and take their apparatus. The foremen of the five companies were appointed to a committee to make arrangements for the department to turn out, and William D. Hulse was selected to arrange with the Central Railroad Company for transportation.
The month of July just ended was the hottest July ever known in this section. The United States Weather Bureau has kept records of temperature for the last 31 years and there is nothing on the records to equal that of July 1901. July in 1887 came the nearest with a mean temperature of 77 degrees. The highest temperature for July 1901 was 99 degrees on the second of July. The lowest was 64 degrees early on the morning of the 27th. The mean maximum temperature for the month was 78, or one degree higher than that of 1887. All previous years of which records have been kept were, of course, lower than the record of 1887.
75 years ago
Four-year-old Audrey Morris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elvin Morris of East Farmingdale, likes Mrs. George Washington but does not think the latter likes children. Last Sunday the Morris family with some friends, went to Washington’s Headquarters at Rocky Hill and, of course, went through the house occupied by General Washington for a while after the Revolution. The caretaker and guide, an elderly Irish lady, showed them through and described different articles in the house. After having passed to the lawn the little girl decided she wanted to go back. Mrs. Morris told her that she could not, and the child promptly asked, "Why doesn’t Mrs. Washington like children?"
The rear of the machine skidding on the filament of oil dropped by cars as it was rounding the slight curve at Our House Tavern in Ardena about 9:45 last Friday morning, a Central Transportation Company bus, operated between Freehold and Asbury Park, crashed against a large maple tree on the hotel grounds, did about $500 damage to the bus and injured five people.
In spite of the heavy disease infestations such as mosaic which mottles the vine, cutting the set and the size of the tomatoes, Monmouth County farmers see good prospects for a big yield of tomatoes. This year has been an exceptionally good year for tomatoes as far as securing a good stand is concerned. Plantings this year have been doubled over those of last year. Most of the tomatoes grown go to the Campbell Soup Company in Camden, while a certain amount is handled by the canning factories in Freehold, Farming-dale and Phalanx. There is a marked increase in the plantings around Freehold, Marlboro, Imlaystown and the Cream Ridge areas.
50 years ago
Englishtown councilmen Armour S. Hulsart and Theodore J. Narozanick were named by Englishtown Mayor J. Laird Hulse at the meeting of the Englishtown Borough Council as a committee to study the possibilities of employing a special full-time police officer for the borough. The committee will bring the recommendations to the council at a special meeting on Aug. 27. The new officer would be in the employ of the borough in addition to Chief Raymond B. Vanderhoef Sr., who has been unable to do active duty since his accident about seven months ago while investigating another accident. At the present time, William H. Davison has been special officer in the borough assisted by Lorenzo O’Dell, but because of his other duties as maintenance man, Mr. Davison is not able to devote enough time to police work. Mr. Hulsart, who asked that the committee be appointed, also suggested that Chief Vanderhoef and Mayor Hulse sit in on the forthcoming meeting.
25 years ago
Hurricane Belle was more of a lady than expected, but she was a messy one with downed trees and branches reported throughout the Western Monmouth and Eastern Mercer areas. The storm left swaths of Monmouth without power for most of Monday night and early yesterday morning. One storm-related fatality was reported in the area. Marlboro police said they suspect that the heavy wind and rain and poor visibility played a major part in the death of Robert Barron, 39, of Jackson, who was hit by two autos as he was walking on Route 9 Monday night. Police report that Barron was hit in the southbound lane of the highway between Route 520 and Texas Road by one car and hit again by another car. In Freehold Township, Irving Rifkin, who operates a farm on Route 527 in the Smithburg section, reported that his entire corn crop was destroyed by the hurricane. He estimated his loss at $10,000.
— Compiled by Dick Metzgar