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Newspaper
Bath Independent
Location
Bath, Maine, United States of America
Date
Dec 23, 1943
Page
2
Independent readers receive a wartime Christmas message noting a world conflict seeking safety and freedom, with thousands of youth serving and home-front efforts powering war production. The note hopes for a future Christmas to be merry again when conflict ends and servicemen and women return home.
J K Roberts of Standard Oil explains that wartime aviation gasoline production rose relative to motor gasoline. Increased aviation fuel, fuel oil needs, toluene for TNT, and rubbers for synthetic tires reduce motor fuel supplies. Crude oil scarcity and price controls discourage new wildcat drilling, signaling a planned oil shortage. Additionally, December delays in merchant shipments due to crew shortages are noted.
Production in ship construction has topped 1,700,000 deadweight tons, surpassing Roosevelt's full year target by about a million tons with December still to count. At this pace, fewer losses from torpedoes and higher deliveries require more ships to be manned and sent to war zones. Many seamen will cancel holiday plans or postpone them.
At the December probate court second session, Administrations filed for Bates E Stover Mabel Alice McDonald Nellie L Whitney and Harold B MacElman. Administrations granted for Joseph E Pray Bond approved for Richmond. licenses to sell real estate sought for Randall S Warren. Inventories filed for Frank M Lamb Lawrence Armstrong and others with various conservators and administrators named.
Mrs. Martha Grant, First Aid Chairman of the Bath Chapter of the American Red Cross, announces new standard and advanced First Aid classes to start early in the year at Bailey Evening School. Interested individuals should call Mrs. Grant at 695 or Mrs. Albee at the Red Cross office. A special class is planned for nurses who need their first certificates.
At Tuesday meeting led by Mrs George B Connard the Junior Hospital League voted to postpone the annual New Years Eve dance planned for the State Armory. The floor is being replaced and will not be ready this season. The next League meeting date was not provided.
Miss Grace Jewett daughter of Mr and Mrs Frastus A Jewett of Winslow street employed in the electrical department of the Bath Tron Works spent the holidays in Morenci Michigan as a guest of Mr and Mrs F E Dersham. She was met at Toledo Ohio by her hosts who escorted them to their home.
A century old carpet from the wreck of the Hanover near the Kennebec river is now owned by Treston C. Oliver of Winnegance. Benjamin Clifford, a crew member and brother of Mrs Timothy Burgess, bought the carpet as a gift for his sister. The bundle washed ashore at Popham, bearing Clifford’s name, and later passed to Mrs Burgess and then to her daughter, Mrs Oliver, who kept a piece after her death.
Mrs H Lawrence Small entertained Friday evening at 391 Washington Street with a combined Christmas and birthday party for guest Miss Shirley Barshley. The gathering featured a Christmas tree, gift exchange, holiday decor, and refreshments. Names present include Miss Margaret Kucelind, Mrs Rowena Marr, Miss Ruth Wilson, Miss Georgia Kakos, Miss Shirley Parshley, Miss Marie Lambert, Miss Eva Chaudet, Miss Edna Besaw, Mrs Marion Com, Mrs Isabelle Small, Miss Florence Quige, and Miss Ruth I Clark. Refreshments included lobster salad crab salad salted wafers cake and coffee.
Smelters in the area reported solid catches Sunday with individual fish up to 90 pounds. Vessels at Arrowsic and Wrinkles show active lines and many camps already set. Packed fish are being shipped to New York and Boston markets at wholesale prices around a few cents per pound.
Boy Scout Troop 56 of Wesley rhareh held a Friday evening meeting with a Christmas tree and gift exchange. Robert KnowMan, senior patrol leader, presented Scout master Stanley Hunter with an official scout knapsack and a metal first aid kit for the troop. Refreshments of ice cream, cake and cookies were served. Next meeting postponed to December 31 due to Christmas holiday.
Firemen answered two box alarms over the weekend within 12 hours. On Saturday at 8 13 Chief Richard Frances battled a fire in the Solovich apartment house at Oak and High streets, possibly starting from spontaneous combustion, delaying occupants who fled to the street. A second alarm followed at 7 42 Sunday morning for the Hagan house at 9 Dummer Street Court, likely from a flooded oil stove, with damage confined to one room.
The Bath school board accepted Miss M. Jane Feero resignation from fourth grade at Huse Memorial after eight years in Bath schools. She will join Dr Donald F Preble optometry at Center Street. A leave of absence for Mrs Hazel Cook Latin teacher Morse High also announced. replacements to be chosen.
The Co-Workers Class of the First Baptist Church met last Tuesday at Mrs Rudolph Furber's home in Bedford road. Officers reelected included President Mrs Ralph E. Blakeney Secretary Mrs Jamies A Goodwin Assistant Secretary Mrs Marion Barnes Treasurer Mrs Jennie Cameron and floral fund head Mrs Ernest Wade. Next gathering set with Mrs Charles R Sims at the parsonage on North street. Entertainment by Mrs Mie Armstrong and Miss Evelyn Sotheard featured quizzes and Christmas carols.
The Memorial Hospital’s new wing, though not formally opened, is already in use with the men's ward moved there over a week ago and the maternity ward now active. The addition extends from the Nurses' Home to Washington Street and features an attractive Park Street entrance facing enhanced grounds, promising a springtime boost to the property’s appearance. The wing provides about 80 extra beds, easing the crowded conditions of the past year.
Roger Moulton of 3 Drummond Street is confined to his home due to illness.
Attendance lists from North Grammar School cover Sixth and Seventh grades with students marked not tardy or not absent. Dike School reports perfect attendance in several primary and graded classes including Arsenault, MacDonald, Thurston, and Gardinier among others.
Knights of Columbus and Daughters of Isabella hosted a Sunday afternoon Christmas party for about 265 children and 150 parents or guardians. The program included carols, solos, a Junior choir performance, Santa Claus, gifts and treats, Eddie Murphy juggling, and greetings from Rev. Father Timothy Maney and Father John A. Cummings.
Dunlap Commandery held an installation with Eminent Commander C Legard and officers including Charles Bartlett, Harod Cutting, Lloyd Hooker, Arthur Norton, Albert Henderson, Oscar Adams, and Benjamin Murray. Absent were John Gillespie, Herbert Caverly, George Goodwin, Edward Miller, Everett Pinkham, Leeman’s orchestra provided music. Polar Star Masons assisted as ushers. Lobster rolls and desserts served by Mrs Morse committee.
The Nequasset church school will present a Christmas concert at the Old Congregational church featuring a pageant and a tree on Thursday evening. Everyone is invited to attend.
The Corliss Street church Missionary Society met Thursday in the vestry with Mrs. Merton Wright presiding. Members discussed Christmas observances in various countries, sent cards to a member abroad and to a hospitalized president, voted gifts to the Seacoast Mission and City Farm, and agreed to hold a Christmas tree gathering at Mrs. Wright’s High Street home. The next meeting is slated for January 3 with Mrs. John Hunt.
A Maine Central passenger bus from Lewiston bound for Bath at 11 a.m. collided Thursday morning at Oak and Middle streets with a car driven by Earl Hichborn of Bath. Twenty two bus passengers were unharmed while Hichborn and a young passenger were shaken but uninjured. The Dodge car was badly damaged as the bus, sliding on icy streets, struck it and pushed it across the road into a tree stump. Bus driver Leo L. Roderick said Hichborn ran a stop sign. Police Investigator Joseph Williams reviewed the scene.
Transfers published by Hiram T. Stevens Register of Deeds list multiple land and building transactions in Bath Bowdoinham Phippsburg Richmond and Woolwich. Grantees include George T Costain Leonard F Wetherbee Wilson Moore Adelaide Anderson Inez Hinckley Alice Nelson Melita Leavitt and Percy Bailey among others with parcels on Granite and Washington streets and other properties.
State Trooper Francis W. Powers brought the case in Municipal Court. A Deering pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to taking a car without the owner's permission. The case was placed on file and the respondent was turned over to military authorities for punishment. Mrs. William D. Sewall returned to York Hall after a few days in Boston.
Frank Pratt of Gardiner pleaded guilty to larceny of a chicken from the First National Store. In Municipal Court Judge Gardiner R. Deering fined Pratt $10 plus $5.60 costs, totaling $15.60 for the chicken, while the market value was $1.85. Pratt cited intoxication and claimed it was his first offense. the incident ended with the store recovering the bird.
The Semper Fidelis Young Ladies class of Nazarene Sunday school met Friday at Alyce Dutton’s home in Wiscasset with 11 members present. President Millie Dutton led prayers, board reports and dues were collected, a Christmas card to Mrs. E. T. French was approved, and a committee led by Eva McNeill Gwen Dutton and Luella Fraser planned an anniversary program for Jan 5 at the parsonage. Absent members Eva McNeill and Harriett Fraser were to receive cards. Christmas gifts were exchanged and refreshments served by the hostess. Present were Vera Greene Mabel Stanley Luella Fraser Gwen Dutton Millie Dutton Sade Mathews Barbara Greene Betty Holman Bertha Tremaine Marjorie Fraser Alyce Dutton.
Citizens must obtain a purchase certificate from the local ration board for stoves burning coal wood gas or oil. The measure limits stove access and directs households to apply for ration authorization.
A. F. E. Smith, Maine OPA Mileage Rationing Officer, reminded car owners to cross out their old registration numbers on gasoline ration book covers and tire inspection records and write the new figures beside the old. He said updating on the covers and records suffices, not on each ration coupon.
The Lions Club relaxes eligibility for its annual Christmas party to include sons of soldiers and sailors unable to return home for the holiday. The City Poor Department and welfare agencies note a drop in Christmas aid appeals from children this year.
Crossword puzzle clues listed for across and down entries with several misspellings and partial words. The cryptogram at the end decodes to a quotation about politeness and benevolence. The source credits King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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