The Colophon 1931

COLOPHON COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT—Continued advantages. The open-air reading court, with its lovely shrub- bery, easy lounge chairs, and slow-trickling fountain, is an ideal place for summer readers. The Pine Room, a cozy, odd, reading room for men, offers quietness for serious study and reading and as well as a place for meetings. The series of rooms and offices each new book passes through, on its journey from the basement to the shelves, is a very distinct addition. These side glances of the library are given with the hope of creating a sound interest in the library and instilling a desire for more knowledge as well as pleasure, which the library so readily and willingly offers. \"This is your Library—Use it.” With the discussion of this last committee and the remark- able institution which it represents in our borough govern- ment, we have concluded the duties of the council. There remains still for explanation, several other important borough offices. These are divided into two classes; those elected and those appointed. For convenience and continuity, let us look at the elective offices first. The borough government calls for a high constable. Wil- liam Griffith fills this elective office, which enforces the law. Mr. Griffith also heads the police department. In this double office and in conjunction with the police committee of the council, he enforces law and maintains order in the com- munity. All borough financial records are carefully checked by the auditors. At present they are: Mr. John H. Brubaker, Mr. Earl Sheets, and Mr. Amous Kurtz. These men furnish a sworn affidavit to the council, as to the borough’s finances and are connected with the finance committee and the treasurer. There are two offices of the borough that are closely con- nected. They are those of assessor and tax collector. The former fixes the value of the private properties in the borough from which the tax is calculated. The latter cares for the collection of this tax. The town assessor at this time is Mr. Floyd Groff and the tax collector, Mr. Henry Stetler. The tax rate in our borough is sixteen mills, for general use, and five to form a sinking fund. In addition to this tax there are two more, a twenty-mill levied by the School Board for the Page Ninety-nine

COLOPHON COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT—Continued maintenance of the public school, and a five-mill tax collected and paid into the county treasury. There are three major appointive offices. They receive their appointments from the Burgess; they are treasurer, so- licitor, and borough engineer. These offices are held by Mr. William T. Arnold, Mr. Paul H. Price, and Mr. Irvin Hafer, respectively. The treasurer, as his name implies, is custodian of the borough’s funds. All bills drawn on the treasury must be countersigned by him and passed by the finance in the council. The Solicitor is the borough’s representation in all cases at law. He is also the government’s legal advisor and sits in at the council meeting in this capacity. Since he is an appointed officer, he is directly responsible to the council. All community projects, where building, planning, etc., are concerned, are supervised by the Borough Engineer. It is also his duty to inspect all plans for private buildings in the borough, accepting or rejecting them as he sees fit. Thus, strict restrictions are maintained through his carefulness. At present, Mr. Hafer’s position is emphasized by the construc- tion of the new soft-ball field, and the Athletic Field. In these two projects, the importance of his office is clearly con- veyed to us. In addition to the individual appointments made by the council, there are three major commissions that owe their existence to the same source. The first of these is the Shade Tree Commission, whose members are Mr. Janssen, Mr. Smith and Mr. Heck. The name of this commission clearly expresses its duty and Wyomissing is a monument to its ac- complishments. We are the most beautiful suburb of Reading only on account of the foresight of such men as these. To beautify with man’s tools, to build impressive buildings, con- sume merely a few months; but to beautify with the art of nature (and what beyond nature is true beauty) is the work of years. The work of these men will be appreciated not only while they are active, but as long as those stately mon- archs, the trees which they have planned, cast a shadow in which to escape the sun’s hot rays. The Zoning Commission made up of Earl Jenks, Fred H. Ludwig and Norman Richards, rank closely to the Shade Page One Hundred

COLOPHON COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT—Continued Tree Commission for the honors in the task of creating a city beautiful. In their hands all plans tor building, repairing or improving property in the borough are sanctioned or rejected. It is through their efforts that the stately dwellings in our community remain free from depreciation due to the building of cheaper structures. The Zoning Commission operates in close conjunction with the Borough Engineer. The third of these three commissions differ in their duties from the other two. The Board of Health is a committee that is legally necessary in every borough. It protects the health of the citizens of the community by inspections of any- Peoples Trust Company thing that might endanger health, by the confinement of con- tagious diseases, and by answering all registered complaints. Although their accomplishments are not noticed by everyone, they fulfill the important duty of maintaining sturdy boy and girlhood in the community. The final department of the Borough government is the School Board. Its members are elected by the people and at present are: Dr. John Livingood, Mr. Calvin E. Butler, Mr. William Bowman, Dr. O. J. Specker, Mrs. Harvey E. Lein- bach. The relations between the School Board and the town Page One Hundred and One

COLOPHON COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT—Continued government is one of the strange features of local govern- ment. The School Board is a small government within the local unit. It operates under a special school code and elects its own officers and members. The Board has complete charge of school affairs and the borough officials leave it strictly alone; it cannot, however, step outside of its own realm, the school, and extend its power into the borough’s jurisdiction. The School Board has two important functions. It regu- lates and directs the public schools of the community and supervises the playground through a playground committee. Their duty does not require much explanation as we are all, parents and children alike, in close contact with the school. However, we may note that considering the size of our bor- ough, we have one of the finest and most progressive school systems in the county. Our playground, which was turned over to the School Board by the borough, is certainly most worthy of mention. Besides being a place where recreation is readily found, it is a real spot of beauty. The great oaks and other trees that shade it are living monuments to those men whose foresight gives us today so much enjoyment. The playground committee, created by the School Board, carries on the playground work and each year adds some- thing new to the recreational facilities. If, in concluding this short study of local government, and especially of our own government, you have remaining in your mind the thought that has sought to prevade the whole, perhaps you have gleaned a real truth, with which to play the game of Life, a Key that might open the door of democracy. Consider, if each of us built our own small homes instead of placing one stone in the walls of a massive structure that represented the work of the whole of us, how insignificent and unbeautiful this world would be. It is the untiring efforts of those men to whom we entrusted our public offices that have built for us our beautiful community. It is the com- plete abandonment of self to society and the state that con- stitutes democracy! as Henry Van Dyke so nobly put it, when speaking of the social unit—government—\"My life is but a wave and thou the flood.’’ Page One Hundred and Two

COLOPHON SOCCER—Continued from Page 63 on our home field. After an exciting extra period, we came through with a 4-2 victory. Oley was then met on their grounds and after a \"nip and tuck” game, Oley was declared the victor. Despite this setback the team carried on with splendid spirit. This game was followed by victories over Robesonia, West Reading, Shillington and then came the crucial contest with Oley. Playing on a field that was practically a sea of mud, our boys were held to a tie and therefore the visitors managed to walk off with the league championship. This loss of the league championship, after establishing a string of forty-four consecutive wins and four county cham- pionships, came rather as a surprise, but the class of 1931 hopes that next year’s team can restore the championship to our Alma Mater.—Elwood Hollenbach. AS THE SEER SEES—Continued from Page 45 and play backgammon with them. My aunt has grown very attached to this gentle and sympathetic lady and she will re- ward her well I’m sure. Ellen was telling me the other night that Dorothy Evans is the private secretary in Norman Gate’s law office on Fifth Avenue. He issued a book the other day on Democratic Philosophy that seems to be making quite a sensation. Splendid chap!” \"Quite a fellow, though he and Arthur Grill are puzzles to me. Arthur just built a large Pharmacy store in Detroit, I believe that is the second one in this last year. He’s really making money. Have you heard anything of those other fellows on our old basketball team, I seem to have lost all track of them.” Yes, I met Gring last year on the American Gyroscope line and he told me that Yeich is General Efficiency Manager for the Television Company in Chicago. Kalbach is a Designer for the stream line automobiles Packard it putting out and Hollenbach is head football coach at Yale and has been for five years. Gring himself is athletic instructor at Fort Worth school for boys in Texas, he’s gotten heavier but he still wrinkles his nose when he smiles, \"personality plus” that’s Gring all over.” Continued on Page 105 Page One Hundred and Three

COLOPHON PATRONS The staff of the 1931 Colophon desires to express its gratitude to the patrons listed below, whose contributions have made the publication of this Annual financially possible. In after y. ears the intense delight., experienced by the members of our class as they revive old memories by paging through this book, will further enhance the value of these contributions. Mr. Henry Janssen Mr. C. E. Smith Dr. J. A. Stockler Mrs. Ferdinand Thun Mr. Redington S. Lerch Wyomissing Industries Mr. Bernard J. Courtney Mr. J. H. Parker Mrs. Conrad Klein Peoples Trust Co. Mr. Earl S. Jenks Mr. Fred H. Ludwig Mr. Charles H. Mulenberg, Jr. Mr. Charles Fryberger Mr. John I. Immel Mr. William Brown Mr. Charles Kalfas Mr. Conrad Busch Mr. Henry M. Stetler Mr. H. E. Walker Mr. Charles Harris Mr. Cleaven Y. Steffy Mr. William L. Quinlan Dr. W. Hiester Mulenberg Mr. and Mrs. Charles Matten Mr. Gustav Oberlaender Mrs. Howard Hill Mr. Charles T. Davies Mr. Harold Guenther Mr. Benjamin A. Fryer Mr. William B. Sheidy Mr. T. C. Christ Mr. P. Myers Mr. Leo M. Grill Mr. E. Ricter Stitzer and Waldman Mr. Keller Albert Mr. William C. Brenner Mr. Bertram J. Murphy Mr. August Ramstein Mr. Theodore M. Deck Mrs. Philip D. Bertolette Mr. Landis Miller Mr. John E. Harris Mr. H. O. Koller Mr. T. H. Nicholson Mrs. Harry Hahn Mrs. E. Phillip Weiler Mrs. J. C. Lynn Mr. and Mrs. Donald Eaches Mr. Charles F. Paul Mr. Bernard M. Friedrick Mr. J. C. Butler Mrs. Irvin Huyett Miss Mary Corbit Mr. Clarence B. Seidel Mr. Harry Busch Mr. R. J. Wenger Mr. Irvin E. Roth Mr. Harry E. F. Esterly Mr. Hugo Marterns Mr. H. E. Hains Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Herb Mr. H. P. Price Mr. Robert S. Loose Mr. John A. Heck Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Fisher Mr. Edward H. Yoh Mr. Wallace R. Gring Mr. William H. Heck Mr. James Mercer Mr. E. J. Bauman Mr. William E. Sheidy Mr. William H. Croesant Mr. W. P. Bowman Mrs. Aaron P. Campbell Mr. Floyd Lance Mr. Webster Evans Mr. A. L. Gehret Mr. H. E. Sheetz Mr. Charles A. Vogenitz Mr. Joseph P. Hollinger Mr. Samuel Richards Mr. Bernard Heffelfinger Mrs. Katherine Eberly Mrs. Rudolf Ullrich Mr. and Mrs. Henry Maltzberger Mr. William R. Black Mr. Harry S. Craumer Mrs. Jesse Thompson Page One Hundred and Four

COLOPHON Patrons - Continued Mr. John H. Glassmyer Mr. Fred Kessler Mr. William D. Grill Mrs. Fritz Ahfeld Mrs. Charles Snyder Mr. and Mrs. Charles Law Mr. J. H. Klein Mr. John M. Koch Mrs. S. Applebaum Mrs. A. Kins Blessing’s Mr. Ransford V. Mann Mr. A. A. Harwick Mrs. William Keck Mrs. Max Wosker Mrs. H. M. Fry Mrs. Alice T. Zell Mr. Harry Stiteler Mr. J. P. Fruind Mrs. Ralph Focht Mr. Clarence Ebbert Mr. R. L. Baker Mr. P. J. Renninger Mrs. William Fritz Mr. Robert Keener Mr. John Snyder Mr. W. C. Laucks Mrs. Richard C. Miller Mr. and Mrs. John R. Kirst Mr. Joseph Steffen Mrs. Howard Faust Mrs. I. P. Whitman Mr. W. H. Brossman Mr. H. Charles Kellum Mrs. William Goodman Mr. J. C. Klein Mrs. Max Mittendorf Mrs. Robert Lerch Mr. A. T. Dice AS THE SEER SEES—Continued The butler steals across the room and closes the window and lights a small light on table. As he goes out Myron, noticing the picture behind the light, exclaims, \"Isn't that a reproduction of Reuben’s masterpiece? The colors look rather dim as if it might be a real old one.” He walks over to the picture and stands gazing at it as he rubs his chin and remarks, \"Stef, you old skunk, why didn’t you tell me it was the original. Say you’ve got a priceless treasure here, but wasn’t that just recently discovered?” Steffy with a sly, pleased grin, ventures, \"A year ago Sarah Rick called me up and said she had just found something that she was sure that I would want. There was to be an art exhibit in Philadelphia the next day which her section of the Social Welfare League had charge of, so I had a notion it was a picture that she meant. I went down and she had saved it for me and that’s why it’s here. While we were there at the gallery Louise Eaches came in. She organized that big Work- ing Girls Club that erected the new building in the heart of Philadelphia. You said something about Alta Walker being abroad traveling?” Myron leans forward watching the ice in his glass as he turns it, looking up, he returns, \"No she’s doing research work Page One Hundred and Fit e I hi

COLOPHON AS THE SEER SEES—Continued at Oxford. I understand she is head of the English depart- ment at the University of Pennsylvania.” He sets down his glass, and as he bites the end off of a cigar, he looks up questioningly, \"Where’s Charlie Broome now? The last I heard he was in charge of an army corps on furlough in Mexico.” Steffy crosses his legs and Rags sniffs wheezily at his feet, stretches out his front paws and then dozes. \"Yes, I lost connection with Charlie Broome and Myers, but from the last reports Broome was a Major at West Point and Myers is the Secretary for the owner of the largest International Air Transport Corporation in the world with his office in California.” \"Marjorie Reifsnyder signed a contract with the owner of the Follies who succeeded Ziegfeld. I haven’t been able to get a decent seat for a show for the last month.” Myron ven- tures between puffs. \"Margareta Vogenitz, by the way, is in charge of the library in Wyomissing.” \"My broker in New York has two crackerjack secretaries, he claims, and when I dropped into his office one morning who do you suppose greeted me,—Ruth Evans, smiling and quite the same Ruth. Grace Hartz and she are his private secretaries and he’s pretty proud of them.” Steffy stood up and stretched. \"By jove, it is two-thirty. Better stay here with me for the week-end, I’ll try to scare up some excitement and we can have a longer chat.” Going up the stairway together Steffy suggests,—\"Mrs. Gavin, the erst- while Dorothy Sheidy and her husband are giving a musicale tomorrow night, let’s drop in. O. K. ? He yawns and they part with a friendly good-night. The butler turns the lights off in the study and spreads the logs In the fireplace. Rags snores peacefully on. And for fear that the reader may do likewise, we bring this book, perhaps untimely so, to THE END Page One Hundred and Six

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