If you wanted to travel and not have to get behind the wheel, “The Last Trip of Summer is the Best Trip of All” according to Greyhound bus lines, which could be boarded at the Arlington Hotel, corner Logan Avenue and 10th Street, back in the summer of 1941. Round trip to Philadelphia cost $5.95, to New York City was $8.40, Boston cost you $13.60, Chicago $15.40 and distant San Francisco was just $68.40. At any of several Shaffer Stores in the area, spring chickens were 35 cents a pound, pork butts, 35 cent per pound, Canadian Bacon was 51 cents per pound, lamb shoulder roast was 29 cents a pound and leg of lamb was 38 cents a pound. Snowdrift Apple Butter went for 25 cents for a 58-oz. jar and yellow cling peaches were two large cans for 31 cents. A large head of lettuce cost 10 cents, concord grapes were 39 cents for a 112-pound basket. Summer Rambo apples were eight pound for 25 cents and US #1 potatoes eight pounds for 25 cents. Holt welding had moved to a new location in the rear of the Penzoil store, between 14th and 15th streets, on PA Avenue.
Only three cartoons were featured daily in the Tyrone Daily Herald of 1941 – “King of the Royal Mounted,” “Blondie,” and “Brick Bradford,” plus several one-frame cartoons which appeared on various pages, such as “Sally’s Sallies,” and “The Old Home Town” and others. Often an entire page devoted to photos of state, national and world news items were included. There was a daily article by Paul Schoenmaker on “Theatre News,” about then current and coming attractions on stage and screen.
News from surrounding villages and hamlets could be seen, when there was enough news to warrant a column. Sinking Valley, Northwood, Nealmont, Grazierville, Bald Eagle and Homewood were just a few.
There was a complete page about fashion for the female readers that included home, hearth, fiction, fashion and other items, entitles “Magazine Page for Everybody.”
Vocational training in public schools was expanded during the 1940-41 school year consisting of general metal shop, in which the following subjects were taught – machine shop, sheet metal and welding. Tyrone had 62 students in grades 10-11-12. A dozen boys from the senior class had obtained employment just as soon as they graduated.
For the 1941-42 school year, the vocational program was to include carpentry, pattern making, cabinet making and an auto mechanics shop with allied trades. The following teachers made up the personnel of the various shops at Tyrone: Ralph B. Taylor, auto mechanics and allied trades; Merrill H. Alexander, carpentry; Jesse Daniels, drawing; and Hugh E. Judge, machine shop and director.
The Tyrone entry in the Blair County baseball league completed a successful season in 1941, playing into the semifinals in the playoffs following the season.
The officers of the Tyrone baseball club were James Warnock, president; William F. Gearhart, secretary; William Beamer, treasurer; Clair Snyder, field manager and co-captains Walter Welsh and Hayes Kennedy.
The roster included: Walter Thomas, Howard Anderson, William Beamer, James Miller, Harry Dawson, John Reeder, William Johnson, Clair L. Snyder, Hayes Kennedy, Walter Welsh, Clyde Burget, Max Andrews, Robert James, Karl LePorte, Gilbert Bryan, Luther Houser, Jack Watson, Elmer Kirkpatrick, and Robert Snyder.
The Tyrone football team in 1941, featured a roster of 43 players, five seniors, 17 juniors, 16 sophomores and five freshmen. Grant Hixson was the faculty manager, which is much the same as the Athletic Director of today.
On Sept. 26, 1941, Tyrone got their fourth straight victory of the 1941 campaign and 26th straight without a loss by taming the Huntingdon Bearcats 20-6.
The win didn’t come without a fight, however, as Huntingdon controlled the opening quarter, outrushing the Orange and Black.
Lee Port broke up the Bearcats’ momentum with a pass interception at the H-39 on the opening of the second quarter. On third and six, Elmer Parker got loose around right end until being dragged down at the H-16, a gain of 19 yards. Parker and Ralph “Red” Thomas took turns pushing the pigskin to the H-four yard line, where on a first down play, Thomas went over right tackle for the touchdown. Hayes Bickle added the PAT kick and the Eagles had a 7-0 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, a quick kick by Parker put Huntingdon in trouble at their own four-yard line. The Bearcats punted right back to the H-30. A Huntingdon 15-yard penalty kept the series alive and Parker twisted and turned the final 15 yards for the TD. Bickle was good on the extra point and Tyrone led 14-0.
There was a fumble and a wild scramble for the ball on the following kickoff, with Tyrone coming up with the ball at the H-15. Parker completed a nine-yard toss to Charles Foust on a third and long, and then burst over center for a yard to move the sticks for a first down at the H-5. Two plays later, Ken Noel dropped a pass into Richard Fisher’s hands in the end zone for the touchdown and a 20-0 advantage.
Huntingdon marched to the T-13 on the first series of the fourth quarter, but the Eagle defense took the ball away on downs. Midway through the final quarter, against the Eagles second team, Huntingdon launched an 11-play 72-yard march that culminated in their only score of the game to set the final at Tyrone 20, Bearcats 6.
