75 Years Ago - Former Mayor Alex Connell dies at the age of 86
Sep. 25—Sept. 25, 1947
Alex Connell dies at the age of 86
Alex Connell, former mayor of Scranton, died Sept. 24 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Ruse of Chinchilla, where he had been living. He was 86.
In his youth, Connell worked in his uncle William Connell's store and later the Lackawanna Iron and Steel Co. Before the turn of the 20th century, he moved out to the West Coast to prospect for gold.
He was first elected to the mayor's office in 1902. In his first term, he worked hard to make changes to the Scranton School Board. He was unsuccessful in changing the board, but he did force them out of City Hall.
He was elected to the mayor's office again in 1917. This term was made memorable for the "Battle of the Oxford." Connell ordered Scranton police to cordon off the Oxford Mine after it was discovered the mine's owner, the Peoples Coal Co., was removing coal from underneath North Main Avenue despite a court order barring them from mining under the street. The "battle" closed the mine, set off another series of lawsuits and jail time for several officials of the coal company.
In the later 1920s, Connell returned to prospecting. He moved to Colorado to work at a gold mine he owned in Monte Vista, Colorado.
He returned to Scranton in 1935 and resumed his work in local politics.
He fell ill shortly after the annual Flag Day parade in June and his condition grew serious on Sept. 23.
His funeral service was scheduled to take place on Sept. 27 at the Price Funeral Home with interment at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Blimp to pass over Scranton
Clarence Coursen, local dealer of Duke Tires, announced the Goodyear Blimp Puritan would make a nighttime visit to Scranton sometime in the next three weeks.
The airship would be coming at night so it would be easier to read the electric ticker display on the side of the ship. On its appearance here, the airship's ticker would display the latest headlines from the Scranton Times.
The ship's ticker display had more than 5,000 bulbs and over 20 miles of wiring. The display covered 180 feet of the ship's 250-foot length. The letters on the display are 18 feet high.
The Puritan's home base was located in Trenton, New Jersey.
Shopping list
Fresh ground beef was 43 cents per pound, stewing chickens were 47 cents per pound, beef short ribs were 37 cents per pound, a pint of Chesapeake Bay oysters were 69 cents, extra sharp "store" cheese was 62 cents per pound, 6 pounds of sweet potatoes were 35 cents, a large can of fancy fruit cocktail was 39 cents, a pound of butter was 83 cents, 2 pounds of coffee was 77 cents and four cans of evaporated milk was 45 cents.
Brian Fulton, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune's expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.
Brian Fulton, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune's expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.
