From The Smyrna Times,
July 11, 1935
Smyrna boy in close escape
Carlton Garrison, aged 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert D. Garrison of the Boulevard, south of Smyrna, had a narrow escape from drowning on the Fourth of July, but his friend, John Montgomery Jr. of near Wilmington, did drown while bathing with a party of friends at Rehoboth.
The undertow was particularly rough in the afternoon, but the six, all good swimmers, dared to swim out about 20 yards from shore….
Witnesses said that it was not until after Garrison had been pulled to the beach and given first aid that someone thought of Montgomery. The body of Montgomery was found at 6 o’clock Friday morning by a patrol from the Henlopen Coast Guard station, one and a half miles north of where the young man was last seen….
Garrison was taken to the Beebe Hospital where his condition at first was regarded as serious. He was resuscitated, but his heart condition was bad and gave the physicians much concern. Fears for a time were that pneumonia might set in but later reports indicate he is slightly better….
Dr. C.J. Prickett of Smyrna, his family physician, happened to be in Rehoboth for the day and gave constant care and attention.
July 4th quiet in Smyrna
Smyrna passed a quiet Fourth. It was observed as a general holiday with banks, factories and practically all business places closed except eating houses. There was a display of flags along the curbs in the business section of town and some residences demonstrated the patriotic spirit but generally speaking it was as quiet as a Sunday with no events of note to feature the day.
There was a baseball contest in the morning between two teams made up of the young men of Asbury M.E. church and the Presbyterian Church. This drew a number of people. The victory went to the Presbyterians, the score being 4 to 3.
The Smyrna Baseball Club, which had expected to put on a game with Dover for the afternoon, was disappointed when Dover cancelled.
The holiday, therefore, as far as Smyrna was concerned, meant more as an occasion for a motor trip and there was a general exodus to bayside and seashore resorts, Rehoboth especially….
State to add 11 school bus routes due to consolidation
In the school transportation problems being worked out by the State Board of Education, Clayton gains two bus routes the next school year, one from Hazell School District and the other from Oak Hill School District. These two districts were consolidated with Clayton and their school houses abandoned.
The problems of the state schools have increased to such an extent that at least 11 new school bus routes will be operated during the next school term, according to J.O. Adams, business administrator of the State Board.
Most of the new routes are required because of the increase in children from rural districts attending town schools while some others were necessary because of consolidation….
