Officer James Meredith Remembers

The local "POLICE, TRENTON" folder in my collection has many interesting insights into the Trenton Police Department. Many of the files were manually transcribed back in the 1970's and early 80's, before the personal computer came along. This is one of those transcribed files. It is an interesting interview a Trenton Times reporter had with octogenarian James Meredith. The article is from the August 13, 1919 Trenton Evening Times:

"A policemen in the olden days in Trenton had some miles to cover to patrol his beat, and we had no automobile patrols either, to help us with drunks when I first became a member of the force 40 years ago.' Thus spoke James Meredith, who is now living with his son, Frank W. Meredith at 1246 South Broad Street. Mr. Meredith was in a reminiscent mood yesterday when a reporter had a chat with him at his home. He continued: 'My, how time is passing. Today there are only a few old timers left who joined the force when I did. Let me see, there was the late Chief, John J. Cleary. He was a patrolman in the third ward. Charley Pilger, now a sergeant of our city detectives, who was a patrolman in the second ward. The late Captain Michael McGowan, of the Central Police Station, and who was known on the police force as the 'Iron Chancellor,' was a patrolman in the old fourth ward, where he always lived, and where he died. Then there was Phil Weigand, who is now living, and retired. Louis Hartman, who was for many years janitor of the 2nd District Police Station, and who is retired, and oh yes, there was Major Hibbs, who is still doing duty as a watchman. The late Charles H. McChesney was our chief of police, and a mighty good one he was, too.
There were just 21 men on the Trenton police force, exclusive of the Borough of Chambersburg, and the bouroughites had a police force with its chief to preserve law and order, and the long beats that we had to cover made a policeman stretch his legs to get over the ground. When I first joined the department, I received $55 a month, and out of that sum $5 a month was deducted each month to pay for our uniforms. Later I got $60 a month, but that was the limit.”
Mr. Meredith made a valuable police officer and did good work in cleaning up the old swamp district which was included in his beat. (Note: The “Swamp”referred to was located between Montgomery and North Broad Streets, near their intersection with Brunswick Avenue.) He has a fine record as a soldier in the Civil War. He was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1836, and will be 83 years old next October. He is a member of the Bayard Post Number 8, G.A.R. of this city.
(Note: G.A.R. was the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War group.)