10 FRIDAY EVENING, HARRISBURG fgljgV TELEGRAPfI FEBRUARY 20,1914. HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH Established its I PUBLISHED BT THE TELEGHAPH PRINTING CO. J. STACK POLK, Pres't and Treas'r. fr. R. OYSTER, Secretary. OUB M. BTEINMETZ, Managing Editor. frubliihsd every evening (except Sun fay). at the Telegraph Building. 11« Federal Square. Eastern Office. Fifth Avenue Building, New York City. Hasbrook, Story A Brooks. Western Office. 138 West Madison street, Chicago, 111., Allen & in twenty-five days almost 12,000 books were taken out, forty-two per cent, of which were by school children, and that 4,400 persons, more than half of whom were children, availed them selves of the privilege of reading or study In the rooms clearly Indicates that the Library Is filling a long-felt want In Harrisburg. These figures have already been spread broadcast but it is doubtful If the average citi zen realizes what they mean. The demands upon the Library are bound to increase, and to meet the popular espectatlons it will be both the duty and the pleasure of the pub lic to come liberally to the support of the Institution so that Its service to the community, especially to the school children, may be adequate to the needs. DONT PITY THEM THERE Is a mistaken Inclination on the part of some cltybred people to pity those who live beyond tbe glare of the arc lights and the clang of the trolley car. Because their residences are not heated by city steam, because the theater exists mostly for them through the medium of the monthly magazine, because their evenings are spent at home or "literary society," instead of at the club or some other place of en tertainment, they are supposed to lead a dull and uninteresting life. "Pop" Dodge, who by choice has deserted the city for the country, had this to say about the matter when he made one of his semioccasional visits to New York last week: I came from Boston originally. tnd while In Boston I wont to thea *>rs more than any man there. But ,vhen 1 got married and removed :o the farm I found I owed ?100 that 1 had borrowed to buy thea ter tickets. So I quit. No. I won't go to the show with you, and I don't want a drink, and I don't want a smoke and I don't care to plav cards. But don't think I am not havlngr a (rood time on the farm, for all that. I am having; the most enjoyable season of my life. Possibily Dodge has gone too far in his renunciation of city relaxations, but his view is the other side of the picture. There are thousands like him; thousands who would rather be wakened in-the morning by the lowing of the cows than by the toot of the factory whistle; who would rather "tinker 'round" Indoors when the rain patters on the shingles than face the weather to go about their daily tasks. Monotony on the farm? In these days of the automobile, the telephone, good roads, farmers' institutes, parcel post and the rural free delivery, mo notony on the farm exists only in the imagination of city folks. If the farmer desires it, he can make his work the most varied and interesting in the world. He is the lord of his own little kingdom and he orders his tasks to suit the weather, the seasons and his own inclinations, instead of coming down town six days a week to take orders from the boss for the day's work or repeating year in and year out the same one task that machinelike methods of manufacture now impose upon the worker. Monot ony? If it forces itself upon any of us, it Is the city map who suffers. TEACHING HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY GLORY be! A Daniel come to Judgment! Here in the head of of a well-known New York University who lias announced that hereafter no girl graduate of that j institution will be awarded her B. S. degree in the department of household arts who has not qualified as an ex pert washerwoman. The terrors of Greek, the Intricacies' of mathematics, the mysteries of psy- j cology, all pale before the laborious toils of the laundry course, which re quires good stout muscles and a cheery heart rather than quick wits and a vocabulary. There is no bluffing here, but hard labor of the strong-back va riety where dainty girls, pretty girls, luxurious girls, all forget their pre vious condition and fall valiantly to rubbing, boiling, starching and bluing like true professionals. With white arms (lashing in .and out of the foam and curl" heads bent low over the tubs, with scraps of aong and bursts of laughter, with the rumble of mangles through the hissing steam, with model equipment and sunshine and air—the education of the Ameri can girl goes on as she learni the les- sons of home-craft. E\'ery week there are different "problems," different soaps, and different bluings. All kinds of washers and mangles arfe tried. Incidentally, the girls have to learn the chemistry of soaps, bluing, starch, textiles and stains, and everything else that has chemistry—a no small part of their labor. lewniDfr CbATI Although the average citizen does not realize. Dauphin county will have two sources of Income In 1914 for the nrst time and the operation of one sj stem will distribute funds to every district In the county, while the other will materially aid the county's reve iUnder acts Passed by the last Legislature the State will pay half of its income from the anthracite coal the counties which produce an thraclte, the money being apportioned on a basis of population, and it will also allow counties to keep all of the revenue from personal property tax. Strictly speaking, the latter source of income is not new, although it will give additional cash. By the old sys tem three-fourths of the personal property tax was returned to the coun ties where it originated. By the new law all of the personalty tax remains in the county. This means a clear SIO,OOO or upward. In 1913 the county's gross income from per sonal property tax was $40,986.94. lhe State gave back $30,482.80. This ye *r., and hereafter there will be no splitting up with Father Penn. Under the anthracite tax every district in Dauphin county will share in the pro ceeds of the anthracite tax, whether it produces hard coal or not. Harrisburg and Steelton, which do not produce a pound of coal, will get a largo slice because of population. Perhaps In the eternal fitness of things this is fair, because both are large consumers, es pecially this city. Coal-producing Wiconlsco, Lykens. Williams. Williams town and other districts of tbo upper end which furnish the far-famed Lykens coal will get a fair share, but it will so happen that Derry township, because of population, will be well taken care of. It Is estimated that about $-0,000 will be distributed to tho county, the details and basis hav ing been given in the Telegraph some time ago. In this connection it is in teresting to note that Scranton and PottavUie and other cities in the hard coal field which will share in the dis tribution of the proceedings are lining up with the State in the defense of the constitutionality of the act. This is to be tested in the Dauphin county courts very shortly. Nothing is funnier than the other ® .?, a * e l®Phone conversation, es pecially when the telephone Is In a store and there is a girl or fellow at the conversation business. The other evening an agitated little miss dashed into a store in the central part of the city and wanted to know from some one at the other end if "paw" had come home. Evidently the father had not, because she turned and smiled to her escort. By chance she mentioned where she was speaking from and after the conversation made a pur chase to square the use of the tele phone. Suddenly the bell rang and after some sparling it was found that the young miss was the girl wanted. A moment later she turned to the tall fellow and said: "Gee, he's coming to this store to buy something." The rest of the act was very rapid. Father Penn is taking good care of his squirrels these days and the sliov e , s ?/. the P aths Capitol Park make it their business to open up the ways to the trees which contain the nu ' B an< * the pans of water which are prepared for the four footed pets of the people. The squir rels are very much on the job these days when a foot of snow covers the Capitol Park and morning visitors to the -Hill are liable to be objects of attack by the animals, who make a dive for any person who stands still long enough to furnish footing. Ex-Governor Samuel W. Penny packer is remarkable for his keen re membrance of the acts of his adminis tration and the other day ho was talk ing with a friend about a law which he had approved. _Jt appears that someone is attacking the law, contend ing that there was a lapse. "Nothing of the kind, ' said the former Gov ernor. "There were four davs in be tween and covered by another act that I signed." All this was ten vears ago and the former Governor has had a busy time since that dav. Among the passengers on the Steel City, the bi£ Ohio-IVllssissippi packet which went to the bottom of the Ohio the other evening, were Mr. and Mrs George S. Comstock, of Mechanics burg. Mr. Comstock, who is a mem ber of the State Industrial Board and president of the Engineers' Society of Pennsylvania for two years, was on a trip to New Orleans for his health He took the river trip for its novelty and he and Mrs. Comstock were aroused from their berths in the mid dle of the night by the wreck. They were landed without mishap. kweurKnown-peopiftT) —W. P. Snyder, the Pittsburgh iron manufacturer, is at Palm Beach, Fla —E. Paul Lueschner. Pottsville citv solicitor, will take part in the hard coal tax test. —W. M. Sterrltt, Pittsburgh steel builder, is home from Panama, where he had charge of canal work. —F. M. Newingham is the new post master at Apollo. —Joseph G. Thomas, city controller of Johnstown, has just celebrated his seventy-sixth birthday. —Warden R. J. McKenty, of the Eastern Penitentiary, has been warmly praised by his inspectors. IPoLiriC(AL»SlD6blfthr. r. ana f. t\. j / C'hcHtuut St., i'lillatlclphlu, l'a. J Mn-bARRtSBURft-fMPTy- yfeAtlS-AfrOttM) [From the Telegraph of Feb. iO, 18#4.1 Price* Are ISnormoua Forty cents for a pound of butter, and the supply unequaled to the demand. Thus it was at market this morning. The prices asked for almost everything was enormous. The Hev. Stewart Preachea The Rev. John S. Stewart, of Green wich, N. J„ will preach In the Old School Presbyterian Church, to-morrow morning and evening. A Feather f "