8 CONTROLLING OF PAXTON CREEK ONE OF GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN GREAT MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OF LAST FIFTEEN YEARS FORWARD! TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS [Continued From First Page.] of sending a thrill of pride through every beholder. It might have been labelled "views of a model city"' and the film ought to be preserved for muntcipal advertising purposes. Governor Promises Assistance Governor Brumbaugh was present to spe I.lc of "The City and the State" end. as he always does, he dropped right into the spirit of the occasion and gladdened the hearts of all who heard him by declaring that it is his earnest ambition to make the now ex tension of Capitol park "the most beautiful and attractive spot in all Pennsylvania." Governor Brumbaugh praised Har risburg for what it has done and said that it reflected credit upon the whole State, inasmuch as what Harrisburg has been endeavoring to do is directly in line with what the State at large must soon do. The Governor spoke of city improvements and city plan ning with authority for he was eight years ago named by the mayor of Philadelphia as chairman of what amounted to a city planning commis sion for that city. "The one great problem of the fu ture," he said, "will be the protection and conservation of our people dur ing their leisure hours." The Governor said that the State has been busy with the regulation of working conditions and that the ten dency is distinctly toward a shorter Working day, but he declared that the immediate future will find the State also legislating for the protectton of It;? people during their leisure. Peo ple do not set into mischief during their working hours, he said, but when nt leisure, and it is the duty of gov ernment to make it easier for them to do right than to do wrong. The creation of public playgrounds, parks and social centers, he continued, arc. the answers to this and insofar as | Harrisburg has taken a stand for de-, velopment along this line it has placed j itself in the front rank of progressive municipalities and in accord with the most advanced thought of those who| have the betterment of the people at heart. i The Governor also referred to the housing problem and predicted that the State will go a long way toward hotne improvement during the next i few vears. "We must make it so." he said, "that every mother who brings a child into the world will be assured of good air, sunshine and a sanitary home." Capitol Park The Governor said he rejoiced with the people of Harrisburg in their ac complishments and pledged himself to do what he could for Harrisburg in the way of development so long as he is a resident of the city. "It is my earnest ambition" he con-| tlnued. "to make the Capitol park ex tension the most attractive and beau- | tlful spot in Pennsylvania and I feel' sure It is the sentiment of the Board j of Public Grounds and Buildings, including Superintendent Rambo, to do that thing." The Governor paid a high tribute to all who had been instrumental in the pur chase of the properties in the exten sion zone and said the State desires the suggestions and the co-operation of the people of Harrl9burg in its im provement. The park must be made to fit into and harmonize with the park system of Harrisburg, he said. The Governor's remarks struck a popular chord and were frequently In terrupted by applause. Ex-Senator John E. Fox presided and Introduced the speakers. In pre senting each he referred to his part In the great scheme of Harrisburg's development program of fifteen years. Great Audience Sees Harrisburg A La Movie at Evening Reception More than a thousand of Harris burg's representative men and women —many of them have borne an impor tant part in the history of Harrisburg's great civic development In the last fif teen years—comfortably filled Chest nut Street Auditorium last evening when the Chamber of Commerce ex tended a reception to Its thousand or more guests of the afternoon auto ride. The meeting didn't, get under way vntil after 9 o'clock, due to the late arrival of Governor Brumbaugh. But the folks were glad, evidently, that they had waited for the program. The talks were epoch-making in the his tory of Harrisburg's improvement campaign. Ytesides Governor Brumbaugh there were five speakers on the program, but J. V. W. Reynders, vice-president of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, was unable to attend. He wrote a letter, however, that gave to Harris burg some mighty valuable sugges tions for its future development. A. Carson Stamm, chairman of the com mittee. read the letter. Other speak ers were Spencer C. Gilbert, E. J. Stackpole, Vance C. McCormick and J. Horace McFarland. Prior to the speeches the Municipal band played through just the finest kind of a program. The band, which occupied the platform near the stage, never played better. The big audience, in addition to hearing some very stirring talks, had a good chance to see Harrisburg a la "movie". More than 1,700 feet of film showing views of the parks and playgrounds, the tennis courts, the golf links, laughing children on the playgrounds, views of the river front, parkway, the "front steps," the river 1 asin. the Rockville bridge, McCor mick's Island and the city's residential section were among the pictures thrown on the screen. Spencer C. Gilbert Tells of the Days of City's Content How Harrisburg managed to drift contentedly along before the new era of improvement spirit roused its citi zens to the importance of better water, jetter streets, better sewage and a bet ter and more beautiful Harrisburg was told by Spencer C. Gilbert, one of the members of the first Board of Public Works, which helped expend the thou sands of dollars for the improvements of Pennsylvania's capital city. Mr. Ctlbert said, in part: Contentment "The year 1900 found us contented. We had from early life adopted the popular copybook text, 'Contentment Is more to be desired than great riches.' If that be true, we certainly did not strive for wealth. We were contented, and. I regret to fray—dirty. "If we desired to Journey to the classic canal or a little farther to the still more classic Paxton creek, and from its banks watched the sewage from over one-third of this city 'sing ing merrily on its way to the sea' by means of its open sewers, we were en tirely contented. Then retracing our steps to the Susquehanna river, the most glorious heritage given by Nature FRIDAY EVENING, HARRISBURG ALSO HAD ITS STORY OF THE "BIG DITCH"; HERE'S THE STORY 1 '^7 BUJLD/NG. TNE ± G UTTEK A<3 t YOIT ,C7IO&S J=>A XTANG. TODAY HERE/ QOA/DOL/£ /? What was once a slimy, sluggish, vile-smelling stream of little water and much sewage, is now "Paxton Creek Improvement." It illustrates Harrisburg's own story of its "Big Ditch." For the entire three miles of its length the city has reclaimed the creek, removed all the sewer outlets, connected them to the great creek interceptor, and concreted the bed of the stream into a splendid open gut-ter. Through it the water flows mildly and swiftly. By this scheme of treatment the city was able to regulate the amount of water which flows through' the stream bed. In order to do this it built the flood control at Wildwood lake. Now not only is thewaterway turned into a perfectly sanitary little creek but its awful ram pages during freshet time in the lowlands are ancient history; they're "under control." to any community In this great land of ours, we were contented to find how easily we could get along without u, reduction plant by disposing of the garbage and offal from our homes over its banks, and this we did. The Water "Then do you remember our water? It was unique. There was no such water elsewhere on the face of this fclobe. We saw at the rate of thirty per month, one daily, our friends and citizens stricken down wit'h typhoid rnd carried to hospitals or to their long resting places while we stood idly by with our hands folded and were entirely contented. What use was there for paved streets or play grounds? They were only intended for the rich. We knew that every time we had a freshet Paxton creek overflowed its banks and brought mis ery, sickness and expense to a large number of our citizens who were least able to afford it, but we were contented with conditions nevertheless. All at once there came an awakening and our contentment was over. The Man in White "A 'man in white' appeared on our great highway, our one paved street, and we were shocked'to find that this experiment was suggested and financed by a woman's club. Up to this time we had imagined that-a business meet ing of a civic club consisted of an in terchange of ideas on new stitches, followed by a slight repast of little cakes with icing on. "From the day when the first 'white wing' made his visit to Market street conditions changed. Then were the wise and faithful experts called to our help who planned and carried out our Improvements. No city has ever been blessed with better and more devoted public servants than we had during the period of reconstruction. The Spirit of Co-operation "The Councils during that time re ceived from our Board many mes sages. communications, suggestions, bids for approval and reports of all Kinds, and they not only acted on all these with promptness, but, singular to relate, there never was a dissenting \ote against any of these in either branch. But behind It all there was the splendid citizenry, backed by a unanimous press, which, in season and out, approved our actions and encour sged us in the work to the last degree. Without them we could not have gone on and a colossal failure might have | resulted. "My friends, to-night we look back !on a city redeemed. We thought we were contented in those past days. We ere contented now, but with a different kind of contentment, for now we can look forward with hope and courage to the future knowing that It will bring still more and better changes, and our earnest prayer Is that those who suc ceed us, when they meet on an occa sion like this, may also say truthfully and reverently: 'Thank God, we too, are citizens of Harrisburg*." "Community Co-operation" Secret of Harrisburg's Success—Mr. Stackpole Ex-Postmaster E. J. Stackpole, who has been prominently identified with the story of Harrisburg's public improve ments since the inception of the great campaign in 1901, talked interestingly on "Community Co-operation." Mr. Stackpole attributed the success of Harrisburg's big deeds for civic better ment not to the efforts of any one In dividual or group of individuals, but to the earnest and sincere work and self-sacrlflce of an enthusiastic cltl- CHAIRMEN I N CHARGE OF TODAY'S BIG DOINGS HARRY A BOYER Committee on School Parade Chair man. zenry. He said: Mr. Stackpole said in part: "He was a citizen of no mean city who said faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen, but he didn't stop with that statement, declaring in the vigorous fashion with which he ap proached the discussion of all the great problems of his day that 'faith without works is dead.' "If I were going to preach a ser mon to-night that would be my text as it indicates pretty clearly what is in my mind at this time. Almost fif teen years ago the old things of Har risburg began to pass away and many things became new. There was a breaking of the fetters of the past, a demand on every side for bettw living conditions, an appeal to the conscience of the community. With the dawn of; 1901 came a mobilization, so to speak,' of the public spirit of the people and in every part of the city the touch of elbows signalized the great forward movement which has attracted the at tention of a whole nation. "It's a simple story of community co-operation. To-ds.y tve have dedi cated a commemorative tablet which will point the way for others and in a measure demonstrate to those who come after us the high character of the public service that has here been rendered. On the field of Gettysburg there has been erected by a grateful Commonwealth a noble monument which contains in enduring bronze the names of every Pennsylvania soldier who participated in that decisive struggle. Only some such monument would make possible the perpetuation of the names of thousands of Harris burg people who answered the call of 1901 and who have moved forward to gether to the achievement of those splendid things which have given this city its pre-eminence among all prog ressive municipalities. With a proper appreciation of the situation the Chamber of Commerce committee has wisely omitted any name from the m«- BARRIBBURG TELEGRAPH J. RAYMOND HOFFERT Chairman of Water Carnival Com mittee. morial tablet. No man could call the roll of all those who have for nearly fifteen years pushed forward year after year fn the accomplishment of the ambitious program authorized by the p'eople themselves. There have been leaders, of course, and these de serve great credit, but without the constant and enthusiastic co-opera tion of the people—the men and women and children —there could have been only Indifferent success. We have reason to feel proud of our com munity as a whole and as one who has had a part in the work I am glad that no one Individual has been given honor over any other In this celebra tion. "Most of us here to-night are more or less familiar with the important steps that have marked the city's progress during the period covered by the achievements which we are now celebrating; but r.ot all realize even now the earlier difficulties which had to be surmounted. But when a people become aroused ordinary criticism counts for little. Harrisburg was in motion and the appeal to civic pride met with a response which has con tinued to this day with ever-increas ing energy and e/ithusiasm. "Millions of dollars have been ex pended in making this a most attrac tive and wholesome city, but the sub stantial achievements in the way of physical betterment are not nearly so 'important as the change that has come in the lives of our people. Their happiness and contentment have in creased in a ratio far beyond the ma terial benefits that have resulted from the cleansing of the water, ihe estab lishing of a modern sewerage system, the expansion of parks and play grounds, the paving of the streets, and the unique treatment of a water front unsurpassed anywhere In the world. With Paul we can truly say that we are citizens of no mean city. Visi tors express astonishment at what has been accomplished and their Invaria ble question is. "How did you do it?" Delegations have come hither from distant places to learn of the "Harris burg plan" and far and wide the fair reputation of an awakened city has spread through the reports of de lighted messengers who were sent to learn how it was done. "Three large loans have been au thorized since that first appeal of 1901 and in addition to these loans which are being redeemed through sinking funds there has been expended at least two millions of dollars in the paving of streets by Ung&J asaggagent. XaA, % - DAVID H. ELLINGER Chairman of Red Men's Pageant Com mittee. Instead of opposing street improve ment, as was the case in the begin ning, there is now a constant demand for more and still more paving. This Indicates, perhaps, more than any thing else the significant change in public sentiment and the city-wide ap proval of the people. "Sometimes I fear our people gen erally do not appreciate how admir able has been the response , of those holding positions in the municipal government. All departments have a creditable record of co-operation. Of ficial and unofficial bodies have worked together for the good of all. Under the old form of government which passed away two years ago much was achieved and every mem ber of the former councils and the officials and boards of the system that has passed deserves a place in the templfe of the city's progress. I chal lenge any community anywhere to pre sent .a finer record of disinterested public service than that which covers the remarkable chapter of the Har rlsburg government from 1901 to 1915. There have been weak spots here and there, of course. Men are human and judgment Is not an In fallible attribute, but there have been few serious mistakes In this construc tive period of our history. Men, women and children have labored with those In public station to further the ends sought and any summing up of the Influences which have con tributed to the present proud posi tion of Harrisburg In the sisterhood of cities must always include the un selfish devotion of those in private and public life to the Ideals that have Inspired what has here been done. "Nor ehould.it be forgotten In these days of rejoicing that progressive in dividuals all over the city have kept step with the public movements hav ing in view municipal betterment. Splendid buildings stand as monu ments of private enterprise during this period, merchants have changed the map of the business district, many fine residences have been erected, i buiideta Jolflfid haftcki with arclU, SEPTEMBER 24, 1915. tects tr improving- the housing condi tions of the people, landscape de signers have transformed unsightly lo calities and everywhere there has been a spirit of improvement. It has pervaded all classes; the rich and poor have worked together, and all who have had a part in this great trans formation must realize to-night that co-operation Is the keynote of prog ress in all lines of human endeavor; that no city can develop gracefully and wholesomely save through the active participation of the men and women and children —all doing what is possible to advance the interests and the comfort and the prosperity of the entire community. "And so I come back to my text— 'faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' We had faith in those opening days of 1901 that we could do the things that have been done. Hope has been translated into fruition. But that faith, that vision of the future, would have amounted to nothing without works and we to-night are gathered here to felicitate each other upon the fact that our faith was not dead; our faith in the community, our 'faith in each other, our faith in the better things that are still to come and which we to-night pledge ourselves anew to strive for that we may honor not only the living but also those public spirited men and women who have fallen out of the ranks and whose memories we cherish as those of brave soldiers who have fought a good flght, have kept the faith and have finished their course. Mr. McCormick Tells of His Dream of Future For City of Harrisburg In his talk on "Our City and Its Future," Vance C. McCormick, drew a visionary picture of Harrisburg of the years to come. He pointed out some of the improvements that the city hopes for and which should be worked for in the future. He said in part: "But enough about tjie past—what about the future? "Let Us look forward. What a great vision we have of a still Greater Har risburg. A city unsurpassed in its ideal situation on the banks of the Susquehanna at the Junction of the fertile valleys of Cumberland and Lebanon, wonderfully favored by ! nature and built upon broad progres sive and aesthetic lines by a happy and prosperous people. The work of the past fifteen years give us only a forerunner of what is to be and the city of the future will stand as a monument to the enterprise and wis dom of a progressive citizenship. What a panorama will be unfolded before one who, in future years stands on the summit of Reservoir Park and overlooks that great city of hundreds of thousands, reaching out for miles in every direction embracing within its i limits all of the neighboring small | towns and solidly built up from Rock |ville to Middletown and from Camp I Hill to This is no idle dream but fast becoming a fact. No Idle Dream "Our parks and natural scenic ad vantages have not alone gained for us a reputation as 'The City Beautiful,' for when we stroll through our resi dential streets we find them lined with miles and miles of magnificent trees, Eli*, Bycamore, Norway and Sugar Maples and other shade trees, set out . {Continued on Page 4.} i HARRISBURG TOO CAN TELL STORY OF "BIG DITCIf Paxton Creek's Improvement Another Wonder Tale in Civic Achievement IN THE DAYS OF OLD Remarkable Reclamation Feat of City in Controlling Floods and Nuisance Harrisburg, too, has Its story of the "Big Ditch"; it is the story of Pax ton creek. Just as Uncle Sam solved a very momentous problem at Panama, Just so did the city of Harrisburg: via the Board of Public Works, solve an equ ally momentous problem for the peo ple of the city, in improving that long stretch of sluggish stream. Harrisburg to-day is "celebrating"' the remarkable strides it has made in fifteen odd years of public improve ments; of all the big jobs it planned, completed and paid for in the splen did program of improvement, none represents a greater achievement in sofar as the greatest good for the greater number is concerned, than— the improvement of Paxton creek. The Mosquito Paradise Up until a few years ago Paxton creek ran through the little valley in. the central section of the city—except in time of drought; then it usually collected in stagnant pools and housed, fed and watered mosquitoes until a heavy rain partially cleared the poola and allowed the stream to roll along. For years sewage from a goodly half of the city was emptied into the open water way and the fall in the long length of the creek was not sufficient to properly carry it off. Back yards and dumping points along the valley didn t encourage health and sanitation by any means. Paxton creek was an eyesore in more ways than one. Not only from the aesthetic view point was the creek obnoxious; its use as an open sewer, practically men aced the health of the immediate neighborhood through which it flowed to say of the community at large. On several occasions more or less serious epidemics of one kind of another were attributed to the unsanitary little stream. The Floods But It had another drawback. Or dinarily in time of drought, the creek could hardly be coaxed to move; on other occasions, during freshets or after especially heavy rains, it could not be restrained. The tales of the rampages of Paxton creek In the lands of Slbletown, and of the end of the city have much space in the book of the god of things as they were. A sudden rise in the Susquehanna always meant the backing of the creek; if this happened Immediately after a heavy rain storm, the accumu lated rush of waters from the tiny feed streams brought about a situation that was little less than deplorable. That the severe floods occurred in the poorer communities made the condi tions doubly pitiable. The Solution Then in 1910 Harrisburg voted among other things to float a loan item of some SIOO,OOO to provide for the "improvement of Paxton creek." Several years before, earlier in the Harrisburg Improvement campaign, enough funds had been borrowed to construct a great interceptor sewer throughout the creek valley and par allelling the stream. To this was con nected all the sewer outlets that once emptied into the open bed. Once cleared of the sewage, the improve ment of the creek bed itself could be undertaken. That was the next item. But this is skipping ahead a little too fast, too, perhaps. Harrisburg first of all had provided a way to con trol the floods of Paxton creek. The Flood Control In Wildwood park, the lake was constructed: within it was the dam, a great weir was built. At the far end of the Lake an overflow was pro vided for and by means of the weir, and the overflow only just so much—• and no more—water as could be con veniently carried away. The overflow went into the river and in the creek bed could pass from the dam. Thus were floods controlled and forever stricken from the. history of unpleas ant things along the creek valley. But to get back to the improvement of the creek itself. For more than three miles the creek winds through the heart of the city. Harrisburg didn't take long to figure out its solution. It decided that the stream could simply carry the storm or surface drainage in much the same way that the gutter carries off the surface or storm drainage of the street. And that's just what the im provement" of Paxton creek is—a great twelve to thirty foot-wide con crete gutter. Sodding the Sides Sides of the creek are sodded in places; in other sections just the wide open, concreted trench satisfactorily solves the problem of the years. Gone fere the mosquito breeding places, the frog haunts, the slimy odors; gone even are the rickety little bridges that once crossed the stream here and there Now, serviceable lit tle concrete viaducts have replaced them. Of all the jobs which Harrisburg has so successfully worked out Pax ton creek, perhaps, has fared less hap pily of the gods and the contractors. Opperman Begins His Job Begun three years ago when the contract was let to Karl T. Opperman it was only recently completed. Even yet there is a section to be replaced. & This is just north of State street where the great water mains that extend be tween the Reservoir and the pumping station, are being lowered beneath the concrete invert of the big drain. Opperman's bid on the job was $96.20; the actual bill has totaled way beyontl that. And at that Mr. Opper man never finished the work. Beginning at Maclay street he started his excavations southward. He never got beyond Maclay street. So his bondsman, the Maryland Cas ualty company took up the"work and that firm sublet the job to another contracting firm, the West Construc tion company of Baltimore. That concern by the way figuratively and literally "made the dirt fly." Oc casional slides of tons of earth into new excavations, high water, bad weather—they all figured in Vnaklng what contractors began to consider the city's "jonah Job." But the West com pany pushed ahead—at a financial loss. While the report was never verified councilmen declared that the contractor himself had pointed out that the flrnr lost something Ilka 1*26,000,
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