6
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
A KBWSPAPER FOR THE HOME
Founded IS3I
Published evenings except Sunday by
THE TELEGRAPH PRIXTIXO CO..
Telegraph Building. Federal Square.
E. J. STACKPOLE, PrtSt and Editorin-Chi
F. R- OYSTER, Businju Manager.
GUS M. S'PEINMETZ, Managing Editor.
t Member American
Newspaper Pub
lishers' Assocla
- tion. The Audit
Bureau of Circu
lation and Penn
sylvania AssoclfrV
Eastern office, Has
brook. Story &
Brooks, Fifth Ave
nue Building, New
York City; West
ern office, Hab-
Brooks, People'*
Gas Building, Cbl»
Entered at the Post Office in Harris®
burg. Pa, as second class matter.
By carriers, six cents a
week; by mall, $3.00
a year In advance.
THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 27
I Icish you not few cares, but ca
pacity for many; not easy tasks, but
strength to master all of them; not
freedom, from temptations, but grace
sufficient to wrestle with them; not
absence of sorrow, but faith wherewith
to~ see beyond it; not exemption from
perplexities, but confidence in Ood to
work them out. —Axon.
THE TURN OF THE TIDE
A POLL of all the counties of
Pennsylvania shows that the
number of retail liquor licenses
has been reduced this year from 10,892
in 1915 to 10,61!). and wholesale liquor
licenses have fallen from 1,604 in 1915
to 1,514 in the present year.
This is one of the marks of the turn
ing of the tide. Heretofore unusual
prosperity has been accompanied by
increased drinking. Now the opposite
is true. On every hand is to be found
evidence that old King Alcohol Is In
as sad plight as are some of the Euro
pean monarchs who have played fast
and loose with their subjects.
Liquor dealers and the makers of
liquor who see the handwriting on the
wall are not all, however, doing as
many in Pennsylvania did last year,
go out of business entirely. They are
preparing for the time when the bait
shall be placed on the sale of alcoholic
beverages by going into other lines of
trade. For instance, one of the great
est brewing houses in the world has
just begun an extensive advertising
campaign for the sale of a temperance
drink to take the place of beer. It Is
not to be known as a "near-beer" or a
"beer substitute." It is something en
tirely new, perfected after numerous
experiments and said to be both whole
some and palaiable. That the new
drink will find a national market is
indicated by the announcement of the
firm that it must curtail its advertising
for the present due to the fact that it
cannot immediately fill all orders that
have been placed.
Another new industry of the same
kind has been developed by far west
ern brewers and distillers who have
found their trade dwindling. This is
the juice of the Logan berry that
promises to find as great a sale as
grapejuice does at present.
The liquor dealer or maker may as
well leave off fighting the inevitable
and spend his time and energy setting
up some new line of trade. The end
of the liquor business In America is in
sight.
The "Greater Harrisburg Navy" has j
launched with eclat Its movement for
the big September carnival and the im- :
provement of the Susquehanna Basin. >
It's a good thing when the young folks
combine their efforts for any Improve
ment. This organization will embrace
within its membership hundreds of
young men who will have associated
with them as an auxiliary body the
bright girls and energetic women of
the city. The movement starts well
and the success of the Labor Day car
nival will indicate the hustling abili
ties of the Navy.
NO MORE SKY SCRAPERS
THAT citizen of Hungary who de
clared to a friend from Amarica
that he desired to see two things
In the United States the Niagara
Falls and the sky scrapers of New
York City will be worried when he
hears that there will be no more sky j
scrapers in New York. No more i
Woolworth, Singer or Metropolitan
towers. No more Equitable buildings
or anything approaching that struc
ture in height or area of lot covered.
Under an edict sent out by the
Board of Estimate, which adopted
unanimously the plan of the Commis
sion on Building District and Restric
tion, moderately low buildings will be
the rule hereafter, so constructed that
one owner cannot rob his neighbor of
light or air. No more garages will
Invade splendid home locations and no
more factories will be permitted to in
trude in the city's finest shopping
zones. Nor will the monstrous apart
ments overshadow and destroy the at
tractiveness of purely residential dis
tricts.
This oadicaJ departure from the New
York building regulations has for Its
object the prevention of indiscriminate
building of structures without relation
to neighborhood, rights of property
owners or existing values. No struc
ture can be erected hereafter above a
certain comparatively low height
unless above the legal height it covers
a comparatively small portion of the
site.
This official action has started an
avalanche of applications for building
permits under the old regulations.
' Fearing the effect of the new order.
THURSDAY EVENING,
owners of property in the central sec
! tions which are available for im
provement with sky scrapers have
overwhelmed the Bureau of Buildings
with plans for monumental structures,
some of them comparable to the great
est piles of stone, steel and masonry
in the city.
During the last two or three days
plans have been filed calling for an
expenditure of approximately $35,000,-
000 for thirty-eight buildings (|om 12
to 39 stories high. These permits em
brace about everything in office, apart
ment, loft and hotel construction. It
Is believed, however, that the Bureau
of Buildings will find sufficient objec
tion to most of these eleventh-hour
plans to have them withdrawn.
It is the opinion of the real estate
men that this action will preserve
property values throughout Greater
New York and make for the conserva
tion of real estate. It marks an epoch
In the history of New York City.
Long ago the European cities began
the restriction of buildings so as to
conserve light and air and prevent the
destruction of values of surrounding
property. The sky scrapers of New
York City have been the wonders of
the world and foreigners upon their
arrival In the harbor of the metropolis
have always been amazed with the un
usual sky line of that city.
But New York Is not the only of
fender in this direction. Other cities
have projected great buildings into the
atmosphere at the expense of the
contiguous property values. Here in
Harrisburg the City Planning Com
mission is doing what it can to bring
about a better attitude of the public
mind toward neighborhood values.
Light and air is to be secured through
detached buildings, especially in the
residential section, and the erection of
factories and industrial plants in the
midst of residences will be prevented
hereafter.
New York has set in motion a
movement which will likely extend
throughout the country and this
change of front has not come a day
too soon. Property values will un
doubtedly increase wherever reason
able restrictions of the sort Indicated
are adopted by the municipality. Real
estate values will rapidly improve
wherever sane conditions are estab
lished. The time has passed in the
matter of building and planning when
the rights of the neighbor or the
neighborhood could be disregarded
with Impunity. We are living in a dif
ferent day and the owner of property
here and elsewhere must be made to
understand that he cannot do anything
which will adversely affect his neigh
bor.
Those unlucky speculators who hesi
tated to purchase the common stock of
the United States Steel Corporation, a
few years ago, at the low price of ten
dollars, will probably have an uncom
fortable period of self-communion
when they read that the company has
just declared an extra dividend of 1 per
cent on the common stock beside the
regular 1H per cent, quarterly distribu
tion. Certainly steel is either prince or
1 pauper.
UNIVERSAL MILITARY TRAINING
THAT the business men of the
United States, as represented by j
the commercial organizations of I
the country, are almost unanimously in
favor of universal training is shown
by the referendum vote taken by the
National Chamber of Commerce in
every Btate of the Union and recently
announced.
This indicate? not only a remarkable
reversal of public sentiment as it ex
isted previous to the war in Europe,
but shows very plainly that public
opinion, at least so far as It is repre
sented by the business men of the
nation. Is in advance of Congress, since
our lawmakers have not as yet given
much consideration to the Idea of uni
versal service.
The ballot shows 889 votes of or
ganizations In favor and only 56
against a system of universal training
which shall be enforced by law to fur
nish men for defense in war as well as
in peace. Forty-three States were rep
resented. A responsible and intelli
gent element of the citizens in twenty
four of these States voted unanimously.
In eighteen others the vote ranged
from more than 100 to 1 to 2to 1. In
only one State, Alabama, was the vote
opposed.
The Nation's Business, which gives
considerable space to this remarkable
vote, expresses the belief- that the
change of sentiment is not wholly the
result of a desire to protect the coun
try against attack, but that it is in
part due as well to the belief of busi
ness men, as a result of observation
since the war began, that universal
service will develop a better-balanced
and more self-desclpllned youth from
which to build succeeding generations
of American citizens. They have regis
tered their opinion that it will not only
i prepare citizens for wars which all
| hope to avoid, but will fit them better
j for virile, substantial peace which all
hope to enjoy. "They do not fear the
obligation of military training any
more than that of taxes or of edu
cation," according to the same au
thority, which sums up the sentiment
expressed in these words: "Few be
lieve that If the collection of taxes
were left to the compulsion of the
spirit of America, very much revenue
would accrue. There is no less reason
to believe In obligatory taxes than In
obligatory defense. Long enough the
patriotic and self-sacrificing volunteer
has shouldered the rifle, and with it
the duty of his neighbor. Long
enough has he been the victim of the
loosely knit and slow-moving military
machine which. In our own history,
invariably results from such a system.
The beginning of compulsory edu
cation was regarded by a famous
English philosopher, Herbert Spencer,
as the doom of progress; it has proved
to be one of its mainstays. The ac
ceplance by the American people of
an equal obligation for military duty
on the part of alll citizens should, it is
believed, prove of equal value. It is
now urged emphatically by a Respon
sible and conservative element of the
public and In this movement the Cham
ber of Commerce of the United States
will, therefore, be led, necessarily, to
XPlay a large part."
politico. tn.
"PtKivoifCcanZa
the Kx-Oommineemwi
The case of Dr. H. A. Surface, the
State zoologist, who has refused to
resign at the request of the State Com
mission of Agriculture and who ap
pealed his case to Governor Martin
G. Brumbaugh, who is in Maine on his
vacation, will be brought to a conclu
sion here next Monday night when a
meeting of the commission will be
held. A formal call for the commis
sion was issued to-day and as that day
is the last of the month it is believed
that the commission will direct that
the zoologist be ousted if he does not
resign. The zoologist was asked to
resign to take effect on August 1, but
demanding reasons for his retirement
and not getting them, took his case to
friends who interested themselves in
his behalf writing to the Governor.
Secretary of Agriculture Patton and
others. Dr. Surface also saw mem
bers of the commission and this, it is
believed, brought about the call for
the meeting.
The surtace case bids fair to be a
political issue as there are claims
made by friends of the zoologist that
he is being dismissed because he is
associated in orchard enterprises with
men who were not with the Governor
in the late unpleasantness. This, how
ever, is denied at the Capitol. No
reasons for the dismissal have been
given, but it is intimated that there
will be some forthcoming if needed.
Dr. Surface has challeneged their pro
duction.
Prof. J. G. Saunders, of Wisconsirv,
who was here yesterday afternoon, is
generally looked upon as the man who
will succeed Dr. Surface.
—Prof. Saunders is one of the na
tional authorities on San Jose scale
and diseases of trees and the pests
which beset them. He is connected
with the Wisconsin department of ag
riculture and has written a number of
books. When he was in college he
played football. It seems to be pretty
generally understood that the man to
be appointed will come from another
State and up-to-date It looks like the
Wisconsin man.
—District Attorney Rotan, who has
taken charge of the Philadelphia vice
probe, and Mayor Smith had another
conference yesterday. The probe is
being pushed and Gibboney is saying
things about the police.
—Pittsburgh is enjoying a period of
calm in politics for a change, the only
thing disturbing people out there being
the postmastership. The new post
■ master, Alexander Guffey, has declared
that relations between him and Dr.
McNeil, who was dismissed, are very
pleasant. •
—Prof. J. Louis Sowers, who will
walk the plank in the Compensation
Board, will accept his dismissal, it was
said to-day. He is now on vacation
but It is intimated that before he left
he was told he would not be needed
after July 31. Reasons why he was
dropped differ. Some think that it Is
the result of his objecting to circulat
ing a nomination petition for a Brum
baugh delegate, others that he was in
competent-for the work assigned and
i others that there is no fund left to
! pay him. Nowadays on Capitol Hill
| you can take your choice.
—Signs of the "big drive" on the
men who were "not friendly with
i Brumbaugh" in the late unpleasant
! ness are appearing at the Capitol.
J Private Secretary William H. Ball is
I gathering data about the men who
j hold office and has each county listed
j with the number of appointments arid
the amount of salaries paid. This is
| one of the fortunes of war for those
|on the Hill. There will be a tremen
| dous outcry when the changes start
i around August 1, but such things have
happened before and the people in au
thority generally like to look after
their own.
—lt Is understood that more post
master appointments are to be con
firmed this month and that by August
1 things will be in pretty fair shape
as far as the federal patronage goes.
There will then be nothing left to do
except iron out the 2,000 fights over
post offices. The Democratic State ma
chine is holding up recommendations
for about 50 post offices so as to use
them this Fall.
—The borough of Greenville is to be
given a $60,000 post office. The Flor
ida congressman, who is chairman of
the congressional post office commit
tee, Is the only one to stand up for it.
—lt is expected that the withdrawal
of J. V. Clark as candidate for State
treasurer on the Washington party
ticket will be followed by others with
in a week.
Repudiating Americans
[From the Philadelphia Ledger.]
Of course, the administration is
shouting as loudly as anyone else,
through Messrs. McAdoo and Hurley,
about the pots of gold that lie at the
foot of the South and Central Ameri
can trade rainbow: but what is to pre
vent it when trouble arises and dis
putes occur between the honest Ameri
can business men who may be engaged
in trade in Central and South America
and the several governments of Latin
America from repudiating them all,
and, as has been done In Mexico,
putting the stigma of moral turpitude
on all who had the efficiency, the fore
sight, the engineering experience and
the hardihood and enterprise to go
Into Latin America and help to develop
its resources?
Hughes and the People
[From the New York Herald.]
That Mr. Hughes showed a pretty
fine knowledge of "the political game"
when governor of this state persons
who opposed htm learned to their sor
row. He had the faculty of reaching
the people—wherein lies political suc
cess. And unless the six years' experi
ence in the nonuolitical atmosphere of
the Supreme Court of the United States
has dulled that faculty it may be safely
predicted that Mr. Hughes will before
long take ths voters of the United
States into his confidence with respect
to his Cabinet intentions. Indicating
that if elected he will draw around
him men of the caliber of Mr. Root,
Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Choate.
Papers Raise Their Rates
The Atlanta Journal and the At
lanta Georgian have raised their prices
from 2 to 3 cents a copy; the Reading
(Pa.) News-Times and the Allentown
(Pa.) Morning Call from 1 to 2 cents.
It is reported that the Reading Herald
will increase its delivery rate from 6
to 8 cents.
TOO BLAMED HOT
By Wins Dinger
It's too ltot to do much stirring,
1 It's so hot, one can't keep still.
It's too hot to go a flehln'
In the dam beside the mill.
It's too hot to go to woodlands
■ And 'neath shade trees there to roam,
. Yet one really must do something—
It's too hot to stay at home.
i It's too hot to go a-golflng,
And when It's too hot. by jing,
To <ro golfing, it's too hot, bo.
To do any bloomln' thing.
It's too kot to work In day time,
1 It's too hot to sleep at night,
< It's too hot to read much poetry
Which, it's too blamed hot to writ*.
«
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
When a Feller N By BRIGGS
[Yoo <?o \^>v
X Fishims vwoew \ X
/ wbu X>i6 nve J X
> f
jlljif' il" |[ j Jill|r | : ii
• m _> -
TELEGRAPH PERISCOPE 1
• —"We Just dare any German sub
marine to try to do anything to that
Greater Harrisburg Navy.
—Harrisburg guardsmen at the Bor
der are not among those who complain
of not hearing often from home—they
get the Telegraph.
—"Cyclone" Davis apparently did
not get into the cellar in time.
—The Kaiser snd the British agree
on at least one point—both would like j
to see the Kaiser get into the trenches.
—When a man talks of the "good
old days," nine "times out of ten he
means his good young days.
—That President Wilson is ready to
pay $25,000,000 for islands that Roose
velt could have purchased but for
Congress for $5,000,000 is only another
evidence of the remarkable business
administration that is the boast of
Democratic edilors.
EDITORIAL COMMENT]
Thomas Mott Osborne gets a second
term at Sing Sing, but he will not take
an appeal.—Pittsburgh Gazette-Times.
As we understand it, "pork" is the
money expended on public improve
ments in some other town.—Nashville
Southern Lumberman.
If our peevish militiamen have to
come back without their war we ad
vise Mr. Wilson to postpone the recall
until after the November elections.—
Boston Transcript.
The extent of the Colonel's opposi
tion to Mr. Wilson was not realized
until it developed that it was on that
account that he declined to run again.
—Nashville Southern Lumberman.
Steel
(New York Sun.)
The statement by the United States
Steel Corporation exceeds by many mil
lions the high expectations previously
entertained concerning this quarter's
earnings. It strengthens a general
market Just now subject to many ad
verse influences. It registers in as
tounding figures a new maximum mark
In the prosperity of the basic industry
of this country. An extra dividend of
one per cent, goes now to the multitu
dinous holders of the common stock.
The record Is unexampled, but Its
significance will be wrongly estimated
unless It is duly regarded as an Inci
dent of the great war. As the activi
ty of steel is the index of the activ
ities of countless other American in
terests, so the relation of steel to tem
porary conditions In the world outside
denotes the dependence of the present
prosperity of those other Interests up
on conditions beyond our domestic
power to mar or make.
The steel showing, therefore, is a
warning to shortsighted or sluggish
legislators at the American Capitol,
Instead of an assurance of the suc
cess of their experimenting, and wise
citizens will so consider it; for our
prosperity must be made permanent
jand not ephemeral.
WHAT THE ROTARY CLUB
LEARNED OF THE CITY
[Questions submitted to members of
the Harrisburg Rotary Club and their
answers as presented at the organiza
tion's annual "Municipal Quiz."]
What amount of bond is required of
persons having contracts with city?
Twenty-five per cent, of the con
tract pric*. Surety bonds.
_
OUR HIGHEST PEAK
By Frederic J. Haskin
\ .
A MEASURE creating in Alaska
the Mt. McKinley National Park
has been favorably reported by
the Senate Committee on territories.
It was introduced in the House by
delegate Wickersham of Alaska. As
the bill calls for no large appropria
tions and is favored by the Alaskan
representative, if will probably be
come a law. This means that the
great Alaskan peak and the region
surrounding it will be placed under
government control, the game protect
ed, roads and trails and hotels built,
and everything else done to make the
place accessible and preserve its prim
itive character.
Mt. McKinley rises to the height of
20,300 feet above sea-level, is the high
est peak in North America, and is
accounted by experienced travelers
the most striking bit of natural scen
ery on the continent. Although there
are mountains in the world the crests
of which are higher above sea-level,
there is none that lifts so high above
the surrounding terrain. For Mt. Mc-
Kinley is a huge dome of granite and
ice presenting on the southern side
16,000 feet of sheer rise above the
gradual slope at its foot. It is flank
ed on either side by peaks of the
Alaskan range rising fifteen to sixteen
thousand feet above sea-level, and it
dwarfs them into significance.
Swep£ by the humid Pacific winds,
the southern side of Mt. McKinley is
one of the most terrible and inaccess
ible wildernesses in the world. Snow
sometimes falls to a depth of sixty
feet on the level, and the whole moun
tain side is sheathed in ice and snow
all the year round. A number of
great glaciers creep down its flanks,
and in the summer there are numerous
flashing mountain torrents.
From this side the mountain is al
together inaccessible, but its northern
slope is protected from the Pacific
wind and moisture by the Alaskan
range. Although its upper sixteen
thousand feet are here, too, covered
with snow and ice, the mountain may
be ascended. Its lower slopes range
into a beautiful arctic tundra, which
is in summer a great lawn starred
with wild flowers in remarkable abun
dance and variety, while the swift
streams are lined with forests of
spruce and willow. Upon these plains
great herds of caribou wheel about
the pack train of the prospector in
guileless curiosity, suggesting in their
primitive abundance the bison herds
of the early west. Bears of several
kinds are also numerous, while sable
and fox make the region a rich one
for the trapper. On the upper slopes
the big-horn or mountain sheep exists
in great numbers, one observer hav
ing counted five hundred of them in
a day.
| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR"
INFANTILE PARALYSIS
To the Editor of the Telegraph:
In reading the article in the Tele
graph of July 25, in regard to "how
mothers could help prevent the spread
of Infantile Paralysis," or words to that
effect. I would like to suggest that if
the city would watch and keep clean
the districts that the poorer classes in
habit, there probably would not be an
epidemic, because it seems that is lust
what New York City neglected to do,
and in those districts the disease is at
its worst.
Of course that alone would not pre
vent it. but if every person would keep
their homes and yards scrupulously
clean, being most careful not toleave
garbage or any like lying around or
uncovered, and not bo afraid, I am sure
we would be flee of it.
Quoting from a morning paper this
sentence is most practical and sensible.
"A study of the different epidemics of
the disease does not justify this public
panic."
Trusting you may And room In your
valuable paper for this communication,
and thanking you for your attention to
same, I am,
Yours very truly. >
IAC.II.
JULY 27, 1916.
Although this tundra country on the
north si'de of the mountain is a veri
table garden in the summer it is so
near the arctic circle that at midnight
one can read a newspaper without the
aid of artificial light.
The setting aside of this wonderful
region as a protected park was urged
upon Congress by representatives of
the Boone and Crockett Club and the
Camp Fire Club of America —two na
tional organizations of big game hunt
ers. These lovers of the wilderness
were motivated primarily by the de
sire to save a bit of the Alaskan wild
from the desecration that civilization
is sure to bring. They were also able
to cite some very practical reasons
for the creation of the park, however.
The most important of these was that
the- new government railroad which
is now being built from Seward to the
interior of Alaska will pass within
twenty miles of the boundary of the
proposed reservation. This will bring
Mt. McKinley within three weeks of
New York by the comfortable means
of modern travel. Any tourist will be
able to hire a pony and a guide at
Broad Pass and ride to the foot of this
mountain of granite and ice through
the flowering tundra country. This
would not only add a splendid trip to
the itinerary of the American traveler,
but it would give the government rail
road an assured tourist business from
the start. It has been estimated that
an automobile road could be built
across the tundra to the foot of the
mountain at an expense of about
»2,000 a mile.
Belmore Brown of the Camp
Fire Club of America also pointed out
to the Senate Committee that the park
would be a sort of game reservoir
from which the surrounding country
would be restocked; and he asserted
that the wild game had been an in
dispensable factor in the opening up of
the Alaskan interior. In that coun
try there is no agriculture, and trans
portation presents tremendous diffi
culties. But almost everywhere splen
did game animals abound. These
have been alrpost the sole support of
the hardy prospectors who opened the
resources of Alaska to industry. A
provision is to be included in the bill
making it possible to issue permits to
prospectors to kill what game they
need for food.
The prospector knows the value of
the game, and does not waste it; but
the coming of the railroad is sure to
bring a class of men who Vill kill for
the pleasure of killing. This has been
the history of every railroad in a new
country. The railroad was the doom
of bison and elk In the West. • It is be
lieved that by the creation of this park
Alaskan game, which is one of the
country's most valuable assets, may be
saved for many generations.
I OUR DAILY LAUGH
1 THE GOOD OLD
I^so5 SUMMER TIME.
, ■ J spin nor toll.
Doctor, do you Lm yLU
believe in people /fi
taking- vacations? iLyk >
Considering the T k I
practice It brings 1 r /
me, I should b? SH| V"] nLi\
an ingrate to de- J.tJ
ny the custom. J ]
Ibptttng (Eljal
A good many jokes have been writ
ten about the high cost of living but
as a matter of fact It has passed the
joke stage and the humble bean, which
is so much used by the humorist, the
cartoonist and the dietlst is now an
object of Intense interest to the econo
mist. The bean generally can be as
sumed to maintain a level place as far
as prices for food go, being fairly rea
sonable In price when potatoes, beef
and other substantials of life are do
ing the lofty wire acts. But the situ
ation is changing even in regard to the
bean and in the generally disturbed
condition of prices the vegetable that
contains so much of the stuff that
gives us the punch is af
fected, too. Grocers and com
mission men say that the tendency of
the priies for beans to rise is due to
the belligerency of the nations. Beans
began to become expensive when the
European war got into its second year
and now when it is hovering on the
edge of the third the prices of some
beans have doubled. Our own military
demands have contributed to a certain
extent to the gyrations in prices of
beans as well because the United
States government promptly proceeded
to buy up the staple in immense quan
tities and even the great baked bean
erles, which have their own fields and
warehouses, declined to take orders
for anything except small shipments.
Frankly speaking, the last article on
the list which we would expect to be
affected by the advance in prices is
showing such a tendency to ascend
that we are commencing to look with
suspicion upon the "staff of life" and
the accompanying hunk of cheese and
the pickle. When they go up all hope
will be lost.
• • «
For the first time in many weeks
Mayor Ezra S. Meals yesterday visited
city offices in the courthouse and de
partment chiefs and attaches extend
ed him a mightily welcome hand.
Thinner by somj twenty-five pounds
and considerably weaker because of
his long siege of illness, the chief ex
ecutive is still the quietly humorous
official as of yore. Incidentally he de
clines to believe that he was nearly
the sick man. the physicians would
have had him, he sayS.
"Understand, Mayor," ventured a
friend to-day, "that you were pretty
close to the edge of things!"
"That's what they tried to make me
believe, but," replied His Honor, with
twinkling eyes, 'I got no whiff of brim
stone nor did I hear any music of
harps'."
• • •
Col. Henry W. Shoemaker, the pub
lisher of the Altoona Tribune and au
thor of books which have done more
to place before the people of Pennsyl
vania the beauties and the legends of
the mountains and valleys of their
State than any one in a generation,
has published a pamphlet which is a
valuable addition to the history of the
Commonwealth. It is written about
the last of the "War Governors." those
sturdy executives of loyal States who
met at Altoona in the darkest days of
the Civil war and pledged support to
Lincoln. The last of this famous
group of men was Col. William
Sprague, Governor of Rhode Island
and distinguished official, soldier and
senator, a noted member of a noted
family. Col. Shoemaker writes enter
tainingly about his stirring life and
has tolc the story of the conference
and analyzed its results, grouping some
stories of the gathering which had
such a momentous effect upon the for
. tunes of the North. The story of the
conference as published by the Trl
, bune in war days is given and the
t work is embellished by pictures taken
} from photographs of the participants
in the meeting. This conference is
i given entirely too scant mention in
I the histories of the State and Col.
( Shoemaker has given to the State
~ some information which will be of vast
' interest in the days to come.
Dr. Joseph Kalbfus, secretary of the
State Game Commission, has a pretty
effective way of dealing with critics.
It's part of his daily business anyway.
It happens that not long ago there was
published a digest or code or compil
ation of the laws and decisions in re
gard to the killing of unlicensed dogs
and the protection of sheep. The
Game and Agricultural Department
authorities are taking steps to bring
about enforcement and the book at
tracted some attention and some
abuse. One man wrote raising all
sorts of Cain about the book and let
the doctor have a copy of the letter.
The game official stated what the
book was supposed to be and got an
answer indicating that he ought to be
sure of his law and that he ought to
consult an attorney. Dr. Kalbfus re
plied that the man should read the
book as it was compiled by the At
torney General's department and a
statement made to that effect.
« • •
Chairman Harry A. Mackey, of the
State Compensation Board, had a hard
time getting to Harrisburg for the
meeting scheduled yesterday. He had
been in Scranton on Board business
and was hemmed in behind a wash
out on a railroad leading to Sunbury,
where he had to change cars. He got
through and then found he had missed
a train. Ha- arrived here late in the
afternoon.
WELL KNOWN PEOPLE
—George Wharton Pepper, the Phil
adelphia lawyer, is in Maine.
—General A. J. Logan, of Pitts
burgh, who was taken ill in Texas, is
Improving.
—Director George S. Webster, of the
Philadelphia department of docks and
ferries, spent yesterday inspecting
canals leading to Philadelphia.
—lsador Sobel, of Erie, has been
elected president of the B'Nai Brith
State organization.
—R. R. Harrison, of Pittsburgh, has
been elected president of the associa
tion of descendants of Benjamin Har
rison, one of the signers of the Dec
laration of Independence.
—Col. T. J. Keenan, prominent
Pittsburgh man. is one of the men who
headed a movement to acquire the
Danish Indies long ago.
1 DO YOU KNOW
That Harrisburg Is shipping
materials for buildings to France?
HISTORIC HARRISBURG
The first road into Harrisburg was
laid out about 1736.
Women Where Needed
[From the New York World.]
Commissioner of Health Emerson
confers higher honors upon woman
hood than are contemplated by any
suffrageamendment. Hereafter,women
nurses are to take the places of police
men on all health department ambu
lances. Recent unhappy experiences
should not have been necessary to sug
gest the change here ordered. On gen
eral principles a nurse is naturally
associated with an. ambulance, and,
except in cases of riot, a police officer
is not. More important than this, how
evetr is recognition of the fact that
on errands of mercy a good woman
is often of more service than m&iut
[men.