Harrisburg telegraph. (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, April 14, 1917, Page 8, Image 8

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    8
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
A NEWSPAPER FOR THE HOME
. Founded IS3I
Published evenings except Sunday by
THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO.,
Telegraph Bulltllnar, Federal Square,
I*'. J. STACKPOLE, I'rcs't and Editor-in-Chief
F. R. OYSTER, Business Manager.
QUS M. STEINMETZ, Managing Editor.
A Member American
Newspaper Pub
'lshers' Associa-
tion, The Audit
kgifiSayfl P Bureau of Circu
lation and Penn
|g| S f£3 ||3| sylvania Assoclat-
SSk 2 ESif ed Dailies.
P|9|Bi&
BSJRS?i3t )*j Eastern office,
888 IMii M Story, Rrooks &
SSB £ aSS Kg Finley, Fifth Ave
kSß_s €238 I,ue Building, New
Vork City; AVest
-4® prn office. Story,
?" ■dc Brooks & Finley,
f ~ People's Gas Build
— lng, Chicago, 111.
Entered at the Post Office In Harris
burg, Pa., as second class matter.
By carriers, ten cents a
C™p{lS<£jESssl> week; by mall, J5.00 a
year in advance.
SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 14. ,
Men Jot get
That great hearts suffer greatly; yet
God comforteth the comforter.
Blanche Fearing.
HAVE THEY AN YTHING BETTER?
OPPOSITION Oil the part of friends
of the Clark act—how It hap
pens that this choice bit of legis
lative absurdity has any friends is not
explained—has developed against the
Beidleman small council bill. It is ex
plained that this measure "is a step
backward from the ultimate goal of
city managership."
If city managership is the "ultimate
goal"—and the TELEGRAPH is per
suaded that this form of government
should have a trial—why not get to it
at once? Why fritter away time try
ing to patch up a law that, by its
very fundamentals, is designed to place
the administration of cities in the
hands of paid councilmen?
The Clarkites hold up their hands
in holy horror at the mere mention of
politics in municipal government, but
they play directly into the hands
the little men who want to be council
men for the $2,500 a year involved
when they oppose an unsalaried coun
cil. The Clark act has proved itself
an utter failure. If the Beidleman bill
is no better, then why, in the name of
the efficiency they prattle so much
about, do not some of it 9 opponents
come forward with legislation that
will correct the evils into which Har
risburgr and other cities of its class
have been forced by a law that is not
only poorly drawn fcut unwise in
nearly every one of its provisions? The
people are not wedded to any bill or
law, but they are insistent upon some
change for the better.
THE FLAG AT THE FRONT
THERE is more than a merely
sentimental reason for cloth
ing the American flyers at the
French front in the uniform of the
United States army and having them
carry the Stars and Stripes on their
machines as they fly over the Ger
man trenches.
The effect will be to hearten the
British and French fighters, who will
be thus reminded daily of their new
and powerful ally beyond the seas,
and at the same time to disturb the
morale of the Germans, who will see
in the new flag among the standards
of their enemies another potent fac
tor in the already overwhelming ar
ray against them.
Let the flag fly. It has ever been
the symbol of freedom where the
hosts of liberty have striven against
the armed forces of autocracy. It
has never known defeat. It will not
be performing a new duty along the
bloody line In France; it will be liv
ing up to the highest traditions of its
glorious history.
PURELY A HOME GUARD
Governor brumbaugh has
wisely asked I djutant General
Stewart to provide for a sec
ondary branch of the National Guard
of Pennsylvania to take the places of
the men who will go int* the federal
service with the flrst call to arms.
Only by such means can an ade
quate home guard be organized. The
division that will be formed to fill
the vacancies no doubt will bo or
ganized for the period of the war
and it will not be subject to sum
mons for duty outside the State, for
the reason that the army to be raised
by selective conscription under the
proposed new laws will eliminate the
possibility of a fresh draft on the Na
tional Guard.
The likelihood is that the new
force will be made up largely of men
too old for enlistment in the flrst line
army, but who are desirous of serv
ing their country as soldiers. These
troops could be used in protecting
bridges and munition plants and
otherwise safeguarding the public.
THE PATRIOTIC PARADE
HARRISBURG'S great patriotic
parade, to be held next Satur
day afternoon, gives promise of
being the biggest celebration of its
kind in the history of the city. It
should be. Chief Marsnal E. Lauben
steln expressed the sentiment of the
occasion adequately when he said; "I
hope to see so many in line of march
that the spectators ou the sidewalks
will be largely made up of otit-o'-town
visitors." It is "Everybody's Patriotic
Parade" and everybody who cAii
march should participate.
The time is very short for preparo.
tion. All organizations planning to
*ic cart should let the chief uiar-
SATURDAY EVENING,
shal or his secretary, William Lauben-!
stein, know at the earliest possible
moment. The task before the com
mittee In charge is heavy and It should
| have all the assistance possible, bo I
that proper arrangements may be j
■ made for divisions and division mar- 1
shals. . • I
lIAUDSCUABBLE SETTLEMENT
MORE power to City Solicitor
John E. Fox In his effort to
bring the Hardscrabble matter
to a final conclusion. It is high time
, that the delays of the law should be
overcome In this proposed improve
; ment. It ought to_ be possible in con
• serving the rights of the city and
the property owners to bring the
whole matter to a final determination
in the Dauphin county courts. It is
the Insufferable routine of postpone
ment and continuance and motion
[ and counter-motion that has caused
| universal unrest among the people
I over the law's delay.
We believe Judges Ivunkel and Mc-
Carrell and City Solicitor Fox realize
that •sufficient time has been given to
the consideration of every possiblo
point Involved in this controversy
I apd that they will not be disposed to
I permit further dawdling for no good
purpose.
City Solicitor Fox is understood to
have in course of preparation suffi
cient bonds of the city to cover any
possiblo damage to any property
owner and under these circumstances
tho interest of every individual will
be amply protected In going forward
with an improvement which has been
under consideration for a generation
I or more.
SUGGESTION IX) CHIEF WETZEL
CHIEF OF POLICE WETZEL is
doing so well in so many dioec-
tions, with the efficient co-oper
ation of his force, that we have no
doubt a friendly suggestion from this
newspaper would have consideration.
Instead of the policemen at the street
intersections making themselves rigid
sign posts for automobiles and other
traffic, why would it not be a good
thing to introduce the traffic signs
which are utilized in all large cities?
These signs are easily seen at a con
siderable distance and the officer
would Jje relieved of much annoyance
resulting from careless or Indifferent
motorists, who either are not able to
understand his signals or pretend not
to do so.
Chief Wetzel and his subordinates
are manifestly doing their utmost to
improve the service r.nd lr. this they
will have the hearty co-operation and
support of every good citizen. Any
thing which will assist them In their
difficult work should be provided and
we believe the intersection sign boards
which can be raised and lowered at
will, will be a help in traffic regula
tion.
It is interesting to note In this
connection that the police department
is finding the imposing of penalties a
rather helpful way of enforcing the
municipal regulations. A few ex
amples of those responsible for in
fraction of the law throughout the
park system would have equally bene
ficial results. So long as malicious
offenders are permitted to go free
when they could easily be apprehend
ed and punished just so long will the
depredations along the River Front
and elsewhere continue to the cost of
the city and the disgust of all orderly
citizens.
Park Commissioner Gross has a dif
ficult job in his supervision of the
park system, but a little of the iron
hand instead of back-patting and
"you're-a-good-fellow" stuff would ac
complish a great deal in the right di
rection.
STAND AND BE COUNTED
LET the Germans in Congress
stand and be counted!
We must have an army and
have it as quickly as possible. The
President and the heads of the mili
tary have told us that after mature
deliberation and study of war condi
tions abroad they are convinced selec
tive conscription is the method to pur
sue. Yet there are those in Congress
who would stand in the way.
Every man who nuts himself in op
position to the swift and efficient as
semblying of a great armed force does
so to the peril of the nation. None
can tell what a day in Europe may
bring forth. Just now it looks as
though our greatest task may bo the
clearing the seas, the feeding of the
allied peonies and the loaning to the
war-stripped nations who are fighting
our battles the vast sums required to
keep their soldiers in the field. But
to-morrow may bring another story.
Germany is not whipped by any man
ner of means. The need of American
men at the French front may become
a grim necessity any time.
Shall the crisis find us wanting?
Shall Congress be permitted to play
Into the hands of the enemy by deny
inng the country an army In time of
war ?
Let the Germans in Congress Btand
and bo counted!
We ought to know at once who
they are.
THE ST. LOUIS
THE St. Louis, the flrst American
armed ship to leave our
shores, and also the flrst
to make a European port in
safety, is a true-blue American ves
sel. She belongs to the 'American
Line, she was built In an American
shipyard and she has always flown the
American flag. She Is one of the four
ships which -took on the Stars and
Stripes under the wise legislation en
acted by the flrst of the Tom Reed
Congresses, when that sturdy Amerl
ca:i, Benjamin Harrison, was Presi
de at.
Had that legislation been perpetu*
ated, we would now be In possession
,rT a fleet of ocean llnera In which
wo could take pride; and there would
be no need, even argumentatlvely, for
a shipping board —made up of land
lubber*, by the way—to eek means
to out our tins uuon the aeaji
SOMEBODY IS ALWAYS TAKING THE JOY OUT OF LIF ' By BRIGGS
rcT-e uet US I ( Am! see -me \] I I qq* fne AMI-^BT.S
g °ThxThe* Vf/VS A"-TTt.G V.Rio I VlJeteCTi JUST Yy^M
WiTh Nature Tr->iS L l\j \\ fl /i 7 J/M oPP " jS , p e6 piuG ThpoOSm J&jggwl■
SP.r.k.6 Cj-JJj j\ \/ I VVK*'<S TvA/KSI-y - f
efc/ I^9 f 'OG** f? Gee \WHti 1/ I [/ THAT 'S /• I JA~ /. [ "RAG VM66iy flJl fey W
WAMTA READ tV \( Vti- J ft
BRK w^r Puß i I ta!k Jk 6 / wmlpe"*6 *AU rv/e Go- * oJH The J ° V °^ T
,°f J l V UN HOME. nfeV
-
Martyrs of Petrograd
(Cleveland Plain Dealer)
The revolution which brought liberty
and rights of citizenship to the mil
lions of Russia cost the lives of only
ISO patriots. The toll seems wonder
fully small when it is considered in
connection with the immense results.
To throw off, in a single week, the
burden of despotism was itself miracu
lous. But to achieve the seemingly
unachievable at a cost of only 180 lives
is almost beyond belief.
In a year of peace the killing of 180
citizens would be appalling. In 1917
<t seems nothing. Ten times as many
are killed in utterly futile engagemens
in many parts of liurope. In an offi
cial report of the lighting on the Stok
hod, Petrograd admits the loss of two
regiments from which only a few tens
escaped alive. But death on the bat
tlefield and death in a struggle for do
mestic liberty are two different sacri
fices. Russia cannot stop to mourn of
ficially the thousands who may fall
fighting the Germans at the Stokhod;
but Petrograd did pause to give a pub
lic funeral to the men who. gave their
lives for liberty.
The 180 who died in the revolution
were no more sincere patriots than
those Russians who have died in the
war against Plussianism. But they did
the unexpected thing. They did the
tiding that brought an immediate result
almost beyond the hope of the Russian
people.
Germany's Last Hope
Until recently there may have been
In some minds a fear the war might
[end indecisively, in u sort of deadlock,
I a mere quality defeat for Germany.
The entry of the United States as an
ally of the Entente makes it abso
lutely certain to any who before
doubted that the war will continue
until our ends are attained; that Is,
until German military power has been
humbled in the dust, the German
dynasty hurled from the throne, repa
ration made for the wrongs done
France, Belgium, Serbia and Ru
mania ; Alsace and Lorraine* restored,
parts of Austria given to Rumania
and Russia, the Turk expelled from
Europe and probably Poland estab
lished as a kingdom under Russian
protection. The wealth of the United
States will be at the service of the
Allies for attaining their ends. In
the next few months the United States
should be producing more artillery
pieces, machine guns, rifles, shells and
other munitions than any other nation.
It has a population estimated at 100,-
000,000. Its manpower has not been
affected by the war as has been the
manpower of all the belligerents.
| From this tremendous reservoir the
I Allies may draw armies of millions,
if the war continues long enough. The
I one chance in a million that Germany
I might somehow come out of this war
I unwhipped of justice has been re-
I moved by the entry of the United
| States, with its large financial re
sources and capacity for producing
war material and foodstuffs.—Toron
to Mall and Empire.
' . .
Food Control and Prices
J. Ogdcn Armour's remarks upon
the food situation will command in
stant attention. Besides being one of
the greatest of provision merchants,
he is powerful in the speculative mar
kets, and his knowledge of conditions
is unquestioned.
In recommending national control
of food production and prices at once,
Mr. Armour assumes that a policy
inevitable soon or late may more
wisely be adopted now than a ye'ar
hence, after much mischief has been
done. This war may yet be won on
American farms. We must feed the
Allies and we must protect our own
people against want and extortion.
To be remiss here would be as disas
trous as failure upon the firing line.
If prices of the great food staples
have already gone beyond any con
trol but that of government, the fact
itself is proof of scarcity, waste or
monopoly. In either case government
has a duty to perform which it should
meet as promptly and efficiently as
any other military probelm.
An important triumph already
gained by Americans In the world
was is the spectacle of iron, steel, cop
per and zinc producers, shipbuilders,
munition-makers and manufacturers
of every variety of implements and
supplies voluntarily limiting profits.
By adding to these the food growers
and merchants represented by Mr.
Armour we shall have, for the first
time In our history, business mobi
lized for patriotism and not exclusive
ly for profit.—Now York World,
The Holdup
Representative Henry Flood apropos
of a bill for arming merchantmen, said
t a luncheon In Washington;
"Germany **Jres th%| with her un
restricted submarine campaign she'll
hold up meat, she'll hold up cotto*
she'll hold up munitions, she'll hold up
all neutral maritime commerce."
He smiled grimly.
"But. iAy be, Instead of alt that." he
ended, "she'll hold up her hands "~
Washington Star.
HARRISBURG SSjKV TELEGRAPH
TfiE PEOPLE'S
Wisdom of Being Ready
To the Editor of the Telegraph:
New York. April 10, 1917
I have observed this war at short
range, having dodged shells upon the
European front and having visited the
camps, munition works and hospitals
of England and France. I have seen
the wounded and the dead, the widows
and orphans, and the ruins not only of
buildings but of broad fields which can
never again be tilled none of the
pomp and circumstance of war but all
of its horror.
Again and again I have heard the
remark: "If England had only listen
ed to Lord Roberts! If we had only
been ready this would never have
happened!"
I quicklv became convinced that
what I saw was no more the result of
war than it was the result of the
pacifist. Noble buildings which were
the work of the imagination of the
ancient artist are now in a condition
iwhich may truly be said to be the
work of the lack of imagination of the
modern pacifist. His smooth fat hand
has wrought as much destruction as
the mailed fist of the Kaiser.
Since returning from battle scarred I
Europe I have traveled our own land I
from North to South and from East
to West. Everywhere I find prosperity ]
but there is lacking that presence of a
national soul (which may be nothing
but the sense of a common unselfish
purpose) which pervaded my days and
nights In Europe. It lies in the power
of our Congress to give our people
that feeling of a common cause which
alone will give us strength, which will
bind the rich to the poor and the
poor to the rich ana make each
one of us feel and know that
we have a truly great country
not because of its Resources but be-1
cause of its ideals and because wc
have the strength to make those Ideals
something more than .idle dreams.
We only value that which has cost
us something. Let every young man
give but his little share of time and
work to the United States and he will
become a true patriot. The plan pro
posed is so simple, so small in cost
and so immeasurably great in value
that It should not be necessary for a
single man to raise his voice in Its
favor. Even if no emergency were
now apparent, universal training
should be adopted without delay for
the unifying effect that It would bring
to fur a people, and even if we could
see in it no such spiritual benefit it f
should be adopted to straighten the
backs and fill out the chests of our
slouching boys and to teach them the
first principles of hygiene.
There can be but little doubt that
our Congressmen are Individually In
favor of this measure, but perhaps
they are not s-ure of the attitude to
wards it of those whom they rep
resent. In this case it may be sug
gested to them that they visualize the
supporters and the opponent of uni
versal service. In one rank are seen
those whose faces are bright with
knowledge and ennobled by the de
sire to serve. In the opposing ranks
are the unenlightened, those who
have never felt the. thrill of a common
cause and who have no sympathy
either above or below themselves In
the social scale.
Shall we permit this fair land to fall
an easy prey to the wild beasts which
have devoured Belgium and harried
all of Western Europe In later years
shall one of us say to another: "That
ruined church shows the hand of
Villard!" "That crippled man makes
mo think of Pinchot?" Save us from
the work of these Architects of De
struction, you. our Representatives.
Yours truly,
THOMAS ROBINS,
Secretary Naval Consulting Board.
TR-gt.
School Architect Question .
To tke Editor of the Telegraph:
I noticed a queer editorial in a
Ilarrisburg paper yesterday, April 13,
in regards to accepting a small man
for a big man's Job, or in other words
ignoring the Chamber of Commerce.
Whorls this Chamber of Commerce
and where do they get their argument
from in regards to the school board
affairs. I am sure the people whom
they speak so much about or in whose
interest they claim to be lighting,
know very few of the 950 members
and which we all know our school
board was elected by the people. If
the so-called Chamber of Commerce
is to do the dictating and try to run
our Bchool board to suit themselves,
why what's the use to give the peo
ple a chance to vote for our school
board It seems to me the Chamber
of Commerce Is using the watch me,
catch me system. It hasn't been so
long ago when this same Chamber of
Commerce advocated a buy-at-homo
campaign and patronize our home
business places. Now they want to try
and tell the people how they can save
money by doing business In St. Louis,
Missouri, What seems so strange is
that none of our home architects can
till the bill, and still we have some of
Uic finest school buildings in the eau-
try right here in Harrisburg and com
pleted by Harrisburg contractors and
designed by local architects. That
million and a quarter dollars was vot
ed for the benefit of the city of Har
risburg and it should all be kept right
here if possible when it can. My idea
of the man to do the job should be
left to the school board and them
only, as the people elected the school
board by vote. And the school board
has a right by law to choose whom
they see fit, and should by no means
pay any attention to this so-called
Chamber of Commerce talk. Let us
hope the Chamber of Commerce at
tends to important matters in their
line and keep out of our school board
affairs.
Yours,
CLARENCE A. FISHER,,
612 Seneca St.
The World's Long Day
To the Editor of the Telegraph: ,
Will you kindly print the following
in answer to the recently reported
denial of the truth of the 48-hour day
record as given In Joshua 10:12-14:
Extract from H. P. barker's ad
dress, Edinburgh, December, 1907:
"The question of the sun standing still
remains to be considered and here I
quote from an able book: 'The Scrip
ture of Truth by Sidney Collett, Fourth
Edition," page 285:
"No man really knows how this long
day of Joshua's was accomplished, but
it must have been accomplished some
how, for astronomy demands that
something of the kind must have hap
pened, while history doclares that it
actually took place.
"Professor Totten of America has
studied this question from an astrono
mical point of view, and has published
the result in an elaborate mathemati
cal calculation, with the following re
markable conclusion, that by taking
the equinoxes, eclipses and transits,
and working from the present time
backwards to the winter solstice of
Joshua's day, it is found to fall on a
Wednesday; whereas, by calculating
from the prime date of creation on
wards to the winter solstice of
Joshua's day it is found to fall on a.
Tuesday, and he argues that by no
possible mathematics can you avoid
the conclusion that a whole day of
exactly twenty-four hours has been
inserted Into the world's history.
The statement, too, in Joshua X 14
that "there was no day like that be
fore it or after it" is equally accurate:
for there Is no room mathematically
in the world's history for another such
long day. Professor Totten affirms
that "not before nor since * * *
has there been a date which will har
monize with the required relative posi
tions of the sun, moon, and earth, as
conditioned in the Sacred Record."
On page 287 it is further stated:
"It Is well known that the three
great record keeping countries of the
world were Greece, Egypt, and China,
and these together with Mexico, have
all had the record of a long day.
"Herodotus, the father of history,
who lived 480 B. C., himself a Creek,
has left it on record that the priests
of Egypt told him of a time when 'the
sun had four times risen out of his
usual quarter, that he had twice risen
where he now sets and twice set where
he now rises." "
This Is believed to bo a reference
(though distorted and exaggerated) to
I Joshua's long day.
"Lord Kingsborough In his great
| work on the American Indians * *
states that the Mexicans have a record
that the sun stood still ror one entire
day in the year known to them as
'Seven Rabbits' which corresponds al
most exactly with the year In which
Joshua was conquering Palestine!"
A similar, and still more striking
tradition la to be found in the ancient
Chinese records.
Thus both modern science and his
tory and traditions current In places
so'' far apart as China and Mexico,
nite to confirm the truth of the won
derful narrative in Scripture."
Respectfully,
JOHN M. SULTZMAN.
1718 Penn St., City.
Those Ashes
To the Editor of the Telegraph:
When, oh when, aro the ashmen
coming around? We have nine vessels,
boxes, baskets, lard cans, lunchboxes
; and different other vessels all full.
How can we keep a nice backyard
with all these ashes In them, ash con
tractor? Won't you please, please,
please come and remove our ashes.
We are out of cans and baskets and
have nothing else to put ashes in.
Come, come, come, for the love of
humunlty come and take the ashes
out.
A. C„ Susquehanna St,
Discussion's Objectiona
Wisconsin also had an objector In
Congress during the Civil War, By his
persistent objecting to war ineanurt-s
he became known as "Kldredge, the
Great Objector," In this war we have
'• —Milwaukee Santtaxi
APRIL 14, 1917.
1 DO YOU KNOW
That Harrisburg lias many acres
of building lots which could bo
made into gardens.
HISTORIC HARRISBURG
In Civil War days llarrisburg pep
pie used to furnish many lunch boxei
[ for soldiers going through the city tc
i the national capital.
Minimum Wage Upheld
I Tlfe decision of tho federal Suprcm<
Court upholding the validity of th<
Oregon minimum wage act is of in
terost the country over, for scvera
other States have such legislatior
either pending or in suspension. Th<
court decides, contrary to the claim:
of those who brought the test, that i
State is within its authority when i
authorizes a commission to fix min
imum wages and establish a standarc
of working conditions.
Ohio in 1912 adopted a constitu
tional amendment authorizing tho es
tablishment of u minimum wage. A.
law was passed establishing a com
mission for investigation. This de
cision of the federal court may oper
the way toward the actual establish
ment of a minimum, in accordance
with the amendment and the law.
The general tendency toward legis
lation of this character is unmistak
able. Legislatures are stepping ir
where they would not have venturec
a few years ago to ameliorate the con
ditions of employment and protec'
the welfare' of those supposedly leas
able to protect themselves. This cour
decision is strictly in accord with th<
tendency observed In practically even
State.
OUR DAILY LAUGH
THE SECRET
OP FAILURE.
The Author—
. '-±j 1 do "'t see -why I
(can't sell any of
Air my ftoriea
-0 Wollwlsh
//) i\\ jESS* er —Lack of con-
UI II U tldence. You al
ii I J 5 M WayH f:nc loSß full
IKI ' s !r- postage when
t' i / / rf i L fi'liU; J '° ur manB "-lpt
lIU H L. would come back
"" ~JsF ust us un
der a two-cent
stamp and a
postage duo.
Shows yotr ex
r-f+ 'n-m hack.
GETTING IN
CONDITION.
What makes
your wife so AiV
flighty of late.
Don't you \jSrT \
know ? She's enSBS' •; J
taken up a via- wSpR.
OLD BTUEF.
Did your hus
| band see the
when he found
| WvJs.'— out you n,arrl ed
I lm °n!y tor h' s
i \ \ U/UT money?
Oh' ye". he
53L I\ JrCtv asl<ed me why I
\ dldn,t Set some-
I \ \lßi thing new—said
A WiVv " been
\ P la y® d on him
U ' ' -1 half a dozen
times before, that
A Aflsp OßTU!\ri!
V 'js In't It a nui-
I(ti/l sance to be fat!
SjSS, \C// Yes, especially
II when some ono
llvVvv o !- otterß you a soat
1 VIWA A ln a crowded
J | street car,
BEATTTY IN A
„- IT BKASTLY
C YP*Y\ AY MOOD.
t'A E>octor Do
Li I=_ l^[!I you BU V er
dnfvk. mornln * heau
/T\\ aches?
7 I zf \L.ITJ • r> #t >utant
Certainly x nufre.-.
1 M them
1 P*>\ *3 ns 1 (!o n daa c I
' certainly
shouldn't have
consulted you.
Ebettittg (Eljal
Up at the facts and figures bureau
of tlio State Department of Agricul
ture they figure that there are 2,684
farms in Dauphin county. While this
is a fair number for a county which
Is better known because of its coal and
iron than because of farming products
there really should be between 3,000
and 4,000 to put the county on a more
self-supporting basis. The county
could raise considerably more than it
now does for its own consumption and
probably this year will see it attain
maximum of agriculture. Areas are 4
being ploughed now, especially within
easy distance of the city which have
been In grass for a long time and
there are probably more garden and
truck patches being planned out than
known for many years. Under the
stimulus of warnings from those in
&Utja ority and the economists the move
to boost food raising has reached al
most embarrassing proportions in
some sections. In the first place seeds,
notably seed potatoes are very hard to
get hold of and the price Is very high;
secondly, fertilizer such as is really
needed to put some of the land offered
or taken hold of for trucking is a
scarce article and lastly, because rig-
King garden is work and it takes a lot
of time and stick to it persistence.
Men who understand gardening are
working at something that pays better
now and those who plan gardens had
better arrange to do their own ground
breaking and weed cutting. The
greatest I rouble about speeding agri
culture in this section this year is
going to be labor and it may come to
it that even those who enlist in the
agricultural army which is to be form
ed for systematizing work on farms
and recognition of those who labor on
the soil may have to be helped out
during the summer.
Some idea of the business the Har
rlsburg Public library is doing just
now in spite of the curtailment of
expenses duo to heavy drains made
upon the funds of tho association can
nc gained from the statement that in
the first three months of this year
the library circulated 39,203 books.
. 1 Ills is the largest circulation of any
quarter B |„ ce the library began u J g
work in Jlarrlsburg. In fact, it. is a
couple of thousands ahead of tho
bet.t previous record for any previous
quarter and illustrates the demands
being made upon tho institution. On
two of the three months of this year
the circulation at the library has
gone over 13,000. This has only hap-
Y" 00 ° r four tlmes in the his
tory of the library. One was in March
of last year. In January this year
■ went l 'P to 13,666 and
3 hi*i rC I. -3.446. It Is probable
> that April will be a heavy month ow
ing to the demands mado for special
5 on ,„ Amp rtcan history, with
which the library is well supplied. To
meet tho requests for notion the 11-
j brary has been borrowing books
( from the State library and renting
- them from concerns which make a
■ specialty ol such business. The work
1 of the library has been growing with
leaps and bounds and the demands
on its reference desk have been ex
ceedingly heavy, both high schools
s and all of the grammar schools be
t ingr represented in the list of persons
1 j i a ' sk s P p<,| "l Information. In ad
dition the library has been extending
• Its libraries to the schools and the
1 total circulation of tho iirst quarter
shows considerably over one-third to
be among Juveniles.
* * •
A resident of Green street deter
mined to arm himself last summer
against the coming of the burgl.>r
who was then terrorizing the pooj.it
in that vicinity. He bought a nice,
shiny revolver, a couple boxes of
miniature 42 centimeters and a good
flashlight. When he took them home
he told his family that he was ready
for all the burglars in Christendom
and stored his arsenal in places easily
accessible in case of an emergency •
Sad part about it was the burglar
was slow In coming, but the antici
pated thrills came Just the same some
time ago. Just when the city was
quietest, "Mrs. Fearnot" was awak- '
ened by a bright light peering into
every corner of the rocm. She turned
to awaken "Mr. Fearnot." The light
went out and all was darkness. .Was
she dreaming? No, again the lfght
flashed. Then the lord of the mSxnor
was awakened. Again the'llKht-flaafi
ed. Despite a thousand chills Jhat
played up and down his back "Mr.
Fearnot" investigated. After he had „
slowly crawled at least a thousand
miles of carpet toward where the
light had last flashed a childish voice
exclaimed: "Oh, papa, see what a
pretty light baby found." The two
year-old son of the house had found
the light and Just discovered what a
nh-e plaything it made when the
sandman would not come.
• • •
With the coming of spring the
small boys about town are naturally
Inclined to work ott their surplus
energy in any way that a bovisli mind
can think of, hut a great #any peo
ple seem to forget the time when
they too. were young anff" doing tho
same thing. The police department
is constantly receiving telephone
complaints from residents about tho
horrid boys who are playhig base
ball on the vacant lots next door*and
who will undoubtedly break a win
dow If not stopped Immediately.
One of the officers reports an unus
ually emphatic complatnt. A man ap
proached liim and began saying ex
citedly, "There they are, officer, there
they are; arrest them!" Tho officer
Immediately on the alert, was pre
pared for any emergency but a care
ful look nt the landscape failed to dis
close anything but several healthy
young legs pushing as many roller
skates down the pavement. "There
who are?" asked tho officer. "Why
those children skating on my pave
ment," refilled the man. When ho
was told that he would have to make
Information against them the worthy
citizen decided not to have them ar
rested. "That gink must have been
born a thousand years ago," said the
officer recounting the episode.
•
Two sturdy youths not more than
twelve marched boldly Into the office
of the Chief of Police yesterday aft
ernoon, bared their head and looked
boldly up Into the eyes of the Chief
of Police. "Are you the man that ar
rests boys when they aren't good?"
said the one. "Well, I might," said
the Chief. "What's wrong?" "Why
some wop kid down here on Cherry
alley said the flag was nothin' hut an
old rag. and I'd a li kod tho stuffln'
out of him, only I was afraid I might
get Into trouble, too, so I Just thought
I would come up and have him
rested." An Immediate investigation
was promised and 'he patriotic little
Americans left the office much
pleased.
WELL KNOWN PEOPLE
—Robert Firing, the new president
of the Presbyterian Union of Pitts
burgh. Is a prominent attorney.
-— DP. C. B. Millhoft, active medical
man at Johnstown and veteran of tho
Philippine war, will re-entor the medi
cal service.
—Colonel O. C. Rlckards, comman
der of the Sixteenth Infantry, wfcji of
fered motor ambulances by people of
Ktttanning.
—K. B. Hulley, of Pittsburgh. Is
president of an association formed to
encourage back yard gardenias-