10 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A NEWSPAPER FOR THE HOME Ponnitd 1831 Published evenings except Sunday by THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO., Telegraph Building, Federal Square. S. J. ST ACKPOLE, Prts't & Edittr-inChirf p. R. OYSTER, Busintst Manager. GUS M. STEINMETZ. Managing Editor. Member of the Associated Press —The Associated Press is exclusively en titled to the uae for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwlso credited in this pap*r and also the local news published herein. All rights of republication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. I Member American Newspaper Pub lishers' Assocla- Bureau of Circu lation and Penn- Avenue Building, Ftnl'ey, Sintered at the Post Office In Harris burg, Pa., as second class matter. By carriers, ten cents a week; by mall, 15.00 a year In advance. SATURDAY, DECEMBER, 22, 117 A fat kitchen makes a lean will. — Fbanklik. MORE CITY REVENUE COUNCIL is facing the necessity of more taxes, abandonment of the municipal ash collection plan or higher water rates. It is hard enough to face any one of these three at this time, but of the trio an advance of water rates Is probably the least offensive. There has been a persistent doubt in the minds of those acquainted with the facts concerning the wis dom of the several reductions of wa ter charges in Harrisburg In recent years. It never did look like good business. The saving to the con sumer was small, but the aggregate has sadly crippled the department and the city government as a whole. With wages and coal both going up and extensions of the system neces sary, it is only fair that, the city being unable to take care of these from the general fund, the money be raised by the water department Itself. . . As for abandoning the ash col lection system just as It bids fair to become really efficient, that will not be well received. We should not go back to the village system of con ducting the city's affairs, and that is what private ash disposal, with all its attendant evils, means. Besides, the city can dispose of ashes much more cheaply than the private citi- Revelations of incompetence and Inefficiency at Washington only em phasize the concern of the American people over the German menace, but even these shortcomings will not serve to weaken the determination of the people of the United States to win this war, and win it for all time. Every ounce of fighting power must l,e organized for the defeat of the Prussian beast, and it is the duty of every man, woman and child to get behind the Government. MX ST I>o THEIR PART SHIPPERS who are justly com plaining of congested freight traffic are not entirely blame less. At a meeting of commercial body representatives and freight agents in this city the other day it •was plainly shown that many cars are being held on warehouse sidings much longer than necessary. Many consignees are unnecessarily slow in getting the freight off cars once H is received. This is a condition that is uncalled for and must be reme died. The man who receives freight and lets the car stand longer than is re required to get its contents into his warehouse Is conspiring against rail road efficiency and is a detriment to his neighbor who Is crying lor cars. The shipper, the consignee and the railroads all must work together it the congestion is to he relieved. Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade can perform a distinct serv ice In this respect by urging proper measures upon their members. Not even the avalanche of snow has 4ipr.ouraged energetic Gus Wildman in his determination to uncover the long hidden sidewalk in front of the Fed eral Building on the south side of Lo cust street. A few more days will see the rubbish removed and the dis appearance of the materials which now interrupt travel in Federal Square. CHANGE OF SCHOOL RULES THE School Board will take a long step in the direction of in creased efficiency of administra tion If it adopts the changes of school rules outlined In last even ing's issue of the Telegraph. Gen erally speaking, they are the recom mendations of the experts who made the school survey a year ago and if nothing more comes of the survey than the revisions now under con sideration the expense will have "been justified. Instead of the old hap-hazai d com mittee administration, all very well "when the board was large in num bers and the city small in size, but very cumbersome and inefficient un der present conditions, the various departments are to be operated each by a responsible head, all un der the authority of the superin tendent of schools, and he In turn at the command of th 6 board of direc SATURDAY EVENING, tors. There Is nothing: norel or ex perimental about this. It is the way in which all successful private busi ness of any size Is conducted. The voters under the changed rules cor respond to the stockholders of a corporation; they elect the direc tors, the directors elect the superin tendent, who In effect is the man ager, and he and the directors to gether choose the subordinates. The biggest advantage will be to centralize authority and vest respon sibility in those who are required to perform the actual work of sohool administration. Superintendent P. E. Downes has been responsible for nearly all of the Improvements in the school system of recent years. That is, ho Initiated them and then found it necessary to work for months, some times for years, to procure their adoption by the board. This Is no particular reflection upon any director. It is the system that has been at fault Under the pro posed new arrangement the super intendent will become a real power in the conduct of the school* and should be able to accomplish much more than ever before. The centralization of building re pairs and maintenance, of purchas ing and of accounting are also pos sible of working many betterments in the senrkie, of improving the sys tem and at the same time saving "Our sword is drawn and none will dispute Its blade Is keen and free from rust,"—Secretary Daniels, Jo, the trouble all lies in the hilt. CHRISTMAS OPPORTUNITIES THERE appears on another page of the Telegraph of this Issue r oolumn headed "Christmas Opportunities," a list of worthy j homes Into which no holiday cheer j may come unless YOU play Santa; Claus to the unfortunates. The Associated Aids vouches for j each as worthy of your charity. What! are you going to do about it? With all the war work activities, i and hands stretched forth for our j dollars at every turn, some of uaj have forgotten the poor whom we have always with us—the unfortu-1 nates of our own city. There must be no letting down in this quarter. | The organized charities of the city are now generally well conducted, j but administration amounts to little j if there are no funds to administer, j Governor Lowden, of Illinois, set; forth the need and the importance j of meeting it the other day when in a public statement he said: The large sums of money which are flowing in for relief work, be cause of the war, should not blind us to the needs of our charities at home. Some most useful charities • already have closed down for lack of funds. Kuropean countries engaged in this war neglected their home needs, with a resulting increase in juvenile deliquencies, the spread of immorality, and new forms of dependency. Wo must, at whatever cost, avoid this mistake. The war in which we engaged is a war for civilization. While we fight for that civilization up on foreign battlefields we cannot afford to see it slip away at home. I earnestly urge upon all who have given in the past to home charities to give again, at least as much, at whatever personal sacri fice. It is a time of sacrifice, but of self-sacrifice, not the sacrifice of the helpless ones who need our fostering care. "Give as the Lord has prospered thee." Out of the hundred millions which Congress gave to the President for exigent war expenses, he has given George Creel's Committee on Public Information $1,350,000. This is not a large percentage of the total sum at the President's disposal; but it is wholly out of proportion to any genu ine service which the committee has rendered to the people. No detailed items have been presented to shovr what Mr. Creel has done with all of this money; but it is very plain that a committee cannot be staffed with any large number of dollar-a-year inen. CONSERVING AT ROTH ENDS PENNSYLVANIA'S creation of a great forestry reserve and its offering of hundreds of thou sands of young trees raised In its own State nurseries for systematic reforestation have attracted na tional attention and the results have been so successful that the great coal and water companies have es tablished on their .lands areas which pre to be maintained in a natural state and are planting trees at a rate which would have astonished the coal operator of a generation ago. Pennsylvania, which was declared some years ago to be in danger of becoming a State treeless where it should have foliage to conserve Its water supply, has been making such strides that almost weekly offers to help In practical conservation are made. If the funds can be secured in a comparatively short space of years large districts will be planted with trees and water conserved and land erosion stopped. At the same time the State Water Supply Commission is taking steps which will prevent flooding of towns and farm lands by a policy of close scrutiny of stream obstruction. It Is not generally known thtrt official per mission to make fills along a dozen streams has been refused coal and manufacturing companies. The fill ing in, which is often the cause of disastrous movement of waters In time of freshets, is now only sanc tioned where it can be shown that harm will not result to people miles away. The State is not only moving to maintain its supply of water, l>ut to protect Its water courses. It is con servation of the most practical sort. If every Governor of a coal-starved state should emulate Governor Cox, of Ohio, it is evident that th Federal Fuel Administration would go promptly to smash; and it is equally evident that the coal situation everywhere would be in chaos. Yet nobody—except the fuel administra tion whose inefficiency has been ex posed—ls criticising Governor Cox's course. It was spectacular, it may have had Its origin in politics; but it got the coal, which was the main point. fiUtU* tK By the Ex-Committeeman Charters have been Issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth to three municipalities of Pennsylvania to become third-class cities on the tlrst Monday In January and they are now being given assistance asked from the bureau of municipalities of the Slate Department of Labor and Industry. In addition It is likely that steps to provide aldermen for the wards Into which the new city of Coatesville divided Itself will be taken. The new third-class cities are to be Bethlehem, composed of Bethle hem and South Bethlehom, both of which were Incorporated somo time ago as separate third-class cities, but legal proceedings sot aside tho change; Duquesno and Butler. The Bethleheuis lie In separate counties, but by an act of IB 17 were able to vote on consolidation nnd erection Into a city. Leaving out the old olty of Parker, which practically gave up its charter when the oil boom In its neighborhood ended and which is under a special act of Its own, although rated as a third-class city, there will bo thirty-three third class cities after next month. Hundreds of commissions ranging from the engrossed parchment pa pers of the judges to th steel cer tlllcates of Justice of the peace and aldermen are being prepared for issue at the department of the Sec retary of the Commonwealth. They will be for officers taking their places the first Monday in January and will be mailed from the Capitol the day after Christmas. —Tho Pittsburgh Gazette-Times j has this to say about Congressional I elections: "Temperance forces In the Twenty-second Congressional districts are preparing to oppose the re-election of Representatives Ste phen G. Porter and Guy E. Camp bell. They provoked this opposition by voting against the submission of the prohibition amendment to the Federal Constitution. While no for mal aptlon has been taken against Mr. Campbell, the machinery of the Anti-Saloon League has been set in motion to start a contest for the seat held by Mr. Porter. Members of the Anti-Saloon League in the Twenty ninth district held a meeting yester day afternoon in the Publication Building, Ninth street, for the pur pose of forming an organization in every voting precinct of the Con gressional district. George E. Alter, former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, is consid ered the logical candidate to oppose Mr. Porter. For some time there has been much favorable discussion of Mr. Alter In all parts of the dis trict. He has not Indicated that he will respond to the call." —Berwick and West Berwick ere flirting and may consolidate early in January. —lf Counctlmen Robert Garland, J. P. Kerr and W. Y. English, of Pittsburgh, reflect the opinion of their colleagues, the Rurke act, which requires the city of Pitts burgh to pay $l5O a year additional to every city employe who receives $1,500 or less, will be totally dis regarded. Dr. Kerr says he was con fident that council, not the Legisla ture, had the right to fix the num ber and salaries of city employes, in which Mr. Garland and Mr. English intimate an amen. The city folic itor will be asked for an opinion on the legality of the Rurke act. Chairman W. D. B. Alney, of the Public Service Commission, who is talked about by his friends as a gubernatorial possibility is rather quick at repartee. Meeting up with Congressman Thomas S. Crago, of Waynesburg, at Pitts burgh, the other day he was saluted by the congressman with "How are you, governor? "Do you take me for a looking glass''" replied the Commissioner. —John H. Dailey, Pittsburgh councilman and former newspaper man, is working to put the detec tive bureau in that city out of busi ness. —Two separate campaigns in be half of the Prohibition amendment to be launched at state meetings hero are being prepared to start the movement for election of legislators pledged to vote l'or ratilleation o£ the amendment. Dr. B. E. P. Prugh, chairman of the Prohibition State Committee, several days ago start ed arranging for the winter meet ing of his committee and it is prob able that where "dry" candidates are nominated that the Prohibition ists will endorse them, but thai where there are "wet" candidates the cold water people will have their own tickets. The Anti-Saloon league people to-day announced that Superintendent E. V. Claypool was preparing to have a state con vention to secure expression of sen timent from the fifteen counties around Harrisburg. The statement soys it will "sound the call for unit ed action." —The general impression here Is that Governor Brumbaugh will> name Henry G. Wasson, former Re publican state chairman, to the va cancy on the Allegheny bench, caused by the death of Judge L. L, Davis. Mr. Wasson wrote the let ter which the Governor gave out when he began his presidential campaign and also took part In the administration war councils. He was then talked of as Bure of the next vacancy on the bench. —County commissioners are pick ing out mercantile appraisers at a sapid rate throughout the whole state just now. —More sheriffs are trying to duck men who want to be appointed dep uties than known for a long time. —According to Hazleton papers ex-Senator E. F. James will contest the Senatorial election from that dfstrlct with his old rival, Senator All* K. DeWitt. —Banking Commissioner Lafean seems to do well In the matter of Capitol police appointments. —The Philadelphia Record says there will be big cuts in the Phila delphia city payroll and that the Vare Christmas is not going to be as nice as formerly. —Scranton City Council settled a strike and adjusted some city mat ters without consulting Mayor Jermyn. The Mayor's term ynds next month. —Auditor General Snyder is said to be preparing to demand resigna tions of a number of men connect ed with the office of the Phlladal phla register of wills. The state has certain clerks and attorneys in that office and the men now holding the jobs are all aligned with the state administration faction. —From all accounts some of the HARRISBURG frfSjftg TELEGRAPH IT HAPPENS IN THE BEST REGULATED FAMILIES BY BRIGGS | is'frasaa, | ( Thski i need aT Joe I Kweaaj I Lj k. Iwevo Golf Cap - wew 50 crwV WQU9HU /A NEWO OUER. GOLF THINKS •ppsii^ CMSTNAS MORNINS Grangers appear to be very much in sympathy with Auditor General Snyder's effort to cut down payrolls and to insist upon being shown necessity for some appointments. It will be recalled that some newspa pers and some men who were very noisy In approving announcements of this sort of action by A. \V. Powell, right . after he became Auditor General, are now indignant at Snyder for even making inquiries. It ail depends on whose ox is gored. —Tlie annual row over whether Berks county shall pay for meals eaten by inspectors is on. NEWSPAPER ADS. BEST "Nothin'g equals the daily news paper as an advertising medium." This was the statement of C. A. Brownell, advertising manager of the Ford Motor Company, to mem bers of the Chicago Advertising As sociation, at a recent luncheon. "The daily newspaper Is the voice of the people," said Mr. Brownell. "It Is the eyes of the multitude. For the last six years the Ford Com pany has touched nothing else, and one year alone we spent more than $15,000,000 in advertising. "I have here a most remarkable comparison of the circulation of papers as compared with magazines. I have taken fifty-one cities in the United States and 149 dally news papers in these cities. The com bined circulation of these papers is 15,500,000. I have taken the week ly magazines with the greatest cir culation in the Nation and find that in these fifty-one cities the maga zines have a combined circulation of 880,000. "A page advertisement in the two magazines would cost $7,500, an equal space In these newspapers would cost less than $6,000. RUN THEM DOWN [Popular Mechanics.] This country has long been honey combed with German spies. Everv day or two some person who passed as a business or professional man, and who has been well regarded, is caught "with the goods" and arrest ed. Every state, every city, and every town harbors these agents or allies of the enemy who are masque rading as peaceable citizens. Our easy-going. think-no-evil/way makes smooth sailing for pirate craft, right into the councils of state and city, and even our own homes. No coun try had ever so well organized and numerous a spy system as Germany has maintained right here in the United States under our very eyes. The constantly recurring incendiary fires, the ipgenious lies of endless va riety, are both part of the same un derground system. The Chicago Herald has printed, run down, r.nd exploded more than one hundred of these adroit falsehoods which would pass muster with most auditors. Ilere is where we can all be alert to spot Rind stop this propaganda. The next one you hear, run it down to its source. You will not get far before you reach some one who can't le member who told it. Anybody vrho is full of information favorable to Germany and unfavorable to our cause, and who can't remember where and from whom he acquired this news, will bear watching. Here is an opportunity for boys and girls, as well as grownups, to run down, lo cate, and explode this work of the propagandists. RUSSIA'S FOOD PROBLEM There is food enough in Russia, but the fault lies in its distribution, and this fault may be traced, -first to the long war, and the disorgani zation that occurred in consequence, to the mismanagement of the revolu tionary government. Transportation "has diminished in eflh-iencv both river and rail; so that with long hauls from the south and east it is difficult to transport enough food. The provinces in the north raise hut little grain and it is difficult to take them supplies. As a result the peo ple -there suffer 'from the need of certain articles, chiefly wheat bread. There is usually plenty of whole-rye bread, which is black and soggy, the rye being ground with stones, end therefore rather gritty. It isn't a bread that we could eat, except ing as a last resort; but the Russians eat it and prefer it to white bread. This winter possibly, with the riot ing that has occurred there may be a groat deaith of food in Petrograd and Moscow. People may suffer; but if the conditions could remain as they were during the summer there would. l>e no suffering, or not as much AS will occur in certain por tions of Chicago. The fact is that I saw fewer evi dences of malnutrition in Russia than 1 see in Chicago. I saw no one. I outside the hospitals, who was rot well nourished, nor did I nee an in-' dividual who was not fairly well clothed and well shod, excepting the beggar who Svore the garb that enpbied him to carry on his calling. —Dr. Frank Billings in Cartoons Magazine. THE PEOPLE'S FORUM A CONTRADICTION I To iAc Editor of the Telegraph: It lias come to my knowledge that some one is circulating the story that the motor bus I run In Sixth street, is owned by the Harrisburg Railways Company. This, I wish to deny most positive ly. The story Is Intended to hurt me in my business. E. G. KASTNER. THE RELTCROSS To the Editor of the Telegraph: , A symbol is a sign of a thing which it represents. It is the im mediate tangible representation of some event, or some thing, or some ccndition. The lion is the symbol of strength; the flag is the symbol of a nation; the Christmas tree and evergreen wreath are the symbols of file natal day of the world's Re deemer. t Ard now, the Red Cross! Why the red cross t.nd why not a crescent or a shield, or some other sign? That at once indicates Its true mann ing. The cross on which the gracious Redeemer was crucified ard the sacrificial blood that 'stained the rugged cross on Calvary. , It means the Christian devotion of self-denia'l, of sacrifice, of cheen'ul service for humanity. From its earliest incipiency dur ing the perilous days of Miss Clara Barton up to 'the present time and until time shall cease to be the Red Cross is the symbol of what It rep resents. It represents the Red Cross movement and all its attending be nignant forces and moral influences over all mankind —over Jew, Gentile. Mohammedan and heathen. What docs it all mean? The Red Cross Is as conspicuous as the twin kling stars on the darkest night. Why so conspicuous at the present time? The horror of war has called the Red Cross to tremendous service— to immediate service, to untiring service. Why the conspicuous display of the Red Cross symbol ? Years ago while residing in Phila delphia, eight or ten days before Christmas, while riding on the trol ley ears, my attention was attracted by the display la resident windows of floral wreaths or other designs. ONE ON THE PRUSSIANS One source of comfort to a patriot who is breaking In a new pair of shoes is that the Prussians have to break in wodden ones.—Ohio State Journal. THE AULD SCOTCH WIFE They say I'm kinda crapy Sin' they sent me the news' about him, But there's no an hoor o' the day That I'm no heartn' Jim; When I'm darnin' their socks I hear him singin' tae me. When Jimmie was a bairnie He was the brawest singer Y' ever heard. His wee roon' voice In ony hairt wad linger; And so I'm thinkin' that's the way I'm aye hearin' him singin' tae me. They said it was at Arras, But it's no sae muckle odda As lang's he's gane—he's gane. Ikying some place under sods: Eut when I'm washin* the dishes I hear him singin' tae me. He was a bonny laddie, And I thocht that his reid heid Was a glint o' God's gold glory When I was smllin* and ->ayin "God speed;" Noo even when I'm greetin aboot him I can hear him singin tae me. I suppose it's the best aye happens, And I'll no start findin' fault With the mercy that's been good to me .. . Or the bullet that said to him "Halt!" For when we're singin' in the klrK I can hear him singin' wi' me. And whether it's the kirk tunes Or some o* Robbie Burns, "Auld Hundred" or "Sweet Afton, Ma hairt inside o' me burns; For tho' I never see him 1 can hear him singin' tae me. And if he's near me all the days I should be glad we're no apairt. And I'm thinkin' it'll no be long (The doctors say that it s ma hairt), And maybe afore ye ken We'll baitli be singin thegither again. —John S. Barnett, in the New York Sun. Possibly only two or three in a block. These were the harbingers of Christmas. A few days later I counted them by the scores in a single block. But a day or two before the day those floral designs symbolized they were as numerous as the windows of the dwellings along the route. So now, on Monday the 17th of December, as I walked the streets of Harrisburg I saw the Red Cross at many places; but few in dwellings, not alone in Harrisburg, but in all the suburban towns and villages and far into the rural districts. By Saturday, Monday and Christmas Day tens of thousands, yea, tens of millions of these significant symbils will greet the passersby and call to them in service. When the Jehovah God instituted the Passover. He said that when your children ask what that symbol portrays, you tell them. Thousands will ask, what does the Red Cross mean? Tell them. Ah, tell them. Go to the camps, to the trenches, to the bloody field of slaughter, go to the homes of the millions of war cursed,, victims, go to the haunts .if poverty and suffering, go to hos pitals, go. go, and ask. The Red Cross in Ihe window ad vertises that you are heart and dol lar invested and that you appeal to others to come quickly and Join in the benignant movement to help suf fering humanity. The immediate blessing the Red Cross movement is the relief it car ries to the millions of sufferers. The moral influence on all nations will certainly be revealed under divine blessings after this cruel war has ended, and conditions gradually be made normal. The conditions will never be what thoy once were. Out of all this stupendous evil, under God's blessing, and the hallowed Influence of the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A. and the church conditions, will be marvelously altered. May a gracious Providence hasten the auspicious day. Meanwhile let the symbol of the Red Crofes be every where conspicuous and all the million workers not cease their ac tivities.- REV. C. I). RISHEL. South Enola, Pa. FROM EVERYWHERE Birthmarks and other superficial growths that defined chemicals lmve been removed with radium by Eng lish experts. The shortage of cents is being felt by a Kansas City theater so severely that the management is offering $1.05 for every ?1 worth brought to the box office. Charles N. Kaler, of Salem, Mass., raised a squash which weighs 102 pounds. Its stem-to-stem girth is 72 inches and around the middle it measures 62 1-4 inches. Next to the proletariat of India and China, the Russian peasant feels the pinch of poverty and hunger more keenly ana more frequently than any other citizen on earth, says the Na tional Geographic Magazine. Danish manufacturers are using nettle fiber extensively in the making of yarn, cloth and binder twine. The nettle used grows wild in Denmark, and after the liber litis been removed, the leaves and tops are utilized as cattle fodder. Japanese waitresses who have waxed wealthy in the eyes of Japan's Income tax collector, because of the tipping extravagance, are to be sub jected to a special levy if plans of the tax committee of the Toklo pre fectural assembly be carried out. Practically the entire banana crop has been ruined by the flood, and consequently the shipment of fruit from Frotera, Mexico, will be dis continued for a year very probably. It is estimated that 25 to 50 per cent, of all other crops were damaged by the floods. Three crops a year are usually grown here. During the first three weeks of October the whole state of Tabasco was subjected to damages of vary ing extent, as the result of flood ing of most of the rivers, following unprecedented rains. Frontera. which is on high ground, was undam aged, but the greater part of Villa hermosa, the state capital, was flood ed for two weeks. DECEMBER 22, 1917. f Over tfwe ot ""Peiuuu >. _ _> Everybody in Stroudsburg these days is dining off bear meat, owing to the generosity of R. D. Melvin, who shot the biggest black bruin killed in that neighborhood in many years. •It weighed 502 pounds and the as sassinator is so benevolent that he passed the bear around liberally. The city of Lebanon, as a unit* will Join at 9 o'clock Christmas morning in the song "My Country 'Tis of Thee," every one arising wherever he happens to be. This is to be a national affair but Leb anon has already got the movement under way. Here is the appeal: "With hearts thrilled with rapture and gratitude for the blessings that America has brought to all of us, though our eyes be Jeweled with tears, let us all Join in this great chorus to exalt our Ideals and our love of the homeland. May we never forget nine o'clock on Christmas morn, 1917." Lancaster's first prisoner of war captured by the Germans is John Ktmmel, aged twenty-two years, of No. 314 Cuester street. Kimmel was a member of the sun crew of the U. S. S. "Meraldos," sunk by a sub marine in the North Sea in the first week of November. No announce ment of the sinking of the ship has ever been made by the Navy De partment. "I wish I was home," is all the German censor allowed John to write to his mother in the first letter, just received. OUR PAILY~LAUCH IMPATIENCE. — I had a rest 0$ C-Q\) less night. I MwH ffjM dreamed I had I an with yoti and you were more j' v "- knew I'd be O there In a min ute. OUTMATCHED Do yon think the widow Is set- gJftSr ting her cap for li , No; she tells fa* |i, J me he is clever v, J&fi&fSkjs tut impossible. Iw • , widow finds him must be clever. |j '%r\ AFTER _;JJ A /- SHARE. Motorist (re covering from v\ that a p re y vi ' 'mH stiff bill, doctor? ' iHB Surgeon: You jtA don't suppose 7 'y/m 41 rm s° ,n to let the other repair •%A v| V7j men do all the V W Kiting rich in Ja '/• this business, do H you? ESCAPED WITH HIS So you got Ij? QL} home late last \L/// night without if/I being torpe- |B( , J/ \ What do you \jjji mean, torpe- HH :/%, 7 doed ? P& I k. Why, you ' i A^. were taking a (/■ ( cig-zag course 12 when I saw you. t_ Hhrntng (ttljat Harrlsburg policemen have be ask* noting the accumulation of snow oa the hillside streets of Harrlsburjf and are wondering what it Is groins! to be like next week, when a cold I snap will be due again and the' proud owner of the Christmas sled will be "itching to try it." "It makes me shiver to think what it will bi like. The sale of sleds has been) something fierce and the youngstoraj will be coasting everywhere," re-; marked a big officer to a street carj conductor. The conductor said that' the copper, as he termed him, had: it soft compared to the street car* men who dread coasting time. There ai L e , ™ any Greets in Harrisburg which are fine for coasting and peo ple recall the days when Market street hill and Derry street used to < bo gathering places for throngs and i Herr - Boas, Cumberland, Calder and other up-town streets were so much frequented by crowds of coasters that policemen had to be put on guard. In those davs t.iere was no trolley line in Market or Cameron streets and coasters could start at Thirteenth and go in as far as Tenth, while the big "bobs" the stree ts sloping off the liulge" would shoot down to old Pennsylvania avenue on the east side and almost to Third on the other. The construction of the Citi zens line on Capitol and Seventh, street ended much of the fun and the police have had to frown on It more than ever because of th® growth of automobile traffic. Down town had Harris park for the kids to coast and Paxton street bridge, rhorfj used to be some coasting in Dock street, too, but Market street was the real place for a daisy ride with all the thrills. If the weather is right the chances are that Pax ton street will be a coasting ground again and the memories of the day# when one could start on Sauerkraut hill and whizz down by the old Reading roundhouse to the bridge at Paxton creek may be revived. Uptown the favorite coasting hills used to be Dauphin street, be tween Sixth and Seventh, Peffe* street between Fifth and Third and Maclay street from the top of the Maclay street bridge over the Penn sylvania railroad tracks all th© way out to the asylum gates, this being by far the best of the west end sledding places. That was before the street cars came along to mar the pleasures of coasters. Dauphin street always was dangerous, the street being often like an ice cov ered tunnel floor with a sharp turn at the bottom and not infrequently a misguided bobsled went straight on through a board fence on the east side of Seventh street,, instead of prescribing the desired curb. In that case the man at the tiller made a hasty escape for parts unknown, providing he was physically able to do so, and if not the coasters used to add to his discomfort. The Maclay street hill, during the days of the old wooden bridge, and for ail the writer knows, still is, a speed \ slide and when the street was iii good condition for sledding th< slide extended all the way to th entrance to the insane hosplta' grounds. More adventurous ladi used to haul the ::bobs" and ever single sleds all tho way to "Crooker Hill," nearly a miie above the city which comes down to Cameror street, past Nlssley's schoolhouse ant has a slope of a mile or two bad over the bluff and hills to the eas of Wildwood park. This hill, o series of hills, 1s steep at places anr at others reaches almost a level but when in good sledding condltioi the momentum was enough to carr: sleds from top to bottom, by fa the longest ride in this vicinity Sleds used on this hill were equippei with little dark lanterns as head lights to warn off other vehicles am bells to sound at crossings. Thi hill has been spoiled conslderabi by regrading In recent years, bu ought to still provide plenty o good sport for those who have th hardihood to tote their sleds so fai *■ Years ago bobsledding WM inc' popular sport that considerable riv airy existed among owners of "boha, which were painted in gaudy colon appropriately named, equipped wit all manner of guiding appliance* foot rails, lamps and bells, an> some of them were upholstered fo the comfort of coasters. On famous sled was named the "Snoi Belle." !Tt. was owned by a well known railroad man long since dear was painted white with gold letter ing and brass trimmings. Anothe big red "bob" with blue and whit trimmings was the property of Wii llam Decker, in his time a promi nerit railroad foreman. Another wa the "Arctic Queen" and there wer dozens of others. * • • "Chlefy" Gilnor, as Patrick Gt nough Is known on Capitol Hill, < which lie is tlie self appoints guardian and title holder, paid h annual visit to several of the di partments yesterday. Ordinari "Chiefy" haunts the rotunda • ar the only official whom he hono is Superintendent Shreiner, to who he gives tips on how to run tl building. Yesterday he started make the rounds to show his n< clothing and stopped at the Heal Department. Dr. Dixon is away, 1 Then he went to the Treasury ai found Mr. Kephart was sick, to Next he found Attorney Gener Brown had been called home the death of his brother. Then discovered Adjutant General Bea and Highway Commissioner O'N were away. Finally, he called at t Governor's office only to find I Brumbaugh in Washington. "Yeh, hey," called out "Chief to one of the newspapermen. "I the only one of the big ones on t job." [ WELL KNOWN PEOPLE " —Walter 11. Oreevy Is the maj in command of Blair county's hoi defense organization. —Col. Henry W. Shoemaker, t Altoona publisher, writing in 1 paper, says that the United Sta' will take up the Mexican proble C. S. Cook, Pittsburgh elect man, says that lots of current lost in that community. He wai sense and conservation. —General W. G. Price, coi mander of the Pennsylvania art lery. is in Philadelphia on a fi lough and says the men are eo: ing on splendidly. | DO YOU KNOW —That Ilarrisburg lias men w are on patrol duty in the! real v zone about the British isles? HISTORIC HARRISBURQ Harrisburg furnished engines haul troops in the Civl} War a some of the engines never ca. back from the south.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers