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.