10
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH i
A NEWSPAPER FOR THB HOME |
Founded 1131
Published evenings except Sunday by ,
THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO..
Telefrafk Building. Federal Saare.
E.J. ST A CK POLE, Prts'i & Editcr-in-Chirf J
F. R. OYSTER. Business Manager.
GCS M. STEIXMETZ, ifa>ia*nir Editor. ,
Member of the Associated Press—The
Associated Press is exclusively en- |
titled to the use for republication of t
all news dispatches credited to it or I
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herein.
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Entered at the Post Office in Harris- j
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THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1918
Christ living in us is the root and j
strength of Christ's acting and speak
ing through us, shining out from us
so as to be seen by the world. — j
Andrew Murray.
GERMAN IN SCHOOLS j;
DU. PHILANDER P. CLAXTOX,
United States Commissioner of j ;
Education, says President Wil- .
son is strongly opposed to the elim
ination of German from the high ;
schools and colleges of the nation.
The President takes the correct
view. By all means we should con- ,
tinue the study of !<erman. If any- j
thing, more attention should be paid j
to it now than ever.
The more Americans who can speak
German the better for our conduct
of the war. The more Americans ,
who can converse fluently in Ger-;,
man and write German the better;,
for the United States after the war. !.
when we shall be called upon to |
compete with Germans in the fields j*
of commerce which that country has (
lost by reason of cutting off j
her maritime commerce, but which
Germans will endeavor to wrest
from us after peace is declared.
There is nothing disloyal in study-, ;
ing German. Xothing is to be lost!
thereby and much is to be gained.
Reading German classics of the type 1
generally used as textbooks might '
help the student, to understand how '
far the Germany of to-day has 1
drifted from the old standards of !
national thought and conduct.
Wisconsin remains loyal to the ,
Union, despite the pro-German efforts ,
of LaFollette.
UNIVERSAL TRAINING
SENTIMENT favorable to uni
versal military training since
the entrance of this country in
:o the war has been increasing by
leaps and bounds, and opposition to
this policy of preparation has been
rapidly disappearing.
The Telegraph has urged the or
: animation of a battalion of cadets
.or Harrisburg, and the time would
now se-m to be ripe for putting in
'o effect this proposal. As once out
lined by this newspaper, after con
ferences with the principals, it was
thought that such a battalion could
l>e organized by having at least one i
company of the battalion at each of j
the four institutions —the Technical j
High school, the Central High \
r.'hool, the Harrisburg Academy and j
the Parochial schools.
Some months ago, this newspaper j
turned o". er to Superintendent!
Downes the data which it has col- j
lcted, with a view to intelligent i
consideration of the matter, and no |
difflculy should be encountered in j
organising such a military body by !
the institutions mentioned. Each
iompanv would control its own af- j
lairs and co-operate in the battalion ' 1
organization.
Working out the details would be
■; simple matter. The benefits of
!=uch training arc obvious in peace or
war. The drill would teach self-con
trol. improve the physical being of
the boys and break down the super
ficial tarriers which too often sepa
rate American youth. We are com
ing to a day when there must be a
better understanding of our institu
tions and this can be best brought
übout through a better understand
ing of themselves and their fellows
Ly the men of the future.
It is hoped that some definite steps
will be taken toward the organiza
tion of sr.ch a battalion, and a con
ference of all concerned might easily
Get the '.-a!! rolling.
LaFollette is beginning to under
stand how Americans regard political
bosses who dilute patriotism with
politics.
SEED PROFITEERING
THE United States Department
of Agriculture issues a warn
ing against profiteering by seed
dealers. Information la being re
ceived constantly at the Department
that abnormally high prices are
< harged tor* seeds In some sec
tions. The need for Increased crop
!>roduction is apparent and it must
not be curtailed by the desire of
ycedmen to take more than a fair re
turn on sales. If acreage is reduced
on this account the seedmen respon
THURSDAY EVENING, HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH MARCH 21, 1918.
sible will have a serious charge to
face in the court of public opinion
next Fall.
Profiteering at this time is not
only criminal and unpatriotic, but it
may result disastrously for dealers
themselves, for they may rest assur
ed that regulations drastic enough
to prevent a repetition will be en
acted in that case before another
year rolls around.
Higher prices for seeds are natur
ally to be expected and there will be
slight complaint on that account,
but there is a difference between
legitimate increases and deliberate
attempts to hold up the farmer and
the home gardener.
The program of the Bolsheviki was
to grab everything for the people,
but the Germans are saving theui the
trouble of carrying it into effect.
AMERICANIZATION £LAN
THE government has taken no
more important step since the
outbreak of the war than that
which has for its purpose the Ameri
canization of foreign residents, as
proposed by the Department of the
Interior. Dr. Becht, of the State
Board of Education, emphasized the
need before the Rotary Club, a few
weeks ago, and it has been the theme
of numerous addresses and writings
of thoughtful observers everywhere.
The "melting pot" may be boiling,
but its contents do not appear to be
fusing.
! The Department of the Interior
; has recently entered into a joint ar
rangement with the Council of Xa
j tional Defense, whereby the national
i plan of Americanization is put into
; effect all over the United States
I through the medium of the forty
eight State Defense Councils and a
1 great number of county and local
committees on defense. "English
the language of the United States"
is the slogan adopted under thif
plan.
Americanization is to be dealt with
as a measure of war, for the purpose j
of counteracting the anti-American j
propaganda among aliens, a large ,
proportion of which is being carried ;
on insiduously within industrial
plants. The entire plan will be sub- ;
mitted to the industrial men at a j
meeting to be held shortly, and will
cover not only this feature, but
others involving the human side of
industry.
It has been found that 1.275,000
aliens were registered under the se
lective draft law. Many of these
have been accepted for military
service, but on account of inability
to speak English and illiteracy, are
unable to understand military orders
in English and therefore make train
ing exceedingly difficult in the can
tonments.
Fires in grain elevators alone have
increased four hundred per cent,
since the United States entered the
war, while fires and explosions, wil
ful damaging of machinery, ham
pering the production of war mater
ials and other acts Impeding the
government's activities have fre
quently been traced to aliens. Their
ignorance of English makes them
easy prey for German propagandists
and plotters, who are stirring up in
dustrial difficulties and misunder
standings in various sections of the
country. The Department has ob
served how many otherwise friendly
aliens have been made tools of the
enemy.
The government's investigations,
through the Bureau of Education,
show that five million persons of
foreign birth do not speak the Eng
lish language; while three million
males of military age, that is from
eighteen to forty-five years, are un
naturalized. and owe no obligations
of loyalty and support to the United
States. The new movement is de
signed to safeguard our national
unity and further to insure a unified
people back of the fighting line. In
telligently directed, it ought to be of
immense good.
ROTTEN POLITICS
A PHILADELPHIA LEDGER
correspondent, writing to that
newspaper from Washington,
| says:
! The President is eager that a
I Democratic House of Represen-
I tatives shall be elected next fall.
| He is said to fear that Germany
might misconstrue the election of
j a Republican House as a repudia-
I tion of America's entry or policy
I in the war. This view has been
I urged upon the President by
1 Democratic leaders in both the
House and Senate, and they have
franklv told him that his personal
aid is "needed to bring about the
victories at the polls the Demo
crats desire next November.
This is rotten politics. To be sure,
'the correspondent qualifies the para-
I graph with the following;
The President realizes that
manv of the Republican members
of the House have been among;
his staunchest supporters in all
matters pertaining to the war.
His sense of fairness is such that
on a question of loyalty he prob
ablv recognizes that many Repub
lican Congressmen will have nn
equal if not better claim to the
patriotic voters' consideration
than some of the Democrats.
Just the same, the issue will be
resented by millions of good Repub
licans throughout the country. There
is no question as to the loyalty of
American Congressmen and Sena
tors. Democratic or Republican.
With remarkably few exceptions
they are standing solidly back of
the Government. The President
knows that in the early stages of I
the war some of his pet measures
would have been lost had it not been I
for Republican votes. He knows
that when members of his own party
wavered over the stringent regula
tions of the draft and other bills of
a radical nature which he urged as
war necessities, it was Republican
votes that were counted in for them
without question. There has never
been a question where the-Repub
lican members and Senators stood
on any war measure of importance
to the country. They have backed
the President to the limit and it is
a shameful thing to have their loy
alty hurled back in their faces and
to be told that Germany would con
strue the election of Republicans ti
Congress ns a pro-German victory
in the United States.
The Telegraph does not believe
the President means to mix politics
and patriotism in the coming cam
paign. but whether or not he does
Democrats attempting such a pro
gram in this district will get short
shrift. We are going to re-elect
Congressman Kreider and all the
dust-throwing, mistaken or unscru
pulous Democrats may attempt will
be without elTect. We know him for
a broad-minded, honest, patriotic
Congressman, and that's the kind
we want at Washington just now.
Diluting patriotism with politics is
bad business. If the Democratic
campaign committee knows what it
is about it will leave hands off.
Voters are not going to be misled by
any such propaganda. No party has
a monopoly on loyalty.
By the Ex-Commlttccman
Democratic "scouts" who have
been going through Central Penn
sylvania counties sounding out sen
timent for ex-State Treasurer Wil
liam H. Berry, now collector of the
port of Philadelphia, as a possible
candidate for the Democratic nomi
nation for governor have run up
against "scouts" from Western
I Pennsylvania who have been busy
j among "dry" Democrats urging ex
i Judge William E. Porter, and have
struck a pronounced sentiment
among the old machine element and
| many of the reorganizers of a prac
tical turn of mind for Acting State
| Chairman Joseph F. Guftey. These
! "scouts" have been passing through
Harrisburg the lust few days and
while Democratic state headquarters
denifs all knowledge of any feeling
out of sentiment it is apparent that
some very active work is being done
in a hurry on behalf of the Demo
cratic "state leaders.
Democrats who have been getting]
about have reported a general favor ;
for National Chairman Vance C. Mo- j
Cormick, 'out it is not believed that j
he will run. In Western Pennsyl- i
\ania nominating petitions are be-j
ins: circulated in behalf of the Dent- |
ocratic gubernatorial candidacy of,
ex-Judge Porter, who made Law- j
rence,county "dry" and who is pres- 1
ident of the Dry Federation. Por- |
ter's friends wanted to endorse him j
as Democratic candidate for gov-1
ernnr when the federation endorsed
Highway Commissioner J. Denny
O'Xeil for governor without respect
to party at the meeting here on St. I
Valentine's Day.
United States District Attorney E.
Lowry Humes has not abandoned
gubernatorial aspirations, it is also
stated, and William X. McXalr. of
Pittsburgh, candidate for secretarv
of intern li affairs four years r>gr>.
! s developing ambitions. Papers in
his interest are being circulated in
Pittsburgh.
—The state primary will be held <
just sixty days from to-day. Accord- J
ing to reports which have come to
headquarters of various parties and |
candidates here the enrollment in j
boroughs and townships yesterday
was not marked by any rush and no
general move to change registrations
occurred. In fact, the conditions in
many small towns were as usual,
while in the country farmers were
too busy to go to the polls. As the
Philadelphia Ledger remarks to-day,
"apathy is general." while the com
ment of that newspaper on the in
activity of independents is something
which has ben heard about the State !
Capitol for some time. Both Sproul !
and O'Neil men haye been expressing ,
surprise at the general lack of in- I
terest In the campaign outside of 1
strictly political and official circles, j
The truth is that the country is at |
war and not much interested in fac-I
tional squabbles and the men, and')
the women, too, are busy in many 1
lines and not particularly concerned |
as to what one in office or out of j
office thinks of declarations of men I
in regard to the "dry" amendment i
or criticisms directed against those I
in high station. The bulk of the j
voters of Pennsylvania would like to j
get this primary election over as j
soon as possible.
—Gifford Pinchot will probably
become a member of the State Com
mission of Agriculture in April. Gov
ernor Brumbaugh has maintained si- i
ience as to the offer to Mr. Pinchot, •
although Mr. Pinchot says the place
was tendered him, and the Governor J
has also refused to say who he will !
remove to make way for the former j
forester. However, Chairman H. V. j
White, of Bloomsburg, who locked !
horns with the Governor over the j
flour bill may retire.
—The meeting of the Philadelphia i
city committee has been put off until j
next week. Saturday Senator Sproul J
makes his formal statement at |
Swarthmore, nd meanwhile Mr. j
O'Neil is swinging around the circle,
making speeches.
—A Pittsburgh dispatch to the !
Philadelphia Press says: "Mayor
Babcock and the City Council have
again locked horns over political ap
pointments. and a statement made]
to-day by the Mayor is that he in-'
tends to oust all city employes Who
supported William A. Magee in the !
mayoralty fight last November. The
trouble began with the dismissal |
from the force of City Solicitors of j
C. Elmer Bown by City Solicitor'
Stone, and which the Council con- j
demned by a vote of 7 to 2, asking |
the Mayor to reinstate Bown. Here's j
the Mayor's answer made to-day: |
'I am for Babcock men, not Magee;
men, and if I go into conference with 1
City Council, Jarrett (Magee man) !
might also go out of the law depart
ment. I believe in appointing people
who were for Babcoclj and not people
who were for Magee. It Is no use to
have a conference with Council for I
wouldn't change my mind.' "
—At the Williamsport meeting of
the Prohibition county committee of
Lycoming, Congressman Edgar R.
Kiess was endorsed for re-election,
and Charles V. Adams and Charles
F. Bidelspacher for the Legislature,
j All are candidates for Republican
nomination. H. T. Ames was elected
chairman, Dr. C. W. Huntingtoh,
secretary and Henry Meade, state
committeeman.
—Both C. A. Bowman and Calvin J.
Rhen have heretofore sought the
Republican House nominations in
Lebanon and may be expected to
make good use of the knowledge
they gained at that time, in the pro
motion of their present aspirations.
Harvey S. Bomberger, of Palmyra,
has taken out papers as a candidate
for the Assembly on the. Republican,
Democratic and Prohibition tickets.
He is more or less well known on
the Hill.
—The Altoona Tribune indulges
on this editorial; "The assumption
that any man carries the Republican
voters of Pennsylvania or of Blair
county in his vest, pocket, is likely to
be disproved by the primary results."
AHANDY MAN AROUND THE HOUSE
y - p g^^Lc>.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
The Germans do not want peace
with Russia. They want Russia.—
Xew York Evening Sun.
That was a nice speech Chancellor
von Hertling made in the Reichstag.
But how could he keep his face
straight?— Kansas City Times.
If this were a fight for points Ger
many might now be declared winner.
This is why Germany is anxious to
quit and avoid the inevitable knock
out that a finish fight will bring.—
Chicago Daily News.
PARTY ORGAN IZA TION
The spirit of American govern
ment contemplates the existence of
political parties, advocates of defi
nite policies by which the govern
ment is shaped. In times of intense
excitement there is little room for
more than two parties. When poli
tical sentiment is at a rather low
ebb and partisanship is out of favor
with thousands of voters, other part
ies are organized and contend with
the established and historic orga
nizations for public favor. At thq
present moment the old Democratic
and Republican parties are confront
ed by the Prohibition party, the
Socialist party and the newly orga
nized National party, to name no
others. There is no reason to sup
pose that any of the political side
shows will develop sufficient strength
in Pennsylvania during the present
year, or in the country to affect the
result. The contest \WU continue to
be chiefly between the two old part
ies and one or the other will win.—
Altoona Tribune.
THIS YEAR'S ELECTION
Two months from next Thursday j
the primaries take place. At that j
time candidates for state offices and •
Congress will be nominated. If you !
have moved into another election j
district since last fall you will have !
an opportunity to register in the new j
place on the first of May, in third i
class cities.
The issues are already will defined. |
In the election for members of the ,
Legislature prohibition will loom up
above all else and the people will de- •
mand that the candidates declare |
themselves explicitly. There can be |
no beating about the bush or strad
dling the fence. Heretofore, when
local option seemed to have some ln
portance most of the candidates
sidetracked the issue and appealed
to the people on their personal rec
ords, but this time the Legislature
will be confronted with the duty of
ratifying or rejecting the constitu
tional amendment and the issue can
not be evaded. The people will want
to know what their representatives
are going to do. They will not per
mit slipping in on false pretense.— j
Wilkes-Barre Record.
SELL WHEAT
There is desperate need' of early
marketing of all the wheat now on ]
hand in this country. The available j
supply is short. The needs of the '
allied armies are great; greater than
most of us know. From now until
harvest time those armies must be
fed from the wheat in this country.
There will not be enough to meet the
full demands and the man who with
holds his grain will not only be giv
ing aid to the enemy, but will be In
creasing the suffering and hardship
of our allied army. To hold wheat
now, is to increase human suffering.
To hold it for possible, but very im
probable gain is to ask additional
dollars at the expense of human life.
It must be more and more evident
to all that the allieo armfes on the
western front are defending America
just as truly as they are defending
France or England or Belgium. Our
young men are contributing their
lives to the holding of that line. Olir
share Is the contribution of the sup
plies and the equipment needed to
keep the armies in the best condition
for their work. Wheat is now the
most urgent need. To hold wheat
under the existing conditions is little
less than criminal. To feed it to
live stock, when it is so badly needed
not only means the weakening of
our line of defense, but the sacrifice
of our men at the front. Sell your
wheat. —Pennsylvania Farmer.
Ataboy, Hennery
Henry Ford is building boats to
get the submarines, which shows he
has got the right idea of a peace ship
this time.
—From the Kansis City Times.
j| Tell of Miracle j
V- JJ
Maude Radford Warren writes in
the April Woman's Home Companion
about the stories of English soldiers
that a miracle saved the outnumber
ed British at the retreat of Mons:
"There was a lance-corporal of
excellent character for truthfulness
who swore that on August the twen
ty-eighth, when the English were
painfully retreating, he saw a
strange luminous cloud, and in it
were three shapes, one larger than
the others. It was ab'ove the Ger
mans and facing the British; the
corporal said other men with him
saw it. The German cavalry, who
were pushing back the British, were
put in confusion; their horses plung
ed and reared.
"A private, one Robert Cleaver,
deposed that when the British sol
diers were lying without cover, op
posed to the German cavalry, a
vision on a luminous cloud came like
a Hash between them and the Ger
mans, and the Germans scattered.
This vision has been called the Angel
of Mons. In Berlin, too, there were
reports of supernatural intervention.
When the German soldiers were
asked why, in that particular attack,
since their numbers were over
whelming, they had not entirely de
molished the British, they replied
that the escape of their enemies
were due to witchcraft. A German
officer is reported to have said that
there was no reasonable explana
tion. The horses were going full
speed, when, all of a sudden, some
invisible power stopped ' them. It
was, he said, like going rushing
ahead and being pulled up on the
verge of a precipice."
One soldier, a Scot, whose two
brothers had lu3t been killed in the
red horror relates:
" 'lt was in the twilight when I
came to full grief for my brothers.
We were marching, drooping like
tired beasts. Once some German
snipers shot at us, and killed the
man just behind me. 1 fell t>
thinking what if that had been me
and how would my mother fare,
FOR SAMMIE IN FRANCE
When you make up a box for Sam
mie,
Who's lighting "somewhere In
France;"
When ycJu've packed the socks from
Mary,
And the smokes from Uncle Lance
Add one thing more for your soldier.
Before you nail up the crate—
Send him a snapshot of Rover,
Waiting for him at the gate.
The comfort kit will please him,
The candy bring him cheer;
The roll of local papers
Will bring the home folks near.
But let him see you miss him. —
' That one watches early and late, —
I Send him a snapshot of Rover,
Waiting for him at the gate.
When you make up a box for Sam
mie.
Who's fighting "somewhere in
France;"
Gifts to warm his body.
Socks and wristlets, perchance;
Warm the heart of him also, —
'Tis cold work waiting on Fate;
Send him a snapshot of Rover,
Waiting for him at the gate.—
Florence Page in Our Dumb Ani
mals.
THE RIVER OF DAY
Out of the Eastern mountains
The river of day is drawn.
And the shadows of the mountains
March downward from the dawn—
The shadows of the ancient hills,
Shortening as they go,
Down beside the dancing rills.
Wearily and slow;
The morning wind the mead hath
kissed;
It leads in narrow lines
The shadows of the silver mist.
To pause among the pines.—Rus-
kin.
THE INCOME TAX
Charity, or Gifts to Individuals Not Deductible—
If. during 1917, you contributed money toward the support of
a needy family this contribution cannot be claimed as a deduction.
Contributions, or gifts, made to Individuals. do not constitute
allowable deductions.
wi' all three of her sons gone? I
began to wish for my own life then,
far my mother's sake.
" 'That twilight was full of terrors.
Germans everywhere, and if not'
Germans, then fear and wonder andj
distress. I could see men falling
down—struck, who knew how? No!
one dared stop to see if it were a I
bullet, or just sleep that overcame;
them. And it seemed to me ns it'j
the Germans were sweeping up on us|
like a tide. I heard myself cryingi
011 my elder brother Dougal, andj
crying on my mother, too.
" 'Then all suddenly I found my- j
self walking backwards, and look-;
ing—looking into the dark. Against :
the sky behind I felt there was
something. I looked—and then the
blackness shaped itsel' into dim j
figures. Men have said that it was
the angels helping us that night!
against the Germans. It may have;
been, but that is not what I saw.
Those who helped us appeared to,
my eyes like the men that had fallen j
011 our side in the battle of Mons.;
They had fallen because we .vere
outnumbered and unprepared. They;
had died too soon, before all their]
work for their country was done. I
And now they had risen in the dark I
to hold back the Germans. That I
they fought with weapons I do not
believe, but that they were helping]
us. I know.
Dougal!" I cried. "Aleck!"
" 'And though I couldn't see them,
I knew my brothers were there,
guarding me. They couldn'a go back
to my mother again, but they would
protect me, for her sake.
" ' "Do you see?" I said to the cor
poral.
" 'He saw nothing, but he listened:
and he said he could hear the Ger
mans shouting. I heard them, too:
cries of surprise, ami fear. The
corporal thought they were the
shouts of victors, but I knew who
the victors were. I was filled wi"
a great peace, like the sense of rest
after pain. It is not defeat when
men come back from the dead to
help.' "
LABOR NOTES
An advance of 10 per cent, has j
been granted in the wages of the
Dlnorwic (Wales) quarrymen. Im
portant concessions have also been
decided upon In relation to the ap
prentices. In future the apprentice
ship will be for one year instead of
two years.
For the first time in many years
Boston Electrotypers' Union No. 11
has an understanding with all of the
commercial and book printing offi
ces of that city and vicinity. Wages
are increased and working condi
tions improved.
Xotices have been posted in Pen
rhyn (Wales) Slate Quarry that the
workment will be granted 10 per
cent, advance in their wages, com
mencing next month. This increase,
which follows a similar advance in
March last, has been granted volun
tarily.
The annual report of fhe United
States Steel and Carnegie Pension
Fund shows that the sum of $712,-
506.65 was distributed last year to
2,933 retired employes of the Steel
Trust. The average pension was
$21.10 a month.
Wage increase of 5, 10 or 20 per
cent, are insignificant when com
pared with increased living cost that
are acknowledged in the first report
of a committee of economists ap
pointed by the Government to study
the purchasing power of money in
war time.
To make two cigars each working
day for American soldiers in France
is the task which 2,soo'members of
Boston Clgarmakers' Union No. 97
has set for themselves. In order that
the SIO,OOO soldiers' cigar and to
bacco fund, being raised by the
Union, may go as far as possible.
/ V !
oo*r tfwc
Ut, 'peiVKa*
V j
Sing a song of Hoover,
The conservation man!
You'd better toe the mark in style—
He'll catch you if he can.
Conserve the fats, preserve the
crusts,
Don't melt the soap away;
Be tender with the sugar.
Observe each porkless day.
Thus let us Hooverize our bit.
Conserve in Hoover's way—
So that we soon may celebrate
A Kaiser Bill-less day!
Washington notifies us that house- ]
holders ordering next winter's coal, i
must tell how much they have had !
this winter. That ought not to take i
long.
• * *
They should call this family the
Stars and Stripes Ryans. Live in
Erie, do Mr. and Mrs. John Ryan
and their house flaunts six service
stars. Three sons are in the navy;
two in the army and one in the avia
tion service. Won't there be some
stories to tell, when that family
gathers about the fireside in after
days!
[OUR DAILY LAUGH
GOING TOO FAR.
"The cook puts a lot of herself into
everything she does."
"I wish she'd keejj her hair out ot
the Soup."
STRENUOUS WORK.
Bug—My that Alpine climbing is
dangerous.
PRETTY.
"Is she very pretty?"
"Very. She keeps her father broke
I buying gowns to equal her face."
A CYNIC.
"Is that old chap in the corner
always so glum as now?"
•"By no means. He laughs enough
twice a year, prlr and fall, when
!he women's h at s come In."
lEtotting (dipt
One of the older physicians of the
city, was talking; about changed
conditions in Harrisburg in regard
to quarantines for smallpox. He re
called the days when smallpox did
not bother people any more than
chickenpox now, even though the
mortality was far higher. Early in
the seventies, Harrisburg had a re
currence of smallpox which had been
here off and on during the Civil
War. The disease appeared among
some of the less thrifty folks and the
tlrst few cases attracted much atten
tion. A couple of young physicians,
just out of college, put up signs that
people should keep out of the in
fected houses. The people, how
ever, went in and Harrisburg had
one of the grandest outbreaks of
smallpox it has ever had. In conse
quence, everyone got vaccinated,
those who would not, being made to
despite protests. In the eighties
there were a couple of cases, but
they were isolated and not serious,
in the early nineties, several cases
appeared uptown, and in a short*
lime there were a dozen or more.
T his resulted in the construction of
the municipal hospital about 18!).".
and smallpox was fought hard. Mar
tin (!. Stoner, was then chairman
of the city couneilmanic sanitary
committee, with the late Charles A.
Miller, as clerk, and by dint of work,
amid much criticism, they succeeded
in heading oil' a more serious state
of affairs. After the Spanish War,
some of the "Immunes" from regi
ments mustered out here, scattered
i around a form of smallpox, but since
then, the disease has been growing
less and less, until within the last
year. Even now, however, in spite
of the diverse elements entering into
the population of Harrisburg and
Steelton, the number of cases is not
much greater, proportionately, than
in the nineties when. Dr. "Chris"
Jauss, was the official smallpox doc
tor, and people used to regard the
municipal hospital at first as a place
to be shunned and then as a summer
resort.
♦ * •
Stand anywhere along the main
line of the Pennsylvania railroad, or
the Philadelphia and Reading Hail
way lines near Rutherford yards,
and you will see some long freight
trains. It is not only a further evi
dence that the railroads are doing
| their best to help win the war, but
that traffic conditions are again nor
mal. It was not very long ago that
a coal train with .10 cars was con
sidered the average haul for one
engine. Now trains with SO, 90 and
100 cars are a frequent sight. Just
now coal trains are given the pref
erence. The Reading is doing a
record business in hauling anthra
cite, and also holding good in the
. movement of soft coal trains from
the west. On the Pennsy lines, soft
coal leads in traffic. Instead of one
train every half hour or sometimes
two in an hour as was the case a
few weeks ago, coal traffic is now
taxing the freight crews and there
is almost a continuous movement be
tween Pittsburgh and New York.
Kail road officials look for a new
record in car movement for March.
The daily movement of cars just
now is above normal and vary from
5,000 to 7,000 cars a day.
• • •
Decision of the Public Service
Commission in the full crew cases
is being awaited with much interest
among railroad men in many sec
tions of the state, as the case is the
lirst complaint to be pushed since the
federal government took over the
railroads. The charges were pre
ferred last year, before Uncle Sam
began to run things, but the hear
ings were held later. The commis
sion in deciding the case will rule
I as to its conception of its authority
; in such matters now.
*' * *
I The big U. S. A. engines which are
I running on the Reading, between
I this city and Rutherford, are mater
ially different in details from those
J in use on the railroad's regular serv
ice. The engines have the bell right
j behind the smokestack and have
I enough places on the front end for
1 a corporal's squad. There is a pro
tection behind the cab and sufficient
sheet iron about the place for the
engineer to warrant the belief that
the Russians wanted to make sure
that the men running the engines
were not hurt by bullets.
* * *
Some patches of snow can just be
| traced on the sides of the cut where
the parkway winds from Paxtang's
old red schoolhouse to the Reser
voir. The snow is to be seen in the
i seams where the ground was cut
down and is discolored and hard.
Yet it is snow just the same, and
1 boys were able to throw snowballs
with the mercury above seventy
I the other day.
* * *
It is very probable that when the
members of the Harrisburg Reserves
hold their meeting to-morrow night
that they will vote to continue the
organization, but that a reorganiza
tion will follow. The four companies
will be abolished and one unit form
ed, to be divided later when outdoor
work is taken up. The whole sys
tem of training will likely be chang
ed and such exercises ag will be of
service to the men, if ever called
out or to train men of draft age will
be worked out. ,
1 WELL KNOWN PEOPLE
—H. L. Meermans, physical direc
tor of the Pittsburgh Central Y. M.
C. A. and well known here, will go
into war work.
—Judge Charles I. Landis. of the
Lancaster courts, who presided at
the Lancaster celebration. is an au
thority on the history oFthe count.,-.
—General C. M. Clement, who will
run for congress at large, spent
thirty years in the National Guard
and used to be Deputy Secretary of
the Commonwealth.
—Director C. B. Prltchard, of
Pittsburgh, is getting after the auto
mobile speeders as the most dan
gerous men these days in his city.
—Federal Judge W. H. S. Thomp
son, speaking at Erie, says that in
war time laws become different.
| DO YOU KNOW
—That Harrisburjr is selling
more steel than ever known be
fore?
ft
HISTORIC HARRISBURG
The lirst car shops in Harrisburg,
were located near Paxton street.
They'll Give Him the Credit
The way the Russians have been
fighting lately, even the crown prince
probably could whip them.—Kansas
City Star.
Their Birthplace
, It is said that a sucker is born
every minute, but it should be r.dded
that speaking generally he Is born in
Russia — Louisville Courier-Journal.