6 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A. NEWSPAPER FOR THE HOME Founded ISSI Published evenings except Sunday by THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO. Telegraph Building, Federal Square E. J. STACKPOLB President and Editor-in-Chief F. R. OYSTER, Business Manager OUS M- STEINMETZ, Managing Editor A R. MJCHEN'ER, Circulation Manager Executive Board ,' J. P. McCULLOCGH, BOYD M. OGELSBY. F. R. OYSTER, GU& M. STEINMETZ. Member of the Associated Press—The Associated Press is exclusively en titled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of republication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. m Member American i Newspaper Pub tyVr-jJS lishers' Associa te!?* tion. the Audit jjaft Bureau of Circu lation and Penn- sylvania Associ !SiS3f s* U ated Dailies. ssasnga SESftISS t)H Eaßtern office. SSB 3 SSB Kl Finley, "'ifth Avenue Building h*BB.S 553 jft New York City; Western office, *Q" Story. Brooks & Finley. People's <_; ~ Gas Building, Chicago, 111. Entered at the Post Office in Harris burg. Pa., as second class matter. By carrier, ten cents a week; by mail. $5.00 a year in advance. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1918 The only difference between a rut and a rut is its depth; one who is in a rut long enough win soon find himself in a grave. — Rev. Dr. Nehe- MIAU BOYVTO.V. GOODNIGHT, SIR KNIGHT! THE Louisville Courier-Journal has changed hands, and Marse Henry Watterson, perhaps the most forceful, certainly the most picturesque, editor of the times has practically retired from active serv ice in the Fourth Estate. Like a brook the career of Watterson has been in turn troubled, tortuous, cas cading. swift, deepening into pools of beautiful philosophy, sparkling in rainbows of wit and humor, gurgling with laughter, trickling with tears, but it never babbled, nor sullied its tjivirons with muck. And now, with its journey nearing completion it debouches silently into the cool, pure, placid lake of profound con templation, whence we may hope to see emerging now and again some pretty swirl of reminiscence, or a bubble of the old Wattersonian mer riment. The period of Col. Henry Watter son's activities in the field of jour nalism covers a distinct era in the history of the United States, and he seeks retirement at a time when this country is on the threshhold of a i new epoch. Watterson was born in 1840. His first newspaper employ ment was on the Washington States, a Democratic paper, 1858-61. He was a casual volunteer staff offlcer in thp Confederate service, and in 1867 he purchased the Louisville Journal, with which he merged the Louis ville Courier. He was temporary chairman of the Democratic national convention of 1876, served in the Forty-fourth CongTess and was a delegate to various Democratic con ventions. He was among the first to acknowledge the error of Southern secessionists and since the surren der at Appomattox none has been a more loyal American than he. While Watterson has always been an opponent of the protective prin ciple, he has been a bitter assail ant of the autocracy—temporary, at least—lnto which this country has been drifting since 1918. Watterson is one of a very few real Democrats remaining. The principles upon •fc'hich that party ■was founded have every one been demolished since 1913. The Demo cratic party, as such, has ceased to exist, and in its place -we have a horde of men who apparently can not think for themselves, whose in dividuality is nil, and who have be come fawning courtiers. The states men of tho controlling majority could be counted on the fingers -of one hand; the sycophants are legion.' May the Lord spare Watterson for some years yet. He still has the ability to do good work in the serv ice of popular government. Trot Trotzky, trot TELEGRAM ZONE SYSTEM THE zone system of parcel post rates was a Republican meas ure, devised after many months of study of the subject by the Re publican chairman of the Senate committee on post offices and post roads, and adopted by a Republican Senate as a substitute for the in complete and impracticable experi mental parcel post scheme proposed by the Democratic House. "With the exception that the first two zones have been consolidated, the original system is still in use. It has proved satisfactory. The sug gestion is now made by Republicans that the parcel post zone system be adapted to the computation of charges for the sending of telegrams. Since there is a postofflce wherever there is a telegraph office, the charts and guide books now in use for the postal service could be readily used in computing telegraph charges. Business houses making many shipment* have accustomed them-' WEDNESDAY EVENING selves to the parcel post zone sys tem. They could, therefore, readily understand and use the same sys tem for telegraph purposes. Econ omy in government service and con venience to the public would be pro moted by the uniformity of plan in computing charges tbr transporta tion service by either mail or wire. Austria is preparing for another drive against Italy, evidently deter mined to upset the old theory that a "burned child dreads the fire." "MISSING" SECRETARY OF WAR BAKER offers the belief that many Amer ican soldiers reported as "miss ing" may be alive. Doubtless this is true. "Missing" in military par lance means simply that tire enlisted man has not reported with his com pany at roll call and that no mem ber of his company can explain his absence. When fighting is on such a vast scale as in France at present, men often become detached from their organizations and sometimes do not get back for weeks. Sometimes they are captured or lie wounded in Brit ish or French hospitals. Meantime they are reported as "missing." "Missing" may cover almost any fate, but it holds the possibility of ultimate restoration, and amid its uncertainties there is always a hope for the best. Many a soldier marked up as "missing" during the Civil War is alive and vigorous to-day. What the Kaiser said at the Crown Council this week is not given to the public. Probably it wasn't fit for print REASON TO CELEBRATE LABOR has very good reason to celebrate this year, and the pa rade proposed for Harrisburg is in line with what is being planned in many other cities. Labor Day, 1918, should be a time for renewal of patriotic pledges; 'for a balancing of books and for scan ning the future insofar as the possi bilities of the coming twelve months may be foreseen. Labor in Harris burg has nothing to regret and much of which it may be proud. It has prospered mightily the past year, but it has worked hard, too. Nearly every mill and all the railroads have broken production or traffic records since last Labor Day. There have been no strikes locally and little dis turbance of any kind. Labor has gone steadily about its business of helping win the war, and if it de sires a day on which to celebrate its achievements and to generate enthu siasm and "pep" for twelve months more of the steady grind that has made Harrisburg a bright spot on the war supplies map, there will be none to say it nay. The country being ready to ac cept the new draft age regulations, why should Congress hesitate? TRICKET HALL THE dedication of Trickett Hall at Dickinson College Friday marks another step in the prog ress of the law school of that instL tution. Dean Trickett made Dick-1 inson Law School famous and it is proper the new hall should be named for him. Nor did it come be fore It was needed. The result of arduous and devoted effort on the part of gratefiJl alumni of the school, the hall was erected from funds collected largely from those who procured their legal training under the noted master for whom the building is named. It stands as a monument to the success in life of the school's graduates and a testi- I monial of their faith in its future. I Now if we could only cut a few chunks of hot weather and store them away far future use as we do Ice in the winter, how we would laugh at the coal administrator next winter. RISE, YE LOYAL SONS AND now it is to toe "sugarless applebutter!" Is it any wonder men ace chucking their jobs and rushing off j to France in the hope of getting a potshot at that sourfaced old kill-Joy, the Kaiser? "Sugfirless applebutter!" After while, we supose, it will be "apple less" applebutter. Of course, they say we are to be allowed corn syrup as a substitute, but we never did like our applebutter mixed with mo lasses and we face the experiment with fear and trembling. To trifle with applebutter is to violate the sacred and inalienable rights of every American whose line age goes back to the supper table in a farmhouse kitchen. Dear reader, are you one of these elect? If so you will sympathize; if not, we sympa thize with you. Life on the farm is a desert waste without applebutter. A crisp autumn evening, newly-baked bread of the home-made variety—big of loaf, light of texture and crisp of crust; fresh-churned butter and recently boiled applebutter, and nobody hanging around to yell "slacker" at the third slice. Those were the happy days. As round after round stored away beneath an ever-tight ening belt we blest all creation for the mere joy of living and even for got the smarting gusts of smoke 1 that drove our eyes to tears when the delicacy was in the making, and we manipulated the long-armed stir handle while the neighbor's boys were off gathering walnuts. How the picture does come back, grandmoth er, presiding mistress of the occa sion—big fire, big kettle, big "stir rer," great quantities of apple "snits," sweet cider in proportion, sugar—and spices, oh, yes, spices; Just so many; not a teaspoonful more or less or the thing would be ruined. And then, boil, boll, boll, until the applebutter was thick and our faces were red. But the torture over, the treasure was stowed away in big crocks, ample reward for our brief suffering. And now. It is proposed that this ancient and time-honored family rite be cluttered up with a corn syrup •barrel as an interloper at the cere mony. Rise, ye sons of Pennsylvania, and smite this Kaiser person cheek and jowl. Chuck him into one of your own applebutter kettles and boil him in the molasses he would foist upon us. By the Ex-Committeeman Judge Eugene C. Bonniwell, the Democratic nominee for Governor, who was here to-day to attend the funeral of Hon. Benjamin F. Meyers, the veteran Democratic leader, left little doubt about his intention to run his <twn campaign this fall. The judge said that he had come here to pay his tribute to the chairman of the meeting held in his honor in June when Mr. Meyers made his las', public appearance and did not wish to talk politics. When asked if he expected to get into touch with the leaders of the Democratic State Committee faction the judge said with emphasis tiiat he did not and that he did not ex pect to meet with thfe other canal dates tc arrange any campaign coni mitce. He declared the whole con troversy a closed incident. During the day Mr. Bonniwell met a number of the Dauphin county men who have been aligned with him, including Howard O. Holstein. who ran for Lieutenant Governor with him. It is expected that the old Meyers and Fritchey elements~bf the Democracy will line up back of Bonniwell with vigor. They are in control of the county and city com mittees which makes it easier. Judge Bonniwell will go 0) Pitts burgh to-night. The Philadelphia Inquirer of t> day says: "W. Harry Baker, secre tary of the Republican State Com mittee, came down from Harrisburg jestcrday afternoon and had a con ference with Senator Penrose rela tive to the political situation in a number of counties, preparatory to the formal opening of the Repub lican state campaign early in Sep tember. Mr. Baker spent part of ihe afternoon at the Republican State Committee headquarters looking af ter some detail work. Judge John W. Kophart, of the Superior Court, who just came from a visit to the bad si ie of Senator William E. Crow, at Uniontown, where he is sitting up in a hospital recovering from a severe attack of appendicitis, reported ia3t night that the Republican State Chairman is much improved and that his physicians expect he will be able to be out within tha next tluee weeks." —The list of names of men who have been commissioned majors in the judge advocate general's depart ment of the Army is becoming Dem ocratically impressive. Robert S. Bright, recent Democratic candidate for Congress-at-large. is the latest eminent Democrat to be named to this select corps which includes such eminent Democrats as George R. Mc- Lean. the Democratic state chair man; Edgar Munson, a son of C. La- Rue Munson. J. G. Roper and a number of others whose names and affiliations are very much "Pennsyl vania Democracy." • —Johnstown city fathers are in a peck of trouble because the appro priations have been figured out to be about $58,000 greater than the revenue in sight. —Third class city experts all over the state are watching with the greatest interest the troubles in the Chester city council. It is believed that they will impress themselves upon Senator Sproul and that the third class city code will get a much reeded overhauling when the legis lators qome to Harrisburg again. —The Democratic state windmill whirled on to-day entirely oblivious of the Mresence of Judge Euteno C. Bonniwell, the party's candidate for governor of Pennsylvania. The mill ers were busy sacking some of the early contributions which have come from Federal officeholders for the prosecution of the fall campaign. The leaders of the windmill faction will have a talk in Philadelphia in a few days to confirm what was ar ranged in Washington about the state campaign. The state head quarters people know that Judge Bonniwell is going to run his own campaign and hold the committee responsible for what dire conse quences may follow. —Henry Budd, the eminent Phil adelphia lawyer and the candidate for the Democratic nomination for United States senator against A. Mitchell Palmer has consented to be a candidate for the Supreme Court. Mr. Budd is backed by the Bonniwell Democrats to a man and has many friends in other parties and segments of parties. —A new flareup is said to be threatened in Schuylkill county poll tics unless some arrangement is made whereby- Paul W. Houck will succeed to office when his term as secretary of internal affairs expires next May. —Senator William C. Sproul is planning to come to this city Thurs day or Friday for a brief stay on his way to Carlisle where he is to spend a short time Friday night and then go on to the Path Valley picnic in Franklin county on Satur day. —The capital issues* committee threatens to go into expenditures of various departments of the Phila delphia city government. —The failure of newspapers over the state to get excited over the Fifth ward trial at West Chester is one of the signs of the times. Quality Seems High Also A month ago a million American soldiers had embarked: now General Pershing has a million American soldiers under his command. Even in this war it is an array.—Spring field Republican. Weatherman the Guesser Hot waves come and hot waves go, but never lettin' the guesser know.—From the Baltimore Sun. Many in That Fix System is a good thing in busi ness, unless you've got more system than business. From the Bing hamton Press. Higher Up "Why are you leaving us, Bridget? Something private?" I "No, mum—sergeant." —From the Lamb. HAJmiBBUTtG 1 fIT.KGRAPH % =■ MOVIE OF A MAN TRYING TO LIGHT A SWEDISH MATCH . Byßriggt - _ . r - ii .r i . -i, _ .1,,, ' "PULLS OM CIGA* LOOKS AX QvjTT REACHES *FOf*"OX STRIKe 3 HvmTCH.OiO - NO AisJO Sec IDE <S <T 9 OF MATCHES ©ox ACT,O, ° 15-WOftTK.S^ FLARES UP AKJD STRiKeS - ANiOXwep. - DISCOU6QJ MAT-CM - AMOTM£R. ONjfi GOSS ' OUT OM? MAC N>o He.AO MATCH BREAKS NEXT OWE TRXES SEVBRAL SOCS TO NCAFTSST Goes OOT more - oJe/sR.wG C<*Afif^urHT OOT Box A "° LIGHT HE SANK THE LUSITANIA [From the York Tijnes.] It is reported from London that the German Admiralty has admitted the death, in September, 1917, of Lieutenant Commander Schweiger. captain of the submarine that sank the Lusitania. In command of the U-boat SS, he is said to have run into a British minefield in the Bight of Helgoland, and his boat to have been blown up. There is a certain plausibility of poetic justice in his end, but if he had been human and not a German machine, he should have lived until he made away with himself; or, his mind broken with intolerable re membrances, he should have passed long years in a madhouse. But ho was only a German. He only obeyed orders. To do the arch-deed of piti less savagery was to win promotion. With what a delirium of rejoicing, shoehorn to what endless bumpers, was that exploit celebrated by the German tribes! Schweiger being only a German, we cannot hope that any doubt, much less any remorse, ever inter fered with his self-Complacency. We cannot imagine that, in the swift surge of memories in the brain or drowning men, he saw his victims struggling in the sea soon to be his grave; that he heard the cries of those babies, those# children, those women; that, in the dark closing around him, he feared the strangling hands of those nigh eight hundred ghosts. A fat score of murder his, but what is it compared with the millions that Germany has mur dered? Yet this humble agent of the Ger man Death merits a place conspicu ous among all her innumerable de visers of destruction. The horror of his act is unforgettable even in the procession of genuine German' deeds. It was the pioneer of German ruin. It lay, breeding bitterness, in the American consciousness. It was the seed and prelude of American en trance into the war. "There is a torpedo coming, Sir," said the sec ond officer to the captain that May afternoon off the Old Head of Kin sale. It did its work well. It did an infinitely greater work. It was the signal of German Downfall. Schweiger should have lived to see the sequel, to see the drawers of the sword perish by the sword. He should have lived to see those 12-4 American dead of the Lusitania avenged. Well, he went to his place last fall. His old principal. Von Tirpitz, knows, whatever pretenses hs keeps up, that the submarine dwindling and futile as it is, was the fatal bringer of disaster to Germany. As for Lieutenant Commander Schci ger's Kaiser, he is a neurotic, with an imagination. As defeat thickens, as ultimate ruin gathers visibly ,around him, what ceaseless knawlng regrets, what sleepless fears for his precious House, must beset him. He is no fool. He can suffer. What does he think of the Lusitania, of his whole submarine fee-faw-fum? What does he think of St. Helena us an imperial all-the-year villa? .Yes, the Kaiser is neurotic. When doubts of his divinity occur to the god, who shall salve his vanity? When a world-dominator finds the world indomitable against him, how is he to get out of the scrape? We may assume that Schweiger was stolid The Kaiser, not from remorse, Dut from disappointment, pride abased, swollen atnbitions pricked, some thing like "Hell on earth." Which is lucky for him. The Prince of Darkness, as a gentleman, has to draw the line somewhere. Presum ably he has laid out a No Man's Land for German shadows. After all, one has a reputation and tries to keep a respectable houtfe. LABOR NOTES Carpenters at Salt Lake City have secured the 8-hour day. On September 1 Cleveland slate and tile roofers will get 60 cents an hour. St. Louis (Mo.) hodcarriers and building laborers' unions have 1300 members. Milwaukee meat cutters have es tablished an f-hour day with 10 hours' pay. Ironworkers in Brooklyn shipyards make from 380 to 1100 a week. In 1913 Hamburg Germany, had 143,000 union workmen. It now has 47,000. Over 60,000 coal miners have been called to the United States colors. There are now 550,000 men engagfd in shipbuilding in this country. Women in England have entered almost every trade except carpentry. Unseen Power Working to Poison the Mind and Soul of Our People -BY RICHARD H. EDMONDS, EDITOR MANUFACTURERS RECORD MENTAL suggestion, hypnotism and psychology are all being used by Germany with a per sistence and power incomprehensi ble to people who have not under stood the campaign by which for years Germany has been poisoning the wells of thought all over the world. For some years Germany, in a way that is nothing less than Satanic in its wido sweep throughout the world and its tremendous power for evil, has been utilizing mental sug gestion and hypnotism upon people who do not themteelves realize that they are becoming possessed of the devil. Many a man stands in the pulpit and preaches peace without punish ment, many an editor shapes an ed itorial or a headline, many a man in public and private life makes state ments calculated to weaken the mo rale of America and of our allies without himself realizing that he is under the domination of the work of mental suggestion and the hypnotic power which Germany is exerting. Impressions come to many people lessening their hostility to Germany, or lessening their determination that there shall be no peace with an un beaten Germany, who have not the slightest idea that these thoughts have been put into their minds by the devil-work of German mental suggestions or hypnotic activities. The tremendous power of this in fluence is not grasped at all; men scoff at the power of mental sugges tion or hypnotism without realizing that there ia a fearfully dangerous power in the possession of some peo ple to control the thoughts and acts of others. Germany has developed this power to the fullest extent. It is a power from the devil himself. For years Germany has been util izing it in order to plant throughout AN ECONOMIC PROTEST (From the Whisky Trust.) To laws that imperil our product We promptly will rise to object; The profit we've made from legiti mate trade Our countrymen ought to protect. We want to continue in business. In spite of the stress of the war. And if you refuse to let us piake BOOZE, We cannot make DRUNKS any more. For years we have labored, unham pered, Investing inordinate sums. And we spent every cent upon plants that were meant To fabricate souses and bums. But if our young men are forbidden To toy with the highball and seidle, If they cannot hoist in any brandy or gin, „ Our plants will be useless and idle. The Jails and the pens and asylums Are filled with the work we've turned out. If you go on the rounds of the bury ing grounds You'll see it well scattered about. And if any form of red liquor They will not permit us to use. We shall just have to 'bust and give up in disgust. For we simply CAN'T run without booze. And what will become the poor house And the various jag-cure resorts. And the judges and clerks and the army that works In the thousands of criminal courts? We hope you won!t think we are selfish, But Industry should not be curbed, And, whatever Is done that the war may be won, OUR business must not be dis turbed. —JAMES J. MONTAGUE. His Possible Reference [From the Phlia. North American] "We are mastersi" exclaims Luden dorff theatrically, referring perhaps to the unarmed hospital-ship situa tion. You Bet It's Important Are we to understand that paper suspenders go with these peper suits the Germans are now wearing? It is an Important question.—From the Cleveland Plain Dealer. i the world its poisoned thoughts and to control men and women who have no conception of the fact that they are under the domination of such an evil influence, and. therefore. yi#ld willing obedience to it. We are facing a situation where Germany is putting forth the most tremendous effort in its history to extend the influence of this mental control, or hypnotic power, over other people, in order to secure peace without punishment. Men who think that they are talk ing peace from high and holy mo, ttves are. in many cases, without re alizing it themselves, being used by this German hypnotic work, exerted directly upon them through some pro-German skilled in the use of mental suggestion or hypnotism. German psychologists, through American universities, in which they held positions of honor, for years sought to bring American thought under their control, just as other Germans have been engaged in sim ilar work all over the world. If we accept the doctrine that the devil sends out into every corner of the earth his unseen workers of evil, that he puts into every human heart suggestions of sin, and dominates all the earth where the power of God is not superior, and where men do not look wholly unto God for safety from the wiles of the evil one, then we have an exact illustration of the work of the German propaganda of hypnotism and mental suggestion or control. The menace is a real one of tremendous import. Watch care fully every suggestion of peace with an uncrushed, unrepentant Germany, ,and know that it comes from pro-German hypnotic power or from German financial operations to influence by money, where Germany cannot control by "mental sugges tion." LIBERTY LOAN LESSONS That the Liberty Loans have been a success is due to the businessmen of the country; to the banks: the banking houses; and to the associa tions of advertising meh throughout the land. There has been no government money available to cover the expenses of selling campaigns. It has been thought in Washington that funds foi this purpose were unnecessary. Experienced businessmen and bank ers, .however, knew from the start the necessity of wide publicity and ad vertising and the necessity of per sonal and persistent solicitation. The fact that there were no funds available for the purpose has made no difference. .The thing had to be dohe, and was done and' the three ■ Liberty I.oans have been a success; ' made so by the enthusiastic, whole hearted, unselfish patriotism of the men who knew how to do it It Is to these men that the credit of successfully floating the Liberty Loans belongs. Within a short time we will be asked to subscribe to a fourth war loan bigger than any of the others. It is just as necessary that this should be a success as it was in the other cases. But the bond will not sell themselves. It Is going to require the most strenuous, persistent co operative work en the pjrt of the same class of men who made the former loans a success before these new billions can be subscribed. No estimate has ever been made of the value of the work donated by these agents in the pa.<t. It would be impossible to make su>h en estimate. Measured on the basis of compensa tion fcr work of a sim"ar charactet, the sum might easily reach into the m'llions of dollars. Add to this the loss cj other that might have been hsndled profitably while so en gaged. and the sum total would be greatly Increased. The government can afford to pay a fair and equitable compensation to the men who devote their trained en ergies to the task of making its war loans possible. Ability to do these things is the capital, the stock in trade of these men end these instt- j tutlons. Have ws reached that des- ' per ate stage where it is necessary that the government "commandeer" the services of these trained experts? This may be putting it strongely, but the failure of the government to pro vide compensation for such services amounts to "commandeering" for they are going to see it through anyway; they are going to see that every war loan Is a success, pay or no pay: their patriotism will see to this.— From American Industries. AUGUST 14, T9m Appeal.to Lady Patriot ( From the Grand Rapids Press) We suppose the hole in our knife pocket would have gone unrepaired all summer had we not had the hap py inspiration to tell the lady com mander at the house that our salient needed attention. Doing Its Bit [From Life] "Look here, neighbor, I hate to complain, but your baby keeps us awake most of the night." "Yes sir. and that pet pig of yours gets us up early in the morning." "But our pig is helping to win the war." Bulgaria's Portion [From the Philadelphia Inquirer] Bulgaria is paying the penalty of an alliance with her two traditional enemies. She gets cholera, starvation and typhus. A Strong Probability [From the Cleveland Plain Dealer] Before this drive is over, the Ger mans will not only be accepting American troop figures but will prob ably be inclined to exaggerate them. Estimate of Crown Prince The Dodge City Globe says the Crown Prince made little progress until he shifted his gears into re verse.—From the Kansgs City Star. I OUR DAILY LAUGH NO NEED TO WORRY. "Papa, the boys laugh at, me be cause I am so fat." "Never mind son, at the present prices of food, that will soon b changed." DIFFERENT ANSWER. "Am I the first girl you ever oved?" "No, you are the sixteenth, and my taste has bee* improving right along." IN BUGVILLB. Spectator—Ha, ha, look at the Bush League game. 4 LITERALLY. Monk: Look at' old kangaroo, We jt boygtog mt iEuptttng QKjat History of newspaper-making In H&rrlsburg—and It extends from the dayp of John W. Allen and John Wyeth, who started the Oracle of Dauphin a why back In 1792 —shows J no figure that compares with Hon. Benjamin F. Meyers, who was laid at rest to-day. Reference has been made In the H&rrisbufg Telegraph from time to time of the part that the brilliant journalist played In the life of the state capital, but few peo ple realize now the force that he ex erted In this community and the [ state by his writing. Mr. Meyers came to Harrlsburg to live when lUs term as Congressman ended at the beginning of the seventies. For ten years previously he had been a fre quent visitor here as legislator and delegate to Democratic conventions and after he had acquired control of the Harrtsburg Patriot In 1868. When he bought the morning news paper it was published In the Dock building at Third and Strawberry streets, where O. Barrett, another temous knight of the press, had held forth. This is the self-same build ing, only changed by some compara tively minor alterations, that stands there to-day being occupied by stores and offices and the laboratory of Colonel Henry C. Demming. The Patriot establishment, including Its job department, occupied all of the building except the top floor, whero J. George Ripper printed that influ ential German weekly, the Staats Zeitung. This newspaper disap peared years ago, although the only thing Teutonic about it was the language. Ripper, who was the head of a notable family of printers, was a very stanch American and tol erated no nonsense. When, in 1874, Mr. Meyers became state printer, he acquired a part of the State 'Capitol Hotel lot where the Federal building now stands, and erected a five-story printing office at Third and Locust streets, the foundations of which were uncovered last year in enlarg ing the Post Office. The whole Pa triot flitted overnight and Charles P. Meek, who was then foreman of the composing room, came out with the next morning's issue right up to the mark and the paper looking, if anything, better. This building was the home of the State Printery, and the newspaper, and was one of the biggest establishments of the kind in Central Pennsylvania. It was there that the Patriot expanded its fame and became a Democratic oracle, comparable to the Philadelphia Rec ord and the Pittsburgh Post of our day. In 1878, when the state print ing contract expired, the Patriot moved to 320 Market street, the cor ner of Market and Dewberry, where Mr. Meyers erected the .building which was its home until 1900, through two changes of ownership. That lot was part of the McKee estate holdings and at first only "naif of the building was erected. In 1891 Mr. Meyers, sold the Patriot to the Messrs. Orr, under wfiiose manage ment it was equally well known from from end to end of the land as a militant Democratic daily. Air. Meyers' connection with the Patriot ending in that year, he merged his evening newspaper, the Star, with the Independent, moving from Fourth street to the old State Print-P* ery at Third and Blackberry, which he had acquired from Lane S. Hart. In those days the city had two morning and three evening newspa pers and a couple of Sunday sheets. Burins' his active days in joural ism Mr. Meyers had about him many fine newspapermen. Among those who have gone were Major John H. Filler, an editorial writer as keen as the owner of the newspaper, and Theodore Wright, both of whom went to the Philadelphia Record later; William P. Coulter, William Rodearmel, one of the greatest local •reporters the city ever knew; and George M. Wanbaugh. Among the men living who are among the "aces" of newspaper work in those days were Alderman George D. Her bert and Colonel Demming. In the composing room there were some remarkable printers, man of virility and hard sense. There were Edgar E. Ebbert, Garland E. Allen, a south erner who was as good an editor as printer; Oliver Whitman, who later became his own editor up the state; Alexander M. Sample, Calvin Mac- Dowell, son of Thomas MacDowell, one of the editors of the Patriot in Civil War days; George W. Osier, long a city sanitary officer; Marion Verbeke, George S. Sharp, George Chandler and "Sam" Murphy, to gether with Mr. Meek and others well recalled by many Harrisburg people. • * * Mr. Meyers was one of the organ izers of the Citizens Passenger Rail way Company, and its president for a time; the prime mover in tele phone competition in Harrisburg, and interested in electric and other utilities. He laid the foundation of the Valleys Railways Company and gave the Wilkers-Barre railway sys tem its start. He was interested in many lines, but he liked best of all to get beside a reading lamp with one of the big classics and read In the original what most of us have to turn to translations to absorb. One time in the heat of a strenuous po litical campaign—and it would take a page to tell the storiel of the bat tles he waged—-a newspaperman was sent to get some important informa tion from him. After a search of hotels, headquarters and various of fices, Mr. Meyers was found at home. The campaign had reached a tight place and as he Telt that events had to shape themselves, he stole to his chair at home to read Horace. • • • One day some friends asked Mr. Meyers what jvas the most exciting incident in his varied life. • "When the rebels chased me," re plied the veteran journalist. "Never knew you were in the war," remarked one of the party. "I came near being part of the war," said he. "I was up in my home country helping look after some deserters. They had called upon some of us to assist in the re cruiting and I was detailed to look up some men away down near the* 4 state line. It was about the time Lee invaded Pennsylvania, and I spied some men on horseback right after I had rounded up a fellow. They spied me about the same time and it was a race. I had a good horse and kpew the roads." WELL KNOWN PEOPUE —-John S. Gayley, Jenktntown banker, who was seriously hurt by a fall, is prominent in county club life near Philadelphia. —Dr. J. D. Helper, one of the Cambria draft board members, has gone into the army as a captain. •DO YOU KNOW 1 —Thnt Harrisburg seems to have more people on the streets these evenings than ever before? HISTORIC HARRISBURG * —One hundred years ago a a high as a dozen Conestoga wagons used to be parked in Market Square at night.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers