6 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A. NEWSPAPER FOR THE HOME Founded 18S1 Published evenings except Sunday by THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO. Telegraph Building, Federal Square ■ 1 E. J. STACKPOLE President and Editor-inrChief P. R. OYSTER, Business Manager GUS M. STEINMETZ, Managing Editor A. R. MICHENER, Circulation Manager Executive Bonrd J. P. McCULLOUGH, * BOYD M. OGELSBY, F. R. OYSTER, GUS. 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. I Member American Newspaper Pub lishers' Associa tion, the Audit lation and Penn- Associ- Eastern office. Story, Brooks & Finley, Fifth Avenue Building. Western office. Story, Brooks & Finley, People's Entered at the Post Office in Harris burg, Pa., as second class matter. By carrier, ten cents a rrfepwJSTCagr* week; by mail, $5.00 a year in advance. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1918 I am among you as He that serv eth. —Jesus. *- " ■ KEPUBLICANS, AWAKE! THE re-election of Congressman Aaron S. Kreider, the Republi can candidate, is so certain that we in this district are apt to lose sight of the congressional fight in Pennsylvania, but it is here that the Democrats have their only hope. If they can jt/rj.in a few of the scats they now hold In Pennsylvania they will be well content with the cam paign. They know that their State ticket is hopelessly defeated before a vote is cast, but they are trying desperately to save a few of their congressmen. The Congressional delegation from this State this year should be solidly Republican. Republicans have stood behind the President in every one of his war measures when many of his own party members had deserted him. They saved him from grave embarrassment, if not actual .lc feat, on more than one occasion when defeat of his program would have been regarded as a pro-German victory in the United States Capitol. They have criticised freely when they thought criticism was needed, and they will do so again. Constructive criticism has speeded up the shipping and the aeroplane programs. Con structive criticism has halted a dozen other mistakes, or worse, that have sprung up here and there and threat ened serious delay to our war plans. Republicans are needed at Washing ton. It would be a kindness to the President himself to send them there. Republicans have it in their power to increase tho Pennsylvania delegation. They will no doubt do so. And in this respect do not forget, when casting your ballot, that the . Republican party has four candidates for Congressman-at-Largo in this State and that their names are, Wil liam J. Burke, Thomas S. Crago, M. M. Garland and Anderson H. Wai ters. all of whom may be trusted to uphold the interests of the country and the best traditions of their party at Washington. As for Mr. Kreider, he needs no recommendation. He is not only a stalwart Republican but a hard headed businessman perfectly ac quainted with the needs of his dis trict and devoted to the principle of a complete victory over Germany. We do hope the folks over in Eu rope won't discover how good the buckwheat cake is. PEACE OFFENSIVE DEAD THE German peace offensive !s dying a miserable death, if it is not already dead. It was begun at an inauspicious moment. Do signed for the time when the allied offensive should come to a halt be fore the Hindenburg line, with tho war again one of "fixed positions," the plan was to sow in the minds of the allied peoples the thought that Germany was unconquerable and that it would be well to make peace this fall by conference, rather than risk another campaign next year for a decision on the battlefield. But the British have refused to be halted by either Hindenburg or his line and the French have kept up their drives for the important mili tary centers held by tho Germans on their front, while the Americans have wiped out the Important St. Mlhicl sector and ate knocking with their great naval'guns at the gates of Met*. In the eastern theater of war the Allies are advancing steadily through Siberia and south from Archangel into Russia, while the tremendous victorias of General Allenby in Pales tine and the accompanying successes of the Englteh, French, Italian and Serbian forces against Bulgaria are having a demoralizing effect on Aus. I tria, Bulgaria and Turkey, With every successful allied hlewj on the far-flung fields of the great war, the chanoes of a German pegae' , "by understanding" besoms appreel-i TUESDAY EVENING, ably smaller. With every victory the morale of the German armies and the masses at home falls to lower depth, while every fresh advance makes soldiers and civilians in allied lands more and more determined to carry the war along to tlie point where Germany will be no longer strong enough to withstand their ever growing armies and will be bat tered into a consciousness of the fact that the international criminal stands no more chance against law and or der than does the individual who transgresses the laws of his land. But the victories of the past week, and those of the East in particular, are more than moral victories. They are the hammer blows that are knocking the German shackles off Palestine, Macedonia and Siberia. They are smashing into fragments the German plan of controlling Palestine, Turkey the Balkans and the road to India. The millions of marks the Kaiser spent on Pales tine are proof enough of his ambi tions there. With Palestine in allied hands the prospects of a Jewish state after the war appear infinitely brighter than at any time since the days of the Romans, while Turkey as a power for evil in Europe is being rapidly disorganized, and before the war comes to an end will have been rendered impotent to repeat any of the outrages that have made her the Germany cf her own particular of inisgovcrnment. Best of all, little Serbia, poor, outraged, over run, mutilated, but always courage ous, Serbia is being restored to the Serbs who are wreaking sweet re venge upon the wicked Bulgarians who joined with Germany only in the hope of increasing their own pbwers and territory in the Balkans. Turkey is weakening, Bulgaria is in a panic, Austria is reeling under the strain. The Allies, sword in hand, will scarcely be content to set tle down for a re%t during {he winter months, but whether they do or not they have created a situation thot will not be helpful to the German leaders in their efforts to lift their peoples from the slough of despond into which they have been driven, during the long cold months when hunger and want shall marshal their grim hosts within the borders of the slowly crumbling empire. "Save coal," we are advised. Some of us with empty cellars couldn't waste it if we wanted to. EXCELLENT .JUDGMENT WHILE the Bonniwell and the Palmers continue to shout their political disagreements from the housetops, Senator Sproul and other Republican candidates are making few, if any, political speeches. The Republicans have shown excellent judgment in sub ordinating politics to the success of the coming Liberty Loan. Senator Sproul already has led the way by declining to talk politics in the very midst of his Campaign in at least a half dozen great gather ings at which he was the guest'of honor and where he might easily have been excused for discussing State Issues. The interests of the nation are infinitely greater than those of the individual or the party, and Sena tor Sproul and his fellow candidates on the Republican ticket will not lose by their patriotic stand, so strongly in contrast with the hula baloo raised by the littler politicians who are bent, above all else, upon control of what is left of the Democratic party machinery in Pennsylvania. SEND THEM TO FRONT IT may bo suspected that the battle planes which are to be sent to Harrisburg and other cities from Mineola to-morrow are coming as much for political purposes as they are to advertise the Liberty Loan. Indeed, we have jt from the person ally controlled newspaper mouth piece of the Democratic national chairman that "the machines are all of the biplane type and will come here to demonstrate that the air plane branch of the armed forces of the nation is not the complete fail ure some would have the electorate believe it." The public does not need this in formation. It has been told, and it believes, that the aeroplane pro gram has been speeded up finally, after many excusable delays, to a point where it is actually delivering overseas a large number of very efficient planes. But the aviators BtiU'grcatly outnumber the machines and every day American boys are dying on the fields of France because they do not have proper air pro tection. If the planes that are to come hero to-morrow really are re. quired to create sentiment for the purchase of Liberty Bonds, all very well, but they are needed far more in France and it is to be hoped no time will be lost in sending them there. SAVE THEM EX-MAYOR BOWMAN HAS been placed in charge of the collec tion of fruit stones and nut shells which will be used in the mak. lng of gas masks for our fighters overseas. Seven pounds of shells are required for one mask and commer cial organizations and business houses have been requested to unite in all communities in collecting the materials, Charcoal absorbs gases and What has been Waste material is valuable for this purpose, Peach stones, nprleot, prune, plum, olive and cherry pits, date seeds, Brasll nuts, hickory and butter nut shells are utilised in this way, Energetio ee-eperatlen in the col lection of these stones and shells is necessary and ex-Mayor Bowman will have eharge of the central stop, age and shipment here, They will Ibo forwarded In earload lots. T>ea£w£a By the Ex-Committeeman While Senator William C. Sproul and his colleagues on the Repub lican state ticket were in Somerset county yesterday meeting the voters and making addresses on the work that Pennsylvania must do to con tribute its traditional share to the winning of the war. Democratic ma chine leaders were planning to freeze some aspirants for the Su preme Court off the ticket and seek ing to adopt some means to over come the bad effect produced by*yes terday's organization of a rival Democratic State Committee by the Bonniwell contingent. The situation in thfe two parties was never more strikingly -demonstrated than yes terday. On one hand men of all ideas in the Republican party were working to make the campaign in behalf of Sproul and his associates a big success and to insure the choice of more Republican Congress men, while the chiefs of the Demo cratic clans were scheming to get control of the machine and the dele gation from Pennsylvania to the next Democratic national conven tion. Senator Sproul, who received notable greetings in insurgent Som erset county yesterday, goes into Cambria county to-day accompanied by Senator E. E. Beidleman, the nominee for Lieutenant Governor, and other friends. As in Somerset yesterday, prominent men will meet them and the lines will be perfected. Instead of visiting Blair county to morrow as planned the Senators will go to Eddystone, where Senator Sproul will address the visiting Con gressmen and prominent men who will assemble there to celebrate the making of the one millionth rifle at the mammoth munitions plant. The next day he will be in Philadelphia and on Friday fit the Reading fair. It is not the intention of the Sen ator or his colleagues to make speeches except for the Liberty Loan next week. They may make some tours, but the loan will be the first consideration. —There seems to be little doubt now that men of every shade of opinion In Republican affairs, even the little group about the Governor's Office, will turn in and - work for Sproul. The nominee' for governor, has declared that the manner in which Highy/ay Commissioner O'Ntll has lined up for him is highly grati fying and has commended his party spirit. The Pinchot and othei en dorsements have shown that the Republicans are as united as the Democracy so. much exploited by Palmer and his pals is split. —Harrisburg people will be in terested to know that the Bonniwell meeting yesterday paid a silent trib ute to the memory of the late Hon. B. F. Meyers, all rising and stand ing silent for three minutes. It was an evidence of the kindly feel ing for the aged chieftain felt by men all over the state. • —Judge John W. Kephart, of the superior court, to-day filed nomina tion petitions to be a candidate for the supreme court, entering papers from practically every county in Pennsylvania at the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. There were several thousand signa tures on the papers, making the largest number filed by any aspir ant for the state's highest bench. There are now seven candidates in the field and the time for filing papers expires Thursday. —Judge Kephart, who was here to file his papers, left for Lancaster, where he will make an address to the Rotary clubs. The Judge has been getting about the state con siderably and has more invitations to speak than he can handle. —Democratic state machine lead ers are all in Philadelphia to-day to play "freeze-out" with Democrats who want to run for the supreme court. This is being staged under the auspices of the executive com mittee, which was charged with that delicate duty by the state committee at its last powwow in this city. The general belief is that none of tho Democratic aspirants is inclined to get out. —State Chairman Lawrence H.' Uupp is in Philadelphia to-day to talk over things with the Demo cratic machinists. He has not had time to come here but once since his election, but it does not matter. The windmill has survived many changes of party administration. —The Philadelphia Press says of the Bonniwell meeting: "Democrats who have supported Judge Bonni well during his fight with the Demo cratic State Committee met yesterday to declare further allegiance to the Judge's cause, and before the meet ing was over it became evident that the BonniwelT movement had adopt ed a new attitude toward the con trolling wing pf the party, one of offering the olive branch of peace. There was a good deal of talk of 'harmonious co-operation' and the climux came when a committee made up of nine Bonniwell members of the state committee brought in a resolution which contained a clause urging Judge Bonniwell to name a chairman for the campaign commit tee. The state committee made a similar offer last June, wher it re fused his demand that he be allowed to name the chairman of the state committee itself. At that time Judge Bonniwell took the attitude that in this chairmanship of the campaign committee he. was heing given noth ing. After the resolution was adopted —and it would not have been Offered unless an understanding with the Bonniwell leaders—the Judge came forward and named Lemon Love, Sheriff of York county, as his choice for chairman. In a short speech he said the proposal had never been of ficially made to him before and that he 'had never refused to work with any official body of the Democratic party.' " —W. J. Brennan, the Allegheny leader presided and among others who spoke at the meeting were Ex-Sena tor Bernard J. Monaghan, who de nounced the charge that Judge Bon niwell had been lining up the firemen for Senator Sproul. Monaghan was prominent in the firemen's organi zation. He also championed the cause of the liquor dealers and advanced some physiological hypotheses to show in a scientific way that liquor -is a benefit to the future genera tions of the human race. Others who addressed the meeting were James B. Braden, of Washington county: Wil liam H, H. Davis, of Chester county; Mr. Kutz, Richard Coogan, of Schuyl kill: J. S. Kirkpatrick, of Somerset; F. M. Donnelly, of Lancaster: Magis trate Joseph Boyle, Patrick F. Bren nap. of Allegheny; J. Mulherln, of Carbon county; Howard O. Holsteln, of Dauphin; Daniel W. Daly, of Mc- Kean; Ex-Senator James T. Nulty, of this city, and J. T. Ross, of Greene county. I HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH SOMEBODY IS ALWAYS TAKING THE JOY OVT OF LIFE By Briggs —— 5 ■ \ i . SSSS SB - r~ \ / I 6u£L3i Th(s MOST- f f rt , WH g fl J / Time TO PUT J lee THE HOME OR J / -j^ e y nv/e high- OVER I OH THE OLD / HOOVER HJMVSELE J I ,j o ,vesas HOUSE- I X~ \ r \ (Bowmv^^ ( f I °) \ y / -Six e-gg shells —x = —r—rr — (If) / AKO A -Bahama I MEANIHG.- O-N H6TKAI3OR THE GREAT BETRAYAL [From the Kansas City Star.] One of the great tragedies of the war has been the betrayal of Russia by the leaders in whom the people trusted. The shamef,ul peace of Brest-Litovsk was the outward measure of the betrayal. Without a struggle the Bolshevist .dictators turned over to the German conquer ors more than a third of the popula-v tion of the country. But there were still left apologists in the United States for the men re sponsible for this great, betrayal. Benine and Trotsky, they said, felt the necessity of getting peace at any price in order to have the chance to establish the principles of' the revo lution in what was left of Russia. So they sacrificed territory with the idea of regaining it again after Bol shevism had been established in the country under their jurisdiction. The secret documents that arc given out from day to day by tliej committee on public information in Washington expose the real work ings of the Lenine-Trotsky regime. They- show the. leaders actually on the German pay roll. They show the war lords of Berlin Becretly fi nancing the Russian revolution. They show the Bolshevists pledging them selves not to circulate disturbing literature among German troops. They show them co-operating with Germany in subduing, the Ukraine. They show the rearrangement of j the dramatic coup by which Trotsky I was to let Germany have its way in the peace negotiations at Brest-Uit ovsk. They show the Bolshevist ac quiescence in a secret agreement to hand Russia over industrially to the monopolistic control of Germany. And all by Russians who had fifty million rubles put to their credit in Stockholm by the Imperial German Bank! There may still be persons naive enough to imagine that the men who were taking German money to make a German peace were honest but misguided fanatics. But the wbrid knows better. There never has been such shameful incident in history—the selling out of a nation to its enemy by its trusted leaders. TEN THOUSAND [From the New York Si^n] We have not the means of verify ing the estimate of the brewers that 10,000 saloons in this city will go out of business next no°nth because of the executive ban on beer, but the figure is round and fascinating and suggestive. Ten thousand bartenders should be welcome in essential industry, if not in the arnty. Ten thousand hardwood bars could be turned into gun stocks, ship's furniture and peace confer ence tables. Ten thousand sets of mirrors, placed in the cantonments, would add to the joy of the man putting on his first suit of olive drab. Ten thousand brass footrails would be received by the shell fac tories with loud cheers. Ten thousand groups of "private stock" bottles could be used as ket chup containers. Ten thousand bungstarters could be adapted to shipyard use for the driving home of wooden keys. One of these interesting weapons might be sent to the Historical society. Ten thousand slates, after careful washing, could be used in schools. Ten thousand vacated saloons— what would be the increased value, in money alone, of the buildings in which they now nestle? A LITTLE PRAYER Where'er thou be, On lajul or sea. Or in the air. This little prayer I pray for thee, — God keep thee ever, Day and night,— ' Face to the light.— Thine armor bright,— Thy 'scutcheon white, — That no despite Thine honor smite!— With infinite . j Sweet oversight, God keep thee ever. Heart's delight!— And guard thee whole, Sweet body, soul, And spirit high; That, live or die, Thou glorify His Majesty; And ever be, Within His sight. His true and upright, Sweet and stainless, Pure and sinless, Perfect Knight! —From John Oxenham's "Fiery Cross." r Magnifying Helgoland Lord Teiffnmouth in Answers, London. v *_? J THERE IS an enormous amount" of nonsense talked about Hel goland, especially by the people who, even if they can locate the island on the map, would find some difficulty in explaining what useful purpose its possession would j have sefved us in the present i struggle. Its history is soon told. Hegoland was captured by Great Britain in September, 1807, from Denmark, during the Napoleonic wars, and our retention of it was sanctioned by the Treaty of Kiel between Great Bri tain, Sweden and Denmark in 1814. Admiral Russell, to whom the island was surrendered, reported that j "its value to us at this time Is lrn-; mense. It is the key to the rivers. Ems, Weser, Jahde, Elbe and Eider, tho only asylum at present for our' cruisers,in these seas, and our only medium of correspondence with the Continent," and he added that "with; a small expense the island may be made a little Gibraltar and a safe haven for small craft even in winter." Napoleon was at this time over running the adjacent coasts, and the island proved useful as a point d'appui for subsequent operations against Cuxhaven. His answer to these and other proceedings was, first of all, the famous "Berlin De cree," by which, with characteristic Murder as a Preliminary , [From the Omaha Bee] It is noteworthy that the Austrian plea for a consultation and th.e Ger man offer of "peace" to Belgium were accompanied by the sinking of a passenger steamer and the con sequent murder of women and chil dren. The German mind still is working along its peculiar course. Slaughter of innocents is justified, because merchant vessels persist in plying the ocean. If these dead ones had followed the Kaiser's dic tum they would be safe at home— until such time as one of his land battalions of murder might reach therfi. However, these points have all been discussed before. In the minds of civilized and well-disposed persons only one thought exists, and that is to render powerless the in sane directors of the Germftn mili tary machine, and so make the world a safe place in which to live. The loss of the Galway Castle, sunk with out warning, added another 150 to the victims of the terror, but noth ing to the prospects for peace by conciliation. HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES [From the Washington Press] - The War Labor Board has request ed the housewives of the country to keep an accurate account of their household expenses and make report of them when representatives of the board call. These reports are <o be used as the basis for estimates to gauge the increased cost of living and will figure as factors in fixing wages. The statistics gathered in this manner will prove very interesting. Every head of a household knows that living expenses have advanced tremendously since the beginning of the war, but few know just how much. The average housewife may not keep a ledger account of her in come and expenses, but she knows there is little margin each week after the bills are paid. The 'n creases ara not confiried solely to rent, fuel and food. They extend to everything used by the average family, and in the aggregate amount to a large proportion of the income. The result of the proposed investi gations will be awaited with interest. LABOR NOTES The Washington police force is to be filled from the limited service de partment of the National Army. By a three to two vote the Arkan sas State Supreme Court has ruled that it is unlawful for strike pickets to carry a banner in front of a non union cincern. An order for 1,000,000 fruit bas kets has been placed with the Em ployers' Federation of Cane and Willow Workers by the British Min istry of Food. St. Louis (Mo.) Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Union has put Into force a new schedule of wages which calls for $27 for bottlers and $2l for washers. ' bombast, he proclaimed the "block ade of the British ports." A month later Napoleon followed up this empty threat by the equally .famous futile "Milan Decree," closing the whole of the Continent to British j merchandise. i The immediate result of these de crees was the establishment' of an immense depot for British goods at Helgoland, whence a vast and lucra tive smuggling trade was conducted with the Continent during the rest of the war. / At the close of the Napoleonic wars, Helgoland again lapsed <nto obscurity. The small military estab lishment which had been maintained j was broken up in 1821, and from j that time onwards—until, in faci, i the island was exchanged for some | African territory with Germany in 1890—its possession was regarded as of absolutely no importance to Great Britain. So far, indeed, as Great Britain was concorned, it had been regarded by successive governments as a "wasting investment," owing to sea erosion. The idea of converting it into a "little Gibraltar" never was considered seriously. But even'if we had retained tho is land of Helgoland, and it had been converted at vast expense into a "little Gibraltar," it would have been useless to us under modern condi tions of war. Polite Swearing [From Answers, London] One of the drawbacks of modern speech is that in using it it is diffi cult not to swear. When I told a man that the other day. he asked ''what the dickens" I meant, and became quite ruffled when I told mm not to swear at' me. "The dickens," of course, has no reference to Charles Dickens, but is a i-x'V 1 ? or the devil > perverted from Nick. The expression is as old as Shakespeare, for one of the Merry Wives of Windsor remarks, "I can. not tell what the dickens his name 18. ■ What the deuce" is- fairly ob vious, but it seems a little difficult to tracp the diabolization of the Latin Deus. The fact is that Celtic my thology included a hairy wood demon named Dus, and in popular spcehh the two passed into one. Tho Scandinavian equivalent of Dus was Scrat, hence the expression "Old Scratch," commonly used. "And then, what is "dear, dear," but "Dieu, Dieu?" Yes, my dear lady, you often swear. Be careful; you were just going to say, "Oh dear, is that so?" Weren't you now? And only the other day I heard you say, "drat," which a few centuries ago was "God rot." History includes some strange oaths. The favorite of William tho Conqueror was "by the splendor of God," which has a fine, noble ring. William Rufus came in a feeble second with his "by this and that," and Richard I made a poor attempt in habitually swearing "by God's legs." King John's supposed deal ings with tho Jews lend a grim ap propriateness to his oath "by God's teeth." "Zounds" and "Odd's bodkins" are thin disguises for "God's wounds" and "God's body." A pious invocation, "O mihi Beato Martine," had a long life as "Oh, my eye and Betty J^artin!" Ie behooves us all in England to guard our speech, for "profane swearing and cursing" are still pun ishable under the Profane Oaths Act of 1745. By this enactment for each offense any laborer, sailor or soldier is liable to forfeit a shilling, every other person under the rank of gen tleman two shillings and every gen tleman or person of superior rank five shillings to the poor of the par ish. Col. Harvey and His Critics We would not wish our readers to think that we want the rights of Harvey or his kind to say what they want to say curtailed for a moment. We believe the only efficient answer to Harvey's abuse is achievement on the part of those whom he criticises so venomously, and that suppression in his case, as well as in all others, is a most inefficient answer to either abuse or sincere criticism.—New York *Call. We seldom agree with our Social ist neighbor, but in this instance it Is absolutely right. Achievement is all we ask and a complete answer to any criticism Which we may apply. As to "suppression," fudge!— Col. Har vey's War Weekly. SEPTEMBER 24, 1918. PEACE They cry for peace who never saw the red. Warm, flowing blood our soldiers bled. Whose flabby limbs have yet to feel The tearing thrust of gagan steel — They cry for peace! They cry for peace whose eyes shall never scan The tortured remnants of a wounded man, Whose sluggish minds can never know The cowering thing that dealt the blow — They cry for peace! They cry for peace, while here our soldier stand Upon the sacred soil of France, beloved land. And thunder, while they fight and fall, "Tanks! Give them Hell," till comes our call Of Victory and Peace! —H. T. S. in the Stars and Stripes, France. POLITICAL COMMENT * Politics really was adjourned in Maine. —N. A. Review's War Weekly. What shall we do with the kaiser when we "get" him?— Louisville Courier-Journal. We suggest turning him over to the relatives of Edith Cavell or to the mothers and fathers of the "kiddies" on the Lusitania who were murdered by his express order.—Col. Harvey's War Weekly. OUR DAILY LAUGH POLITE AND SAFE. What is a /jjkj' bachelor girl, pa? A 1 v That's what / V\H\ [ 'V-QtO you call an old I maid to her "Tf"* /kj MUm ! ii£ " " t FIGURES Editor—l like this poem, it is hope so; but— TOO MUCH I J CONFUSION • Do you think women ought to ' I should say not. It's hard enough as it is to tell who's the man of the don't you blow ANGEL CHILD. f~ C*\ A When we go MBb behind the scenes we are . apt to lose our {Tjjl A?EIJ-O Thatte right. I ll p# Tfflfflji went behind ft | v once at Uncle J Tom's Cabin / show and saw (J little Eva smok- JT ing a pipe iL jk R fty Earning (Htjat Harrisburg city fathers were given somewhat of a surprise William H. Meteger, secretary and treasurer of the Commonwealth Trust Company, called up and asked whether any premium was being paid on Harrisburg notes. The Commissioners declared thid the city had bonds, but no notes, and that they would like to redeem some of the bonds. Mr. Metzger then displayed a note of Borough of Har risburg for twenty-five cents, dated tyay 16, 1845, and signed by George I. Shoemaker, clerk. It was ornamented with a picture of the old State Capitol and the council chamber was given as the place of issue. Very few people connected with the state government had ever heard of such a thing as a Harris burg borough note and there was a search of record until it was dis covered that Harrisburg had in dulged in some "shin plaster" cur- , rency for a while. The note was brought here from Lancaster by a friend of Mr. Metzger, who had dis covered an accumulation of similar obligations of boroughs, banks and corporations in this section in the effects of a man who died recently. Efforts to obtain the notes for the Dauphin Historical Society will be made. • * * Gasolineless Sunday has caused Monday to be the big day for Capi tol visitors, and, strange to say, the number of Saturday visitors to the big State House has declined with the order for people to leave their cars in the garage on the Sabbath. For a number of years Saturday was the big day, but with the develop ment of automobile riding over the weekend the Sunday visitors began to grow numerous and although the office of the guides is closed on Sunday, the guides, watchmen and policemen had to be on duty and the legislative halls and "show" de partments had to be kept open. Some time ago they were closed on Sunday as a means of discouraging Sunday visitors, but that made such a storm of protest about the Hill that everything except private offices is now open on Sunday. But the last three Sundays there have been very few people at the Capitol. The guides began to think thero were easy days coming until the Monday morning rush started. It seems that many folks have made it a rule to start out on their trips with the sun on Monday morning, with the result that they arrive in Harrisburg for early visits to the Capitol, which is not used to such calls. ♦ Calls from the State Department of Forestry for people owning black walnut and white ash trees to send in their names so that the United States Government can buy the woods for gun stocks or shovel han dles, have brought in reports on trees from the most unexpected places. Some owners of farms close to cities have turned up with valua ble trees, while some in the country have re ported which were little suspected. Penn sylvania's contributions of these two valuable woods will be considerable. . ♦, . The number of horses and bicycles which appeared in Harrisburg's streets on Sunday put one in mind of the days when the members of the Harrisburg Wheel Club and the Capital Wheelmen used to vie with making centuries. Twenty-five years or so ago the River Road, as it was then, called, and the Reading pike were made dusty by the "bikes" in service, and it was a pretty poor man who. did not have a good mileage to show at sundown. Bicycle lamps were as numerous as automobile headlights are nowadays and the owners of the wheels were in as constant warfare with constables as are the automobile drivers of to-day. We heard of bicycle paths and new makes and runs and races and all sorts of things, and the roadhouses began that activity in chicken and waffles which is now a part of the automobile ride. But what was more noticeable on Sunday was the number of horses getting exercise. They were not'all city horses, either, because many of them wore shoes which rang on the asphalted streets. They were in every kind of a vehicle and the old-fashioned buggy seemed Urhave the same old young man and young woman devotees that it had thirty years ago. • • * A man who likes to take a drink announced yesterday that he had decided to patronize the soda foun tains hereafter. Ho was not dis gusted with the habit, but he said the means of gratifying it had reached the limit with him. "The beer you get now is not fit to drink. It in worse than near-beer. It does not satisfy. And as for the whisky, it's either an inferior brand sold high or watered or doctored. Real fine whisky costs more than I can afford. And I'm not going to drink," was the way he put it. It may bo added that there are a whole lot more who feel the same way, and they are just as glad that boozo is going to get out of business as well as politics. • The number of orders for yvood placed lately have surprised many people. The average man does not have much thought of a woodpile, but he is giving very serious consid eration tQ it now, and it is safe to say that there will be more firemen called out because of chimneys on fire this fall than known in fifty years. The chimneys should be cleaned out when the wood is or dered in. , • * * Captain Frederic A. Godcharles, deputy secretary of the common wealth, will report at Washington next Monday morning for duty. The captain was at the national rifle matches at Camp Perry when noti fied of his appointment, and wllr* take a couple of days for some fare well shoots on ranges near the city. WELL KNOWN PEOPLE —Benjamin Rowland, prominent Philadelphia, goes to France to en gage in Y. M. C. A. work. —Di. L. Webster Fox, the noted oculist, has returned to Philadelphia after a visit to the Pacific Coast. —Dr. L. C. Hunt, president of Albright, has been preaching in up state pulpits the last week or so. —N. Boyd Wilson, secretary of the Williamsport poor board for years, has just celebrated his eighty second birthday. DO YOU KNOW j —That the Harrisburg Cap itol grounds used to be employed ns a place for barbecues and political gatherings seventy-five years ago? HISTORIC HARRISBURG —The first Harrisburg lodge of Masons was chartered March IK. 11787.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers