12
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH
• A NEWSPAPER FOR THE HOME
Founded 1831
Published evenings except Sunday by
THE. TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO.
Telegraph Building, Federal Square
E. J. STACKPOLE
President and Editor-in-Chief
f. H. OYSTER, Business Manager
OUS. M. STSINMETZ. Managing Editor
A. R. MICHENER, Circulation Manager
Executive Board
I. P. McCULLOUGH,
BOYD M. OGLESBY,
F. R. OYSTER,
GUS. M. STEINMETZ.
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Associated Press is exclusively en
titled to the use for republication
of all news dispatches credited to
It or not otherwise credited in this
Fiaper and also the local news pub
ished herein.
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lishers' Associa
§ tion. the Audit
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Entered at the Post Office in Harris
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By carrier, ten cents a
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WEDNESDAY, AN GUST 27, 1919
In quietness mid in confidence
shall he your strength. —lsa. o0:15.
HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI
NNOUNCEMENT is made that
A the Harrisburg High School
Alumni have revived their as
sociation and will get together to
morrow at Ilershey for an outing
that is intended to be the first of a
series of meetings to urouse enthus
iasm In the organization. There was
a time when the Alumni Association
was a powerful Influence l^e
school affairs of Harrisburg, but a
few years ago its members began
to lose interest and for some time
It has been little more than a
memory.
Those back of the new movement,
who embrace such prominent men
as Lieutenant Governor E. E. Beidle
man, himself an honor graduate of
the old Chestnut street school, pro
pose not only to restore it to its
former place of prestige in the com
munity, but to make it useful and
helpful in the development of school
spirit and the improvement of the
public school system in Harrisburg.
The association makes a new start
with a new platform and it will have
the good wishes of a host of men
and women who look back with
pleasure to their days in one or an
other of the city's high schools.
"My candidacy is for the people to
decide." observed Secretary of the
Navy Daniels, at Honolulu, anent the
Presidency. Right. Josephus. they
will decide!
BAKER, THE EXEMPTOR
AT THE request of a number of
his constituents who had sons
in the American Expeditionary
Forces. Representative Walter H.
Newton, of Minnesota, recently
made a personal investigation of
the responsibility for favoritism to
"conscientious objectors" in the
Army.
Stating his conclusions to the
House, he showed that in the se
lective draft law Congress provided
for the exemption of only those who
have "religious convictions" against
participation in war and who were
members of any well-recognized
religious sect or organization ex
isting May 18, 1917, and "whose
then existing creed or principles
forbid its members to participate in
war in any form."
Mr. Newton then quoted an order
issued secretly by Secretary of War
Baker, extending the exemption to
any person having "personal
scruples against war."
"Here was a deliberate change
and enlargement of the exemption
proviso in palpable violation of
law." declared Mr. Newton. "Un
der the term 'personal scruples' the
I. W. W., pro-German political so
cialist and cowardly slacker sought
and obtained exemption."
Mr. Newton also submitted an
order of the Secretary of War,
granting exemption to soldiers upon
a mere written and unverified per
sonal statement that they had per
sonal scruples against military ser
vice. When the speaker fixed re
sponsibility upon the Secretary of
War and the President he was
greeted with prolonged applause.
Government ownership would set
back the hands of the dial of progress
and cause widespread demoralization
of transportation and industry.
DEMOCRATIC DISCORD
THE NEW YORK EVENING
SUN'S Washington correspond
ent predicts a break in the
Democratic party that will split it
wide open on the eve of the next
National convention. He makes
note of many evidences of discon
tent and radical differences of opin
ion. The Wilson policy of one man
power in party and Nation is, he
says, slowly having its effect on the
men who should be consulted as to
party policies, but who are asked
to participate only to the extent of
dragging the President's chestnuts
out of the fire.
The wonder is that the men who
made Woodrow Wilson President
y *
WEDNESDAY EVENING,
have stood quiet under his lash so i
long. They have received nothing
at his hands but orders and re
buffs. He has run the country with
a high hand and has driven his
party with a whip.
What is happening in Washing
ton is only an example of the feel
ing of Democrats throughout the
Nation. Take Dauphin county for
example. With all the opportunity
available to create an efficient
! part£ organization here, nothing
j has been done in that direction,
i Those whose duty it was to attend
I to that work let the whole party
I machine go to pot until now it is
I almost impossible to find candi
j dates to fill the vacancies on the
! primary ticket. The workers are
! disgusted and are ready to follow
I the leadership of almost any vigor
! ous, progressive young man who
i runs up his standard and promises
j a return to the principles of the
. old Democracy.
Of course, those nominally in
' charge will not yield the reins
easily. They will strive to hold on,
I if possible, but in the row that is
! bound to ensue the Democratic
; party will have to go through the
j lire of regeneration if it wants ever
|to get away from the autocratic
I rule of one man administration of
' its policies and its destinies.
I
| Chaplain Harry Nelson Bassler
| takes with him to his new charge the
: good will and best wishes of this com
! munity.
IA GREAT TOURING STATE
PENNSYLVANIA bids fair to
become the "greatest automo
bile touring State of the Union.
Not only are thousands of
automobiles owned by Pennsylva
nians, but we are well situated
geographically. People from the
west touring to New York or New
England must pass our way, and
the sam.e applies to northbound,
westbound and southbound tourists.
Better than all that we have scenery
that rivals any that the auto
mobilist will find in any part of the j
country.
Bad roads have held us back, j
Already the news has gone abroad j
that Commissioner Sadler is trans- j
forming the highways and tourists ;
are coming by the thousand. The j
other day a Gettysburg guide count- |
ed machines from twenty-four |
States on the field at one time. We j
have neglected our opportunities <
shamefully in this matter of auto- |
mobile touring, but slowly we are |
coming into our own and it will
be but a short time until Pennsyl
vania will be quite as popular as
New York. New England or any of J
the other States.
With a picturesque country club [
house near the city and overlooking j
Wild wood Lake, the West End Repub-|
licans will be in fine fettle for the
Fall campaign.
WHAT HE FOUGHT FOR
RETURNING soldiers from over
seas are giving their own in
terpretation of their service
and, soldier-like, they are not minc
ing words. For instance, in a news
paper letter Sergeant Arthur D.
Muddell, of the 106 th Infantry. 27th
Division, says:—
"As to the assertion that our
soldiers fought for the Fourteen
Points and for humanity and all
that stuff there is but one an
swer. The American soldier
fought because America and
everything dear to American
hearts had been assailed, be
cause he felt that his own Yan
kee land was in danger. True,
we were glad to help France
and England, but it does not
alter the fact that we fought
for the U. S. A. and nothing
else. This stuff that we fought
as in a dream is another pro
duct of our "dream talking"
President. The only dreams I
can recall were of a good dish
of ham and eggs 1 hoped I'd
get some day. Outside of those
dreams of home and good things
the only dream I had was af
ter I had inhaled a quantity of
ether so that the surgeon could
sneak a carload of shrapnel out
of my system without my know
ing it.
"Your American doughboy is
ready to hop over the bags and
tackle anything when it comes
down to a case of some one
sticking daggers into the Stars
and Stripes, but you can bet
your last franc, shilling or dol
lar that we'll be damned fussy
whom we fight for. How many
of your gold stripe men will
volunteer for active or any
other kind of service "guaran
teeing the territorial integrity" •
of Turkey, Armenia or points
east or south?"
That's precisely what some of us
have been thinking since the inven
tion of the pacifist theory that we
had entered the war to "make the
world safe for democracy." Ser
geant Muddell has emphasized the
real soldier view and when the
home-coming fighters have a chance
to be heard amid the chatter of
high-sounding phrases they will
correct a lot of misapprehension.
dr.~ka.rl muck
WHAT a fool Dr. Karl Muck
has made of himself. Lead
er of a great orchestra, hon
ored and feted wherever musicians
of note were gathered, recognized
for his talent and admired for his
ability, he was one of the outstand
ing figures in the musical circles of
the United States.
Then one day he forgot that all
he had, all he could hope for in
the future he owed to the United
States and the opportunities for ad
vancement and wealth i(s free in
stitutions had opened to him. He
insulted the hospitality of people
whose dollars had been freely con
tributed in recognition of his gen
ius, and he refused to play in public
the National anthem. The spell of
the Hun was upon him; he turned
traitor to the Nation of his adop
tion, and that Nation spurned him
as a Benedict Arnold. was cast
Into prison and last week deported
as an undesirable alien to his be
loved Germany.
And up to this time there is'noth
ing In the news to Indicate that
the Berlin band has been hired to
give him a welcome home or that
anybody over there is very much
excited over his coming.
in,
By the Kx-Oommlttcenmn ]
With the Philadelphia registra
tion formally under way and people
trying to figure out to-day what it
means in this year's momentous pri
mary in the Quaker City interest is
commencing to be manifested in
what effect the repeal of the non
partsan feature of the third class
city code will have on registration
in the thirty and more cities coming
under its provisions. The repealer
has unquestionably stimulated polit
ical interest and revived party spirit
and the first registration day com
ing to-morrow will show many men
registering, in opinion of observers.
| —Tire third class contests are
, forming an absorbing topic of dis
cussion throughout the State and
, some of them bid fair to be history
i making, just as the Philadelphia
| battles will have big effect on Re
j publican affairs in the future. In
1 Aitoona the city manager issue is
! very much to the front, while in
; Johnstown the eleventh hour ap
-1 pearance in the field of ex-Mayor
' Joseph Caufflel. well known to many
i here, has stirred up things. Erie,
Allentown and Reading are closely
, watching the Socialists and have
, some strenuous contests, while Eas
| ton, Wilkes-Barre, McKeesport and
, Wtlliamspon have considerable en
tertainment in the form of eouncil
| manic struggles.
I —The Third Class City League
I convention this week at Allentown is
expected to produce some interest
ing discussions in regard* to munic
! ipal matters in Pennsylvania and
j what will be said about legislation
will provide rare reading. The
Legislature enacted the- changes
sought by the League, but declined
to keep hands off the nonpartisan
feature.
—Probably more women are be
coming candidates for school direc
tor this year than ever before. Some
of tlieni are women who own prop
erty in their own right and many
are representatives of women's
clubs and other organizations. One
ol the sections where women are
being boomed for the school boards
is in the suburban section about
Philadelphia and in Lackawanna
and Luzerne counties.
—The battle against the Leslie-
Bibcock ticket in Allegheny county
was formally opened last evening at
a mass meeting in the Belletield
school in Pittsburgh. It attracted
much attention and the Senator and
the Mayor came in for some scoring.
The Leslie people hav e also started
meetings.
—Out in Pittsburgh politics has
Tieen rather sidetracked by the
trolley strike and there is a disposi
tion to attend to such essentials as
registration and enrollment rather
than to make statements. The Pitts
burgh Gazette-Times says of the sit
uation: "Entirely different stands
have been taken by the anti-Leslie
Republican Committee and Max G.
Leslie and his followers regarding
the matter of payment of taxes and
registering by the voters of Alle
gheny county. Leaders of the move
ment to break the domination of
Leslie in the affairs of Allegheny
county have been urging all voters
to see that they are assessed, that
their taxes are paid, apd that those
in Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Du
quesne register on the dates named.
On the other hand, Leslie and his
cohorts are "soft-pedaling" on the
question of registration."
—lnterest in politics in York citv
now centers around the Republican
nomination for mayor. This was
brought about by the candidacy of
Alderman Noah C. May, of the
1 lfth ward. Mr. May will oppose
the Latean candidate, Ephraim Hu
gentugler, the incumbent. Alder
man May has a large following and
s the only candidate in sight who,
if nominated, would be strong
enough to restore peace in the Re
publican ranks. He will be opposed
if nominated, by J. Calvin Strayer,
the only Democratic candidate
—lt is estimated that the increase
of teachers' salaries in Philadelphia
will cost the city about $150,000. The
school authorities have approved it.
J- C. Coulter, the Lancaster
Democratic chairman, has resigned
to take up his duties as census
supervisor.
—The candidacy, the eleventh
hour, of John K. Stauffer, now a
councilman of Reading, for the Re
publican nomination for mayor is
worrying the other three aspirants
and the Democrats likewise are per
turbed by Stauffer's spectacular
move, menacing their sole candidate,
William W'itman, Sr. Victor L.
Goodliart, of Stonersville, has with
drawn from the Democratic contest
for sheriff in favor of Edward R
Deem, high man for the office in
1915 and a candidate this year.
—People here will be interested
to learn that Major E. Lowry
Humes, former United States Dis
trict Attorney for the Western Penn
sylxania district, and who resigned
office when the United States de
clared hostilities against German so
that he could take part in the war
will assume ch.aigt of the office
again on September 1. His com
mission and certificate of appoint
ment were received yesterday at the
United States District Court in Pitts
burgh. Major Humes, a former leg
islator, was appointed by Attorney
General Phlmer some time ago, but
he was not desirous of accepting it
preferring to continue his private
practice. Recently he was induced
to resume charge of the office and
his appointment was immediately
confirmed by the Senate. Major
Humes was first appointed as United
States District Attorney in 1913.
—Congressman W. W. Griest is
expected home from the Pacific
Coast soon.
—The manner in which men are
enrolling in every county is also
significant because it indicates much
interest in county nominations. The
newspapers are talking of an anti-
Griest movement in Lancaster
county, but people in that county
say that the Congressman's friends
will be nominated for county com
missioner over the Zook-McAllister
ticket. It will be recalled that the
last big movement against Griest
occurred just four years ago. It is
also of interest to note that the
Congressman has gone to California.
—Huzleton, says the Philadelphia
Press, has eighteen candidates for
city council.
—Joseph L. Kun, former deputy
Attorney General, who brought the
Philadelphia taxpayer suit to make
a test under the new charter, says
V.e suit is "not a fake." He declares
that if the city is in a financial
dilemma it is not the fault of his
client who wants to see matters
atraigteued out.
HAHR3SBT7RG TELEGRSFB
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("MA*e HIM HAPEY- Qh. Th& books he rea mJ heR£ U co'mes M t F^ ,ENS> ' fiw . Pß,sff -BILL | 3i 3-t \
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What of the Cat?
[From the Philadelphia Record.]
This sermonette is aimed at the
eye of some one, possibly some two
or three, who must be numbered
among our best friends. It is neither
kind nor polite for a newspaper
to print things calculated to pain
those most loyal of its readers who
leave orders for their favorite pa
per to follow them upon vacation,
but humanity compels us to take
that risk. Therefore, we ask: What
did you do about the cat when you
locked up. the house and went off
for your own pleasuring?
It isn't very likely that many who
arrange for the home paper to go
with them upon the summer junket
would be wholly neglectful of the
claims of the friendly feline: but
even the kindliest and most intelli
gent people are sometimes thought
less. Sometimes, too, folks over
estimate the ability of cats to take
care of themselves. The offender
always says: "Oh, you can trust
that sly creature to shift for her
self, but with a dog it's different?
Why different? The chief difference
is that a dog so treated will for
get all previous covenants and alli
ances and entangle himself in any
new one that may present. But cats
come back.
George Moore, describing an
evening devoted to prowling among
the ruins in Henry street, Dublin,
after the rebellion of 1916, tells of
meeting a beautiful black Persian
cat which would not be persuaded
"to leave what was left >of the
hearth on which he had spent so
many pleasant hours." "Pondering
on his faithfulness and his beauty,"
Moore goes on, "I continued my
search among the ruins, meeting
cats everywhere, all seeking their
lost homes among the ashes and all
unable to comprehend the misfor
tune that had befallen them. It is
true that cats suffer vaguely, but
suffering is not less because it is
vague, and it seemed to me that in
the early ages of the world —shall
we say twenty thousand years be
fore Pompeii and Herculaneum? —
men groped and suffered blindly
amid incomprehensible earthquakes
seeking their lost homes, just like
the cats in Henry street."
Cats do suffer vaguely and uncom
plainingly, which, perhaps, is why
they are so often sinned against:
and they do come back. Few would
go so far as to say that the cat is a
more faithful creature than the
dog, but puss will take- punishment
that would discourage and alienate
most dogs.
What have you done, then, about
your cat? Will its famished figure,
on your front steps or porch, re
proach you, returning from your
pleasure, and knock all the joy out
of your vacation?
Governor and National Guard
[From the Philadelphia Inquirer.]
At the Conference of Governors,
Governor Sproul put in a proper
plea for better legislation to re
construct the National Guard. Just
now the law provides for a force
"of only 200 men for each Congres
sional district, which gives this
State about half the military
strength it had before the war.
This is a small enough number of
men to be held for any emergency,
but unfortunately the situation is
made the worse because companies
are limited to 100 men each, which
calls for fewer officers that we
ought to have in training.
Nothing in this war has chang
ed the experience of ages that any
military organization depends for
its value on its officers. When the
full story of American fighting in
France is told, there will be many
glorious pages recorded and some
things which may make us blush'
with shame. We must have more
and better officers than the law
now contemplates, and the voice of
the governors, delivered at Salt
Lake should be heeded in Wash
ington.
LABOR NOTES
The average yearly earnings of
factory workers throughout Aus
tralia average about $623.
There are more female than male
employes in the various establish
ments in Australia.
The British boot and shoe indus
try in 1914 employed 56,000 female
workers and in 1918 over 71,000, an
increase of 28 per cent.
The thousands of workers employ
| ed by the Cramp Shipbuilding Com
pany in Philadelphia are making a
I vigorous protest against rent prof
iteering in that city.
Roosevelfs Estimate of Self
ROOSEVELT was quite calm
under it all, as he invariably
was when action of his won
strong approval. Writing to his
brother-in-law, Douglas Robinson,
on August 21, he said, with unjust
criticism in the past clearly in mind:
"Don't be misled by the fact that
just at the moment men are speak
ing well of me. They will speak ill
soon enough. As Mr. Loeb remarked
to me to-day, some time soon I
shall have to spank some little bri
gand of a South American Republic,
and then all the well-meaning idiots
will turn and shriek that this is in
consistent with what I did with the
Peace Conference, whereas it will
be exactly in line with it in reality.
Of course I am very much pleased
at the outcome. I tried as far as
it was humanly possible to get the
chances my way, and looked the
ground over very carefully before I
took action. Nevertheless, I was
taking big chances and I knew it,
and I am very glad things came out
as they did. I can honestly say,
however, that my personal feelings
in the matter have seemed to be of
very, very small account compared
to the great need of trying to do
something which it seemed to me
THE PEOPLE'S FORUM
To the Editor of the Telegraph:
When the American boys were
called into service to fight for our
country, our government provided
insurance protection for their de
pendants and for them in case of
permanent and total disability,
through the issuance of life insur
ance policies to be carried through
the War Risk Insurance Bureau.
These policies gave absolute protec
tion, not only to the beneficiary, but
to the insured, himself, and cannot
be duplicated by any corporate life
insurance company in this country.
At the termination of the war,
when these boys were being dis
charged, the War Risk Insurance
Bureau endeavored to enlist every
life insurance man in the United
States in a campaign of conserva
tion to endeavor to persuade as
many of our returned soldiers as
possible to continue this insurance
in force, and to assist the War Risk
Insurance Bureau in the conversion
of the term policies to one of the
six forms offered by the govern
ment.
I was convinced at the time the
literature was sent out from Wash
ington, that no corporate life insur
ance company could give to our dis
charged soldiers a form of insurance
protection any better than that of
fered by the government, which is
from 15 to 20 per cent, under the
rates of the corporate companies.
If these soldiers will consult any
good life insurance agent, or apply
to the Red Cross for information,
they will be properly advised, but
for their protection I will suggest
that they ask any insurance agent
advising them, to show his card of
membership in the Association of
Life Underwriters, as all members
of this association have pledged
themselves to give proper advice to
the soldiers to help convert this in
surance with the government and to
conserve as much of it as possible.
The Association of Life Under
writers is made up of men working
for the improvement of conditions
and the real uplift of the life in
surance business. I am very sorry
to say, however, that quite a few
life insurance agents in Harrisburg,
and other localities, who have no
desire, whatever, to do anything
'for the betterment of life insurance
conditions, are not members of this
association, and in four or five in
stances within the last month, cases
have come to my attention where
these men have been persuading
the soldiers to drop their govern
ment insurance and take out in
surance with their companies, hav
ing in mind only the dollars they
would receive in commissions, and
no idea of service to the soldier. I
shall appreciate it very much if you
will publish at least a part of this
letter so that our returned boys may
be- a bit more cautious and solicit
i their information from sources
where they may be properly ad
| vised, and not permit any agent who
cannot show a card of membership
i in the Life Underwriters Associa-
I tion to advise them to drop their
I insurance. There are men in every
! profession whose ideal is the al
i mighty dollar, which they endeavor
I to secure at anybody's expense, and
I I am very sorry to say that a few
the interests of the whole world de
manded to be done."
To Senator Lodge, September 2:
"1 am very much pleased to have
put the thing through. I am almost
ashamed to say that while physically
in fine trim the last three months
have left me feeling rather tired, be
cause from a variety of causes I
have not had at hand to advise with
the Cabinet Ministers who were
dealing with the subjects that were
at the moment the most important,
and so have had to run everything
myself without any intermediaries.'!
To his daughter Alice (Mrs.
Nicholas Longworth), on the same
date:
"I have had all kinds of experi
ence with the envoys and with the
Governments, and to the two latter
I finally had to write time after
time as a very polite but also very
insistent Dutch Uncle. lam arpused
to see the way in which the Japanese
kept silent. Whenever I wrote a
letter to the Czar the Russians were
sure to divulge it, almost always in
twisted form, but the outside world
never had so much as a hint of any
letter I sent to the Japanese.
From "Theodore Roosevelt and His
Time Shown in His Own Letters,"
edited by Joseph Buckiin Bishop, in
the September Number of Scribner's.
of our life insurance agents in Har
risburg belong to this class.
Very truly yours.
MEMBER OF CENTRAL PENNA.
ASSOCIATION OF LIFE UN
DERWRITERS.
O. Henry in Tune
There seems to be no end to the
anecdotes about O. Henry which
add still more of color and interest
to his stories. Who will not recog
nize the O. Henry of so many of his
genial stories in this picture of the
author himself junketing around
with a violin as a part of a boyhood
serenading outfit? That is the view
which his friend and former towns
man John S. Michaux gave of the
short story writer at the recent O.
Henry exercises in Greensboro, N.
C. And apparently O. Henry took
this occupation quite as seriously as
he later did his story writing. For,
says Mr. Michaux:
"Will Porter was one of the most
inveterate 'tuners' I ever met. He
and his brother used to exasperate
me very much tuning. I can see
Will now" ("Will" is what they al
ways called O. Henry in Greensboro)
"as, with tilted chin and twinkling
eye, he used to approach one of the
guitar players, put his foot upon a
stump or some other elevation, and
make a modest request for A; and
then would follow the trink, trunk,
trink of the guitar and the same of
the violin until he was in tune, or
thought he was; and then he would
saw against my brother, who had the
other second violin, to see if he was
in tune, and then there would be
a general sawing all around to see
if everything was in readiness for
assault upon the unsuspecting vic
tim whom we intended to 'seren
ade'."
Falling Cost of Living
[New York Times]
The Annalist's curve of the food
cost of living shows a decline in
the from 309.820 to 303.703.
Even the beginning of a fall is wel
come as the reversal of. the longest
and greatest rise on record, but it
, must go twice as far to reach the
level of even last year, and 1918
was more above 1917 than this year
is above last year. A stern chase
is a long chase, but there are rea
sons why the fall may be expected
to gain speed, now that it has be
gun. It is true that the year's crops
have been made, and we know what
to hope from abundance. But, if
nature forbids a greater increase of
, supply than the harvest realizes, at
least there is a prospect of a re
duced demand from abroad, with
the same effect on home prices as a
larger harvest. There is no doubt
that the enormous exports of food
have had much to do with the high
cost of living, and there is an as
tonishing contrast between- the ex
ports of food in June and July.
In June our exports of various
foods were manyfold last year's. Of
breadstuffs we exported $118,330,-
211 in June, against $54,472,471 last
year, and of dairy products $174,-
344,993, against $77,957,555. There
are even greater increases in Juno
in less important items, but in July
all was altered.
AUGUST 27, 1919
No Wonder
Germany Quit
By MAJOR FRANK C. MAHIN
Of the Army Recruiting Station
"So much has been written, said
and sung, about the soldier that he
knows pretty well ho.yv he appears
to the public. 'To see ourselves as
others see us' Is the gift Bobble
Burns prayed for. I've wondered
if the public has had that gift, and
has seen itself as the soldier sees
it. Examples of what he has seen,
rerfiind one of an adage, reputed to
be of German origin, and express
ing what of late they have taken as
a theory, Instead of an observation
on life: 'lngratitude is the world's
reward.' The American soldier
knows quite well that the people are
not ungrateful; but he also knows
they are quite thoughtless, and to
any but hint they would appear in
grates. Some things have happened
through an ultra patriotic fervor,
as in the case of an American
mother with two sons in service,
who made a young man in a theater
very uncomfortable. The man, with
a girl companion, was at an e'vening
performance, before the armistice.
He was a big, strong and healthy
looking chap. The mother sat in
back of him, and during the per
formance, made many audible re
marks, wondering how it happened
that he was not in uniform. His
companion suffered almost to the
point of tears, for she knew that he,
an American, had gone oyer with
the early Canadians; had been
wounded; and invalided home be
cause the nerves in his arm were
dead. To the casual observer he
had two good arms; yet one hung
paralyzed at his side. Then there
is the case of the kind hearted lady,
who brought sweets and doughnuts
to a base hospital. One could
imagine her thoughts of the bovs,
returned as patients after creating
a debt which she felt personally and
yearned to repay. i n the ward
hall-way she met Bowles, a hospital
Sergeant, who hadn't been over.
Holding an especially tempting
doughnut toward him. she asked:
lou are an overseas bov?" When
the reply came, "No Ma'am." the
doughnut went back to her basket,
to be borne elsewhere. Before the
armistice, a boy, limping, with a
cane, got into a crowded trolley
car. He hung to a strap as the
car whirled around corners, first to
left, then to right. Each turn was
agony to him. Finally, although
there were many young women,
and young middle aged men, seated
it was left to an old lady to offer
. h . e n r . seat, which she did. insisting
that the soldier take it. The other
day, on Fifth Avenue, at the busiest
hour, the traffic was held up while
two wounded soldiers safely crossed
the street. No one minded the de
lay, indeed, the people in autos
seemed proud and pleased that thus
they could show these men how
glad they were to wait while they
hobbled across. These same auto
mobile owners and drivers, gener
ously stopped, at all times and
places, during the war, to offer a
soldier or sailor a ride; they had
stickers on their wind shields say
ing 'Men in service welcome to ride '
Did you notice, that the day after
the armistice, nearly all these stirk
i ers had disappeared overnight? The
soldiers' actions appeared confus
ingly contradictory to the public:
well, the public was confusing to tho
soldier. Together, however, their
attitude was definite and positive,
and when Germany recognized thisl
she quit."
Expensive Government
That the Nonpartisan League
comes high as a governing institu
tion is indicated in an article in a
Bismarck, North Dakota, publica
tion. The Nonpartisan league is m
full control of the government of
North Dakota and the statement is
made that the payroll at the State
Capitol lias reached a sum three
times as large as before the Non
partisan league took control and Is
I still on the boom.
The monthly payroll at the Statu
House, says the publication re
ferred to. was $26,000 at the begin
ning of the present regime in 1917.
For the month of July just past it
had mounted to $56,000 atid it is
predicted that when ofllc'als, boards
and commissions created by the las'.
Legislature get into full swing the
monthly expenditure for salaries
alone will reach $78,000. In fact,
'the Btate's expenses are climbing
faster than are the means of meet
ing them.
lamting Cljat
Shirley B. Watts, who exercises a,
paternal eye over the gardens culti
vated about the city under tho
auspices of the Chamber of Com
merce's bureau to encourage tho
local production of foodstuffs, did
some figuring yesterday afternoon
and estimated that there are 125
acres of "war gardens" being con
ducted in Harrisburg, although tho
war is over. "This acreage is cor*"
sc-rvatively estimated and it shov
that there are actually more go
den-, now than last year in t*-.
height of the war," said he. "W
course, calculating the value of *i>—
crops now is more or less gues
work, but I should think that tks
aggregate of the values would run
anywhere from $30,000 to $35,003
Mr. Watts' estimate is impressive.
trebly so when one considers ths *
when the Chamber of Commerco
launched the "war garden" move
ment early in that first war summer
of 1917 there were some people who
were skeptical about 10 acres ever
getting cultivated. But the inter
ested folks kept right at it and tho
results show for themselves with a>
most every vacant piece of cultivat
able ground in and about Harrisburg
raising something. More corn is
waving in the breeze here than ever
known and potatoes, tomatoes, beana
and other produce are thriving in
place of burdock and noisome weeds.
The school gardens came into full
flower last year and have added ma
terially to the total under cultiva
tion. Some years ago there were
attempts made at school gardens and
they did very well in a small way,
tho ground available being more or
less limited and it remained for tho
ginger put into the proposition by
the Chamber of Commerce and tho
financial aid extended by some mod
est public spirited citizens to make
Harrisburg a gardening community.
Just what it is going to mean to
many people with prices for food
sky rocketing can be imagined, and
furthermore, the impetus given to
gardening by the movement launch
ed in conjunction with conservation
during the war is going to go for
some time to come People are
working at these gardens, they can
be seen every evening and they do
not wont the daylight saving law
repealed. If they could they would
add to the hours of daylight and
the habits of industry in idle periods
of former years can not help but
nave a good effect.
When one figures out just what
the 125 acres estimated by Mr.
Watts means an idea can be gained
ol' the manner In which Harrisburg
turned its attention to raising food.
Tile 125 acres are about three times
the size of Capitol Park, including
the extension, and then some. The
city's big island in the Susquehanna
contained when it was truck farm
something like 50 acres that could
be cultivated. These 125 acres'
would look well beside Reservoir
Park and Wildwood, too, for that
matter. The Bellevue Park section
of the "war gardens" could very
easily contain the Capitol Park anl
its extensions, and as for the Hoff
man's woods section of gardens, the
largest group in Harrisbuig, it starts
down around Fifth and Seneca and
runs up into Riverside with Sixth
street as its backbone. In addition
to all these individual garden en
terprises, which fill up every vacant
lot, there are many acres in the
Tenth and Fourteenth wards which
are truck farms and not included
in the. "war gardens" but which con
tribute their share of the food for
Harrisburg. Then there are big
gardens around Nineteenth and
Paxton streets, which used to bo
"Poorhouse road" some years ago
and very much in the country; nu
merous gardens about the Shlmmel
and Vernon schools; some nino
acres in vicinity of the Arsenal and
smaller tracts scattered here and
there from Twenty-third and Green
wood down into the First ward, then
fringing the Hill and on up into the
Tenth ward with some in the Sible
town and other sections of the Sev
enth. The "jurisdiction" of the
Chamber of Commerce, as its benev
olent supervision might be termed,
is thirty-nine acres alone, with a
large acreage under the school ad
'ministration.
• • •
Everyone of the scenes which
have been arranged for the historical
tableaux in the Kipona next Monday
is based upon some incident in local
history. The sketches which were
made were drawn from descriptions
ty people who had lived long ago,
when Harr-sbut g was young and the
events themselves were the subject
not only of local tradition but of
serious writing down. The stories
of Mrs. John Harris' presence of
mind in blowing out a handle which
had been placed in a barrel of poww
derby a thoughtless maid and the
extinguishing of lights in the Har
ris home when Indians raided it to
kill English colonial officers who
had come here to consult with the
settler are founded upon fact, told
in families and placed in Harris
memoirs. The arrests of French
spies in this section, which was in
the English sphere of influence, and
ownership, for that matter, are mat
ters of record in provincial archives
and as for the ambushing of people
going to worship in old Paxton
church, that is no tradition. Only
a few years ago the gun racks were
taken from the old church who o
beginning was almost 200 years ago.
• * *
Many people have been doubtful
about the time that John Harris,
the settler came to make his home
on the Susquehanna near where his
grave is located. Some of the early
records show that Harris was active
ir behalf of the Penns in this neigh
borhood as early as 1703, while some
people insist that he came here in
1705. The fact is thai he came here
many times before settling here and
from 1717 to 1719 is generally be
lieved to have been the time when
he definitely built a home near tho
ford which in due season he formally
acquired under the Harris Ferry
right. Hence Harrisburg this year
celebrates the 200th anniversary of
settlement in its Kipona.
| WELL KNOWN PEOPLE
—Congressman J. Hampton
Moore, candidate for mayor of
Philadelphia, is one of the leaders
in waterways development.
—Congressman J. Clyde Kelley,
of Braddock, is just at present en
gaged in battling the high cost of
living.
—Congressman A. G. DeWalt is
telling his friends that he is going
to be the next judge in Lehigh.
—Congressman B. K. Focht has
five invitations to speak on Labor
Day.
DO YOU KNOW
>
—Tlmt Harrisburg pretzels
are sold all over tlio "Dutch"
belt?
HISTORIC HARRISBURG
—The first postofllce was estab
lished here in 1791,