12 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH FOR THE HOME Founded IS3I Published evenlngu except Sunday by THE. TKI EG It A Pit PRINTING CO. Telegraph Building, Federal Square ■ E. J. STACKPOLE President and Editor-in-Chief 'FTR. OYSTER, Business Manager GUS. M. STEIXMETZ, Managing Editor !JL R. MICHENER, Circulation Manager Executive Board 'J.I P.* McCULLOUG 11, " " BOYD M. OGLESBY, F..R. OYSTER, GUS. M. STEINMETZ. Members 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 t.his paper and also the local news pub lished herein. Hit rights of republication of special 'dispatches herein are also reserved. t Member American Newspaper Pub- Bureau of Circu lation and Penn sylvania Assoc la- Building. Chicago, 111. 8 Entered at the Post Office in Harris burg, Pa., as second class matter. . - B Y carrier, ten cents a <**>nV week; by mall, 13.00 a year in advance. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 24, 191 By my tasks of every (Lit/, By the little irords I say, •My allegiance I proclaim, ■Frove my right to hear Bis natnp. — GEORGE KI.INGIX. AS A CHILD WHAT a wonderful Christmas story that was which the Telegraph gave its readers yesterday, of the home-coming of General Pershing and his young son 'to the little town and the little home cf the General's boyhood days! What thoughts of other Christ mases, long since gone, must have trooped through the veteran s mind as he sat down to table in the hum ble diningroom. where the' Christmas feasts of his childhood's days were spread; as he poked about the old house where at his mother's knee he first heard the story of the great holiday and where he first hung his stocking In glad expectation of the visit of Santa Claus. Little he reck ed, in those times, as he buckled ou his toy sword and proudly loote.ii h!i little red Christmas horn, that some day he would return for a Christmas celebration at the old ; home, with the sword of a great gen eral at his side, heralded by real trumpets and accompanied by dis tinguished men who were proud to , do him honor. The way has been long and the. going hard in the years that have f intervened, and we fancy that, after many a trying day, the Generals: mind must have turned back to that : little home, to the peaceful, happy , days when Christmas was a season I of magic and old Santa as real as j the old earth itself. And we like to j think that it was some such serAi- j ment as this that prompted the dis- , tinguished soldier to leave the halls • of the mighty at this gladsome sea son and to turn his face again back : toward the scenes of his childhood, there to live over again for a brief j space those happy days when the tinsel of a Christmas tree and the, hidden treusures of a stuffed stock- j ing brought more joy to his heart j than all the honors the world has i heaped upon him since. For that is the measure of a real man —that at Chrtstmastide, if at no other time, he turn his thoughts hack with longing heart to the home that, no matter how poor and hum ble it may have been, lives now in mellow memories as an enchanted place where all was merry tis a Christmas bell and carking care: dared not show its wolfish face. | That is the real secret of a happy Christmas, the living over again of the pleasures of the years agone and ] their renewal in the jo>s we pro vide for the little folks of our day. Christmas is pre-eminently a chil dren's feast, and fortunate, indeed, is he who finds it in his heart to celebrate it as a child. "For of such arc the Kingdom of Heaven." Admiral Sims apparently has us much courage usliore us he lias aiioat. CALM BEFORE STORM IT IS said in Washington that radi cal leaders have decided to soft pedal for a while with n view to bringing up reinforcements to strengthen their lines and make the next drive for class control of gov ernment a certainty. They have de cided they are not yet strong enough to overturn the established order. While the truce is on. overtures are being made to the farming class In a desperate attempt to secure an al liance with the farmers so that, in the next drive, starvation may be added to industrial paralysis to en force demands. Thus l'nr these over tures have met with little or no suc cess, nor is it at ail likely that they ever will. The uttention of these radicals is called to the recent discovery of f "Comrade" i .en I lie, the Russian imp of the perverse, who. In a recent , message to tire soviet, declared: "The peasants have become landowners Lai- i > WEDNESDAY EVENING, and now side with capitalism against bolshevism." We have no peasantry in America, and tlie only thing that would pro duce such a submerged class would be class government. Nor is there any danger that the American farm ers will side with those included in the category of capitalists, who are ruthless monopolists or conscience less profiteers. But the farmers know full, well that legitimate bual j ness, however big it may he, is en- I titled to a fair field, having secured which it asks for no favor. The farmers know that they can not market their produce if industry is paralyzed, whether by class war or free trade. And the man who, by the sweat of his brow, breaks the glebe of his own stubborn acres is not going to be particularly anxious to feed the loafer who curses capital and con demns his government. Labor should accept what the farmers .have long since accepted as true, namely, that the greatest good to the greatest number comes out of effective co operation between labor, agriculture and capital; that without it constitu tional government, tho guarantee of our liberties, must function imper fectly or not at all; and that per sistence in class strife must in evitably lead to bolshevism, .which, in actual practice, is the most irre sponsible despotism known to man kind. I , PERMANENT ROADS THE public will aiyu-ove most heartily the stand State High way Commissioner Sadler has taken in favor of the construction of none but the most permanent types of roads in Pennsylvania. The big criticism of State-built highways in tbe past has been that they did not "stand up" under heavy traffic. Repairs cost more in many cases [ than the roads themselves. This has been true, not only in Pennsyl vania, but elsewhere where devel opment of efficiency in road build ing did not keep tip with growth in size and number of motor vehicles. For example, H. Eltinge Breed, formerly first deputy commissioner of the New York department, has this to say of conditions in that com monwealth: It would be unjust and mis leading to formulate in dollars the worth of what we have to r day. strong as is the temptation ' to do so. Too many undetermined | factors enter into such an ap praisal to give it validity. This much, however, is definite: For our $189,000,000 we have only 1.092 miles of durable pavement. The average life of the semi durable or non-durable types which comprise more than 5,820 of our remaining miles is not more than five years, at nominal maintenance. Most of these roads have already passed that age, and are kept in service only through excessive maintenance. That is a poor return for our investment. We can. and must, get far better results from future expenditures. "But." continues the same writer, "the depreciation must not blind us to the benefits we have gained," and he continues: Highways are pp-ans to ends, not ends in themselves: although built at exorbitant cost, they have served their purposes well. They have given to people and products greater freedom of movement. What that has meant in life, liberty and the pursuit of prosperity can be faintly surmised • from the howl that goes up whenever a mile of road is shut off for repairs. It can not be esti mated in dollar values. > The highways have enhanced land values whenever they have , been built. Farmlands contiguous to improved roads have increased in value from ten dollars an acre to thirty dollars an acre. In New York State, between IS9O and 1900. the decrease in farm values was approximately eighty million dollars. The United States census shows that between 1900 and 1910 there was an increase along im proved roads in New York State of $3.-1,758.000 when only $36.- 200.000 had been spent for im provement. This pertains only to rural districts. The increase in value of land adjacent to cities and towns is apparent as soon as highways are improved, in some parts of Westchester county, which is just nortlt of New York City, land values along improved roads have gone up two hundred per cent, within a year after the road was built. They have encouraged travel. The census of foreign cars, those from other States, taken in Xeu York State in August, 1917. shows 1.955 foreign cars in and out of our State duily on four routes. This average would hold up thrtyigh July, August and Septem ber—i. e., ninety days, which, multiplied by 978 cars (one-half of tlio.-e in and out! would give 85.020 < ars during the season on these four connections. Allowing an average of Vur passengers to a ear. this would mean 252,080 persons coming into the State. At an expenditure of $5 a day a piece —too little, as any tourist knows —that would mean a yearly gross income to the State of $7,041,. i :<>•> for an-average stay of four i days. There are nineteen other routes, all bringing tourists. The ! income from this source shows partly why good roads pay. Advantage to the farmer from our roads have been expatiated i upon—better market facilities, i lower freight rates, no idle teams. : and so forth and so forth. Certain j Ris that the bunks show a large balance to the credit of New York State farmers. How much of this is due to improved highways makes interesting speculation. We might have hail more and better highways lor our money; in many cases we should have hud tlieni. Yet our investment has I prdbably added proportionately us much to the welfare of the State and its people as 'any other amount expended hitherto upon public works. If Pennsylvania's road loan uc | eomplishes as much for ibis Slate— and there is every Indication that I he return will be far greater—the poo. pie will be well satisfied with their investment. That Mr. Sadler has perceived Hie importance of build ing less in volume and more in qual ity is a sure sign of sound business in his department". It would be easy to please the public for tile moment at lite exp< use of the future. But | the present commissioner lias no in tention of id< rely playing to the gal leries. He is building a road sys tem in Pennsylvania that shall be the foundation of our highways for all time to come, and lie is making a good job of it. CHRISTMAS FOR ALL CHRISTMAS cheer for every household in Hurrisburg ap pears to lie the motto of all the civic societies of town. Dinners, pin tics. Christinas trees, baskets of toys, candy, nuts, oranges—every thing that goes to make for a Merry ! Christmas—have been provided. Never in the history of the city has the spirit of Christmas so per vnded the community. It is a good sign. It indicates that the greed and selfishness we have heard so much about in recent months are mere surface indications: that the noise Is that of a minority and that the great American people is sound to the core and even more generous and charitable following the war than they were before. Late dispatches from the North Cole are that the reindeer are hitched and waiting. And, as Tiny Tim said: "God bless us. every one." " Here's hoping you will have a very Merry Christmas. fotltUo U Bj llir Ex-Committeeman | Pennsylvania will eventually I adopt the budget system for the ohduct of its Stale government, ac cording to high State officials who are interested in having the subject debated in the Constitutional Revi sion Commission so as to develop ideas and public sentiment on the question. There, is a growing belief here that instead of a budget system being advocated as a part of the new ' onstitution which everyone expects to lie evolved from the deliberations of the Commission and the ensuing proceedings which the Legislature will probably authorize, there will be more of an effort to remove from it any disability or trying.a budget for the State. The fact that almost all of the cities and virtually all of the boroughs of the State operate under a budget system has led to the sug gestion that the Commonwealth should do likewise and the matter be left to the Legislature to inaugu rate. Rather than make a hard and fast rule for a budget, the suggestion has been made that it be left to the Legislature so that an agitation to change the Constitution will not start anew when some new financial idea comes along. A shake-up in the' State Depart ment of Forestry is being predicted for next spring. Steps for overhaul ing the busincs's system of that branch of the State government are un<|er way and the budget plan which has been tried in the Depart ment of Agriculture and other de partments will be adopted. Recent proceedings nt the meetings of the State Forest Commission have been laid before Governor William C. Sproul, who will likelv take up mat ters connected with the department early in the new year. Appointments of mercantile ap praisers under the act of 1919 for the various counties will not be made until next week, according to an an nouncement by Auditor General Charles A. Snyder, to-dav. Mr Snyder said that he had been unable to complete the list, but that when announced it would care for every county. "There will be no piece meal announcement in this matter" said he. - Captain Lynn G. Adams, ap pointed acting deputy superintend ent of State Police until January 1, when he will become deputy, "lias been a member of tbe force since it was organized in 190.",. He served in the army and was enlisted as a sergeant. -During the great war he was in the United States army in I-ranee. It is believed he Will eventually become superintendent. He has been in command of the troop at Butler. —Col. George Xox McCain writes this yWay in the Evening Ledger about a former State Senator and man well known here: "The new prohibition enforcement officer for the State, ex-Senator William Wayne Hind man, is, at least by family tradition and ancestry, pecu liarly fitted for the office. He is a native of Clarion county, where his father was a leading member oi; the bar and a prominent figure in Democratic politics for years prior to his death about four years ago. His mother was Miss Margaret Shal lenberger, a member of an old Westmoreland county family that removed to Clarion county about 1879. The head of the family was Lloyd Shallenberger, a consistent churchman and a temperance leader in his community. Ex-Senator Himlman is a member of the younger ami dominant element in ! Democratic State politics, the Pal iner-Mct'ormick faction. He was until 1918 State senator from the Twenty-sixth district." —James G. Connor, formerly in the Auditor General's office and lately connected with the Philadel phia mercantile appraisers, is said to l>e slated for removal. He is a protege of Senator David Martin, who has defied Mayor-elect J. Hamp ton Moore. —The Evening Bulletin advances this thought editorially: "Whatever may be the personal results of the I present and prospective inquiries, it will lie gratifying if one of them shall l>e the ultimate removal of the Eastern Penitentiary from Philadel phia. Even if Warden MeKenty shall be entirely vindicated, as we hope that lie will be, the prison ought to be an inland one, adminis tered along nioddrn Hue of penal dis cipline. It is nearly a century since the Penitentiary was laid out on old "Cherry Hill," and tho time is at hand when it needs, at least, to be modernized in situation, if not also in methods and in management." —Appointment of an orphans' court judge in Westmoreland and a county court judge in Allegheny will lie made soon by the Governor. James S. ilea com, former State Treasurer, is the man most spoken of for Ihe former place. —lt is believed the coming year will see some changes in the start' of the Public Service Commission and another water supply commis sioner in addition to General G. C. Rickards, of Oil City, soon to lie named to succeed Commissioner it. A. Zentmyer. —George J. Krennan, the archi tect of the "Who's Who" column of the Philadelphia Inquirer, has this to say about a big figure in the State judiciary: "Chief Justice J Hay Brown, of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, whose term expires next year, is the lusf survivor of the delegates-at-large from Pennsyl vania who formed part of the fa mous 306 who voted for General IT. S. Grant for a third term in the I'residency of the United States in the Republican National Convention jn Chicago In 1880. Justice Brown in his early days took an,active in terest in politics. He was affiliated with the Cameron leadership in the Lancaster county Republican organ ization. His law'partner, the late . William Uhler llensel, who was one lof the potentiul men in the Demo cratic party, served as Attorney Gen ernl under the second Pattison ad ministration. Upon the death, of HARRISBURG SSSSFC TELEGRAM WONDER WHAT LAST YEAR'S CHRISTMAS DOLL THINKS ABOUT? By BRIGGS I HAD A NASTY IT ISN'T THAT IM IT HURTS, WE A BUT - I KKOW THAT FEELLKI I WOULD A F THINI < MY BLONDE WOMAN COME To THIS. HERE AT- ALL' BUT THAT MISTRESS WOULD ISN'T DecewT. I I AM CAST ASIDE FlAxeiN HAIRED : Sl^1 R REALISE SHE ISA A BROKEN DOWN HUSSY THAT I SAW; C L F LOT SWELLS* LOOW WOMAKJ -CASTASIPE COME _ INTO THIS SHOULD STEP ASIDE TH * M ME ~ F K,OOW FOR ANOTHER HOME IS NOT A F>T t S * MY HAIR IS OMLY IN A QOX OF PLAY- CREATURE FOR DECENT RIR - OTHER ° PAINTEO OH Mg THINGS PEOPLE TO ENTERTAIN HUH - WAIT UNTIL SHE VSHC'LL WISH SHE HAD I NENER WAS FUSSY |M NOT JEALOUS OP HAS B6EN MAULED HAIR PAINT6U ON HER WITH MY CLOTHES BUT HTF> . Q(VJLR A OT RI _ E AND THROWN AROUMD , HEAP THEM • AND HUE ALWAYIS DRESSED B , T MU P T FOR A YEAR. THE POOR WHEN HER FISH - VFHAT A FRIGHT COME. OFF AND THE KNOW is much MORE ' SHE'LL BEL WHEN 7V\AT SAWDUST COMMENCES 'REFLNJEP . 1( WIG COMES OPE T> OOZE OU I - WELL —~P SHE WON'T LOOK ANY V BETTER N ME Justice Henry W. Williams, of Tioga county, in 1599, Governor William A. Stone appointed J. Hay Brown as his successor on the Supreme bench and he was elected for the full term of twenty-one years in the fall of j the same year. There is a consti tutional provision making a justice' of the Supreme Court ineligible for; re-election. —Notwithstanding Mr. Brennun's statement about Justice BVown being ! the last survivor of the Pennsylvania j delegation, it is interesting to note j that Harrisburg has a survivor, who j happened to be the youngest of the i delegates to that historic convention. I He is none other than Charles H. 1 Bergner, the lawyer. Mr. Bergner j was probably the youngest man in ] that convention, and divides honors with the Chief Justice. Christmas on the Rhine "Christmas Mass on the Rhine! In. 1918, our midnight mass was under I the open sky along the Rio Grande; i in 1917, in the old medieval church | at Grand in the Vosges; and now, | thank Heaven, in this year of grace, 1918, we celebrated it peacefully and I triumphantly in the country with | which we hud been at war. Attend ance was, of course, voluntary, but I' think the whole regiment marched j to the service with the band preced- ! ing them playing 'Onward, Christian! Soldiers' and ,'Adeste Fideles.' We I took full possession of the church, though many of the townsfolk came in, and when at the end, our men sang the hymn of Thanksgiving, 'Holy God, We Praise Thy Name,' the Germans swelled our chorus in j their own language, ,'Grosser Gott; wir loben Dich.' I preached on j the theme, 'Can the war be ascribed j to a failure on the part of Christian- ' ity?' I have been often irritated byt ideas on t this subject coming front! leaders of thought who have given little place or opportunity to Chris- j tianity in their lives or projects. As: Chesterton says: "Christianity has j not been tried out and found wantl: ing; Christianity has been tried— a little —and found difficult.' Father Hanley sang the Mass, the Guard of Honor with the Colors being from ! Company K, with Captain Hurley in ' charge. "For the Company dinners I was able to supply ample funds through I the never-ceasing generosity of our! Board of Trustees in New York City, , and funds also placed at my dispo sal which were sent by Mrs. Rarend , Van Gerbig through the Veteran 1 Corps of the 69th New York. But: in their purchase of food, the wily j mess sergeants found that soap was a better medium of exchange than money." From "Futher Duffy's 1 Story," by Francis P. Duffy, Chap lain 16r>th Infantry (George H. Do- • ran Company). Labor Mast Curb Radicals [Charles W. Fear in the Missouri Trades I'nionist, Joplin, Mo.] Conservative, patriotic American union men must wake up and take, charge of running the union affairs of America, must attend the unions and curb the radicals, or the whole labor movement of the Nation will run pell-mell to ruirf! Half baked union men, Irrespons ible self appointed leaders in many cases, have assumed to take full eharge of affairs in a)l too many enses. I'nwise strikes Tiave been il legally organized and called against the wishes and advice of respons ible leaders, and in open violation of existing agreements and contracts. l!nion workingmen, working under agreements, have violated these agreements, taken concerted vaca tions (?) and \iolated every union principle—refused to obey and sup port National or International offi cers, and otherwise brought the whole American labor movement into disrepute and contempt in many eases. Organized labqr is to-day "In bad" with a large portion of the Nation— and even union men themselves are repudiating and denouncing the un wise nets of other union men and their fellow workers. The conditions In the country de mand thnt the real union men of the Nation the conservative, steady working, stay-at-home fellows wake up and attend the meetings of their craft unions, the central bod ies. the State conventions, and the National gatherings—and rout the radical element—curb their unreas onable. lrratiorfal acts—and save or ganized labor In the country before It Is too late. David Made King of Israel So all the elders of Israel came to the king of Hebron; and they anointed him king over Israel. David WUH 30 years old when he began to reign, and ho reigned forty yea>-.— 11 Samuel v. 3 and 4, Christmas With the A. E. F. Katlicrlne Mayo in tlie North American Review THE children played a large part in our army's first Christmas in France. At the artillery camp at Hailly, for example, it was a top sergeant who said, ten days or so be fore the day: "Say, fellows, these poor little vil- : lage kids haven't had much Christ-: mas in their lives, have they, now'? What do you say we pass the hat; and see what we can do?" The idea took in a flash. And they did so well, giving as, they always gave, with both hands, that the total sum was amazing. "Why," someone hazarded, "1 reckon: we could hand those little J shavers pretty near anything they want, with all this wad to spend'." " Again the idea caught. Deputa tions to the village and the environs of the camp discovered some two i hundred children available for the j occasion—discovered, too, by cau-: tious inquiry, the fondest dream of each child. And at last, when the list was complete, the commanding officer sent a messenger to Paris to buy the stuff. Upon that messenger's shoulders rested a grave responsibility. Each soldier by this time was personally interested in some, particular child. Should that child's hope be unful filled tlie messenger would have earned against his name an ominous mark. And he must have realized his peril? poor man, for he brought back from his marketing such a range of objects, front suits of elothes to live monkeys, as would have made Santa Claus' biggest sleigbload look like a bargain- coun ter the hour after the rush. Then the boys cut a great tree, set it up in the open air before their of ficers' quarters, and dressed it with the weird green spiders and frogs and the snappers and colored gar- The Homeland My land was the west land; my home was on the hill, I never think of nry land but it makes my heart to thrill; I never smell the west wind that blows the golden skies. But old desire is in" my feet and dreams are in my eyes. My home crowned the high land; it had a stately grace. 1 never think of my land but I see my mother's face; I never smell the west wind that blows the silver ships But old delight is In my heart and mirth is on my lips. My land was a high land; my home was near the skies, I never think of my land but a light is in my eyes; I never smelt the west wind that v blows the summer rain— But 1 am at my mother's knee, a little lad again. —Dana Burnet in "See-ond Book of Modern Verse." (Houghton-Mif flin.) Dry drosses Hack to Parlor [From Spokane Spokesman Review] Toward the end of summer grand mother used to go out into the fields and gather ••viht grasses, even the purple thistles that no one hut donkeys liked. She would look for sprays of millet grain, a hunch or two of wild oats and if one of the men folks presented her with cat tails that were found while fishing her collection was complete. She used to dry the assortment anil place them, stiffly arranged, in ft tall vase where they formed one of the chief ornaments of the rarely used best parlor. The fast ion is coming in again and to-day the newest things In plants for Christmas are the old grasses of grandmother's day. But their old simplicity is gone. They are arrayed more guyly than ever they were in life when they grew in the fields. They ure more imposing than they ever were in winter when the weather feels sorry for them and elothes them with white ermine snow. There Is a new process that metal lizes the plants and tints them all colors, soft blues, bright yellows and piquant touches of cleur red. The assortments, of them are small or large, some In small holiday baskets combined with holly and poinsettius. Others ure Imposing collections of tnullen, milkweed pods, dock grass bramble bush and cattails. They are exceedingly beautiful, glorified i by their colorings, and the newest In I Christmas gifts. .iS US' ' 1 DECEMBER 24, 1919. ' lands and confetti that Paris had happily sent. And they put their real gifts in readiness. And they fixed the great occasion for Christ mas day at three o'clock. By one o'clock all the children had already assembled, standing in the snow in a circle gazing up at the marvel with awe-filled eyes. Scarcely did they whisper, scarcely move, quietly staring, little white faced images holding each other's hands for courage, waiting, patient in the snow. At last came the hour, ami sud denly, all those flocking soldiers — those liig. big men that snatched up the kiddies and rode them on broad shoulders; that kissed them all and squeezed them and tossed them in the air; that played jolly, wordless games with the boys, and with the girls, that were so kind and so gen tle and so funny that everyone must be happy and laugh. And then they gave the eirehunted gifts. Impossible to describe how gay it was how full of light-winged, frolicking gladness. And then, in a flash, the whole thing changed. Had someone told them to do it before they came? Or did the great, grave shadow .that always brooded above them swing low to touch their souls? No one knew. But in an In stant, without apparent cause, games and romping stopped, laugh ter hushed, and all the frail, little black robed creatures, somber faced, poised motionless, as together their wavering voices rose in the "Marsel laise." At the very first notes every sol dier saluted. And while those babies sang all through their nation's chant of sacrifice, our boys stood straight and still and reverent, the tears, un noticed, wet on many a cheek. The Smiling Morning Pest [Walter Prlchard Eaton in Harper's Magazine] To spring lightly out of bed, wide awake and cheerful, is done only by characters in stories, and the patho logically healthy in real life. Not even in childhood does the normal person spring lightly and happily out of bed. As for us adults, when we rise with sleep still heavy upon us, with yesterday's fatigue not quite gone from our muscles, with the insistent morning void in the pit of our mod ern, hyperacidulous stomachs, with a dull, half conscious realization that here is another day to put us by so much nearer middle age, what won der that we are not cheerful, that we want to lie left alone, to drink our coffee in silence, and, by tilling the ai'orementionud void, and slip ping thus pleasantly into the chains of habit, to resume at last our wonted way? To eat breakfast is to pick up again the job of living, after a vacation in dreams. It is not lightly to be undertaken. it is not a lack of hospitality which makes me dread the coming of visitors; it is the fear that some or them may be sincerely, or po litely, pleasant before breakfast. What Is harder to endure than the guest who comes beaming down the stairs than a cheery "Well, how are you all this lovely morning?"—un less It he the guest who actually goes out of doors before coffee, and comes in to tell us how perfectly heavenly everything is with the dew fresh upon it —as if it wore not much fresher at 8 o'clock the previous evening! Even the guest who dis cusses Bolshevism at breakfast is preferable to this variety, .because nobody i*. cheerful on the subject of Bolshevism, either pro or eon. Ar gument is better tljun amiability, at any rate. * Chinese Coal Lor V. S. [From the Scientific American.] What is said to be tbo first ship ment of Chinese coal to the Amer ican continent was made in June, when 1,600 tons were shipped from Chinwungtuo to Alasku. The price of the coal was reported to he $7.00 per ton, f. o. b. Ohtnwangtao, and was bought by a canning plant ut Bristol Bay. Strong on Surprises [From Punch, Rondon] Russia, declares Mr. Rloyd George, is a land of surprises. When we come to think, of It, tho natives do rather take 'each other's breath .away. | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR /Is to the C.entral's Fire To the Editor of the Telegraph; I am sorry that a slight misun derstanding with the Chief of the City Fire Department regarding ad ditional equipment to tight a lire at the Central Iron and Steel Co.'s plant has received any publicity and in justice to Mr. Gross I wish to supplement the article appearing in yesterday's issue of the Telegraph with a few lines in explanation. The tire started one week ago in a large pile of steel turnings and the City supplied us witli what was re garded at that time as adequate equipment to handle the lire. The high winds a few days following spread the fire bu,t by the latter end of the week the tire seemed to be under control and at that time we started* to use the material in our steel furnaces. It was found that the scrap liad been oxidized to a greater extent than we had expected. As we were confronted with a serious loss if the entire piie of scrap caught tire and deteriorated through oxidation we asked for additional equipment and help from the City Fire Department. Mr. Gross, after having the matter explained to him fully, realized the seriousness of the situation and agreed to furnish us with additional equipment. Under the capable direction of Mr. Kindler and his very able as sistant, Mr. iserbeke, the firemen did splendid work and soon had the lire under better control and due to their united and untiring efforls re duced the danger to a minimum. We regret very deeply that we have been the cause of some con troversy. regarding the matter and feel that if any one is at fault, tt is ourselves in failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation and in failing to ask for additional help sooner than we did. I will take this opportunity to thank Mr. Gross for his prompt ac tion and the Eire Department for its ready response and efficient work. Yours truly, Robert H. Irons, President. Bachelors and Old Maids [From the Lies Moines Register.] Bachelors who prefer their club to a wife and kiddies; and old maids who place the song of a canary above the cry of a babe, beware lest you die in tlie state of Iowa! Some wealthy bachelors and rich spin- Isters within tlie last six years have died minus kith or kin, and lowa derived $4,830,000 thereby. The state 61' lowa does not permit estates and large sums of money left behind by those who die without heirs to go to waste. The thirty-fifth gen eral assembly provided for just this emergency and arranged that lowa should receive such unclaimed es tates. The net result is $4,830,000 in the permanent school fund of the state. The law is known as the col lateral inheritance tax. It provides for advertising of estates .for six months after the death of any per son who apparently lias neither chil dren, heirs or descendants. Should no heirs appear the state treasurer swings back the vault door and the state auditor merrily counts off the dollars left >by the heirless descen ders. "Tlie moral is, for bachelors and rich old maids lo get married," said an attache of the auditor's of fice. "If you don't, well, lowa will spend your money after you are dead and gone." , The Tear jo spring so gracious here below, Tluiu shining silvery tear. That brlngest halm in every woe, And healed pain and fear! O visit still .these orbs, 1 pray! That tender grace I need; Thou takest mortals' griefs away, -Though sore the heart may bleed. A light from heaven within appears, When dews full sorrow-horn, | Because my God will tell my tears— I trust and cease to mourn. —Translated from the Icelandic of | Kristjun Jonsson by Runoll'ur FJelsted for the American-Scan dinaviun Review, An Unnecessary Burden [From Kansas City Times.] The burden of high taxes on tlie cost of living is universally recog nized. The tux paid by industry is . shifted to the public in increased | prices. Congress can afford a measure of relief by providing for the refunding of the war louns with long time securities. To pay off the bonds in the time originally planned would require taxes to the extent of nearly a bil lion dollars a year in addition to in terest. This is an unnecessary bur , den on industry! and on the public. lEtmtittg (ttljat i Organized efforts to prevent ex tinction of quail in event of a. rigor ous winter are being taken by the State's game force, the traveling protectors and wardens being now at work to get farmers and sports men's organizations to co-operate with the plan of distributing feed where the birds are to be found. In sections of the State where quail have recently been placed they have been found useful to farmers in de stroying potato bugs and other pests and farmers have taken charge of he feeding, the State contributing cost ot grain. The reports have in dicated much activity among sports ,forVv cov oys of quail having ifl ' oca,ed since the snows set in. it is the aim to organize the protec tion of tlie game in every county. Game Commission reports indicate that there were fewer violations of the deer law in northern tlercounties this year than in former seasons, in •spite of the fact that there were more hunters in the woods. In the south Mountain region a number of does and fawns wero illegally killed and prosecutions have been ordered Over 300 bucks were killed in the .South Mountain district, establish ing a record. The kill in the central counties has not been ti*bulated. Lancaster county is rated as first in three of the nine staple crops In Pennsylvania by the Statistical Bu reau of the State Department of Ag riculture in a for 1919 It leads in wheat, cprn and tobacco. Berks leads in oats and rye, Brad ford in hay and buckwheat, Cen tre in barley and Lehigh in potatoes. York in second in wheat, corn and tobacco, Lancaster in potatoes and < rawford in hay. Westmoreland is second in oats. Lieutenant Colonel Laurence H. Wutres, son of Ex-Lieutenant Gov ernor L. A. Watres, of Scranton. i'o*. s ® c ° nd ln command of the new !. .. in J a ntry of the Pennsylvania .National Guard, has been cited for he distinguished service cross by the adjutant general of the army in a letter to Governor William C. Sproul, the first letter of the kind to be received here. Other citations have been direct. The award is for extraordinary heroism in the face of the enemy while commanding onipany B, 108 th machine gun bat talion, at Basileayx, Krance, Sep tember 5, 1918. Adjutant General !• rank D. Beary will arrange for a presentation of the cross at Scran ton in a short time. Both Col. Wa tres and his father are well known to many residents of this city. ♦ * * The address delivered before the State Medical Society in this city last fall by Major W. G, Murdock, chief draft officer for Pennsylvania, which woke up people in this State to the real showing made by its sons, has been printed in pamphlet form. Major Murdock analyzed the figures as reported to State head quarters and as a result gave Penn sylvania a far better standing than it had in some Washington issued data. • • The Susquenhanna river appears to be very much imbued with the Christmas spirit this year as it has not only obligingly frozen up in a most wintry fashion, but left some spaces where daring folks can go out and try their skates. The river has been running high and filled with ice since last Tuesday, while reports have come from its tribu taries that there has been hard freezing with little left in the way of an excuse for a shortage of ice next year. The surface of the frozen river along Harrisburg shows very rough in places, but that the ice was from four to ten inches thick where there were clear spaces. Until more | cold weather comes, say men who know the stream, it would be just as well to try Wildwood Lake and other ponds about the city for skating pur poses. • * * "Say, men are talking seventy-five cents u pound for turkey for Christ mas," harked a man in a telephone conversation with the Harrisburg Telegraph offiee. "They ought to be arrested. It's outrageous. Who's getting all of it? And, say, just put this in your paper. I was'out hunt ing and got a deer. I don't care what they charge. They can't hurt me. Tear 'em up, though." • • • Attorney General William I. Schat'fer, who is chairman of the State Constitutional Revisers, got around .a situation that folks who attend the meetings of that, bodv at the State Capitol were watching fpr him to meet. For the first time a State body of such importance contains women, Mrs. Barclay H Wurburton, of Philadelphia, nnd Mrs. John O. Miller, of Pittsburgh, being commissioners. The other day an occasion for a perfunctory motion having arisen the Attorney General said: "It is moved by tire member from Philadelphia, Mrs. Wurburton," and so forth. A prece dent was established, all forms com plied with and Mrs. Warburton figured in the record, although to date neither she nor Mrs. Miller had made any remarks. A few minutes later a similar compliment was paid to the lady from Pittsburgh. \ WELL KNOWN PEOPLE 1 —Judge A. W. Johnson, judge of the Union-Snyder courts, was among visitors here yesterday. • —Heber Pithrich, one of the Al legheny county legislators, is an of j licer in the new National Guard. —Attorney General William I. Sehaffer yesterday celebrated his silver wedding anniversary. -—Louis W. Llebert, census super visor of the Pittsburgh district, will have nearly 1,()00 enumerators. —Pan L. Hart, the mayor-elect of Wilkes-IJaire, is writing a series of new plays. —P. Clarence Gibboney, Philadel phia lawyer active in law and order work, enlivened the final sitting of the Philadelphia license court with a battle with Isadora Stern. —The Rev. R. M. Hunsipker has been elected president of the Bucks- Montgomery Ministerial Union. | DO YOU KNOW —That Harrisburg used to cele brate Christmas eve witli light ed candles in every window? HISTORIC HARRISBURG —John Harris used to give pres ents to Indians of this neighborhood on Christmas day. Financial Progression ; I A million dollars was a sum I That used to stug.ier folks, by gum. I But nowadays, we must confess, 9 he writers seldom mention less. —Louisville Courier-Journal.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers