Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-08
EVENING Chat

.
The big rectangular patch of sand
and coal which has formed in front
of Independence Island in the last six
months will disappear before the bells
ring in the new year and the men
who take dollars from the broad
bosom of the Susquehanna in the
form of coal to run industrial plants
and sand for buildings are already
mobilizing their fleet for an attack
upon the great, big ugly black area.
| This sand bar. for 1t is nothing else.
| although much overgrown, appeared
last Spring. There were signs of it
| last Fall, but the sand and coal men
| soon cleared ii out. 1t is supposed
that one of the reefs that abound in
that section of the river is respons-
ible for the patch. Anyway, it grew
very rapidly and about July 4 when
the river began to fall it commenced
| to show proportions and people wished
| that it could be reclaimed. The de-
! post extends from line near Calder
street to a point near Kelker, ending
with sharp point which is said to be
almost solid formation of river coal.
1t is over 500 feet wide and contains
the area of several blocks in the older
part of the city. The coal dredgers
say that it is made up of fair quail
lty of coal and sand and that they
Will get at it as s"on as the wide
branching Susquehanna falls suffi-
ciently to enable them to maneuver
their craft over it's reaches. The coal
men say that they will really make
short work of il because they have
often taken out as high as two score
barges, containing from ten to four
teen tons each, in day. The dredges
are being made ready for good, hard
work and when things get right they
will be as busy as 9ock of boys
around a pie counter.
One of the pleasant features of the
autumn party which NJ. c. Kennedy,
the president of the Cumberland Val
ley, gives to his friends is the way
good old-fashioned things to eat and
drink are placed about the grounds.
The choicest fruits are scattered un-
der trees of the same kind and on
Saturday last big barrel of prime
Franklin county cider was under a
tree whose branches were laden with
great red apples incidentally, eX-
Governor Edwin S. Stuart was one of
the very first at the cider barrel and
told all kinds of stories about or
chards with which he showed a sur
prising knowledge for city-bred man.
Ragged Edge" takes its name from
its location at the edge of the jump
ing off place, a great cliff beside the
creek. 1t has a famous natural din
ing room. 1t is a depression, some
thing like a punch bowl golf green
and it is between wings of the house.
so that guests may sit in it with walls
of turf about them and enjoy an out
door meal yet shut off from the rest
of the grounds.
The remarks in this column the
other night about the manner in
which Harrisburg people go to church,
not once in a while, but regularly and
take an interest in religious work, has
attracted some comment from people
who are visiting here. 1t is rather
surprising to the average man who
knows Harrisburg as a State capital
and railroad center to learn that this
city has church for each $50 people
or thereabouts and that there are
Sunday Schools in this city which rank
among the largest in point of men,
bership in the whole State. Indeed,
for years Pine Street and Market
Square schools were among the lead
ers in the country. Sunday is a day
of church going in Harrisburg.
Speaking of Sunday, I was inn
pressed last evening by a remark
made by an old Harrisburger who
keeps his eyes open and whose OBJ
servations upon the changes made in
the life of this 130-year- city by
the influx of foreigners have more
than once contributed to thoughts to
this column. Have you noticed the
way families take trolley trips on
the lines radiating out of Market
Square," said he. Il don't mean the
families going out to see the relatives
in the country for the day, but sight
seeing trips. Just observe them. Take
any Sunday and you will see whole
families from Steelton, for instance,
taking trips UP to Marysville or Rock
Vile or Linglestown or Hummelstown.
Just to see the country. The con-
ductors say they do not get out at
the ends unless it happens to be fine
day suitable for walking and that
some of them take a trip out to
Linglestown and then go over the
river to some place, just for Sunday
outing. And some of them know
more about what the country around
here looks like than most Of us stay
at-homes."
Some Of the signs put up for the
State firemen's convention crowds are
very pretty and some are unique.
Some are also amusing. For instance,
there is a large sign up in front of a
restaurant that bears the legend:
EATS
Further down the street there is
an announcement that Ham Sand
wiches" are for sale and a boarding
and lodging house announces Good
Beds" An enterprising man who runs
quick lunch place paraphrased the
well-known slogan Safety First"
with Eat First" But the best of all
is the sign displayed over the door of
a saloon. 1t reads:
'Welcome Brave Boys"