Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-18
EVENING Chat

The current number of the Electric
Railway Journal, the leading paper of
street railway and interurban trans
portation in the country, devotes con-
siderable attention to the recent con-
vention of the Pennsylvania Street
Railway Association here and also to
the work of the Public Service Com
missioners. Several pages are given
up TO the convention, which is consid-
cred by transportation men to have
been one of the most important in
recent years in the keystone State.
The reports of the committees are
reviewed, but much space is given to
the addresses. including that of DIR.
Emory X. Johnson, the Public, Service
Commissioners, whose remarks were
reviewed in the Telegraph the day they
were delivered. The address of DR..
John Price Jackson, Commissioner of
Labor and Industry, is also mentioned
together with other set papers. the
whole being taken together to show
the changed conditions regarding
street railway matters in Pennsyl-
vania. In another issue the Journal
gives space to an interesting descrip-
ton of the work of the State Commits
sion in compiling grade crossing and
accident statistics, pointing out the
value of such figures. when authorita-
lively compiled, in working to bring
about safety,
The room at the Hamilton Club in
Lancaster in which Lancaster people
gave a dinner the other evening in
honor of their Mayor. Frank B. Nc
Claim, now Lieutenant Governor-e elect,
is dedicated to the memory of John
Tener, house carpenter" A brass plate
on the mantel tells of it and Cover
nor Tener was rather surprised to see
il on the occasion of his visit. 1t ap-
pears that when the old Hotel Bruins
wick was torn down that the mantel,
"a fine hand carved affair, was taken
out and presented to the club. on
the back of 1t was found this legend:
Made by John Tener, house carpen-
ter, in the reign of Thomas Jefferson.
May his administration be a success" &"
1t was too good to keep and they got
the Governor down there a couple of
years ago and showed 1t to him. Then
William L. Hensel had the inscription
put on a brass plate.
It's odd the way letters got around
The other day a letter reached Har-
risburg addressed League official"
Someone at the Post Office promptly
sent it to Bill Tunis, as the represen-
tative of Harrisburg on the Tri-State
board. AS it was from a man who
did not know what he was writing
about Tunis passed ii on to the next
highest official Tener of the
National League. The governor is
wondering what the letter is all about,
1t seems that the writer had a griev-
ance about a calendar, but he did
not sign his name and his express
sion of thoughts is cryptic.
Miss Bessie Wynne. who sings at
the Orpheum this week, got her first
r.-. -, H. e-E., ,1
when but a slip of a girl from the
late Whiting Allen, we'll known in
Harrisburg and for years one of the
leading theatrical and circus publicity
men of the world. Only a few weeks
before Mr.. Allen died suddenly while
in the harness Miss Wynne and he
happened in this city at the same
time, she singing at the Orpheum and
he heading the Barnum and Bailey
circus. Allen slipped into the audi
ence and heard Miss Wynne sing. She
did not know he was present. 1t was
at the time when every popular singer
thought she must add q French touch
to her songs to get them across" and
although Miss Wynne's was mild
enough it did not please Allen. He
squirmed around in his seat until he
could stand the pressure no longer
and then asked to so back of the
scenes. Permission was granted and
after greeting each other as long
separated friends ought, Allen read
Miss wynne a fatherly lecture on the
kind of songs she ought to sing. Next
performance Miss Wynne changed her
bill to suit the ideas of Allen and the
response of the audience was so en-
lthusiastic that she has stuck to the
advice of the circus man ever since,
although Allen and she never saw
each other again. for only few weeks
later he died.
Live holly trees are coming more
and more into fashion as Christmas
gifts. Quite a few of the hot houses
now make specialties of developing
handsome specimens and nothing
more "Christmasy" can be imagined
than one of these three or four foot
holly trees garnished with hundreds
of scarlet berries. It is said that by
care these can be planted out and in
time will become hardy enough to
stand the cold weather pretty we'll,
although they need quite good deal
of protection in the winter.