Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-24
EVENING Chat

AppeaTdnCe Oh uagb Oh SoIle VI tho
buildings and in front OF residences In
the Guy since the Mexican Crisis pc
came acute brings back the days OF
this week fourteen years ago. II VIII
De recalied that the Spanish war pe-
gan on April IL. 1898, and That Tor
ten days or so before it started there
were growlings OF the dogs OF war;
during which time the ciIIzens OF the
country manifested one of the great
est displays oil patriotism in the way
of flags ever known. In every hamiet,
village, borough and city, ana IN many
sections of the rural districts, the
Stals and stripes were displayed, anu
when war became a fact HaSS were
shown by the hundreds. BUSINESS
buildings, residences and every sort OF
building Almost, flew the nag, and
when the soldiers went out to the
camps there was renewed display.
Some OF the streets in the cities were
marked by IagS on every house anu
Market and Third streets were mass
OF red, wnlte ana blue from the MO-
die oil April. The Pennsylt anla Kali
road was one or the first to make a
display ana the huge standards re-
mained hying from the front OF the
Union Station until the war ended.
Many of the business houses OF the
city kept their flags flying through
out the war and when they Were
finally taken down they were faded
and storm torn. Foreigners who Were
In this country at tnat time were
greatly impressed by what they saw,
and some of the books written since
that time refer to the manner in which
the great mass of the population evil
denced it's feeling.
Since the days of the former war
the display of the flag has become
more general and there are few build
ings in any city, public or business,
which do not have the standard of the
nation floating from masts. The dis
play, which has started this time, will
be more or less from private resi-
dences and such places as have not
shown the colors. In the days OF the
outbreak of the Spanish War the men
who deal in novelties promptly put
out thousands of small flags which
were worn on the lapels of the coats
of almost everyone. 1t was fine
thought and it netted its orlginators a
good many dollars The Spanish war
also had Remember the Maine" as
slogan and perhaps this war Will have
some similar phrase.
The war moves have caused big
run on books on Mexico at the stores,
and maps of the Southern republic
showing the cities and giving the dis
tances and poulation are in demand.
h.any of the maps published by the
newspapers have been posted in school,
rooms and in business places and every
day are surrounded by juvenile and
adult boards of strategy" discussing
the next moves and trying to get the
outlandish names pronounced. All or
the war talk has resulted in the use
of names of places which were little
heard of a few years ago and most
every one knows about Torreon, Tam
pico, Jalapa and Acapulco.
The operations of the Harrisburg
Railways Company in reconstructing
its tracks in Derry street are being
conducted in about as expeditions a
manner as any similar work ever un-
dertaken. The company started in by
ripping up six blocks of track, ana
there were many head-shakings over
such a large job. It did upset the
running of the cars, but In less than
three weeks all of the track has been
laid on one side, practically all of the
coricreting in place and the paving of
the sides and center under way An
other stretch of six blocks will be
tackled. In the old days it often took
a month for half dozen blocks.
some Oh the displays OF LullpS anu
hyachinths in the wards of residences
of the city have attracted much atten-
tion, especially along the river front,
where flowers were carefully protect
ed during the winer. Probably more
tulips are blooming in the city than
usual, because there were extensive
planting of the flowers, especially the
brilliant red and gold ones which made
their first appearance at the Capitol
half dozen years ago and which are
an annual feature of the flower scheme
on the "Hill'
Some of the bulletins displayed an
nouncing the progress of events in the
Mexican imbroglio spread with re-
markable rapidity and correctness.
The telephone does this work, of
course, but it is rather startling to
hear people who come into the city on
trains say when they pick up the
papers that they heard it at the station
in their home town or the place they
happen to come from an hour or SO
before. Yesterday people who came
in on train from up the Juniata val
ley were as well posted as those in
the city, because some one had tele-
phoned bulletins up the line to friends,
who spread the news on the train,