Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-05-06
EVENING CHAT

1t is seldom that as many men
prominent in the affairs of big rail-
roads and corporations get together in
one room as happened yesterday aft
ernoon at the "short line hearing of
the Public. Service Commission. The
hearings on the public service bill last
year attracted much attention and
some noted men were here, but yes
terday the Senate caucus room was so
full of men famous in industrial and
transportation affairs that a mere list
of their names would sound like a
directory of directors. Among those
who were noticed were B. f. Jones, Jr.,
the head of Jones & Laughlin, the
great Independent steel manufactur-
ers; IL. Townsend, of the National
Tube Company; Judge D. A. Reed and
Il. l.. Severance, counsel of the Car
negie Steel Company; r. c. Wright.
the head of the freight department of
the Pennsylvania Railroad, and many
others. Practically every one of the
Dig manufacturing concerns, especially
steel companies, the trunk line rail-
roads and smaller lines had their
representatives present. 1t was one of
the most notable gatherings held in q
long time at the Capitol.
The ordinary man does not nav
much attention to politics in spite of
the hue and cry now being heard
about the candidates. of a few men
for the suffrage of their fellow-p parti-
sans at the May primary. Yesterday
one man round that lawyers were talk
ing of May 10 for hearings and at
the Capitol some matters fixed for the
same date were hastily changed The
primary looms in red letters for some
people, but there are a lot for whom it
does not mean so very much.
People who have been following the
improvements under way at the Penn
sylvania steel works are of the opinion
that it will only be a few years before
tne great plant will creep up the West
Side of the borough. The additions
which were started recently have cut
big chunk out of the lower West
SIDE and there are some who profess
to see the time approaching when
more yards are needed and that will
mean the ultimate use of the section
west of the canal.
While yesterdays rain was q fine
thing for the crops that are in the
ground, farmers who attended the city
markets to-day were tearing their hair
over the prospects of those which are
not In the ground. In many parts of
the Dauphin and Cumberland agricul-
tural belts farmers have been unable
10 even complete their ploughing, let
alone plant their corn and potatoes.
Ihey will rush the work and hope
and pray that the advent of very hot
weather Will not be much longer de-
layed. The way things look, corn is
going TO. be very late this year. and
we Will have roasting ears long after
the usual time.
The nuisance of telephone service to
nOItca +oJ
inquiries as to location of fire as soon
as an alarm strikes is to be done away
WIN py improvements now under Way.
By the new plan the alarm will not 90
into all fire houses, as it does at nres-
ent' put will be received at fire head
quarters and then recorded. The man
on duty will Immediately press the
oulsons glvlng the numbers of COM
panles designated to respond to the
alarm by the district system and thew
VIII pc called. An alarm coming in
VIII close the telephone at the station
untll the companies are all notified
NOW there is such rush of inquiries
tnat tne police and fire telephones are
crowded. The fire telephone will be
Closed, but the police telephone will be
open to receive messages. although
questions about fires will not he an
swered. '''i
Hair a dozen travelling men stood
about in one of the hotels last night
and talked about business. They all
agreed that it was poor-"rotten" was
the way a couple put it. Then one
SAID that he hoped that the war scare
would blow over. Il am WORKING IN
around here just now, but I'm heading
Tor Texas. I expect to get down into
the border towns. and if conditions are
as pad as they are said to be I see
pretty little business" said one. "And
IL the weather does not get normal 7
VIII have no business. I'm selling fall
oVercoats,' said another.
Nurserymen say that the number Of
frult trees planted throughout this
section In the past year greatly ex-
ceeds those planted in any one wear
within the past ten. Apple and peach
trees are the favorites hereabouts and
not one new house goes up in the sub.
urbs that does not have it's ouota
New trees set out are not onlv in
tended to increase the supply but are
designed also to take the place ~
orchards ruined by the scale. Most of
the farmers have learned their lesson
IN thls respect and there will be more
spraying done than eN er.