Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-27
EVENING Chat

The street which runs along the
eastern city line is probably the only
one in Harrisburg to be known by
three names, and all three are used
regularly. The street extends in
real life through a part of Penbrook
and then loses itself in the hills and
comes to life a short distance south
of Berryhill out near the city line
When it crosses Derry street it marks
the boundary between Harrisburg and
its daughter. Paxtang. and is officially
Twenty eighth street, colloquiaIly it
is Melrose avenue and traditionally 1t
Is Poorhouse Lane. You can tell the
conductor to stop at any one of the
three and you will win out.
Speaking of street names. there are
| still some people who call Green
lTwo-and-a-half street, although il is
quarter of century or more since
council changed the name from the
clumsy half designation, and some
who still talk of Seventh as Pennsyl-
vania avenue, or the Avenue" Thirty
years ago, when the Hot Pot" rolling
mile and the car shops were in opera
ton, the Avenue" was pretty lively
place and was known by that name
entirely. The use of the name Seventh
on the trolley cars did much to put the
common name out of business. But
even now you can spot the old resi-
denters by their references to 1.-The
Avenue. Then you know they are
real old ones. If they say Pennsyl-
vania avenue you know they are not
$50 old. The use of the name Seventh
street denotes a longing for the Off
cial or modernism.
had not been in Harrisburg for longer
than he cared to say came back
and wanted to look over the
city. He took some trolley rides,
and seeing a car marked with big c,
asked where it went. Capital street."
remarked the conductor easily. The
man thought that was some new idea,
as when he left home they were think
ing of calling Third street Pennsylva-
MIA street and Fourth street Common
wealth street. So he took the car. He
went out Walnut, up Short into old
Spruce, now called Fifth, then up
North and thence into Capital. When
demanded of the conductor where he
was going. Coin up Capital to
Fourth" replied the astonished con-
ductor. This Capital street? Gee,
why this amt a boulevard This is
old Elder street. That Fourth street
you're talking about is what we used
to call New Fourth street. This
towns changing its names all around"
1t has been very noticeable that the
first remark former Harrisburg people
make in coming back to the city is to
comment upon the abundance of light
in the streets. Fifteen years ago Har-
risburg was noted as one of the best
lighted cities, but ii rather Jagged be-
hind and it was not until the last year
or so that it woke up to the impor-
tance of better street lighting and the
municipality began to keep pace with
private enterprise, which was illumi-
mating store fronts and business houses
in a way that made the city arc lamps
swinging at the corners look like
candles. Now Harrisburg attracts at
tention of visitors by it's brilliance and
the man who comes home is talking
about it.
While we are about it, let us not
forget that in the street nomenclature
of Harrisburg there continue the
names of these highways, some of
which, fortunately, exist on the map
only: Bluebird, Hop. Prune, Pigeon,
Cream, Turtle and Crabapple. There
used to be Duck alley, but they gave
it up. There are three highways
known as Howard, two known as For
rest, two as Ash and some other
duplicates, but just four highways
named for counties of the State and
two for Governors in the capital city
of Pennsylvania. Selah.
What an effect the moving picture
show houses are having upon some of
the streets about the city. These es-
tablishments which are in sections
where lights were ordinarily put out
after 8 give an air of life to sections
of the city that would otherwise be
quiet and have the effect of making
neighborhood centers. There are some
of these places which have family
nights, when people living in the vi
cinity are made specially welcome, a
plan which is working out we'll for
the management and also furnishes
amusement for the people.
People who have been away from
Harrisburg for a year are apt to Won
der what has hit South Second street
since the subway makers commenced
work. That section of the city, the old
fashionable part of the city, looks as
though 1t had been in the line of fire
in Belgium and the manner in which
the steam shovels and donkey engines
puff and smoke adds to the appear
ance of some catastrophe. When the
subways were built in Market street
and in Front street a good bit was
torn up, but South Second street passes
anything that has ever been seen in
Harrisburg.