Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-03-12
I6N6l1l116 CbAT

State Zoologist III. A. Surface is out
with plea for people not to bruise
the head of the serpent when he
shows himself after the SHOWS have
disappeared beneath the warmth of
the Spring sunshine. DR.. Surface at
tracted much attention some years
ago by his bulletin on snakes, in
which he showed that the reptile
toward which man has shown ami
mostly throughout the ages has a good
many valuable qualities and that folks
In the country who are prone to kill
the snakes indiscriminately should
coni1ne their activities to eXtermi-
mating the rattlers and copperheads.
This thinY of killing off snakes with
out stopping to see what kind they are
Is all wrong. The snake has a definite
place in economic zoology" said DIR.
Surface. Il have issued a. bulletin
showing i'll what ways the snake is
useful to the farmer and the truck
gardener and have supplemented 1t
lately by writing letters to men who
have gone around killing snakes and
boastlng of the size of their kills
RMS Is the season of the year when
many snakes are getting ready to
come out and we may expect to hear
ABOUT people finding snakes coiled up
In big balls, in masses, in caves and
about farms. Now 1 hope people will
not go in and kill them unless they
are sure they are rattlesnakes or COP
perheads. l don't think people are
justified in killing snakes unless they
are sure they are nonpoisonous. The
nonpoisonouS varieties are friends of
the farmers because they hold in
check. in fact clean up, many pests in
the fields
1t is estimated that if the State De-
partment had complied with every re-
quest for nominating petitions made in
the last few weeks there would have
been about $4,000 blanks sent out.
The requests have been made for
thousands OF papers ut a shot. one let
ter asking for 1000. Requests for 500
nave peen common. Inasmuch as no
candidate requires over 1000 sigma.
lures. it looks as though the rivalry to
lle Dig papers which was so pro-
nounced in 1912 will be repeated
Statistics collected by men inter-
ested In the proposed meeting of the
Journeymen BARRIERS of the city next
week snow that there are over .275
men In Harrisburg who follow that
line and it is the plan to enlarge the
local union SO that all will be in
ciuded. The BARRIERS will be addressed
py j. ). Shanessy. the national organ
iZer. VINO is making a tour of the State.
ana II is expected to have a big meet.
ing. 1t is estimated that about one
third or the BARRIERS are in the busi-
ness section of the city, although there
are shops scattered all over Harris
burg For years this city has had
strong union, but efforts will be made
20 increase the membership.
In spite of the generally quiet con-
dltlon of business folks interested in
local stocks and bonds say that the
prices Of the securities which belong
to this section are showing pretty firm
anu that very few shares or bonds
nave been offered for sale. The last
sale held at the Courthouse showed
new high prices for a number of
stocks and the reason assigned is that
the concerns are now on a bed rock
oasls and people can judge Very
luickly just what they are worth. The
fine report of the traction companv
mas had the effect of stifrening IN
shares of the trolley companies here.
People who are connected with the
onlces OF the county and the courts
are smiling over the installation of n
nall box in the rotunda of the Court
mouse and are thanking County Treas
urer y. H. Bailey for it. Such n boy
has long been in demand at the Court
house because frequently letters have
TO De mailed in hurry and it meant
trip to the Post Office. For six
months Mr.. Bailey has been after II
ana he had the pleasure of using it
first ~
Among visitors to the city yesterday
afternoon were Richard e. Cochran
former Deputy Secretary of the Com,
monwealth, and eX-Judge w. r. Raw
Stewart, of York, two of the big law.
yers of the York bar. They were here
for the session of the Superior Court.
People who have been observing the
Susquehanna say that the ice that
binds the river is thicker than usual
and that in places it is almost as
strong as in the hard freeze of ten
years ago. In some places ice esti.
mated at twenty inches has been found
ana ilfteen-inch ice is common. The
Ice is so strong that it has been resist
ing the warm rays of the sun and
when 1t breaks it is going to be worth
looking at. Fortunately, the river was
not high when the freeze came. and n
is not regarded as likely that there
VIII be flood of much consequence
The snow on the mountains is re-
ported as melting gradually and unless
there should be a hard rain aDd u,o -,