Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-02-21
|G(enlD6 chAr.

NV xlIIN Nk/ONl
The fairs which have been held this
winter by the Friendship and the
Reilly Fire Companies bring back
memories of the days of the old fire.
mems affairs, which were events for
the whole city and which are recalled
with lively interest by folks through
out Harrisburg. A fire company's fair
was something for which every one
was called upon to contribute by COM
mittees of the firemen and they were
accustomed to make the rounds of
their s-neighborhoods, they
| might be called-and collect. Cash
was preferred, but offers of cakes or
pies were taken down just as eagerly.
The firemen used to make their rounds
In the evenings when everyone was
home, and would have lantern to
give tone and scenic effect. When the
1airs were held everyone turned out.
Other fire companies visited and bands
came around to add to the gayety and
the streets weer traversed by a hose
carriage or wagon with transparency
announcing the event and its location,
attention being called to the affair by
industrious changing of the bell. Most
houses, where attractive booths were
erected, and also went to smash oc-
casionally when an alarm of fire came
In during the festivities, but few
were held in Brant's Hall in the old
days and later in Shakespeare Hall,
where the Telegraph Building now
stands. In 1885 the biggest fair of
all was held in Shakespeare Hall by
the Firemen's Union Russ Hall had
a nf fai in, 1,n v,ir of bttt
since that time the fairs, with their
paddle wheels and other stunts, have
been almost unknown. The two fairs
just held have revived memories and
the three to be held will be we'll pa
tronized.
In speaking about firemen's fairs,
an old fireman said last night: THE
paddle wheels used to make the most
money and some times they used to
have two and three going at once,
CHANGING off all kinds of things, from
eatables to donations of uncertain age
and dubious use. Once in a while a
piano contest would be held, or some
ltElng like that, and the whole town
would be canvassed and things stirred
up, local rivalries especially. / re-
member two piano contests. In one
of these the Hope won as the most
popular fire company, but ! do not
remember which company won the
other. One of these contests was
marked by tremendous rivalry and
correspondinsly immense vote. bal
lots being poured in by the thousand.
People were at loss to account for
the deluge and the committee selling
the tickets or ballots found q dis
crepancy which was only explained by
the discovery of very active, but sur
reptitious printing press. On another
occasion. | remember when the bal
loting closed on one OF these popu-
larity contests. There were seven or
eight or nine or ten ballot boxes, | do
not remember how many, but what
struck me was that when the clock
struck for the close, every man mount
ed his ballot box and stood on il so
that all could see that no stulIing had
been going on. Nowadays there are
so many checks that | don't think any
of those old-time stunts would go"
Dr. Martin Grove Brumbaugh su-
perntendent of the Philadelphia
schools, who is very much in the lime
light for the Republican nomination
for Governor this Spring, has been
coming TO Harrisburg so often that the
Capitol Park squirrels know him. He
is a dig, robust man of six feet and
heavy build and is only a little over
81 years of age. DR.. Brumbaugh was
superintendent of schools of Hunt
ingdon county when he began coming
here, and because of his activity in
the State Educational Association,
various other bodies, membership in
the school code and other commits
sions and the State Board of Educa-
ton, he has been q frequent visitor. 1t
is not generally known that DR.. Brum-
baugh is lawyer in fact, although
not by admission to the bar. He stud
led law with Judge Bailey of Hunt
ingdon county, where he was born,
but took a notion to be a pedagogue
instead. His service in Porto Rico
was not only as superintendent of the
schools, to which he was named by
Mckinley as one of the best admins
traitors in the countrys educational
system, but also as member of the
provincial legislature. Thus DR.. Brum-
baugh has been teacher, lawyer, ad-
ministrator and legislator.
Park Commissioner J. Horace Nc
Farland has loaned to the Harrisburg
Public Library series of photographs
from his private collection taken in
this part of the country that is not
only distinct addition to the Library,
but of rare local interest. Mr.. Nc
Farland has long been noted for the
excellence of his Photographic work,
it being a hobby, but in some of the
views shown he has surpassed himself.
Some of the beeches in Wildwood
Park the hemloclSs In the valleys near
the city and scenes from parks, park
ways, woods and along the streams are
well worth going to see.
State Zoologist II. A. Surface has
just finished giving Brazil some ad-
vice. The Zoologist is a pretty busy
citizen with the care of the fruit trees,
the honey bees and the various berries
of the State, but he has found time
to give some practical information to
Brazilian fruit growers, Pennsylva-
mans by birth, who are struggling
against tropical pests.