Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-14
EVENING CHAT

LvENlNkz HAI
Now that the period of lawmaking
is drawing nigh, attention is being
once more directed to Capitol Hill.
where in three weeks there will gather
the men chosen to make, alter, mar or
repeal the statutes OF the keystone
State. There will be discussion of mat
ters of general import and oratory of
more or less force will resound
through the green and the blue cham
bers of the General Assembly. In
view of the rapidly approaching day
some speeches are probably being pre-
pared now. Last session was notable,
especially in the House of Represen-
tatives, for the number and variety of
the speeches. There were 100 brands
of oratory, some excellent, some me-
diocre and some poor, some vigorous,
some weak and some puzzling. No
session in recent years developed any
thing like the oratory flung against the
painted ceiling, which in the end
served mainly to fatten the Legislative
Journal at public expense. Hours
were devoted to discussion of bills;
in striking contrast to the restricted
time permitted in the days when
Free Speech" and various other catch
phrases were not banded about as
freely. In fact, when one looks back
over the days of the last Legislature
It is astonishing how men of sound
understanding permitted themselves to
be bored by a lot of talk just be-
cause II was q period of popular un-
rest, and how little men monopolized
time that was golden, and belonged to
the whole State, and how men leaned
over backward in efforts to give fair
play and were taken advantage of by
some who will not be back in the ma
hogany seats as a result of the recent
election. couple of men of long eX-
perience on the "Hill'' were discuss
ing things connected with the last
session that appear funny now, but
which were serious then. One made
this suggestion:
Behind the chair of the Speaker
in the House, or rather just a
little above it, there is a space in
the Abbey decoration that was
taken up by the dias that used to
rear itself over the Speakers
chair. This has been painted
coal-color, probably because
there is figure of miner on the
painting beside 1t. The House
was satirically called "the cave of
the winds by a newspaper cor
respondent last session. Now L
should think that it would be
good thing to paint in that space,
in letters of gold, a short address;
one that is model of English,
magnificent expression of thought,
something that will live forever as
an example for orators, as we'll
as patriots. / mean Lincoln's ad-
dress at Gettysburg.
Men and women played golf on the
three courses about Harrisburg on
Saturday afternoon and people took
rides and walks along the Susquehan-
ma and among the valleys of Dauphin
and Cumberland county in plain view
of snow-covered mountains. The after
noon was one of those remarkable
periods that come in mid-December,
when the winds art not keen and the
air makes outdoor exercise not only q
relief but pleasure. The First and
Second mountains and the York hills
were covered for half their height
with snow, the fall being heavy and
the crests appearing as though some
giant hand had sprinl<led them with
sugar. The snow line was rather
sharply marked, especially on Second
mountain, while the tops of the First,
especially that wall dividing Cumber-
land and Perry counties, was busted
with snow in irregular lines.
The number of visitors to the Capt.
tol has been showing some rather un-
usual turns lately and, according to
what men about the great building
say, there are more roaming through
the corridors on Saturday afternoons
and on Sundays than before. In fact,
it seems as though Sunday was be-
coming a rather popular visitors day,
although the departments are closed
on that day and the guides have that
day to themselves. There are appar-
entity a good many who are content to
gaze on the beauties of the rotunda
and the legislative chambers.
incidentally, it might be. added that
courthouse is rather unusual place
to find siShtseers, yet scarcely week
goes by but some person drops in to
see what the courtrooms look like and
If they can see one of the judges on
the bench they are well satisfied. Most
of these visitors are people from the
county districts, many of whom never
get here except once or twice a year.
Two men made a bet. One wagered
that while he could buy "Tipperary"
in a music store he could not get "Die
Wacht Am Rhein." They went to two
stores. At the first the clerk, scenting
some fun, gravely declared that all
they had in stock was the Star Span
gled Banner" and, managing to dig
up both of the foreign songs, made
three sales. In the second store they
said they were neutrals and had every
one of the national airs and those
made popular by the war