Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-05-29
EVENING Chat

While Decoration Day is holiday
ana there are many events of athletic
or picnic character which appear to
be specially reserved for that day,
there is nevertheless observable a dis
position to take more note of the real
OBJECT of the day than was the case a.
decade and even fifteen years ago. In
the nineties and. indeed, for several
years after 1900 the observance of the
oay was confined to the veterans of the
Clvll war, with the younger men who
aousht, IN the later wars and the men
active IN military affairs The day had
dlstlnctly military flavor and except
M LOT tne ringing of the chimes of old
Aon. the individual decorating of
graves and the holding of few serv-
ices put little else beside the program
Oh the veterans marked Memorial Day.
out IN recent years the protest of the
t,s.t re.efans ana OF many thinking men
that the object of the day was being
iost sight of has awakened a respon-
slVe note in the hearts of many resi-
dents of Harrisburg and there will be
SUN more cognizance taken of the
truly memorial part of the day. More
people VIII PROBABLY go to the ceme-
terles during the morning than before
and the city will take few minutes
10 recall those gone before. The idea
oi pauslng In memory of the departed.
coming when veterans were voicing
criticism of the tendency to make the
DAY a holiday without regard to the
onJect OF Its creation. received a state
MIue impetus through a poem and
artlcles in the Philadelphia Press. The
suggestion was endorsed by Governor
stuart and the mayors of almost every
city ana veterans by the thousand.
IN some places the pause has become
an ofiicial part of the day. 1t happens
that the newspaper men who con-
SeiNeu the ldea was one well known
mere, Richard j. Beamish, a former
resident OF Scranton. That the sugges
tion was timely is shown by the fact
that rive minutes for memories is
phrase known all over the state.
L MS CITY was one of the first to OBJ
serve the suggestion and has continued
TO DO so. All over the state people
VIII pause Tomorrow about noon to
fore.
The locust blossoms are appearinp
on all sides of the city and these days
IL is delight to take a ride through
the country roads. which are lined
WIN the beautiful white flower of
early summer The locusts bloom pro-
IuselS IN thls part of the country and
there are farms which are bordered bv
the tree. the old idea that locust trees
oraW hghtning apparently not count
ing Tor much whe npeople consider the
snade ana appearance of the trees and
their value for posts.
Inc flashing of the electric lights in
the red globes on the new standards
along Market street which Is To call
n limo
derstood by many people and fur.
nlshed an amusing incident last even
ing. "A group had gathered about one
standard and in the midst of laughing
one man, who apparently had recol.'
lectons of the days when the police
chased away people who loitered along
curps' caiied out: Say, better move
on, the reds flashin' for a CON"
Three more Sunday excursions to
the state Capitol are schedule for the
coming month and the chances are
that Sunday pilgrimages to the State
House Will become popular and regu.
lar events. When the battle flags are
installed the rotunda will be a still
greater point of interest for visitors.
Inc guides are on duty on excursion
Sundays and have their hands fulI
although as one guide put it, They
seem so much interested and so glad
10 get in on Sunday that we are not
Kicking about having to work seven
days week. Well make that up
somehow"
speaking of the battle flags, Ad-
Jutant General Stewart says that the
number of organizations for which the
committee in charge of the transfer
mas mad to select standard bearers is
rather larger than expected. In MANY
cases there was lack of an official
deslgnation and as result survivors
had to be asked for suggestions.
number of Harrisburgers have re-
celVed invitations to attend the annual
picnic given to the school teachers and
pupils of McKeesport by J. Denny
" Nell, county commissioner of Alle-
enemy and one of the best known fig
ures IN the political and business life
OF the western end of the State. Mr..
ONell gives these picnics every year
at olympia Park and last year 45. 600
people attended. 1t was the greatest
gathering of the kind known in that
part of the country and nrominant
men from near and far attended the
gathering. Mr.. O'Neil began piving
the picnics a long time ago and thev
nave grown and grown until thew are
looked forward to by thousands. He
pays all the bills and gets as much finn
out OF them as any kid. Newspaper
publisher. merchant. politician and
public official, Mr.. o'Neil is a big man
in every line.
Another gathering. which attracts
much attention, is being given TODAY
at wild Cat Falls, along the Sus.
quehanna. While this is pre-eminentlv
lancaster county affair, it is at
tended by many men of prominence in
Dauphlp, York, Chester and other
counties, men even going from Phila-
delphia.