Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-04-09


that time they have been holding forth
at the Bates awning, adjoining the po-
lice station. The martins usually
come under the cover of darkness.
They get busy at once and before
many weeks there will be Q large
family of these birds. They are
Scrappy birds. pull each other around
by the feathers. knock each other
from the nests and keep up a chatter
that is heard from early morning until
late in the evening.
While Bob" Magee was discussing
the goodly qualities of his favorite
topic, the martins. the question of
early telegraph messages came up.
The manager of the Stanley Apart
ments was not long in producing
proofs that he had an original copy of
one of the Oldest messages now in ex-
lstance. The message was sent from
WflShtsVllle. Pa. to Philadelphia,
June 20. 1863, by the Atlantic and
Ohio Telegraph Lines. The message
was sent by Mrs. II. f. Boyd to Mrs.
Martha Smith and read, I'VE are all
safe Mrs. Smith was at that time
located at 936 North Fifth street,
Philadelphia. Subsequently she be-
came the wife of the late Colonel
FRANK j. Magee, father of Bob" Ma
gee. The message was sent Mt the
tine the rebels threatened to burn the
bridge across the Susquehanna river
at Wrightsville The Atlantic and
ohio telegraph lines extended to Pitts
burg, Cincinnati, Louisville, Chicago,
New Orleans and intermediate points.
The Philadelphia office was located AT
los South Third street. PhiladeInhia
Ihe president of the company was the
late j. II. Berryhill. of Harrisburg. and
the superintendent, d. Brooks of
Philadelphia. The message is in good
condition and is valued very highly by
the owner.
Some of the members of the Tech
nical high school faculty have been
chuckling for the last few DAYS every
time they recall a little incident in
which a very absent-minded fellow
member figured. 1t appears that the
instructors wife had been afflicted
with a sever cold and was using sew
erai-Sran quinine pills every few
hours. The other evening the wife
called to her husband to bring q niII
ana a glass of water to her room. She
waited a few minutes and then to her
amaZement she finally got this answer.
Gee, ! m sorry, Mary-but | didn't
thlnk what | was doing-and I took
that pill myself. l didn't remember
until 1t was too late!"
Now and then the small son or
daughter ,of the house presents a
problem in psychology that. igura-
tlNeiy speaking, makes father or
nother sit up and take notice" An
admlrlng parent recently enjoyed that
experience when his small son eX-
hibited painful burn on his hand.
ihe father is a riveter employed on
the Cumberland Valley bridge CON
struciion work over the Front street
SUBWAY. The
nearby, had wandered over to the
Job and was playing about some of
the little furnaces at which the riyets
were heated. incidentally he picked
up rivet which he believed was
cold enough to handle.
1T hurted, papa" explained the
boy. and ! just had to cry. Mr..
smith, who works with you, he
burned himself on the hand, too, but
he didn't cry-he swore. But | didn't
swear, papa, because l knew if [
sweared, you'd give me a whippin'."
why, SON. genially laughed his
parent, Il burned myself the other
day in about the same way. and"
Did you cry. papa" came from
the mouth of the babe, cor did you
swear?"
Il can tell when Spring is here by
the blossoming of the red lights" said
one of the city's well-known real
estate men. These night blooming
flowers tell me when Spring is here.
The contractors get busy on street i'm
proVements and the warning red lights
are to be seen after nightfall on every
side. 1t is neVer-failing sign of
Spring"
Among visitors to the city to-day
was DR.. l.. w. CLANCY of the federal
department of labor. one of the most
eminent men in statistics in labor
matters in the country.
For nearly a minute a downtown
businessman waited for a reply when
he rung up his wife on the phone.
Finally he heard the receiver click
and his wife's voice chirped:
"f want you to come home right
away. I've lost my key and can't
get in the house"
"Then how in the name of all the
saints We're YOU able to answer the
phone?" qucried the puzzled man.
ooh, I'm at Mrs. Jones'-she's on
our line and / answered the ring
Now who says a party line is snare
and a delusion?