Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-04-29
Harrisburg Among America
Most Progressive Cities
Julian Street Missed an Interesting Chapter For His
Book When He Failed to Visit the Pennsylvania
Capital

! JULIAN STREET has given Ameri-
cans, especially those interested in
the making over of our cities, much
to think about in his latest volume,
Abroad at Home" 1t suggests Mark
Twain's "Innocents Abroad" and also
the American notes of Charles Dickens.
1t is one of the most delightful and
Illuminating portraits of American life
and character that has been painted in
many long year. 1t not only sparkles
with wit and humor, but there is
crowded into the five hundred-od
pages more information about a num-
Der of the leading cities of the country
than can be found in the search of n
dozen libraries. But 1t must not be
understood that it is a statistical and
tiresome book; the author distinctly
so far as possible, and not even the
hustling Chambers of Commerce and
the Boards of Trade could force sta
tistics into his system on his way
across the continent.
After reading this unusual book one
is impressed with the fact that Har-
risburg is no mean city; that 1t has
already set the pace for many larger
communities, and that we of this city
have done in the last dozen years and
are doing now many commendable
things concerning which other cities
are just getting awake. AS the famous
author observes, There are commune
ties which are strong, self-confident,
aggressive; others lazy and inert.
There are cities which are cultivated,
others which crave culture but take
'culturine' (like someone drinking from
the wrong bottle): and still others
almost unaware as yet that esthetic
things exist. Some cities seem to fairly
smile at you; others are glum and
worried like men who are i'll or op-
| pressed with business troubles. And
there are dowdy cities and fashionable
| cities-the latter resembling one an
other as fashionable women do. Some
| cities seem to have an active sense OF
| duty, others none"
In his trip across the continent Mr.
Street declares that people have
pulled me this way and that, telling
| me what to see and what not to say
\ what to write and what to leave out
AS for statistics he adds, "I have
| been loaded with them to the point OF
| purchasing another trunk. l intend tc
use them as sparingly as possible and
! every time l use them 1 shall groan.'
Thus it was and in this spirit that the
famous writer peeked into this thing
and that in the several cities he Wis.
tied between New York and San Fran.
cisco. We can only regret that he die
| not visit Harrisburg. He would have
I
| which to write and much that woult
have undoubtedly opened his eyes tC
the public spiritedness of our people.
Commenting On Buffalo
Commenting On Buffalo, for in.
stance, he was reminded of an earlier
reflection that railway stations shoulC
| express their cities. In Buffalo the
thought Is painful. If that city were
in fact expressed by its present rail
way station, people would not get of
| there voluntarily: they would have t
be put Off" And this suggestion re
minds us once more of the condition
surrounding the entrance to the Penn
sylvania Railroad station in Harris
burg. Within sight of the magnificen
Capitol and fronting on the principn
business thoroGghfare. the approach
to the station is anything but what |
should be. Perhaps with the turn o
the business tide those little red bric1
buildings on the Market street firing
of the railroad property will be re
moved, allowing the creation of
splendid plaza and a more noble en-
trance to the station. We don't wan
some such writer as the brilliant Stree
to some time visit Harrisburg AM
leave 1t with this comment: "The oil
station still stands-at least 1t wa
standing when / left Buffalo. for wa
very careful not to bump it with m,
suitcase"
There is scarcely an important cit,
in Europe where the idea expressed b,
this humorous American writer is no
expressed in splendid railroad build