Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-12
EVENING CHAT

The fact that to-day is Lincoln's
Birthday recalls the visit paid to the
city by the martyr President on his
way to Washington to be inaugurated
and the sorrowful stop in Pennsyl-
vanias capital of his funeral train.
There was an interval of a little over
four years in those visits and yet in
that period the whole Civil War was
waged and great changes made in
Harrisburg. Lincoln's exciting visit TO
the city, his stop at the Jones House,
now the Commonwealth Hotel, and
his departure for Washington secretly
after consultation with Cameron and
Curtin and prominent men here are
part of national, not local, history. and
the bringing of the body to Harris
burg, its lying in state in the old Capt.
tol and its departure with great
demonstration of grief are recalled by
many and have been much written
about. When Lincoln first came to
Harrisburg it was a sleepy place, noted
for numerous hotels, and, except dur
ing legislative seasons, more of
county town than a state capital. The
war caused the great mobilization
camp to be located here. as il was in
the Spanish War as well, and stirred
up the place. The days of Camp
Meade and the effect upon business
and life in Harrisburg are we'll re-
CdllSu bN InOuSdIuS OF people, out IL Is
interesting to conjecture the manner
in which the newly erected city of
Harrisburg was awakened by the Civil
War. Harrisburg had been a borough
for about fifty years when the war
broke out and was just trying city
clothes. 1t had to be city in more
ways than one because of Camp Cur
tin and the police force of other days
was found to be inadequate, while new
| buildings. hotels and stores were re-
quired. Harrisburg became a place of
| national Importance and there were
| visitors here from every northern
state and it was the real gateway to
Washington for many months because
| of the ebb and flow of the tide of war.
| When Lincoln's body was brought
here it had emerged from a village
| and had become a city with an energy
that has never left 1t and whose effects
may be traced in its affairs and its life
| to-day.
| man interested in Harrisburg
| property was asking the other day If
the purchase of motor fire apparatus
| and the extension of paved streets
would not have the effect of bringing
| down fire insurance rates. 1t was
pointed out that motor apparatus
means great mobility and the reaching
of outlying districts in much less time
4
| assembling of apparatus in the bust
| ness district where danger of big fires
| always exists and where celebrity means
dollars For years there have been
complaints by fire underwriters that
the city was not doing its part toward
furnishing protection. New mains
! have been laid, water protection much
extended and the street paving put
| down beyond the extent in any city
| OF the size of Harrisburg in the coun-
try. These factors added to the motor
| flre apparatus to be added make in
the mind of the men discussing the
| problem good reasons for revision of
rates. And ii should not be over
| looked that Steelton, with its four or
fve companies. is now connected with
Harrisburg by improved highways and
could render valuable aid in quick
time, much more rapid than it did in
the burning of the Grand Opera
House, Just because Cameron street is
paved and SO is the strip between the
city and the borough. The response
made to the call for help by Lemoyne
IN october ought not to be forgotten,
either.
| Ex-Governor John X. Tener may
| take a southern trip next month. The
Ex-Governor has contemplated this for
some time and lie may see some of
the teams at practice and also take a
little hand at golf.
Hugh l.. Cooper, the engineer of the
keokuk dam. who will speak tonight
at the Engineers Society, is a resident
| OF New York and not only had to do
with the designing. but the construc-
ton of the wonderful power project.
lie Will be guest of friends while here.
y copy of the States fine report
on the Gettysburg reunion in 1918 was
to-day placed in the Harrisburg Pub
! lie Library with the compliments Of
the commission. The book has been
much in demand. The States new
| publications on the soils and trees of
Pennsylvania, issued by the Depart
ments of Agriculture and Forestry.
were also placed in the library to-day