The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-26
BALKY mule DEfIES
THE Governor


&omunueU From FIR0t PAGE
should get to work with the digging
implements.
The cars were decorated with
"Good Roads streamers and State and
National flags and presented a gay
sight as they shot across the Market
street bridge on the start down the
cumberland Valley. Cloudy skies did
not damPen the spirits of the party, al.
though the camera men were hoping
for little sunlight to make their work
more effective.
The first stop was near the old st.
John s chur .hyard, on the Trindle
Springs road, between Harrisburg and
Mechanicsburg. 1t was there that the
Governor party saw the big corps of
road-builders who were recruited by the
Motor Club of Harrisburg and who had
gone out early in the morning to get on
the JOB. They had their coats off and
were working with will, notwithstand.
ing blstered hands and, in some cases,
limited knowledge of what picks and
shovels are intended for.
Myton as "Slave-driver''
}. Clyde Myton was in charge of
the gang and everybody agreed no
slaVe-driver ever got more work out
OF group of men. There were seven
ty-hve workers busy there when the
Governor arrived, and they greeted
him with mighty cheer.
The Governor, who wore a cap and
an ordinary gray business suit of nat.
ty appearance, smiling broadly, jumped
out of the car and grabbed a shovel.
Without removing his coat, he made
the dirt fly for fully FIVE minutes from
a gully at the roadside into the middle
of the highway.
Then, amid more cheers and few
handshakes, the gubernatorial party
sped on a mile further, where thev ran
across band of foreign laborers from
Steelton who had been hired by the
Motor Club of Harrisburg to put in a
day s. work with pick and shovel
Many farmers joined. in the work with
out pay.
There the Governor got out again
and, after chatting with the foremen
grabbed a pick, with which he dug
most vigorously for fully ten minutes,
without, however, removing his coat
The foreign laborers were astonished
at his energy and each lost the full
ten minutes time as they gazed at him
with open-mouthed wonder. The ex-
ample he set, however, stimulated the
paid workmen to work faster for the
rest of the day. When the Governor
climbed back into the ear the perspira-
tion was running from every pore and
the palms of his hands were blistered
Tries in Vain to Drive Mule
Just east of Mechanicsburg the next
stop was made. A band of volunteers
was hard at work when the official
party arrived The Governor climbed
out, picked up a shovel and helped
lead dirt into a dump wagon. A mo-
ment later 1T came to his attention that
big sprinkling wagon was partly
mired in ditch. A farmer was Wig
orously exhorting mule and horse,
that constituted the team, to pull the
water wagon into the center of the
road.
"I1l show you how to do that"
shouted the Governor, and he nimbly
climbed to the drivers seat
"Geddap," shouted the Chief Ex-
ecutive of the State, as he mildly lashed
the stubborn mule with the reins, but
mot an effort was made by that balky
animal to move the sprinkler. Repeat
ed urgings had no effect and the Gov
ernor mad to give up. He reluctantly
climbed down from the seat.
"You can't make that mule 60"
drawled a farmer in blue overalls.
60 His name is Local Option" " to which
the Governor smiled and remarked:
'FWait till 1911"
Greeted by College Girls
Irving College, on the outskirts of
Meehanicsburg, was the next stop.
President Campbell, of the college, was
at the gate when the autos pulled up
and he led the Governor to the front
porch of the main college building.
There were assembled 100 very pref
ty college girls and the Governor
doffed his hat and threw kiss. He
shook hands with most of the girls who
swarmed around him and they made
great fuss over him, all of which Wis
IDLY pleased His Exeellency. They sang
college songs and gave the college
yell, ending with Brumbaugh! Brum-
baugh Brumbaugh! and as Governor
departed two of the prettiest of girls,
on each of the Governor s arms, escort
ed him back to the ear. The Governor
made a brief speech in which he gal
lantly told the girls how pretty they
looked.
The party reached Carlisle at 1915
o clock and paused for a few minutes
before setting off for Newville, IL
miles further down the Cumberland
Valley. The Governor said he was en-
loving il all immensely