Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-22
Bulletins penn" Gives His
Impressions Of Harrisburg
Talks Of Capitol Park Development; River Front IN
provement The New Business Section; Its
Need of Hotel; and Its Men

Writing in the Philadelphia Evening
EBulIetin over the name of Penn,
William Perrine, n-chief of that
newspaper, has much to say concern
ling his impressions of Harrisburg as
the result of a recent visit to this city.
mir. Perrtne was here for the inaugural
ceremonies on Tuesday, md saw every
thing worth seeing in town. This is
what he writes:
Harrisburg for some years past mas
tbeen steadily undergoing a change. It
is the sort of a change which is not so
much noticeable from one year TO an
other as 1t is after the lapse or
lgeneration. Nothing in Harrisburg is
lever done hastily or rashly; there is
too much of the old Pennnsylvanla
Dutch stock in its breed to permit sud
den or inconsiderate changes. and
there is still an abundant survival OF
dts once familiar aspect of tranquility
which hardly fell short OF sleeplness
and which not even State convention
or a gubernatorial inauguration coulo
quite disturb. 1t used to be-and am
not quite certain that there is much
change in that respect-that tnere was
in sort of indifference. outside or a
comparatively few men of broad pup
lie spirit, to events OF that KIND ana
to the functions of hospitality which
properly attend them The Capltol or
the State government sometimes seems
to be at the city rather than In ana OF
it. The magnificent structure Whlch
Joseph NJ. Huston designed on the
Hill stands forth altogether out OF
proportion to the sort OF urpan en-.
vironment in which it is situated. Yet
one gets an impression that since 1t
came into existence 1t has had some
effect as q stimulant to the sense OF
local advancement and embellishments.
There is no doubt. too, that the edince
grows in admiration the more one De-
comes acquainted with 1t and the more
one can dissociate it in his mind from
the sort of harsh or copdemnatory dis
position which the sordid and also
tragic circumstances of its construc-
ton have inevitably tended TO raise
against it. But one of the most re.
spected and influential citizens OF
Philadelphia told me the other day
that when he was visiting the exhi-
bition at Leipsic last year he was
somewhat surprised to find the state
Capitol viewed there as one or the
two best models in the architectural
display. He observed to a German con-
noisseur who warmly praised it that
its author had been Obliged to go TO
iail. But on hearing this fact there
was no abatement of the critics en-
thusiasm. Why he went on to say,
you should remember that even
Pericles went to prison
"The new Capitol Park will GER
tainly be an outcome of species OF
local pride which the presence or the
Capitol itself has awakened. Ihe area
which ii is TO cover to the north or
the Hill' had become shabby, half
dilapidated and something of an eye
sore in its immediate contrast to the
Capitol few years ago, when 1t was
proposed that this region between
Walnut street on one side and North
street on the other. and from F'ourth
street down to the Pennsylvania Rail-
road tracks, should be converted into
n park, the idea was regarded as either
a dream or job. But the opposition to
1T on the ground of conservative dis
trust or of suspicion as to its integrity
disappeared much sooner than it does
usually when an innovation of this
kind is submitted to public attention.
In fact, the plan of the Capitol Park
has reached that stage of development
in which our own Parkway now is as a
great public improvement to which
general sentiment. as well as public
policy. is committed.
"There are several hundred struc-
lures, chiefly dwelling houses or habi-
tations of an inferior sort, that are TO
be demolished in the region which has
been set aside for the Park Some have
lbeen razed, others have been vacated
and abandoned, ana Jne rest Oh tnSIn
are suggestive of impending or even
tual destruction. A tabernacle not
altogether unlike Billy Sundays on our
own Parkway in its external appear
ance and a scene of the recent Slough
revivals, occupies a portion of the con-
demned tract. 1t is easy to see, how
ever despite the crudeness and dis
integration of everything in the vicin-
ity. that when it Is all cleared away
there will be a noble vista for the
Capitol The opportunity will then
exist for adorning this land in such a
way that in connection with the Hill
1t will be not altogether unlike the ap-
proach to the Palais de Justice in
Brussels or the surroundings of the
Capitol at Washington on the rise
from Pennsylvania avenue. The effect
of boulevard along the line of State
street, ending as that thoroughfare
does at the Susquehanna river, can be
o produced in splendid fashion, together
with a charming popular rendezvous
in the broad expanse on either side
of 1t, although 1t will be necessary for
the Pennsylvania Railraod to CO.
operate in the obliteration of the COM
monplace condition of its trackage on
the edge of the reclaimed area. Thus
far all the preliminaries in this i'm
provement, which is conducted and
paid for under the authority of the
Commonwealth and which ultimately