Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-01
Ehfntn9 Ulrat

| ING Hrst TWO days of February are
associated in the minds of Harris
burg people with fires in spite of the
TACT that the second day is groundhog
day and is looked to for evidence OF
the remainder of winter. Ground
nogS nave been seen in every snot
about Harrisburg, including railroad
yards and cemeteries regularly. but
the quallty OF winters has gone on
just about the same, generally the
contrary from the prognostications
based upon the little animal Febru
ary is in the minds of a good MANY
| people because it marks the day on
which the Grand Opera House wa
destroyed and the heart of the city
had one of the worst fires known i'm n
generation and which might have
been much worse had it not been for
| slush and snow which extinguished
sparks and flying embers. This fire
occurred February l, 1907, nine years
ago. On February 2, 1897, the old
state capitol one of the classic State
! houses of the land, was burned amid
weather conditions much like those
which prevailed the night of the fire
at Third and Walnut. These two fires
are still talked about and will be for
many days to come.
| This statement which concerns the
gift of prophecy of the weather is
made by an observer of nature 1t is
somewhat unusual, but is interesting
now when the goosebone, the ground
hog, the skins of sausage and other
things are used to get pointers on
the weather:
Winter is yet to come. The little
woolly worm forecasts this. It's coat
! is yellow from the head to near the
center, then black up to within n
quarter inch of the end of the body
There is no denying the fact that the
winter to date has been of a mild
variety. That is what the woolly worm
predicted by the yellow part of it's
body. 1t will soon be cold. The
| black wool shows it. Those who pin
their faith on the woolly worm say
the cold weather will hit this section
about the first week in February, and
| continue until the last week in March.
| This little worm late in the Fall.
| digs down through the earth beyond
| the frost line. When there is a pro-
| longed warm spell the woolly worm
works its way to the surface. Dur
ing the past week these worms have
been quite numerous in gardens and
| about greenhouses"
| If Fritz Kreisler, the great violinist,
| knew that when he was in Harrisburg
last "Wednesday, his baby grand Stein
way piano had been used for a game
| Oh leap-IrOB, II is uOuDllul WIlelnSI ut
would have that excellent control over
his bow which long has distinguished
the great artist.
But that's exactly what happened.
! KreiSler appeared in the evening al
the Orpheum theater and his piano
was placed on the stage of the play
house in the afternoon. The theater
was used while the piano was on the
stage for a rehearsal of THE Magic
| Wheel" the amateur opera given for
| the benefit of the Sunshine Society of
| the city. In the chorus were lot OF
high school boys. While a crowd of
them were waiting their turn some
| bright youth spied the baby grand
piano in corner and Immediately be-
gan to use the instrument as q buck
! in a game of leap frog. Soon score
or more of the young fellows were
taking turns at leaping over the piano.
Despite the efforts of the trainers, the
boys kept at it until they grew tired
of their bit of amusement
Then finding that one of the women
1 in charge of the production had set
herself up as the particular GUARDIAN
of the piano, the boys took turns at
| leaning against the instrument Just
to hear her deliver the following little
speech:
| pardon me, but you can't lean
against this piano. 1t belongs to
Kreisler, you know, and he wouldn't
like it,
After the little lady had repeated
the speech about two dozen times,
she got wise"
State Librarian Thomas Lynch
! Montgomery is being given the glad
hand by his friends on and off Capitol
Hill in honor of the COM
pletion of his thirteenth year
las head of the State Lii
brary and Museum. Mr.. Montgom
cry whose work has placed him in
the forefront of American librarians,
lis the man who more than any other
has developed the Museum and
mot only labored for the advance
ment of the big interests committed
to his charge by the State government
but has given valuable aid and advice
to the Harrisburg Public Library and
to the local historical organizations.
Indeed, although Chester county
claims him, here in Harrisburg we
lconsider that he is one of us and hope
that he will be here for many years to
leone. 1t was largely through Mr..
Montgomery that valuable studies of
our local history were made, collections
of Harrisburg pictures assembled and
the tablet marking the Harris Ferry
erected.