Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-26
Ehrntng G4at

Harrisburg, which has gone on re-
moving many of its landmarks with
out paying much attention to their
historic associations or even to mark
ing the sites, as is done in many
other cities of the country, may take
lesson from the city of Chester. The
authorities of the enterprising Della
ware river city concluded the other
day that the prominence of the mu-
ntcipality justified the erection of a
city hall in keeping with modern
ideas. For years the city has had
the remodelled city hall for its Offices.
Now that a new city hall is to be
erected the officials will have the old
city hall restored to it's original
appearance. The city 2hall of which
they think so much is 1873 years
old. In this city no one knows
where the first borough offices
were located and only a scrap of
paper tells where the first courts were
held in this important county seat.
The first executive mansion site is
traditional and as for the place
where the first State Treasury stood
is more or less legendary. The court
house stands on the site OF the first
courthouse, but there is no marker
10 tell that it was once the meeting
place of the Legislature. Zion Luth-
eran church has nothing to show that
In IT William Henry Harrison was
nominated. The John Harris mansion
Is private residence. The place
Where George Washington and
Abraham Lincoln stopped in Harris
purg bears no marker. Camp Curtin
Is perpetuated only by a marker on
a school. There are many sites in
Harrisburg, as has been frequently
pointed out in this column which have
historic interest not only for the
visitor but for many of our own
people. The example of Chester
might be considered here.
why does a mail wagon alwavs
take the most crowded street on a
saturday night and why does Charley
Boyer run his joy car up and down
Market street on Saturday afternoons
when there is a rush of traffic."
asked man who had read some
comments upon fire apparatus, crowds
and congested streets with near ac-
cidents in this column. II do not
know why the mail wagon must
chase up and down Third street. WHY
not Walnut to Dewberry and then
down Strawberry or any one of sew
eraI other routes? Third street is
night requires regulation. The mail
wagon bangs down the street when
the crowd is thickest."
=.
Gus Catherman, manager of the
Western Union, did some borrowing
or wires yesterday to enable Governor
Brumbaugh TO press the button TO
open an exhibit in Philadelphia, The
Western Union was to carry the cur
rent from the executive mansion. So
Mr.. Catherman hitched a line from the
Western Union to one owned by the
Harrisburg Light and Power Com
pany ana then coupled up with the
Bell Telephone. 1t was a spliced
wire, but it worked to nicely.
The current issue of the Telephone
News, official journal of the Bell Tele-
phone Company, is right up to par and
full of punch. This is meant as no
implication against the editors and if
punch such as is apparently used in
getting out this monthly publication
has the effect of producing such a
publication as is this one, we heartily
recommend it to all imbibers of lit
erary refreshment. Two of the fea-
lures of this months issue are pictures
OF l.. III. Kinneard, formerly of Har-~
rlsDurg, sitting at the philadelphia
switchboard conversing with Pitts
burgh. 1t was nearly midnight on the
evening OF Mafch II, and the occasion
was the simultaneous abandoning of
the old switchboards in Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh and the putting into
operation of two entirely new ones.
Mr.. kinneard sat down that night at
the telephone and spoke to Mr.. Ewing
at Pittsburgh.
Hello, Ewing" he said, do you
know, as | sit here waiting, I'm i'm
pressed with the real note of sadness
in all this. IF they had lips to speak.
what stories those old switchboards
could tell us of the comedies and
tragedies of life in which they have
PLAYED their roles; what joys-yes, and
what sorrows-it has been their lot to
participate in! / am told that when
the day force left the old Spruce op-
Grating room for the last time this
afternoon there was lump in many n
throat and not every eye was dry. And
understand. But soon the new
switchboards will take on the ira
ditions of the old; so let's look ahead
to the bigger things to come"
And the other feature is the pic
ture of a section of the new Spruce
board. The group of operators shown
were handling calls at the rate of 6.S55
per hour when the photograph was
taken, establishing a record for the
hour.