Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-14
Ehrntt1p Gl1at

Harrisburg folks of some sixty odd
years ago were quantity recalled yes
terday In City Clerk Miller's office
When that official unearthed a yell
ioWed dog-eared volume of the city
director of 1856. The book had been
given by eX-Commoner Charles f..
Osier whose father, George Osler,
helped print the volume. The old
directory is interesting in many ways.
AS compared to the present thick
volume of hundreds of solid pages of
Names 1t contains a complete list of
1arrisburg's citizens in thirty-six
pages. The names by the way, are
not Hsted alphabetically. At that time
l1arrlsburg's population numbered but
ll,l21. c. A. Snyder was chief bur
CESS and Chief of Police Zeils present
JoD was held by one Daniel Rhodes,
hlgh constable The directory gives
complete list of the employees of
capitol Hill at that time, too, and the
personnel of the State governments
payroll as compared to-day, is we'll
worth comparing. For instance, in
those days when James. Pollock was
governor and Andrew G. Curtin was
secretary of the Commonwealth, the
VI NhiplOS CO III lUG WHOle seat
OF government on Cap Hill'' included
the following: office of Secretary of
the Commonwealth, 8; State Treasury
b. surveyor General (now the De-
partment of Internal Affairs), 8; and
IfennsylVania Canal Commission, 3.
furthermore the compilers of the
directory were not without their civic
prlue IN the growth of the old home
town. In the "foreword" there is this
niue mention as TO the way they
watched Harrisburg grow in the
olden days: There are very few per
sons living who resided here before
the laying out of the borough and they
look around with wonder at the
mighty changes ii has undergone dur
ing a period of seventy years. 1t is
rapidly rising in the scale of wealth.
power and intelligence. Its citizens
are widely known for their zeal. enter
prise, patriotism and hospitality and
are worthy children of the keystone
State"
one Of the surest indications that
King Winter is absolutely superseded
by Young Spring is the sound of a
| hurdy-gurdy waiting in through the
open windows of office and school
room. And there is nothing more
provoking to the schoolboy or girl
/ we know, because we have been there
ourselves. One has simply got to get
out and roll around on the grass a,
little, or at least do a Highland fling
| to work off the superabundant fever
of Spring which runs through the
veins. And If you will visit the river
bank you will see the familiar ferry
plying its well-worn watery path to
/ Fairview and back. That is another
sign. And still another; the number
OF roller-skaters on the streets of the
| city are legion. The other evening
/ there were more'n million in Front
Y
| many wheels made a sound as of the
| roar of many waters, and there was
no peace for the drivers of automo-
! biles; always in fear and trembling
does he manipulate his car lest some
| little tot lose his balance and fall out
! OF the line of march for the skaters,
which extends over every portion of
the street. The idea OF Chief of
Police Zeil that each skater tie a
! tinkling bell to his skates is a good
one and possibly the harmony as well
as the safety might prove more salts
factory.
Some of the borough league dele
gates who were here for the conven-
tion at the Capitol this week are not
used to the chairs in the hall of the
! House. These chairs are specially
built for legislators and have slightly
fitting back and four wheels in we'll
oiled castors. Unless a man is ac-
customed to the chairs there is trouble
in store. The average man tilts u
chair when he is at ease. In the first
hour of the conference seven citizens
found that the chair castors were we'll
oiled and that they were different
from those in borough halls. They all
| landed on the floor.
|
The dandelon brigade is out in force
these days and men, women and chill
dren can be seen on vacant lots in
the outskirts of the city cutting up
the young and tender plants, which
are in demand as a vegetable and for
making concoctions known as tea"
This is the season of the year when
the dandelion is at its best and the
number of people after 1t shows that
the demand is as great as ever.
David l.. Starr, the president of the
Municipal Home Rule League who
was reelected head of that body yes
terday, is a prominent lawyer in Alle-
gheny county and specializes in
| borough law. Mr.. Starr was an active
figure here during recent Legislatures.