Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-17
Ehrntng Chat

Great Britain's stir over the con-
scription issue has recalled to the minds
or a number of the older residents OF
harrisburg the incidents connected with
the draft in this State during the Civil
war because, after all, there is not so
much difference between the conscrip-
ton and the draft. They get the men.
willing or unwilling. In this country
the drafting was in charge of officers
who appeared in communities and
speedily found out the available men.
Most times. say the older people, they
appeared with lists made up. Under
the system then in vogue men were
allowed to send substitutes, a wise
provision in view of the fact that ex-
cept at the time of Lees invasion.
When everyone wanted to go to the
front and fight, the business of the
community had to be kept going for
.he sake or those at home and those
IN the field. Often times men who
We're known to be in the draft lists or
the wheel from which the names were
taken, as in the drawing of a Jury.
would skip OUT and go and live in
the mountains. Sometimes they would
go TO parts unknown. This city, which
was the scene of Camp Curtin, the
great mobilization camp for this part
OF tne country, saw a good bit of the
excitement over the draft, although
Harrisburg had no riots. Most of the
trouble mere was made by drafted men
who came here to be mustered in and
who occasionally bucked and had TO
De subjected to drastic treatment
from all accounts. some men in the
counties along the Susquehanna ducked
ana went TO the mountains, where they
were hunted out by squads of men
who took delight in rounding them
up TO do their bit" just as is said in
England now. However the men here
either entered the service or sent sub
sututes. Some of the wealthier citi-
zens, men entrusted with big enter
prises or in important business or who
were physically unable to stand serv-
Ice paid for two, three or four sub
stitutes. Substitutes were never lack
ing, although there was a suspicion
or bounty jumping about some of
them. The drafting operations here
attracted much attention and the
wheel which was used is preserved in
the Dauphin County Historical Society
That period furnished some interesting
times IN years of stirring events right
mere in Harrisburg and there are a
| number of men living who could tell
| of strenuous work they had to keep
Iour drafted men or conscripts in hand
until they became soldiers.
MANY men IN business in this city
and many newspapermen who have
had occasion to use the telegraph will
regret to learn of the death at Fayette-
vile OF William Fl. Boggs, one of the
veterans of the Western Union. Mr..
| Boggs, who died in the community
where he was born, served for over
| forty-flve years at the key and handled
many thousands of messages and news
| dispatches. A good part of that time
was spent in Harrisburg and from the
| Western Union office in Third street
Billy as he was known to gem
| erations of newspapermen. telegraphed
| some of the biggest stories of the years
\ with never a "kick." He was en-
| trusted with important official and pri-
vate kilograms, but no one ever knew
what they were, for he lived UP to the
! principle that message was inviolate
Mr.. Boggs was one of the boys who
| footed it to Gettysburg the day after
| the battle. He lived only a few miles
away and used to tell how he was
spanked for going there. He came
here when youngster and was soon
one of the best on the wires. For
years he was night manager of the
Western Union and his service was
| always meritorious, winning for him
! the lasting friendship of businessmen,
| newspapermen and everyone with
whom he came into contact.
ut illdHHtT III WHICH, the TdllTOauS
piled freight through this city yester-
day would rather suggest that the en-
| barge which had been placed on points
west and south of this city had been
| broken. There was an immense
amount of soft coal sent through the
| three big yards and some of the trains
were enormous. The yards were reg
ular hives all day long and one train
after another passed over the bridges
/ and along the banks of the river.
| Governor Brumbagh says that the
| winter speechmaking season is on IN
| full force. The Governor has been in
vited at the rate of once n day to make
| a speech and, to use his own words,
| has to get a new set of thoughts for
each day of the month. A number of
| the speeches seem to be for the dedi-
cation of schools. line of duty which
| the educators naturally select for the
| schoolmaster-g governor. Occasionally
some of them hit the same date for
dedication, but they are always willing
to change it IL the Governor will agree
to attend.
DIR. ]. George Becht. secretary of
| the State Board of Education, who
suffered from an attack of the grip, is
able to be about again and to look
after some of the work of taking con-
| froI nf normal schools