Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-07
Enrntttg Gl1at


mer State Highway Commissioner,
who died in Pittsburgh yesterday, will
have monument in Pennsylvania
more enduring than that erected to
him in his life time by the people OF
his native city in appreciation of his
creation of their park system, in the
great highway through the Lewistown
, Narrows. This road is nine miles
| long and connects Lewistown and
Milfiintown, the seats of the two coun-
ties in the heart of the Seven noun
| tains, and is feat of construction r
which attracted much attention when !
attempted and which arouses the ad-
miratton of everyone who traverses
| it now. When Mr.. Bigelow deter
mined to build this road, which was
the start of the State East and West"
| highway, now incorporated in the
William Penn Highway, 1t was one of
the worst country roads in Pennsyl-
Nania, more of cattle track than
anything else. full of rocks and holes,
| Hooded at times and generally bad,
only worse. He took up the matter
with the counties and the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad and he hung the road
| on the side of the hills When he
finished it was one of the best in the
State. 1t is to-day. 1t is fine me-
mortal to the engineer whose genius
planned the work which the State is
carrying out to-day with compara-
lively few notifications and along
which lines it will work for years to
come 1t is not generally known
that sixty per cent. of the work which
Mr.. Biselow did was preliminary. He
was charged with everything in the
list of business offenses commonly
attributed to men in official life Now
the State is getting the benefit. When
he was making surveys and planning
he was charged with squandering
State money. The State is using and
will use the data he secured and the
plans nc outlined for years to come.
While Mr.. Bigelow did not enter
much into the life of Harrisburg he
made some friendships in Harrisburg
that were lasting. He refused to dis
cuss the Capitol Park extension, say
ing one day: why. it's the only thing
to do. 1t must be the center of your
city park system and will lead to max
] ing of a great park. What's the use
of talking about what is the obvious?"
On another occasion, one of the few
times on which he took a walk, he
strolled over the Market street bridge
and when asked what Harrisburg
ought to do to beautify it's River
Front he replied in his brisk way:
Keep on making the best of what
nature gave you and be thankful that
you have 1t. You're on the right
track The construction of a great
North and South" highway. similar
to the William Penn across the State,
and much along the lines of the Sus-
quehanna Trail, now being heard Of
was one of Mr.. Bigelow's big projects
He did not have any pet projects. His
grasp was great and his imagination
truly wonderful. One afternoon he
took a ride up the river almost to
; Millersburg. suffering the usual pangs
of those who traversed the riverside
highway i'll the early days of i'm
proved roads At Clark's Ferry he
, looked over the old canal bed and the
, railroad and said: zone of these days
I there will be a great road built right
along here and you Harrisburgers
will be mighty proud of it some day"
The highway is being built now.
Third-class city officials throughout
, the State have shown a keen interest
in the condition of City Solicitor
| Daniel S. Seitz. This is the season of
the year when Mr.. Seitz has been wont
: to meet with solicitors from other
cities of our class and to draft legisla-
ton Mr.. Seitz has been active in
this work for years.
The late George c. Boldt, regarded
everywhere as the leading hotel man
I in the United States, if not the world,
was frequently consulted by hotel
] companies and managers regarding
: new propositions, especially in the de-
) tail of their appointme Only last
/ Monday director of the Harrisburg
: Hotel Company addressed him let
. ter asking the privilege of submit
, ting to him for his criticism certain
! features of the million dollar hotel to
be erected in this city. His secretary
! replied as follows: 'I have your let
/ ter of the 4th instant to Mr.. Boldt,
) who as you know, passed away early
| this morning. Feel assured, however,
that if any of us here can do any
thing for you we shall only be too
: delighted to have you call on u.s."
t Many of the leading hotel managers
are interested in the Harrisburg
J, have been received by the directors
{ from those who would be pleased to
manage the new hotel here.
The other day postal card mailed
: in 1872 in this city got to Wrights-
vile. Where it was in the meantime
no one seems to know. 1t was mail
{ ed from the Harrisburg Office of the
; Baltimore Coal Company. This coal
company had not had an office in this
, city for twenty years, but when it was
{ in business here it was some concern.
| 1t was the Baltimore Coal and Union
Railroad Company, coal shippers and
{ it held forth at the corner of Third
| and Market streets. Our parents got
most of their coal from it.
Edward e. Jones, Good Roads"
Jones. former representative and now
Senator from Susquehanna county,
was among visitors to Harrisburg yes
terday. He came here on business at
the Capitol and met a number of
friends who congratulated him upon
his election. Mr.. Jones expects to
take considerable part in the legisla-
ton affecting highways in the next
session