Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-12
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James Russ, the dead hotel man,
whose family have catered to so many
thousands of the public men of Penn
sylvania. These stories have much of
human interest because Mr.. Russ cans
up from the ranks and made a great
success as hotel manager. Perhaps
none OF his experiences is more inter-
esting than his tempting of fate one
day when he was engaged in the fruit
business. Years ago it was the Gus
tom for the fruiterers of the city to
lease a car on the Reading railroad
and use it in bringing here their con-
signments OF watermelons, cantaloupes
ana bananas from the Philadelphia
WharVes. On this particular day Mr..
Russ started from Harrisburg in his
car and while standing at the open
door with his coat over his arm a
gust OF wind blew the coat down the
slope of the railroad and with it all
his cash for the days purchases Mr..
Russ Immediately followed it down
the bank, springing out of the car
without any thought of the danger
He rolled down the cinders and
brought up at the bottom more or less
bruised and bloody, but not seriously
hurt. Climbing back to the roadway
he continued his search for the miss
ing cash which was wrapped in brown
paper. He saw an old woman picking
coal along the tracks and asking her
II she had seen such a package was
reJoiced to have her hand him the
missing currency. He proceeded to
Hummelstown and while standing on
the station platform train of gondola
cars came along. He sprang into one
of the coal hoppers and landed
through the open bottom on the track
between the rails. The engineer hap
pening to look back saw the flying
figure and concluded the body would
be picked up in a bag. He stopped the
train and they found Mr.. Russ stun
ned and more or less damaged, but
still in the ring. He was taken to
Reading, where some friends supplied
him with a coat and he boarded the
next train for Philadelphia. When
some miles east of Reading a wreck
was encountered and it proved to be
the train from which he had first
leaped to recover his money and the
car upon which he had been riding
was smashed to kindling wood. Thus
it was that Mr., Russ on that day
tempted fate thrice-first by jumping
out of the car, second by catapulting
himself through hopper on the next
train, and thirdly by riding on a train
that was demolished in wreck. His
friends always declared that Mr.. Russ
would never meet violent death and
his passing away this week seems to
fulfill that prophecy.
Perhaps the oldest of complaints to
reach the Public Service commission
in the large list of informal kicks"
which are continually appearing in
the commissions mail bag came last
Snyder county farmer to the effort of
toll gatherer on a Sunbury bridge
to make him take ticket instead of a
nickel. The farmer drove to the
Northumberland county town with a
load of wheat and was given twenty
cents worth of bridge tickets as part
of his pay. The return trip he rendered
a quarter as toll and the gateman Of
fered him five cent ticket instead OF
the coin. In another case about failure
to supply water the Lewistown and
Reedsville Water company says that
the home of Charles Walter, complain
ant, is located higher than its reservoir
and it cannot supply the place.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
State of Pennsylvania has an income
averaging 100000 a day for the last
week it is unable to meet the demands
for cash and some of the departments
of the State government, notably the
highway department, are awaiting
which is now required to do its maxi
mum, is getting about two-thirds of
the monev needed. State Treasurer
Robert X Young is now cogitating
how to meet the demands of hospitals
and charities and at the same time be
able to meet the semimonthly pay
roll.
An interesting note regarding the
Pennsylvania artillery organizations,
formed or to be formed, is contained in
a dispatch from one of the men at
FL Paso.He says that when the three
regiments are organized and equipped
they would make an artillery train fif-
teen miles long If moving in single
file. 1t would have over 5000 horses.
One battery would about fill the Mar
ket street bridge, including its wagons
and equipment. The three regiments
will contain eighteen batteries. They
are exclusive Of machine guns.
The approval of an agreement be-
tween the Pennsylvania railroad and
some boroughs along the Ohio beyond
Pittsburgh has something of interest
for people here. 1t is the intention to
use the railroad bed. which is close to
the river for a road. The railroad will
straighten its line and abolish all grade
crossings for a considerable distance.
Then a boulevard will be built along
the Ohio and connect with the Will
liam Penn highway.
People who happened to be in the
south wing of the Capitol We're given a
shock yesterday when they found one
of the elevators closed for repairs. 1t
was not the CLOSED" sign hung on the
ed. This read: II walk. Why don't
You ?"