Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-01
Ehrnt1g UErat

Some idea of the manner in which
the people in corporations interested
in the woods and sport are taking hold
of the plans to check forest fires may
be gained from the statement that men
employed by railroads, water COM
panies, pipe lines, timber companies
and tanning concerns have all been
given instructions what to do when
they see a fire in the woods. while the
field men of the State Highway, Water
supply, Forestry, Game Police and
Fishery Departments have all been
told TO make immediate report of a
hre TO the forest warden nearest to
them' Several cartridge companies
have placed advertising matter in
every box of cartridges urging sports
melt TO take precautions against fires
and some railroads in forest sections
have posted notices requesting pas
sengers not to throw lighted cigars,
clgaretS or matches out of the win
dows. Thousands of stickers have been
| provided by companies engaged in
manufacturing and distributing hunt
| ers equipment which will be posted
not only in stores. but in the rural dis
tricts. and even on poles and trees in
woods. Never before in the history of
the State have so many agencies been
enlisted in the effort to keep down
forest fires. 1t is a sign of the times
and speaks well for the people of
pennsylvania that they value their
woodlands and the creatures that live
in them so well.
A couple of dozen cars went through
! Harrisburg the other day which were
Loaded with what looked like big pack
ing boxes containing carriage bodies or
automobiles. They were quite ordi-
nary looking, out when one got close
to them they were all lettered in Rus
sian and the only English word read
Arkangel' probably for the use of
tho railroad men. The boxes were
armored motor cars in parts, but ready
to be put together in short order and
sent to the far-tlung war lines after
shipment to the remote northern port.
Bass fishermen are wearing long
races these days. When the river was
clear the fish simply would not bite
and now that the streams are muddy
there is no hope of catching anything
but cells. A Harrisburg man Who is
spending several weeks in a cottage att
| Cove is having fine fun with cells, how
ever. Yesterday morning he was up
at O'Clock and caught a fine string
which he had for his breakfast before
taking the train for Harrisburg. The
eels now being caught are mostly of
good size. Take it from me-" said
get up an appetite by catching them
before breakfast. eating them while
they are fresh and serving them with
fried potatoes and a few rashers of
bacon on the side"
Colonel H. C. Trexler. the Allen
town business man who was in charge
of the quartermaster's department at
the mobilization camp at Mount
Gretna. was here Yesterday to see State
officials. Colonel TreXler showed that
red tape had no terrors for him at the
camp, for when he found there were
!, procedures which required much de-
lay he put into effect some business
short cuts. The colonel is exceedingly
popular with the men of the National
Guard.
Whence come the big butterflies and
dragonflies that one sees in the central
part of the city? Market street is a
queer place on which to see butter
flies and dragonfly on Market Square
is curiosity. Yet both have been
seen in those places in the last few
days. One idea is that they are blown
in from the riverside parks. Others be-
lieve that they are hatched in Capitol
park.
i The Pennsylvania Highway News in
its current issue has these remarks to
make upon a subject of interest to a
good many Harrisburg people: Ten
years ago the State of Pennsylvania
took in $42,460.42 as registration fees
from owners and operators of motor
vehicles. Already this year the
amount taken in has passed the two
million dollar mark and will approx
mate $2,500, 100000 before the end OF
the calendar year. The increase shown
in this State has been reflected in
others. This increase has been divided
/, among all classes of motor vehicles.
fBut the damage wrought to the high
ways by the heavier types of these
motor vehicles has far exceeded the
monetary returns in the form of fees.
: Here lies the nub of the whole ques-
ton of motor vehicle taxation, TO our
way of thinking. Is it fair and
equitable to exact a light fee from all
classes of vehicles using the highways
when the experience of highway en-
gineers is that the heavier types of
these vehicles do more damage to the
improved surfaces of roads in a single
trip than the lighter types do in a sea-
sons use?"