Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-05
Ehrntrg Gflat

Wnat Scnool building In the city
would you thing circulated the most
books of the school libraries establish
ed in the schoolhouses of the city by
the Harrisburg Public Library? Well,
1t would be rather difficult to guess,
but the honor went to the Downey
building. The Downey building is in
that part of Harrisburg variously
known as Brooklyn. Sibletown, Pipe
bendingville and so on. 1t has prob
ably the most cosmopolitan population
of any part of "our out-reaching city,"
as Mayor Meals likes to say. There
are the original population, the col
ored element, representatives of all of
the Balkan States. Slavs, Magyars.
Italians, Syrians and a few MeXicans.
This Downey building has probably
a score or more of dialects or Ian
guages spoke within its walls every
day, the youngsters all being taught
English and the everlasting principles
that they can do as they please about
going to church and having fun as
long as they do not get in bad with the
cops There were about 400 books
circulated in the schools and the Dow
ney led with 101. The Penn building.
which is up in the same direction of
town, came next with SO and the AL
lison which is on the Hill, had 81.
But just listen to what was done at
on street. There were 81 of 35 books
circulated and everyone of the young
sters covered the book before taking
II home. This school work, which is
one Of the most important branches of
the library activity, is to be developed
as the library gets the funds. There
are requests for about twenty school
libraries. but between those now es-
tablished and the open-air school,
which the library supplies with books
hot - -
orary, its resources are considerably
taxed
On the subject of the library it is of
interest to note that the lengthening
of the evenings is causing the usual
were almost 10000 books circulated
and December started off with a rush,
there being 900 books taken out Fri
day, December 1, and 500 on Satur-
day, December 2. Over 500 of these
books went out in the hands of school
children. The library is making spe-
cial display this week in honor of
Good Book week." which is a Boy
Scout institution. The idea is to bring
to notice of youngsters books which
tell of the patriotism of the forefath
ers, encourage right living and care
for the smaller ones.
Tennis in December is rather an odd
thing, but as a matter of fact it was
played on Saturday and yesterday aft
ernoons by some lovers of the strenu-
Gus pastime. The courts of the var
ious clubs and the public Fairgrounds
have been closed. but number OF
private courts have been kept up and
people have been able to play later
than known for long time. Incl
dentally, golfers are having lots of un-
expected sport because of the manner
in which the weatherman has ar
ranged things.
The States industrial directory,
which will be sent out from the Capitol
in a few days, appears to have at
| tracted wide attention among COM
mercial organizations and manufac-
turers' associations because the way
letters have been coming in asking for
copies is something astonishing. The
State was without a directory of the
kind until a few years ago when the
combined efforts of Dr. John Price
Jackson and the late A. r. Houck re-
suited in something which gave
shock to the average Pennsylvania
because it showed him how tremen-
dous was the industrial fabric of the
Keystone State. The succeeding VOL
ume have been enlarged because of
the growth of business and also be-
cause experience showed necessity for
ume will be the biggest advertisement
Pennsylvania has ever made and will
be of special interest because copies
are going to every port or town where
there is United States consulate SO
that Pennsylvania's industrial list will
| follow the flag to Central and South
America, South Africa and the isles
| of the sea. incidentally, Harrisburg
and Steelton and their neighbors will
be right in it.
The carpenters began work yester-
day on the roof of the new building
of the Country Club of Harrisburg,
which occupies one of the finest sites
along the river. The roof will be fin
ished in about three weeks and when
the snow flies the interior work will
be pushed along. The club is arrang-
ing to use the Lucknow property until
the new building and golf course are
completed which will be next sum-
mer.
Ex-Speaker George e. Alter OF
Allegheny county, who was here last
evening on business before the Pub
lie Service Commission, says that
some time he is going to visit the
Cumberland Valley and look up his
ancestral home. His family comes
from that section of the State