Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-06
Eirrtttttg Ul1at

Within a few weeks demolition of
the last of the dwellings on Tanners
alley Will begin and by the time the
buds begin to show on the trees in
Capitol park about all that will be
left of once noted thoroughfare in
Harrisburg will be the paved road
way Only six or eight buildings are
left facing on the narrow street and
they show signs of their approaching
end. Tanners alley, 1T has been spelled
both singular and plural, is one of the
old streets of the city. 1t came into be-
ing when the town pushed out toward
the creek and long before the war had
faVor all its own. Tradition says
tnat IL got its name because the tan
nerles which used to line the run
which emptied into the river above
walnut street moved to that section
when the run was built over. 1t Is no
ted on maps which show High street.
winch was Fourth street, extended
from where it has the elbow near
South street to line which would run
through the Majestic theater and
winch used to boast a brewery before
IL was taken over in the second eX-
tension OF Capitol park. Before the
colored folks and during the war it
was a place of more or less excite
ment at times. In the heyday OF "De
Ate ward 1t was more or less watch
ed by policemen, but the erection of n
church by the colored people at South
street made for better things.
:, Speaking of the park extensions
there have been three according to
ola tlmers Originally, the Capitol
but the State acquired from Harris
ana Maclay other tracts and then got
title from the founder of the city
Tor the property extending down to
Walnut street. This contained the ar
senal' whose site may be roughly
marked by the Mexican war monu-
ment According to the old people this
was the first extension, but it was
over hundred years ago.
me second extension was
Walnut, Fourth and High streets was
bought and the brewery removed
from the gateway to the State domain.
The third extension is that now in
process and which will give the great
Capitol setting not enjoyed by many
other state houses in the land.
1t takes weather such as Harris
burg has been having the last few
days to bring out the old sealskin caps
Yesterday there were more of the old
time headgear seen than for many
months, probably for years. When
1T comes down to real warmth and
comfort the sealskin cap has every
thing else beaten a mile. 1t is so snug
and warm that it is likely to make a
man take cold. You could tell when a
sealskin was approaching by the odor
of camphor. But the men who wore
them did not seem to mind.
Some of the street sweepers got
down to an old style way of keeping
their feet warm yesterday when they
used burlap to wrap up their shoes.
was worth the trouble, replied ",Ah.
should say. You don't know what
wahrm is til you try dat" Another
man on Market street said that he
could work all day with such wrap
pings and not mind the cold weather
bit, which is more than some who
had to wait for cars could say.
The Pennsylvania State society,
which will hold it's annual meeting
this week, was formed just year ago
and it held q number of interesting
monthly luncheons, at which noted
men made addresses and the big din
ner in Philadelphia last fall. The So
ciety includes the heads of depart
ments and members of commissions
and the legislators. 1t will have
luncheons during the legislative ses-
sion.
The visit of the Pittsburgh Chamber
of Commerce committee here to-day
recalled the days when the Pitts
burghers descended in force on the
Capitol to demand a change in the
form of government. Then they came
with bands and banners and argu-
ments which attracted statewide at
tention. Pittsburgh led the fight in
this State for the small council and
was the first municipality to get it.
Now all but Philadelphia have that
system.
When the mercury was two above
zero and the wind blowing a S5-mile
gale Monday morning, a big lineman
named Douglas at Dauphin startled
everybody in the hamlet by climb bling
the biggest telephone pole in town.
What were you doing up there,
Doug?" asked one of the natives
''Jes telephonin'. jest telephonin,'
explained the lineman. He went on to
T. &; Il. Offices in Harrisburg and want
ed 'em quick.
cold up there?" he repeated in an
swer to an another query. "Oh, yes,
it was little chilly"
I'VE have put the funeral car into
regular traffic SERVICE" said Felix M.
Davis, superintendent of the transpor-
tation end of the Harrisburg Railways
Company, last night. I'VE have every
thing except the summer cars in serv-
ice. We ordered cars long ago, but
where we used to get them in four
weeks, now 1t takes six months" D..