Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-07
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announcement InaJ state auLnOTl-
ties are getting ready to proceed with
county commissioners of York, Ian
caster and other counties to acquire
toll roads in their districts, will be
received with considerable pleasure
by hundreds of automobile owners
from all parts of the State who como
to Harrisburg to see the Capitol and
to enjoy the rides along the Susque-
hanna and then strike miles and
miles of toll roads in the two garden
counties of Southern Pennsylvania.
The comments frequently heard in
this city by persons who have justa
come to Harrisburg from Philadel-
phia or Baltimore and have met the
turnpikes of the two counties are
anything but pleasing. 1t is worth
to free Cumberland valley turnpikes
began under the late e. M. Biglelow,
few years ago, there has been a
marked increase of traffic and that
the freeing of the Berks and Dauphin
turnpike will divert considerable
travel from turnpikes in Lancaster
county on the way to Philadelphia
goes without saying. The Penn-Lin-
coin link will not amount to much
until the tollgates go.
Speaking of roads 1t would be
hard to find a worse stretch any
where on State highway, in a Cen
nN1NN NctyIy Ntn
maps In township in this section
than the short road between the city
ilne and PaXtang avenue. 1t is on the
pike to Lebanon, called Derry street
because 1t is an extension of Derry
street, and wholly within the borough
of Paxtang. Paxtang councilmen
have been importuned to improve 1T,
assurances have been given time and
again to individuals that improve
ment is about to start, but nothing
is done except fill in a few holes.
The stretch is a succession of bumps
and gives a bad name to Harrisburg,
at whose gates it begins Some of the
boroughs near Harrisburg have rath-
er Indifferent regulations for condi-
ton of State highways within their
limits, but Paxtang, Harrisburg's
closest neighbor. comes near being
indictable for the condition of its
main llolOu6hldIe'
Dauphin is another sinner in the
eyes of people who like to hear our
county spoken of as a district where
the highways are good. Penbrook has
lately taken up the job of improving
its roads and as for other boroughs
of the county they are progressive
and anxious to make their highways
worthwhile. In the case of Paxtang
an attempt was made a couple of
years ago to have the State join with
the borough and do something but a
| penny-wise- -pound-foolish policy in
the borough prevented it. Since that
time the State has allowed boroughs
to shift for themselves and some of
| them have been worse than Shiftless.
| Under a new State law the Common
wealth can unite with boroughs and
| improve streets within their limits
which connect with improved high
ways at each end, but the borough
must pay a share. The good old days
of making the State pay the whole
bill are over.
The recent ntannouncemen that pud-
dlers were striving for a rate over
| $40 a ton caused some old-time mill
workers to tell of the days when they
| thought Sc fine price to pay. There
| are men who recall working in the
| puddle mills at McCormick's, Bail
| ey's, Chesapeake and the old Hot
Pot" works when SIS was a big prizes
per ton. There were some splendid
men in the mills in those days and
! $40 ton would have opened their
| eyes. Harrisburg does not have sin
gle puddle mill now and it is doubt
full If there is a puddle furnace in
the county that is in active use. The
| Central mills have turned to plate
making. Chesapeake has disappeared
and they are ma king shells near
| where the Hot Pot' men used to
WELD their long iron bars. Duncan
non is the nearest puddle mill now.
Major A. M. Porter, the command
ant of the Harrisburg Reserves, who
was member of the Tenth Pennsyl-
vania in it's Philippine campaign and
a veteran not only of that regiment
but of one of the Philadelphia COM
mands, has a hard time to curb the
zeal of the four companies of his
battalion. The businessmen, lawyers,
| bankers, clerks, railroadmen and
others who make up the Reserves, go
| at the drill with so much snap that
| they do not like to stop when the
| bugle blows. In spite of the great
heat last week there was a good at
| tendance of the active membership
of the organization and the men hus-
tied around in various movements for
an hour They were all perspiring
and yet did not want to quit when
| the time came. The major does not
believe in long drills, but in just
enough to keep the men keyed up
and steadily learning the fundamen-
| tails. The Reserves have made rapid
progress and are hopeful of getting
| rifles soon.
Edgar c. FELTON,, former president
of the Pennsylvania Steel Company,
is the man who has taken charge of
the work that has been undertaken
by the State Public Safety committee
to insure a supply of labor through
out the State during the war. Mr..
FELTON, built up the Steelton plant
and pulled the company out OF the
receivership.