Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-06-11
Ehpntnp Ulrat'

|
iUrihea at the courthouse on Satur-
uay night under the name of the
airispurg Reserves has many coun-
terparts in the country, notably in
-N"Ssachusetts, New York, New Jer-
seS' maryland and Virginia. while
.here are dozens either actively drill
ing or in process of formation in
ehhsSlVania. The springing into e..
n,te. tSsehce OF these organizations without
t'ny oHlclal stimulus or even encour-
agement in many parts of tho sea-
poard states has attracted much at
| lehtloh and people who were disnos-
eu TO regard them in a rather Ueht-
heaIted manner have been surprised
at the spirit shown and the numbers
W ol persons who have enrolled. Prac-
| tlcaliy every man who is going into
ohe OF the numerous companies Is
making some sacrifice of time or even
more TO attend the drills and to fa-
mlllarlze himself with the reguIa-
uons. And one of the notable things
apout these trained bands is that
tney are doing it for the drilling
Whlch VIII tit the members to meet
! any emergencies which NAV arise
Most of them do not know where
| they VIII get arms, but they have
| started out to learn how to obey
! commands. The parade idea is not
working. In Germantown an organ
lZation has been formed under the
name of the Minute Men. In the Ard
more district there is another corps
| winch is as well organized as a mill
TIA company while in other districts
OF suburban Philadelphia, there are
| Dodles which have all sorts of OBJ
Jects but whose plans are all actuat-
eu py the home defense and prepara-
| uoh IDEA. These associations are diff
ierent from the volunteer police who
nave been formed in New York and
| VINO are being organized in Philadel-
phla, primarily to back up the police
ana even to take their places. The
| nome defense organizations, such as
| We nave here, are to train men to
meet any emergencies. Training is
the object that will be aimed at Wig
orously for some time to come.
Whatever else may be done is up to
the members of the companies them
selves. The only claim upon their
services is the American spirit of law
and order, which is practical patriot
ism.
A couple of the men who made the
campaign in behalf of the Liberty
Loan such success in Harrisburg
and vicinity, gathered in subscrip-
tions Saturday by being on the Job.
Ihey went to the Saturday markets
on the assumption that the farmers
have been making money and signed
up quite a few people who had cash
in banks Others made tours of the
stores on Saturday night and added
to the lists. Some of the campaign
ers toured in the street cars home
ward bound to residential sections.
The Paxtang home defense organi-
cation has one of the finest drill
grounds to be found hereabouts. 1t
Is section of the city's Paxtang
, parkway. This parkway leaves Derry
street at the old brick schoolhouse
and winds to Reservoir park. 1t is
not open at present and the Paxtang
, men have been using it for their
drills. The formation of this unit,
which took place within a stones
throw of old Paxton church, a point
of historic interest and center of
fighting spirit for almost 200 years,
was the first to follow the meeting
in Harrisburg and points the way for
other places. The Paxtang men, true
to the spirit of their ne1ghborhood,
will go in for preparedness by drilling
twice a week and oftener, If weather
is good, instead of having the even
ing baseball game.
In passing It might be said that
the people living in the West End
of the city have been considering
formation of a unit of the Harrisburg
Reserves so that those who live in
that part of the city can drill oftener
than once a week while the weather
is good. The West End is on ground
as rich in incentive to patriotic work
as PaXtang, for Camp Curtin, the
great camp of the Civil War, was
| in RI nf ri
phin county people live in an historic
part of Pennsylvania and in the year
of the great war are as true to tho
traditions of the nieghborhood as
were the men of the Revolution and
the other wars to the spirit of the old
Indian fighters who chased the red
skins back from the mountains in
the middle of the eighteenth century.
| Major Alonzo NJ. Porter, who was
chosen as the major in command of
the Harrisburg Reserves, who will
probably have a battalion formation,
was for years a member of the Tenth
Pennsylvania regiment which was
the only eastern command to fight
in the Philippines and which has for
years been noted as one of the most
efficient National Guard organiza-
tions in the United States. Major
Porter commanded the Washington
company of that regiment and had
long service in the Guard. He retired
from active connection with the regi-
ment upon coming to Harrisburg to
become connected with the Depart
ment of Public Grounds and Build
ings.
Major Frank r. Zeigler of the
Eighth infantry, has one regret.
When he saw the personnel of the
home defense organization at its first
drill and noted the enthusiasm of
the men and the way they picked up
the rudiments of drilling he said that
he was sorry he did not have that
bunch twenty years ago.
In connection with military mat
ters it IS interesting to note that
Harrisburg had five military organi-
cations at one time between the Mex
lean and Civil Wars. In 1900 there
were rifle, artillery, dragon and in
| fantry cOmnanies here.