Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-24
Ehfnttn 0l1at

The first record of post service in
among lot of old papers, letters,
and ancient memorbilia in house in
Thompsontown among the effects OF
a man named Thomson (without the
p), who is supposed to have been ia
descendant of Col. James Burd, for
years resident of Paxton, east OF
harrisburg, and q neighbor of John
Harris, founder of Harrisburg, WIZ,
wrote the letter to Col. Burd coLtar-
ing the announcement that the DELI.
cry of mail in Central PennsylvaniS
was about to be started. This letter
from John Harris is addressed to Col.
Burd at Tinian, near Lancaster, where
Col. Burd was visiting at the tima,
AS showing the beginning of the pos.
tai service in the vicinity of HarriS-
burg it Is interesting, and it is given
just the way John Harris wrote it.
the address being as follows
To James Burd Esquire at TiniaS
near Lancaster, by my nigroe Isaac
The ''nigroe Isaac" is supposed tS
nave been one of Mr.. Harris slaves,
"Sir,
The Bearer Philip Craft is Begin
ming to take in subscriptions in Order
to See If Sufficient number of Sub
scribers can be Got in Order to En-
courage him to Ride as Post for 1
Year. If you Like the -(word miss
ing, paper worn through) please to
speak to Captn Green or any you
Please to subscribe. he proposes to
carry paper for Every Person for
Year Once a Week for l dollar, il
Two papers ten ten Shillings a year
winch l think Reasonable. l put 10
shillings to my name as an Encour-
agement. would been at Widow Mar
tins but number of Persons came
here that l can't get away at Pres
ent.
Il am Sir with the Greatest Re-
spects
Your Most Obedlent and Most
Humble Servant,
John Harris
ITO James Burd Esquire, Paxton"
The letter came into possession of
Dr. Thomas Lynch Motgomery, State
Librarian, who is always in search
of documents of a historic character,
and he permitted the publication of
the above, as we'll as the following
letter written by Mr.. Harris, a year
after he had laid out the town of
ttarrlSDurg-
Harrisburg, 18th, 1856.
Sir, BE pleased to send by Bearer
the order of Court Appointing you
and five Other Gentlemen to Vieni &
make report on the ancient public
road by the Smiths mill, known by
the name of the Hill road as Mr.
Graydon wants to report IL record 1t
next week. | have your report Signed
by the Six Gentlemen on a separate
piece of paper but Mr.. Graydon wants
the aforesd order also W compliance
will Oblige sir W most Humble
Servant
John Harris.
Word has reached this city of the
death at Richland. of Cyrus +. Hoff-
man, believed to have been the last
survivor of the Legislature of 1856.
He was 81 years of age and repre-
sented Lebanon county. He was u
school teacher and an early friend OF
the late DR.. Henry Houck. Mr.. Hoff-
manswas q member of the Legislature
which chose Simon Cameron as SEN
ator, and was well known in this
part of the State. He was postmaster
at his home town for years and also
register of wills for the county. =
Apropos of the old saying Some
one is always taking the joy out Of
life," they have even erected mo
smoking sign" at the local police
court. Police reporters since the be-
ginning of that institution have con-
soled themselves with pipe. cigarette
or stray cigar, just as their luck hap
pened to be going. A good strong pipe
often comes in handy when some va
grant not unusually careful about a
''semi-annual" occupied the chair. A
cigar tilted at just the right angle to
properly impress the culprits has al
ways added dignity to the judicial
pose of the magistrate. Now, however,
1t is Positively no smoking"
Requests for information and police
protection that come to Desk Sergeant
Charles Fleck, at the police station,
are many and varied. Usually it ia
a female voice that declares two
suspicious men are standing outside
and am just as sure as anything that
they are going to fight or break in the
house." But local jokers aren't over
the high price of potatoes. Yesterday
someone called in and declared he
was thinking about buying a peck of
potatoes that evening, would the po-
lice give him protection while he was
taking them home.