Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-09
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realize that the railroads of this state
are among the greatest factors for
Americanization. This may sound
strange when it is considered that they
are among the large employers of for
eign labor, but the fact is that the
transportation companies are con-
stantly bringing to the attention of
the aliens in their employ the impor-
tance of becoming citizens. 1t makes
the men better workmen; makes them
feel that they belong, which is big
thing when there are many men of
diverse nationalfies employed, and it
| inculcates a sense of responsibility.
| The railroads issue all orders in Eng
| llsh. The men soon realize that it is
| important to know just what the or
| derS say. Sometimes they do not trust
| their own people who act as inter
| prefers and their foremen have to
| hammer into their heads what the or
| ders mean. Then, too, the foreigners
are not slow fns recognizing that the
| men who learn English and become
citizens have the best chance for the
| permanent and the better jobs. They
are the canniest people in the world
at making money and it is not very
long step from knowledge of English
and things American to owning u
home and becoming a citizen. The
| way man who can vote will swell
around among his former countrymen
| is significant. Then, too, the railroads
are very careful to have the men in
charge of work Americans and to have
| a pretty fair sprnkling of natives
among the workers on the various
| Jobs. The places where anything could
happen are all in charge of Americans,
very often men who live right at the
place and whose fathers and relatives
| have worked ION the road" The
crews are American to q man and
proud of it. All through the railroads
are strong for Americanization and u
tremendous force for popularizng
what this state and nation stand for.
The German crisis has brought out
a good many applications for nat
uralization and the reason in many
cases is not far to seek. Another
thing noted here in this crisis is that
there has been 1ittle excitement among
the foreigners coming from the CEN
tral powers. There has been no draw
ing out of money from postal savings
or from banks worth commenting
upon. In fact, among the men from
Austria and some provinces in the
eastern part of the German empire
the workmen who still owe allegiance
to emperors are disposed to let events
take their course and to go on earning
more money than they have been get
ting in their lives The men from
allied countries did not get excited and
there have been no racial clashes here
abouts. From what men who observe
the foreigners say, there does not
seem to be probability of any, either.
Knowledge that one can enjoy the
fruits of labor and lie down at night
in safety has always been something
that appeals to the man from overseas.
This part of the state, although set
tied by people from half dozen lands,
has always been intensely patriotic.
Central Pennsylvania was one of the
hotbeds in 1775 and the records show
that there were mighty few Tories
about. Those who We're here when
things began to grow tense soon left.
There were no more ardent lovers of
America than the sons of men who
! emigrated from the British isles to the
valley of the Susquehanna and who
fought their own cousins at Chadds
Ford and Germantown and descend
ants of Germans who came here be-
fore Independence and after the Ger
manic troubles of 1S4S are as strenu-
ously American as the progeny of the
Scot and the Irishman.
Some odd acts of Assembly are 60
ing to be repealed this session of the
Legislature. Several acts are being
advertised in various counties which
sound queer. For instance. Allegheny
county announces it is going to ask
repeal of the law relative to catching
foxes in that county.
Did you ever stop to consider that
in n few generations the present tee-
phone receiver will make the average
person unable to hear from the right
ear?" said a prominent physician re-
Gently. A new thought but seemingly
a logical one. Any organ loses its
power by long disuse. Most men use
their right hands because countless
aeons of time ago our sturdy forebears
protected their hearts with a shield
held in the left hand while they
welded their stone clubs in the right.
Years of warfare made the. right the
strong arm. To-day when the tele-
phone bell rings the logical thing to
do even for a left-handed man is to
pick up the receiver with the left. The
left ear is trained to pick up the most
delicate sound vibrations. If you do
not believe this, just try using the left
ear. In a few generations of abnor-
NAL development of the left ear, per-
haps, the doctors theory will be vim
dicated.
The State School Directors Associa-
ton, which has been holding its con-
vention here this week, had as one of
ago. Governor Brumbaugh. The Gov
ernor was then a school superinten-
dent and talked business with the di-
racfnrS