Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-25
Ehrtttttg Gtrat

the highways which mark off Capitol
park extension like a checkerboardI
will be turned over to the men who
have been tearing down the buildingsI
in that section and the town will be i
treated to an example of ripping up
streets. The pavements must be
taken up, water and other pipes re-
moved, wires placed under ground
and poles lowered. Trees will go and
so will every sign of habitation.
When one comes to think about it'd
there is something striking about
wiping out section OF a city. We
are all accustomed to seeing land de-
veloped, streets laid out, poles, wires
and pipes and houses built. Things
are all marked out and accepted
What part of the Eighth ward will
undergo will be to have everything
by which man marks out habitations
or highways obliterated. EverythingI
that has been done in the line of city
development will be crossed off andI
the acres will be turned into a hugeI
field. This field will be cut by fourI
highways, a couple going north andI
south and two connecting them. TheI
two north and south roads will saveI
Harrisburg from having a dixie cutI
across 1t from Third street to theI
railroads. When the place of housesI
and other buildings has been turnedI
back into a field condition the ex-I
pert planters will come along and
grade it. Then 1t will be sown inI
grass and trees will be planted. ItI
Will De gardening on a huge scale}
a1ter part of a town has been turn
ed back into its original state.
Removal of the Cooper foundry in
the Tanners alley district to mako
room for Capitol park extension de-
Velopment takes away one of theI
landmarks of the older portion of
the Eighth ward and the sky in that
section will no longer be illuminated
at night by the glow from it's smoke
stacks. The foundry occupied a sitd
| which had been used for iron mould
ing for many years. Indeed, it wad
| over seventy years ago that the first
foundry was located in that section
OF the city and successive firms had
foundries, machine shops and similar
| establishments in that block. Thd
| Cooper foundry occupied one of thd
Oldest sites in Harrisburg continuousl
iy used for one purpose of manufacl
ture.
1t looks rather odd to people Wild
glance up Fifth street from Market
TO see but one tower of st. Lawrerce'd
Church standing as a lonely sentinel
In walnut street. The twin tower}
dated back a good many years fo}
the people OF central Harrisburg and
the demolition of the old church hal
been followed with interest. The rel
moVal OF the tower to the east atI
tracted quite a crowd and the topl
ping OF the last will be an event fol
people in that section.
Whatever" queried the formed
Harrisburger, as he looked out oil
one of the Capitol windows overlook
ing the old Ate" ward, and saw th4
devastation wrought in making waj
for park extension, Whatever bei
came OF old Lafayette hall down thiI
street that was built by the notoriouI
hrm of Harry and Hattie Cook. fa|
nous as a gambling joint and rum
mill?" He was told that it was ad
electric light station for a while. and
then was razed along with the othel
buildings. I'll never forget" he re
sumed. the funeral of Harry CoolJ
| He died about 1875, and his wife del
termined that he should have a gorI
geous funeral, with brass band acI
compartment. Fancy that On tn
day of the funeral the remains la{
in state in the barroom, surrounded
by floral tributes galore from tn
loving wife. Deceased was attired id
his best suit, lavender trousers, blacl|
velvet coat, with rose in the lapel
low cut vest, open front starched
shirt containing a diamond pin al
big as the end of your thumb. 10 \
collar with wide-f1owing white scarf
side-whiskers and moustache waxed
TO needle points. And that casket wal
solid rosewood with a plethora oil
silver ornaments and a large silve|
plate containing name, age and dati
OF death of deceased. From earlj
morn to the time set for the funeral
there was a constant stream of peo|
pie going and coming to look upod
the face of Harry. And the funeral
procession was one never to be for|
gotten. First came the brass band
playing the Dead March, followed bJ
the minister and pallbearers, and
then the hearse decorated with thI
floral emblems. Then came the widow
in deep mourning in a carriage al
by herself, followed by at least fift1
carriages containing the dead mani
1ntlmateS and denizens of the underI
world. Before the casket was closeI
the big diamond stud was taken frorI
the dead mans shirt front, ana hill
diamond rings, three in number, rel
moved from his fingers. Hundred
followed the procession, and altol
gether it was such a funeral as II
described by Mark Twain in telIinI
of the burial of Buck Fanshaw. sd
too. events in the Eighth ward werI
dated from Harry Cooks funera
What world of human intereJ
there was in the old Eighth ward anl
its people and characteristics"
1t is probable that within the nex
few days the arrangement of the buI
reaus of the State government which
must get out of the park extension
will be settled. Superintendent
Shreiner has planned to have the of
noes all within short distance @,
| the Capitol