Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-29
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PERSONS who have been studying the
proposed plan for improvement of the
capitol Park Extension district have
been astonished at the amount of
traff1c that passes over the State street
bridge. Removal of the houses in the
E1ghth Ward facilitates observation of
the conditions attending the traffic and
an automobile a minute Is nothing nn-
common at certain hours of the day.
one would think that with the Null
perry street bridge and the Market
street subway quite a considerable part
OF the traffic going to the Hill section
would be taken care of but the growth
north of Market street is we'll demon
strated by the number of vehicles 60
ing over the bridge spanning the Penn
sylvania tracks at State street. BY
and by, when the Hill builds up still
more north of Forster street, there will
| be large amount of traffic carried
through the Herr street subway and
the State street traffic will increase as
well. Under the plan proposed for
the improvement of the park district
North and Walnut streets will cou-
verge at the entrance to the new
bridge which Is to start somewhere
near the present but be of such an
ornamental type and of such gradual
ascent that it will fit into the general
plan for Identification. The bridge
Will be large affair, capable of taking
care oL ITdlllc from lne central part
or the Hill, the far-out section and
even that portion north of Forster
street. 1t would be the part of wisdom,
say the observers, to begin the con-
struction of the bridge at an early
day.
There were probably more promi-
nent men in Harrisburg yesterday than
for very long time. The meeting Of
the Governors Statewide Committee
on Public Safety and the hearings on
the mine cave and other bills brought
to this city captains of business and
men prominent in the official and civic
life of practically every city in the
State. Indeed. there never has been
in the new Capitol, not even on the
day. OF its dedication or on any of the
historic occasions since, such gath
ering of men eminent in the affairs of
Pennsylvania. Men whose names are
household words and who have been
making the marvellous history of the
business, the life and affairs of the
keystone State were gathered in one
room at the Capitol yesterday in such
number that Chairman Pepper was led
to make striking remark. Discussing
the need for finances to organize the
! State he said that if he could get one
tenth of the wealth represented Mt
that meeting he could carry on al
most any project. Some one who heard
even under the terrific expensive con-
ditions of modern DAYS for a while.
James Scarlet. the Danville lawyer,
, told an amusing and yet tragic story
yesterday in appearing before the COM
mittee hearing the mine cave" bill.
He said that people in some districts
of the hard coal fields never knew
when their houses would sink into the
ground. He read a letter from one
company to a man in which he was
requested to make some arrangements
in case of damage. The man who got
/ the letter had q sense of humor even
. in disaster. He replied that his house
5 had sunk into hole caused by cave
5 in of q mine several hours before he
| had received the letter which re-
2 quested his acceptance of a proposition
in ten days. Naturally said Mr..
Scarlet, "he was unable to take ad-
l vantage of the proposition by mail"
: A good many interesting stories are
being told about the old Common
: wealth hotel which is to go out of
business as a hotel on Saturday and
some of the travelling men who have
, been making Harrisburg for a long
time are sorry that it will pass from
) the active list. There are some COM
mercial men who have been coming to
. Harrisburg for twenty-five or thirty
: years and some of their names have
/ been regularly written on the registers.
I Several of them gathered last night in
f the hotel lobby and told stories OF
= Jim" Russ and of the times they had
2 to get beds in days of political con-
S tests. Some of the travelling men have
gotten so accustomed to stopping at
r the hotel that they say they will feel
+ homeless when they come to Harris
l burg.
( The spring time is a great time for
t people to go to night fires. An alarm
g of fire any hour before midnight will
! bring out folks who would not think
, of turning out if the weather. was
t wintry Last nights alarm came In
time to catch the crowds from the
: movies" and folks walked for blocks
to go to see the excitement and to fol-
? low the machines And as for auto
7 mobiles they turned out by scores. A
= fire in fine weather after a long winter
2 is one of the greatest occasions to stir
UP excitement and it's a fine excuse to
: turn out in the evening.
Harry S. McDevitt. the solicitor of
? the State Economy and Efficiency
: Commission who drew up the report
which is being so much discussed,
: used to be a Philadelphia newspaper
man, having been member of the
staff of The Press for years. 1t was
= while he was in newspaper work that
: he became interested in research work,
l which he has turned to good adVant-
age of the State.
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