Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-19
Eurntttg Ullat

wi. IltHTy w. EoHOGDidhtIs pub-
Usher of the Altoona Tribune, his
torian and lover of nature, has added
to his splendid contributions to the
history of Pennsylvania a book on the
legends of the Juniata Valley. About
ten years ago Colonel Shoemaker,
whose love for the woods and the hills
and the mountains caused Kim to
travel over the greater part of middle
and northern Pennsylvania, wrote
Pennsylvania Mountain stories and
then q book of verses on the ranges
of the Keystone State. He had pre-
viously written upon wild life in Penn
sylvania and the popular interest
awakened in the stories of the beaut-
full valleys and hills of the State in
duced Colonel Shoemaker to enlarge
his studies and about four years ago
he pu S h ed the Susquehanna
Legends, which attracted wide notice
and was the first attempt made to
gather the stories of the wide branch
ing river and to treat them SYM
pathetically. Colonel Shoemaker did
not try to write history. He collected
the legends, upon which much history
is founded and told them in a way
that brought home the days of the In
dians, the trappers, the traders and the
settlers Since that time he has pub
l1shed several books and some mono
graphs and now Juniata Memories has
appeared. AS in the case of the Sus-
quehanna Legends, the scene of many
| of the stories is not far from Har-
risburg and the legends have been
| told about the tireside of many Har-
risburg family whose forefathers set
tied up the Blue Juniata and who told
| the stories to the grandparents of some
| darrisburgers of to-day There have
been few more entertaining collections
of legends of any State assembled than
the list in the Memories.
Major General Charles M. Clement,
commander of the Pennsylvania di-
vision at the border, was one of the
| happiest men in Harrisburg yesterday
| when he had received a gold watch
from the members of his staff as a
parting gift. The staff will separate
to-day after many months of living
together and the general in speaking
about the gift declared that it would
always remind him of one of the most
| delightful periods of his life. When
the National Guard was called out
there were a good many matters 'up
in the air." so to speak. orders were
being issued for many changes and in
the pulling and hauling which occur
red when the examinations, appoint
ments and musterings were going on
there were times when things were
tense. Yet, throughout the mobiliza-
ton and during the service at El Paso
the headquarters staff lived together
as one family and the general said
there never was a more congenial
group assembled.
Officials. of the State League of
Boroughs, who decided at their re-
cent meeting here to urge adoption of
n constitutional amendment for u
greater measure of home rule appear
to have started something, as the boys
say. The suggestion has been taken
up in number of municipalities, in
Guiding some of the cities and the
| oh hot ha
earnest support given to the amend
ment from unexpected and influential
quarters. The third class city league
has been discussing the plan for years
and there have been many moves to
bring the idea to the attention of the
legislators.
The other afternoon a man dressed
in all of the up-to-date toggery of an
automobile owner appeared in the
courthouse and fussily demanded of
q man who was lounging in the ro-
tunda-against the rules-where he
could get a license. The lounger
naturally sent him to the marriage
license office and the man emerged a
| few minutes later red in the face and
desirous of shedding blood. He land
ed on the lounger and told him he
should guess again. The idle one had
a sense of humor and replied: Since
you're after somethin' go and try fer
| a hunters license on the second
floor" The other man got mad prop
erly and asked the lounger if he had
never seen an automobile Not
yours" was the answer of the lounger.
Speaking of marriage licenses it
was not so long ago that a very much
embarrassed young couple appeared
in the office of the chief of TIE guides
at the State Capitol and asked to be
shown where they could get mar
riage license. They came from a near
by town and it seems had walked
right by the courthouse.
The State Federation OF Pennsyl-
vania Historical Societies, which held
it's annual meeting here yesterday
was formed in Harrisbu a dozen
years ago. 1t was started by a few
men who We're much interested in
having the societies work for q COM
mon end and to secure some greater
measure of cooperation. State Lii
brarian Thomas Lynch Montgomery
was one of the moving factors as was
Senator w. c. Sproul. The result has
been that the societies have been
pulling together and that important
places have been located and their
historical significance brought to the
attention of the public.
Among visitors to the city yester-
day was Col A. NJ. Holding, promi-
nent attorney of West Chester and
for years prominent in affairs of
Chester. Years ago he was a colonel
on the Governors staff.