Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-26
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reeh actively connected with news
paper work in Harrisburg for mora
than two score years and was dean
Oh the newspaper correspondents of
the state. He had covered every
story of consequence in the stats
capital since the seventies and had
an acquaintance with men in public
life that was not only extensive but
about as varied as that of a man
long in newspaper work can have,
ne was credited with knowing the
inside workings of the state gov
ernment in half a dozen admins q
tratfons and in one had charge of
department. Letters and telegrams
received by his wife. Mrs. Mabel
Cronise Jones, herself a writer of
note, yesterday and to-day, attest
the large number of friends he had
throughout the state, while the per-
sonal tributes paid to him by men
ldentlf1ed with governmental and po-
htlcal affairs are noteworthy. At
the time of his death Mr. Jones
was president of the State Legisla-
tive Correspondents Association and
had been long a member and officer
of newspapermen's organizations in
Harrisburg and elsewhere, enjoying
an acquaintance among editors and
reporters in Pennsylvania probably
greater than any worker in the
newspaper field to-day in the state.
Mr.. Jones was born into newspa-
per work. His father Uriah j.
Jones, was one of the most bril-
liant newspapermen of Central
pennsylvania and was editor of u
Hollidaysburg paper when his son
was born in the mountain capital
of Blair county on August 81, 1850.
He was the author of Jones History
OF the Juniata Valley. which is at
this day one of the standard works
Of reference of the section which
mas given SO many men of strength
and capacity to not only the cities
Of Pennsylvania. but to the Army
ana Navy and the national govern
- ment. Mr.. Jones became one of the
owners of the Harrisburg Patriot
: shortly before the Civil War and re-
moved TO this city where his talents
and lighting ability soon made him
la figure of importance in state
journalism. He was not always in
accord with the mowers and is re-
called by old residents for the vigor
of his articles. His son developed
all llIClSt llhlllS lOI military dldlTS
he and when Harrisburg began to as
"a semble it's men for war service he
got out his drum and marched at
ch the head of the companies when they
n went to the stations on the way to
IL; the front On several occasions young
i-S Thomas escorted regiments from
n Camp Curtin to the trains and was
ST. formally enrolled in one unit raised
o. here as its drummer. This service
was recognized long years afterwards
OH by act of Congress- He also ran away
lit from home and stole a ride to Get
ry tySburg on the cars to hear Lincoln
=. make his immortal speech in 1864,
e. something which he took great pride
u in telling. And there were precious
few events hereabouts in the stir
ring months of that time of which
=, he did not get first-hand knowledge.
~ III After the war he took the course
"a then held essential for any one to
lIu become a newspaperman and learn
eH ed the case" on the Harrisburg Tele-
"a graph, published in Third street
eu where the Security Trust building
no now stands. In due season he was
~ u' made a reporter and started to ac-
IL cumulate his remarkable acquaint-
uT ance.
In addition to covering police"
and doing hotels" which were the
re- big sources of news in those days.
!S- became an expert in the game ana
ne figured on famous local teams, some
w: of which won state laurels. Some
70, VI of the best-known men of the COM
Ill munity were members of teams,
whose history Mr.. Jones wrote in n
series of articles some years ago
we il the Harrisburg Telegraph and
art later published elsewhere. 1t was
up before professional baseball came
mn in and rivalries were high. In the
DSe seventies Mr.. Jones was sent to Cap
ch; itoI Hill In those days the Leg
'ed islature had to struggle against
ma hangings and disasters for any show
lie, and departmental news as we know
hu II to-day was unknown. Mr.. Jones
es, did his share in developing Harris
ad burg as a news center and was ap-
a pointed correspondent for a number
be of newspapers. During this period
TOT he rose to be editor of the Harris
lu- burg Telegraph and architect of the
Sc Gossip Column" After thirty years
service he became connected with
the Star-Independent but recently
Il had been devoting himself to corre-
| spondence, writing interesting Har-
. risburg letters for the Philadelphia
m Record and number of state pa
Y pers including the Oil City Derrick
| of which he had been correspondent
| for some thirty years.
| In company with one who is now
d active in many ways in the making
| of Harrisburg to-day, Mr.. Jones
| helped build up the musical attrac-
tions of the State capital by bring
I'd ing to the city such bandmasters as
lIl Sousa, Gilmore, Strauss and Crea-
A4 tore. and many stars of the vocal
| and lecturing world. This was a work
:. in which he expended much energy
- and if the results were not always
profitable they helped the fame of
Harrisburg because people came for
many miles around to attend the
uo concerts.
a Mr.. Jones election as president of
: the Legislative Correspondents AS
! sociation. composed of the newspa-
J permen from all over the state who
< come here to write the stories of the
J General Assembly was realization of
4 an ambition of years Walter J.
I Christy, of the Pittsburgh Gazette
, Times, now the only surviving men,
Is | ber of the group of brilliant news
y papermen who formed that organi-
]. zation a quarter of a century ago.
II land others active in the Capitol Hill
Nv work, quietly arranged the election
- of Mr.. Jones, who was also a char
ter member. Lee Solomon, secretary
of the State Compensation Board,
I'm then with the Philadelphia Record,
got Mr.. Jones consent to use his