Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-05
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Selection will probably be made
within a few weeks of Pennsylvania
artist to complete the scheme of mu-
raj decorations in the first floor cor
ridors of the State Capitol. The sub
ject is being given close attention by
Governor Brumbaugh, whose desire
to make the States official building
not only an art center but place
where the history of the Common
wealth will be told on canvas by rep
resentative artists of Pennsylvania.
The south corridor contains the series
of paintings depicting the religious
influences which entered into the
making of the State, and 1t was plan
ned to have the north corridor show
the industrial forces which make the
Keystone State prominent in manu-
facuring, mining and other lines.
William b. VanInghen executed the
paintings for the south corridor ana
John w. Alexander, the distinguished
Pittsburgh artist. was commissioned
to paint the north series, but he OBJ
iected to filing a bond ana dled pc
fore he could arrange matters MT.
VanInghen is being discussed Tor the
commission for the Industrial PANT
ings and there are some otherS iheh-
toned. Governor Brumpaush IaS
been making inquiries and mas had
some of the ideas sketched out for
him.
The completion of the series for
the Senate chamber will be matter
of year. The State authorizes eN.
pect to have the gold medalllons OF
Washington and Franklin replaced
by allegorical paintings by Miss NloleC
Oakley, who painted the series when
was unveiled last month. These paint
ings were not in the contract ana q
new one will be made. In addltlon
Miss Oakley is to paint two great
mural decorations for the rear OF the
Senate chamber, which will depict
some stirring incidents in the his
tory of the State. After this work
is done she is to decorate the Supreme
Court chamber, which will be a mat
ter of some years, as it Will take over
LOO square feet.
George P. Wilson. who was former
ly chief of the bureau of rates of the
Public Service Commission, and who
is now secretary of the transportation
bureau of the Philadelphia Chamber
of Commerce, gave some OF the COM
placent people in that city an aWtu!
jar the other day when he declared
that he personally knew of many
bushels of potatoes being held in cars
by spectators at their very doors.
The spectators bought up the pota-
toes and held them in the cars, tax
ing chances on the demurrage charges
ana the nlBn prices W BSI OuI WIN 81
profit. He said that he knew of S5,-
900 bushels so held.
William r. d. Hall, who will be-
come chief of the publicity bureau or
the Philadelphia Chamber of Com
merce, has been an active member OF
the Engineers Society in this city,
and in charge of the publicity and en-
tertainment features. He is q former
Philadelphia newspaperman and did
much in the three years in which he
was statistician of the State Highway
Department to turn around pubic
sentiment as regards that branch of
| the government, which is now among
the most popular on the Hill.
"The brightest ray of life for those
whose span of life is fast drawing to
a close seems to be the recalling of old
| time condolences and the relation or
"reminiscences of the time when | was
young" an aged woman of the city
said on Sunday evening after the thun-
derstorm in this section. She said that
a similar storm had occurred Just
three days after the declaration of war
against the Southern States. A violent
thunderstorm swept the Eastern COAST
on the 9Th of April, 1861. The peoples
of this section believed it to be an
omen of the close approach of some
disaster. Three days later, when war
was declared, all were unanimous in
their former belief. Other old resi-
dents are basing their belief that IL
war is declared it will come in April.
Every important war that the United
States has been engaged in has been
declared in April. Some urge that
history will repeat.
+
The reading of titles of the many
bills introduced in the Legislature is
duty that is skipped over by the
presiding officers of the lower house
much to the relief of the hard work.
| ing lawmakers. In the main the titles
are long and tiresome and their reci-
| tation on introduction would only re-
| tard the deliberations of the bodies.
| The House several sessions ago gave
up the practice of having the repre-
sentatives "read in place" their bills,
and instead they were sent to the
Speaker and by him consigned to the
! proper committees. In the Senate
| chamber, however, where things are
slower and more sedate, the old prac-
tice of having a little ceremony each
time bill is put forward is still OBJ
served. To visitors the manner in
which Lieutenant-G Governor McClain
reads the titles to these bills is a great
attraction.