davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
Over he ToFa
;N Penna.

"Afraid?" snapped Mrs Roy Col
thiss in a western Pennsylvania court
where she had her husband ar
raigned for nonsupport. Afraid of
him-well l guess not. Last night
threw just as much as he did but
he was the one that started it. 1
could knock the head off the little
shrimp if wanted to; but your hon
or, he makes $12 week. and that
amt TO be shifted at nowadays"
The American Jew is giving
splendid account of himself in this
war. n conservative estimate of the
men now in service. between 100000
and 100000, is that 10 or 12 per
cent are Jews. out of a body of
$1,000 at Camp Meade 5000 are
Jews. and the proportion of them at
Camp Upton is AZ per cent.
One day a kind old clergyman
got on the train near Auburn, re-
lates u northern Pennsylvania paper
lie had sweet face and silver hair.
Near him sat five or six thoughtIess
rascals, who to annoy the old min
lister kept scoffing at religion and
teillhS ulSSfacelul stories. The min
lister endured it all without answer
ing or apparently without being an
noyed. Arriving at his journeys end,
he got up and said simply:
we shall meet again, my chill
dren."
Why shall we meet again ?" asked,
the leader of the band.
Because l am prison chaplain"
was the reply.
No starvation in the historic old
Cumberland Valley farms. A young
lndy with a sense of humor, in writ
ing of n visit to one says: They
think they are Hooverizing here but
l would not call 1t painful. For
breakfast this morning we had moth
ing but cereal with real cream;
homemade sausages, fried potato
cakes, stewed fruit, hot biscuit and
two kinds of preserves and coffee.
Yesterday morning they apologized
for only having waffles, but there
was bacon and eggs and three or
four side dishes. We could only
eat 29 waffles each and the lady
seemed to be piqued. She said our
allotment was 81"
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
THE SALARIED MAN

The farmer should not resent the
limitation of the price of wheat.
That is reasonable. 1t does not pre-
vent him from making a profit. He
should resent unregulated, unlimit-
ed, shameless profiteers prices for
all that he buys. He should resent
paying several times its value for
wire fencing while the Steel Trust
pays 300 per cent. dividend. He
should resent being robbed by ferti-
lizer venders. But the farmer is not
as badly off as the helpless, the hap
less, the gouged and ground salaried
man who is not n producer of arti-
Cles of commodities and cannot in
that capacity profiteer, and who is
not a member of a coal miners union
and cabal which can enter into an
agreement with the coal mine opera
tors to split the profits upon q gouge
of the coal consumer and get away
with the scheme at washington, the
headquarters of price fixers, who al
low price raising now and then.
The salaried man is hardly a class.
He has few advocates. Nobody warns
up to him for his vote, as politicians
warm up to the farmer. He has no
lobbyists in legislative corridors. No
delegations wait in his behalf upon
the administrators who regulate the
prices of commodities. His dollar is
about half as big as it was last year.
His bills are enormous.-Louisvi
Courier-Journal.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

roics and super-ability to meet a sit
uation like the present, and IL it is
developed by the investigations that
there those in high places in Wash
ington who are not fitted for the
positions they hold--as it would now
appear-the time has come for them
to step down and out in order that
abler men may step in. The inter
ests of the Nation are above those
of any individual or group of indi-
viduals or parties. Nobody asks
whether General Pershing is Repub-
lican or Democrat. ALI the people
care is whether or not he is the man
best fitted to lead our armies TO
victory. And the same should be
true of the cabinet. Who cares
whether Republican or a Democrat
wins this war? And how is the party
in power going to answer to the peo-
pie if it does not dismiss the lncom-
petents and replace them with men
whose only qualifications shall be
that they are the very best men in
the country for the great work at
hand?
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

ing force in the world. Rather. it is
that one nation has failed in its
Christianity, and militant, righte-
ously angry Christian world has
arisen to smite it, even as God smote
the wicked nations in the elder
days. That we must kill and be
killed in the doing of this takes away
nothing from the loftiness of our
self-appointed task nor from the
recitude of our purpose. The gentle
Nazarine himself died a bloody
death midst a throng of Roman SOL
diery. Nor is the case of Germany
hopeless. None are beyond the for
giveness of the loving Founder OF
Christmas. The thief on the cross
repented in time. We do not hate
the German people. We shall re-
joice when they see the error of
their way, as many are doing even
now. We shall fight them, not for
our own aggrandizement nor for re-
venge, but to teach them that the
world must be governed by the pre-
cept of the Golden Rule.
The spirit of Christmas pervades
the wlpole country. 1t has gone into
the training camps and the trenches.
Read Sergeant Empey's account of
Christmas along the French front,
elsewhere in the Telegraph to-day,
and be convinced of that. And who
are we that we should be downheart-
ed when men make merry even in
the very shadow of death! Who
are we that we should be disspirited
at the moment when the great Foun-
der of Christmas is making himself
felt in the hearts and the minds of
men as never before!
Let us rather make truce with
trouble and an armistice with worry,
and keep our Christmas as merrily
as we may. Let us keep the home
fires burning till the boys come
home" Let the yule log blaze on
every hearth, its bright rays chas-
ing away the gloomy shadows and
its warmth reflected in our hearts
and lives.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
Is There a Santa Claus?

sight. The eternal light with which
childhood fills the world would be
eXtinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You
might as well not believe in fairies!
You might get your papa to hire men
to watch in all the chimneys on
Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus,
but even If they did not see Santa
Claus coming down, what would
that prove? Nobody sees Santa
Claus, but that is no sign that there
is no Santa Claus. The most real
things in the world are those that
neither children nor men can see.
Did you ever see fairies dancing on
the lawn? OF course not; but that's
no proof that they are not there.
Nobody can conceive or imagine all
the wonders there are unseen and
unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rat
tie and see what makes the noise
inside. but there is a veil covering
the unseen world which not the
strongest man, nor even the united
strength of all the strongest men
that ever lived, could tear apart.
Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, ro-
nance, can push aside that curtain
and view and picture the supernal
beauty and glory beyond. Is 1t oil
real? All, Virginia, in all this world
there is nothing else real and abid-
ing.
No Santa Claus Thank God! he
lives, and he lives forever. A thou
sand years from now, Virginia; nay.
ten times ten thousand years from
now, he will continue to make glad
the hearts of children.--New York
Gun
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
HIS EXPLANATION
To the Editor of the Telegraph:

To the Editor of the Telegraph:
1t is not my desire to get into
print, but believe it is the duty of
every one to defend himself, when
occasion arises.
In this case it is my reason for
not contributing to the Red Cross.
stated that I did not believe in
any Volunteer unit connected in any
way with the Army or Navy.
Because of that, a solicitor for the
Red Cross questioned my patriotism
Notwithstanding the fact, that 1 am
an ex-soldier, gave II months of
honest and faithful service in the
Philippine Islands, and was also a
member of the American Legion,
whose duty it was to serve its coun-
try in any capacity that its Govern
ment saw fit to designate, and the
chart of which was turned over to
Secretary of War Baker.
When / state that do not believe
in Volunteer Service. I don't mean
by that that do not honor and re-
spect the Patriots of '76 or the Pa
triots of '61. God rest their souls.
But do mean to say in these days
of scientific warfare, it is the duty
we owe to the man that is fighting
our battles to back him up with ex-
perience and efficiency, backed by
our National Government, and not
by men with little or no experience,
who are seeking selfish glory under
the guise of patriotism, and at the
sacrifice of a mothers son.
In view Of the fact, of my con-
victions on this subject, did not
try to influence any one, not even
my wife, when the solicitor came to
my home, she willingly subscribed,
and 1 myself also have subscribed
for the Liberty Bonds, and the Y. M.
C. A. My reason for subscribing to
the Y. M. c. A. is because 1 believe
in its work. and is entirely an iDde-
pendent association, having no con-
nections whatsoever with the work
ings of the Army.
J. @. GCTIAEFDR.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
MONDAY, DECEMBER .I, 1917
CHRISTMAS

A Nd she brought forth her first
AAborn son. and wrapped him In
swaddIing clothes, and laid him in n
mnnGer; because there was no room
for them I'm the inn.
And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding In the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night.
And. 10, the angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory of the Lord
Shone round about them. and they
were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them. Fear
not: for. behold, 1 bring you good tid-
inGs of great joy, which shall he to all
people.
For unto you is born this day. in the
city of David. IL Saviour. which is
Christ the Lord.
And this shall he n sign unto you:
We shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddIinE clothes, lying in n manEer.
And suddenly there was with the
angel multitude of the heavenly
host, praIsing God, and saying,
Glory to God I'm the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men.
And 1t came to pnss, M the angels
were gone away from them into
heaven, the shepherds said one to an
other, Let us now go even unto Beth
lehcm, and see this thing which is
come to pass, which the Lord hath
made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and
found Mary and Joseph. and the babe
lying in n manager.
And when they had seen it, they
made known abroad the saying which
was told them concerning this child.
And ali they that heard IT wondered
at those things which were told them
by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things, and
Dondered them I'm her heart.
And the shepherds returned, gIori-
tying and praIsInE God for NIL the
things that they had heard and seen.
as 1T was told unto them.-LuIxe ..
7r2O.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
MERRY CHRISTMAS ~
NE E r RY Christmas! Merry
hIU CbriStp, ocI,S

M E r Il 7 Christmas! Merry
The words are on n thou-
sand tongues this moment and tbev
will be repeated and repeated again
and again wherever folks meet to
pass the greetings of the season
this Christmas Eve and tomorrow.
Perhaps, If you have loved ones
absent or if you feel, as most of us
do, the unseen but ever-present
burden of the war, the words may
have a hollow sound.
But If you give the matter a lit
tie thought you will see it in a diff
ferent light. For the thoughtful
man there is always a tinge of sad
ness amid the jollity of the Christ
mas season. The tragic figure on the
cross casts its shadow across the
ages, and Christmas would be a sor-
rowful day, indeed, were it not for
the joyous Easter season to follow
And so it will be tomorrow. We
are living under a passing cloud
There are dark days ahead for most
of us. But there is also the promise
of glorious Easter season for the
world, when the war shall end in the
great triumph of democracy and
Christianity that is just ahead; fol
democracy is q doctrine of Christian
ity, and either is apt to be a mock
cry without the other.
Neither is the war a sign that
Christianity has failed as q civiliz-
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
THE FLAGS CHRISTMAS

This morning, as look and see
The Flag still waving over me,
1 lift my eyes to 1t and say:
"Old Flag, a Merry Christmas Day!
May every friend of yours be true,
May every sky above be blue,
AS blue as is that field divine
Wherein your stars of glory shine!
Today some give their blood to shed
To tint your stripes a deeper red,
And some bring gifts of courage rare
To keep you fine and splendid there.
My Christmas gift must be 20 you
My hearts devotion, through and
through.
God grant that men shall never see
The day when you must cease to be!
That never strong or cunning foe
At you shall strike n deadly blow!
May children's laughter and their
song
OF gladness, as you pass along,
BE yours to hear; may mothers fair
Rejoice to see you dancing there;
May all men, under Gods great sky,
Bareheaded stand as you go by,
And when these days of care are
DER,
May every joy be yours once more!
oh, finest friend to man, I pray
For you a Merry Christmas Day!"
Edgar A. Guest, In the American
Boy.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
VTTE TAKE pleasure in answer
wv ing at once and thus promi-

w ing at once and thus i "pS~Ea- proml-
nently the communication he
low, expressing at the same time
our great qualification that its faith
full author is numbered among the
friends of the Sun:
Dear Editor: | am years old,
Some of my little friends say there
is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If
you see it in the Sun. it's So" Please
tell me the truth; is there a Santa
Claus? VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
115 West Ninety-flfth street.
Virginia, your little friends are
wrong. They have been affected by
the skepticism of sSeptlcal age.
They do not believe except they see.
They think that nothing can he
which Is not comprehensive by their
little minds. All minds. Virginia,
whether they be mems or childrens,
are little. In this great universe OF
ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in
his intellect, as compared with the
boundless world about him, as meas
ured by the intelligence capable of
grasping the whole of truth and
knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is Santa
Claus. He exists as certainly as love
and generosity and devotion exist:
and you know that they abound and
give to our life the highest beauty
and JOY. Alas, how dreary would
be the world if there were no Santa
Claus! 1t would be as dreary as IL
there were no Nirginias. There
would be no childlike faith then, no
poetry, no romance, to make toler-
able this existence. we should have
no enjoyment, except in sense and
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
WELL KNOWN PEOPLE

John III. Mason, former Phila-
delphia newspaperman, will succeed
II. Dewitt Cuyer as president of the
Commercial Trust Company.
C. II. McMichael, Philadelphia
real estate assessor, has given up
his place to serve in France with
the ambulance corps.
DR.. A. T.. Hardt, prominent
Willamsport physician, has sue
ceeded A. Mitchell Palmer on the
district draft appeal board.
Harry Montz, of Wilkes Barre
well known in mining, has been
named as head of the Lehigh Valley
mines in the Hazleton district.
u. S. Stauffer. the Quakertowu
editor, will spend the winter in Cali :
fornia, having just retired.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
LABOR NOTES
By Briggs

Announcement is made that the A.
+. of l. charter of the International
Association of Bridge and Structural
Iron Workers was automatically re-
stored, following adjustment of diff
ferences.
Compensation legislation will be
attempted at the legislative sessions
of 1S1 in Georgia, Mississippi, South
Carolina ana Virginia and may pos
sibly be enacted in Georgia and Vir-
ginia.
Telegraphers of the Chicago, Bur
lington and Quincy Railroad get an
increase of $40 month, n graduated
reduction or working hours, pay for
all Sunday work and one weeks va
cation year with pay.
Street-car companies in New York
City broke last summers strike of
the Street Car Mems Union, but 1t
cost them $4,000, 900, according to q
report issued by the Public Service
Commission.
The following states have no COM
pensation law for injured workmen
Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, lTlori-
da, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Mis-
souri, and North Dakota.
Thousands of Government work.
ers hnVe begun n campatgn through
the Federal Employees Union, affil-
lated with the American Federation
OF Labor urging that q petition be
forwarded to Congress and the Sec
retaries Of War and Navy, asking
that Government clerks be given the
right to buy goods and foodstuffs at
the Army and Navy commissaries.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

The appearance of Japanese troops
at Vladisvostok is welcome sign that
our ally of the island empire is pre-
pared to take larger share in the
war, even though her present action
is doubtless chiefly prompted by self
interest. Japans relation to Eastern
Russia is hardly less important than
her relation to Manchuria and to the
Chinese Republic generally; and the
menace of Bolsheviki rule must lie
heavily upon Japanese plans for COM
mercial and other extension. Her
troops at Vladivostok will serve for
the present only as protection to the
immense stores assembled there; but
they will be in position for further ac-
ton if that becomes necessary.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
LOVE BESIDE THE FIRE

The pride of autumn fades away on
wooded vale and hill,
The days are growing grayer and the
nights are growing chill;
Then. hey for home. and happy eyes
and joys that never tire!
Well face the worst that winter
brings with love beside the fire.
oh, sweet as youth the springtime
was, and fair were summers
bowers,
And gaily flowed the pageantry of
autumn's golden hours!
With sadness from the hills we saw
their sunlit days retire,
But winter brings us back again to
love beside the fire!
So bolt the door against the blast,
and start the cheerful blaze,
And let us sit, sweetheart of mine,
and talk of olden days,
OF days when first you woke in me
the dream of young desire,
When yet I hardly dared to hope for
love beside the fire!
Dennis A. Mccarthy. Heart Songs
and Home. Songs" Uittle. Brown
& Coz
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
CHEERFUL OPTIMISM

May heaven prosper the optimistic
London newspaper correspondent in
Petrograd who believes the Russians
will turn upon their Teutonio betray-
ers in the spring.-St. Paul Pioneer
Press.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

Mr.. Burleson denounces the unionik-
ing of postal employees. yet he pleads
for the taking over of the telephones
and telegraphs wherein the employees
are strongly unionized. However,
consistency is not exactly one of Mr..
Burleson's virtues
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
APPLIED ART.

APPLIED ART.
Working in a delicatessen, are
you? / thought you'd never give up
art"
'I haven't given 1t up. I'm en-
gagged here to paint slices of ham
md tongue on the sandwiches"
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
CHRISTMAS CIGARS.

"I don't see why the butler left
us. We all tried to treat him fine"
Sure. Why gave him that box
of cigars you gave me just to show
him how much I Thought OF him.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
DO YOU KNOW

THAT Harrisburg sent tons
of gifts to soldiers and sailors
and That some started n month
ago?
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

Published evenings except Sunday by
THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO.,
Telegraph Building, Federal Square.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
BOOKS AND MAGAZINES

Love Stories OF the Bible, by Billy
Sunday-The first book by the
great evangelist. putnam Co.,
$3.50 metz
Those who have heard Mr.. Sun
days picturesque. eloquence, which
has drawn thousands up the saw
dust trail" will find that he loses
nothing of his power when address
ing his audience through the me-
dium of the printed page, and also
that his vivid personality Is Seit
nearly as much as when he in per-
son stands before his public.
He gives us here, in his own in
imitable style, the great love stor-
les of the Bible-Esther; Abraham
and Sarah; Jacob and Rachel; Ruth;
Isaac and Rebecca, etc. Ten in all
and at the end of each shows the
great lessons which may be learned
from them.
No one who reads Mr.. Sundays
versions will ever forget them, the
vivid manner in which they are pre-
sented, nor the close application of
their lessons TO everyday life.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

e. J. .STACKPOLE,P Prss't g. EditoriH- Chief
F. r. OYSTER. Business Manager.
GUS NJ. STEINMETz. MdHdgiHg Editor.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

Member of the Associated Press-The
Associated Press is exclusively en-
titled to the use for republication of
all news dispatches credited to 1t or
not otherwise credited in this paper
and also the local news published
herein.
All rights of republication of special
dispatches herein are also reserved.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
PeeikcA ~
Pev~oqGSo~io
BY the Ex-Committeeman

The Philadelphia Press, which has
been calling attention to the serious
situation a continuance of the fac
tional fighting in the Republican
party in this state will lead the par
ty not only in Pennsylvania, but in
the nation, declares that there Is a
general demand for an agreement
upon candidate for Governor upon
whom all can unite. The Press has
been answering in it's attacks upon
the Smith-Vare alliance in Philadel-
phia ever since the outrages OF the
September primary day and, while
demanding that influences which
brought about such conditions shall
be cleared out, insists that the party
leaders get together and name the
right sort of men.
In it's political column yesterday
the Press said:
The cry for peace has gone
up from every element of the
party. Peace is being demand
ed, and the feeling has taken
such strength that it will III
betide any leader to place his
political power in the way of 1T.
With Penrose and the wares
lined up together, the Repuo-
lican party could easily defeat
the Democrats, but if they re-
main apart possible disaster
faces the party"
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24
HISTORIC HARRISBURG

HHNf' n OHSHC NN4hHNAtNkoHbVNkU
Harrisburg mechanics looked aft
er repairs to Meade's army after the
battle of Gettysburg
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

clared by the Scranton Republican to
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

The annual message of Mayor II.
II. Filbert of Reading, will be 500
words long.
The Rev Charles f. Swift. for
mer Beaver lo osislator, will direct the
Anti-Saloon League campaign for
the dry" amendment in Eastern
Pennsylvania
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

The Pittsburgh Post says Mayor
Babcock has Some surprises" ahead
in the way of appointments.
Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-24

j. II. Nichter, one of Potts
ville's new Councilmen. served on
the borough Council twenty years
ago and was one of the first Coun-
cilmen when it became a city.