Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-24
Ehrntttg Gl1at

Just as the Civil War and its stim-
a new industrial district in South
Harrisburg and brought about many
changes it would seem that events
are tending toward changes in the
same direction as a result of the con-
ditions this year. The big Cameron
farm tract between Spring creek
and the upper end of Steelton which
used to be called "Mummatown" is
now being filled in with cinder from
Lochiel furnace and the great
masses which used to be taken from
Paxton furnaces to the lands along
the creek are being pushed further
down and sites made for future
industries. A good part of the land
about the mouth of Paxton creek is
made of cinder, which has been piled
in layers as a result of seventy or
more years of iron making and at
the present rate of production there
will be areas covered and ready for
industry. Disappearance of the Lo-
chiel rolling mills and the Chesa-
peake nail works were hard blows to
South Harrisburg industry, but the
activity this year seems to indicate
that extensions will come along be-
fore many years and the sites are
being made ready.
Lochiel furnace is one of the ac-
tive places in the city just now al
though the furnace is over forty-fve
years old and is one of the land
marks in that part of the city. Lo-
chiel mills, which used to waken half
the city with their whistles in the
morning, are gone, only the stone
pillars of some of the machinery
being in existence. 1t is interesting
to note in this connection that an
other landmark, the old stone bes-
semer steel mill at Steelton, is also
! disappearing. This was one of the
original mills and recalls the time
when the works were practically built
of limestone. Very little of the par
ent plant at the Pennsylvania steel
works remains and old timers now
point out where such and suchN de-
] partments used to be located The
two original blast furnaces, which
have been partially rebuilt a couple
= of times, remain in the same spots
, and are working as steadily as they
did twenty-five years ago. No. 2
furnace, which was for years the
largest in this section of the state
has been a landmark because of its
size and is known to a couple of
| generations of ironmakers. The two
, later furnaces, Nos. 8 and which
, were constructed under the super
! intendenoy of Frank Tenney, back in
the eighties, are now in much faster
-. companies. They are located in the
: midst of the group of five stacks
south of Swatara street. Three new
furnaces have been built in this To-
+ cality, one being now under construc-
, ton and the other two producing for
some time back. The two older
stacks have been fitted up with a lot
of modern appliances and are still
I blowing and doing their share to-
y ward winning the war.
Speaking of blast furnaces there
, are now more in the county than
. there were in the heydey of it's fame
as an iron maker. There are seven
at Steelton, counting one being built
and three in South Harrisburg.
c Years and years ago Middletown had
;, two furnaces, there was one at Dock
; low and Harrisburg had four and
one at Union Deposit. Then Steel
ton built four and the Middletown
and Docklow furnaces like the
, Wister and Price furnaces along the
canal in this city became memories.
1t is not generally known that there
was once furnace at the upper end
of Dauphin and Victoria furnace, on
the Bayard estate, in the Stony
Creek Valley was long famous.
Similarly there was years ago an
active forge at Elizabethville.
The call of Harrisburg to people
entering it's gates through Union
Station is rather strikingly presented
by a big sign on a building facing
the station and just across the way
from old Zion Lutheran Church. II
reads "Give em hell. Join the
Army" The strength of its pa.
triotism far overcomes the vigor OF
the words and 1t is interesting to
hear the comments of people when
:, their eyes fall upon the letters.
Say, this towns all right" was
the remark of travelling man.
= "Oh, look at that" remarked a
couple of girls, but a woman who
was with them closed her llps with
the declaration that it would serve
them right"
Very few people have been shock
ed, it must be admitted.
Just as an illustration OF what
Harrisburg men are doing to help
win the war it may be stated that
on recent voyage Commander
Ned" Kalbfus, son of DR.. Joseph
Kalbfus, secretary of the State Game
Commission, had his clothes off once
in twenty-five days. Commander
Kalbfus, who ranks while in COM
mand of vessels as a captain, has
been seeing that American troops
get to France and the spirit which
he shows is that of the United States
navy. 1t will be a fine chapter OF
what Harrisburg has done in the
war to write when the struggle Is
I over.