Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-15
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The usual number OF ice bets have
been made this month. Ice bets are
form of diversion which is esti-
mated to be at least $50 years old in
Harrisburg. 1t is simply wagering
on when the ice will break. A CEN
tury ago the people here used to
make what we now call pools on
how long the Susquehanna would
remain frozen and it was popular
game in the riverside taverns and
in some that were in more fashion
able sections of young Harrisburg
To bet that the ice would be gone by
Washington's birthday Old records
show that the ice fingered longer
than it has been doing in the last
fifty years. Back in the time when
Harrisburg was new the interests of
the place clustered about the ferry
and the Susquehanna was a matter
| OF as much interest as the Pennsyl-
vania railroad is now. This lasted
! until we'll on into the forties and
| fifties because the stream was the
| great highway for the raftsmen and
| not even the development of the
canal end the coming of the loComo-
| tive quite took away the importance
of the wide branching stream which
| tapped many towns worth while for
many miles. Hence when the river
closed up before Christmas, as seems
to have been its habit the folks
waited for it to freeze solidly enough
| TO form an ice bridge and made that
| GIIffira hllt whom tho ipn hapon
or rotten" as it is still styled when
unsafe, the folks began to bet They
are still doing it. There are some
pools around town on the length of
time that the stream will be closed.
|
From all accounts there are a lot
of tool thieves around HARRISBURG
In a number of instances carpenters
employed in finishing up houses
which have been worked on during
the winter have discovered tools
stolen when they came to work in
the mornings. One gang of men
fooiedl the thieves by burying the
tools under snow after first covering
them with a tarpaulin. There were
q lot of tracks on the snow, but the
box was never found. In another
instance some carpenters who did
not want to lug tools home placed
them up a chimney.
Some funny things are coming to
licht as the snow fades. On lots
you will see wheelbarrows, beer
kegs, oil cans and what not showing
above the snow as the suns rays
clear away what we all thought was
going to make us a lot of trouble.
Somehow or other you do not re-
member seeing those things before
the snow began to fall, but they are
emerging and probably a number of
/ equally curious objects will soon
, ! show.
Edson J. Hockenbury, the well
t known campaign manager, mas pur-
D chased a handsome home in Belle
Vue Park. Mr.. Hockenbury will re-
move to that place as soon as the
' necessary repairs have been made.
: MIR. Hockenbury was absent from
the city conducting two campaigns
!, du-ins January, during one of which
' he raised $127,000 for the Knights
of Columbus of Milwaukee, where
he last year had several successful
{ campaigns for the Red Cross and
! other purposes. The knights of
Columbus fund goes for cantonment
work. He was beset by all manner
of difficulties at Milwaukee. includ-
ing binding bliZzards and new rec
, ords for cold weather but over-top-
[ ped the mark set. Following that
F.. he started out to get $35, 200 for Il
hospital and went lover the top
with some $4,000 to spare.
Associate Judge f. S. Chase, of
: Sullivan county, which is hereafter
} to be the title our old friend, Cap
; tain E. S. Chase, of the borough of
l Eaglesmere, population 200 in mid
: winter and some thousands in mid
summer, will be given many a glad
Harrisburg hand next summer when
the rhododendrons are in bloom
around Lewis Lake, which is the
geographical name of the lake so
popular in summer time. Captain
I Chase has been q part of Eagles
| mere so long that few know that his
original habitat was Wilkes Barre.
He is a civil engineer and settled on
, the banks of the Lake of the Eagles
- when the traditional eagles had
y their homes where some hotels now
:. stand. lie has run lines for lumber
r companies, railroads, water systems
@ and pretty nearly everything else
= and finds time to look after the in
l terests of the land company which
Il developed the resort, is on intimate
terms with the snorting engines that
g pull the. trains up the rocky narrow
- gauge and acts as grand admiral of
, the Eaglesmere navy. j. Horace
; Mcfarland found him at Eaglesmere
:, when he discovered it's beauties and
d a number of Harrisburgers have an
e neXed the captain for the summer
r days.