Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-01
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If what men who have been OBJ
serving business in Lancaster, York,
Lebanon, Dauphin and other coun-
ties in the so-called "Pennsylvania
Dutch" belt, say is correct, the GUS
tom of settling up" for realty trans
actions and other affairs is passing.
In some counties 1t is said that while
much business is closed up and many
thousands of dollars change hands
Tor land, securities and other things
the volume instead of keeping pace
with the growth of prosperity, which
Is a good name to give it, has been
declining. More business is being
done on January 1 and July 1 than
over known before, due to the cal
endar periods. This is in line with
the tendency in governmental bust
ness and in many corporations to do
away with fiscal years which began
at different periods and caused more
or less confusion when it came down
to making the reports which Wash
ington and this city are calling up
on corporations and individuals in
ever increasing numbers. Fiscal
years are now almost entirely calen-
dar years, and If they are not, they
will be before long through the po-\
tent influence of the income tax re-
ports, which hit individuals and cor
porations alike. Time was when the
recorders office and prothonotary'S
office would be crowded with people
on April l and even on March 81
and April 2. In the days when the
| late e. b. Mitchell was prothonotary
and the late John S. Lynch, recor-
| der, the courthouse was an interest
ing place on settling up day, be-
cause the farmers and people from
the small towns came in force and
Market street and the Square were
lined with buggies and farm wagons.
And the hardware and dry goods
! stores did a rushing business, to say
nothing of the four or five banks of
which Harrisburg then boasted.
And another thing connected with
| April /, which seems to be also pass
ing. is playing jokes. Just what the
jokers that used to gather at half u
dozen stores, one might name along
| Third or Market streets, would have
done with such choice opportunity
as turning the clock forward, can be
| imagined by those who knew the
select spirits. In those days mer-
! chants would be apt to. find their
! doors carefully placarded with an
nouncements of their own deaths
and a suggestion that their custom
ers go to a rival store, while one
time Weaver & Hubley hunted for
some people with gun. because a
card informing the public of their
| intended removal to point on AL
! lison Hill, appeared on their door
bright and early on the morning of
| April 1. "Bill' Lawser was highly
| indignant one day, because some one
| posted his gun store with announce
! ment that he had taken charge of
| the State Arsenal, and the pasting of
! April Fool" signs over the clock
that used to enlighten the publ:
! over Brady's store, now the II. C.
! Claster establishm was a regular
| thing. A few stores sold chocolate
| coated cotton or doctored creams
with red pepper and the atrocious
jokes that used to be perpetrated in
! the newspapers are we'll recalled.
| The Morning Call one April !, came
out with a story in Bob" Surgeons
| best style telling of the collapse of
the walls of the State Capitol and the
killing of many of the best-known
men in public life. Surgeons story
talked about the weakness of the
Capitol walls, and made people ner-
vous as they went into the building,
fact which was recalled with some
| irritation by folks who saw contrac-
tors use up bales of dynamite to level
| the walls when the time came TO
clear the Hill of the ruins of the cid
! Capitol, after the fire on February
| 2, 1897. But the worst of the Jokes
was on most of the doctors of the
town, on a certain April 1, before
| dawn, be it said in the late eighties.
This joker, who had not gone to
bed, sent messengers beseeching i'm
mediate m medical aid for a certain
citizen of credit and renown and u
mobilization of Harrisburg physi-
| clans occurred on and around his
J doorstep in much suspicion and a
gentle rain. And when the citizen,
who was angry indeed at being
| aroused from rest, confronted the
outraged doctors in his night shirt,
matters were not improved by the
fact that he was temporarily unable
to proffer certain hospitalities which
were much in vogue in our fair city
in those days.
w. B. Steward, sometimes known
among trapshooters as Mug" had
the field guessing at the shoot in the
Riverside district Saturday. Mr..
Steward is the active man in the
| West Fairview club and brought Il
Esteel pigeon, just like a clay pigeon.
to the shoot. He had it sent off sew
eral times and while men heard
their shot strike it, the pigeon did
not seem to break. The fellows who
had charge of the traps had a lot of
fun until several shooters having
noticed that pigeons were not break
ing when undoubtedly hit, made an
| inquiry. One picked up the steel
pigeon and many things were said.