Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-06
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War conditions, new occupations
for many people and numerous
changes brought about by the en-
trance of the Nation into the world
struggle in the last nine months,
have not diminished the activities
of the Harrisburg Public Library,
and like the city's schools and its
hospital and charitable institutions.
this establishment has been going
right ahead doing it's part. The re-
ports of books circulated and other
branches in which the library takes
part show that there has been
no neglect of the educational facili-
ties and that, moreover, there is n
big demand for more serious read
ing. Notable in the requests for
books are those written by American
| authors and there has probably
! been more reading up on United
States history this winter than ever
before in the history of Harris
burg. The report of the library
for the month of February, as COM
piled by Miss Alice r. Eaton, the
librarian, shows circulation OF
11,OS1 against 1854 for January.
The figures for both months are
only slightly behind those for the
same months of 1917 which is all
the more remarkable, because of
changed conditions, the severe wea-
ther and other factors which would
! naturally tend to lessen the demand
for books. The February circula-
| ton was obtained on twenty three
days, 1T being a short month, and
on one day 1902 books were cir
| culated and on another. 951. Twen-
| ty-nine per cent. of the books taken
out were by school children. There
were 3,469 readers at the library,
that is, people who spent more than
half an hour reading. OF this num-
Der 1,016 were school children. In
addition to this care for the chill
dren the library has now seven
school Libraries in use. These Ii
| braries are under direction of prin-
cipals and there are requests for
seven more. The Forney, Shimmell,
Riverside, Camp Curtin and Melrose
buildings are asking for these school
| libraries, but owing to lack of neces-
sary funds for this extension the
library can not install them this
| year.
The activities of the folks in the
neighborhood of the Shimmell school
/
ought to be noted by the rest of the
people of Harrisburg. The people
| i'm that section are making real
community use of the building.
| There are similar community pro-
jects under way in the neighbor-
| hoods of the Camp Curtin and
Cameron buildings in the uptown
district, but the Shimmell is the
| liveliest on the HILL There is an
active club, a committee which gives
entertainments and the people have
the advantage of being able to meet
in one of the most up-to-date build
ings. Much valuable war work has
been done in that section, too.
Some of the incidents reported
by men who have had charge of
nominating petitions appear to be
amusing to many people, but the
men in charge take them seriously.
The petitions are commencing to be
numerous The men in charge are
very much in earnest. They are
getting the papers signed up, that is
the main business. Yesterday
man dropped into an office and re-
quested a signature.
Sorry, the colored brother just
went out with mine," said the man
! addressed.
well, who else is there that can
sign here" was the answer.
Two men were dug up and one
man then wished to withdraw his
name, declaring that he did not
intend to vote for the man for whom
he signed, saying also that he had
signed as an accommodation"
You're signed up on this; but
you can vote any way you please"
was the remark of the first man
asked to sign.
Say, is that right?" inquired the
man who had the paper. Gee, I've
missed a lot. But watch me-"
The Philadelphia North Ameri-
! can, in the course of a Cumberland
: county review, mostly about Frank
: lin county, has this to say about Il
man well known in Dauphin county:
"The commissioning by Governor
Brumbaugh of DR.. b. Frank Roger
to be acting head of the State
Health Department following the
death of DIR. Samuel G.. Dixon, Is
of interest to Cumberland valley
people, for Doctor Roger is ma
tive of Montgomery township,
Franklin county. He was raised on
one of the good farms of that fer
tile section He left home as a
young man to become az physician
and has claimed Philadelphia as
his residence during his professional
career. His brother, Jacob F. Roger,
, is a former commissioner of Frank
lin county"
These are days when the clerks
in the State Treasury are having
their own troubles with the pay
ments. Many townships and bor-
oughs are receiving annual stipends
from the State Treasury and some
of them get absurdly small sums.
There are some which get a little
over a dollar and the postage and
bookkeeping are expensive. Others
run into the thousands. But the
worst of all came the other day
when Cor the second time in a
short time some payments by coun-
ties were ordered and the list was
Allegheny, Montgomery and York
counties, the first, middle and last
tee