Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-07
EnRnttt9 Gl1at

|
has cost farmers OF Pennsylvania
thousands of dollars according to
reports coming to the State Depart
ment of Agriculture. Early pota-
toes, pasture fields and corn have
been the most seriously affected.
while In some sections the ground
has been so dry that it could not
be sown for buckwheat, which is
the latest crop. The driest periods
were In June and July and It is
stated at the department that they
prevented the largest acreage n
@nuckwheat @ that was ever sown in
TINS state" Blight and the dry
weather combined injured the early
potato crop and where buclxwheat
was sown the dry weather prevented
satisfactory stalk growth. This is
the nrst time in years that dry
weather has caused much damage
to the buckwheat. There are hopes
FOR the late potato crop and many
reports show the corn to be in fair
shape.
The spry young men who comprise
the military police detail at Unioa
station have been getting experience
the last week and so have many of
the drafted men who have passed
through Harrisburg station. The
military police are detailed from
Middletown garrisons and wear n
blue arm band or brassard, as IL is
called, with the letters mp" and
they have regular cop clubs" They
nave to keep soldiers in order and
1t is not much of a task except when
some of them want to frolic. 1t is
the drafted men, who have not yet
met army discipline who give the
bother and furnish the excitement.
Monday some of the colored men
coming through from eastern coun-
ties got the idea that they could
leave trains when they pleased, but
were put on with celerity and dis
patch, while others who got the no
ton that they could take their things
and go when they reached Harris
| burg or else had the idea that 1t was
Battle Creek. stepped to the plat
forms with satchels and bundles and
looked into the faces of n couple
of determined young soldiers. One
carload gave so much trouble that
the sergeant had to show that he
had a real automatic on his hip.
1t only takes hot afternoon to
send dignity even in some of the
state offices and in some of the most
representative business establish
ments to the ceiling. In Capitol of
fees heads of departments ran
around yesterday in shirt sleeves
and without collars and some of the
pillars of the financial communities
transacted business in shirt sleeves
and did not apologize for it. One
big merchant sent as many of his
clerks home as he dared and waited
on customers himself without a coat
saying the change made him feel
cooler than sitting in his office. But
where dignity had to swelter was
on the Pennsylvania railroad where
the conductors wore their broadcloth
coats which are warm and comfort
able even in winter time. Just why
this dignity is needed in 103 degreeS
weather and in war time with Uncle
Sam running the railroads many
asked the trainmen. but got no an
swers.
With only a few more weeks to
complete the revision of assessments
of properties in the city, James c.
Thompson, city assessor, and his
three assistants have a large part
of the work done and are now about
to start working in the business sec
tions and in the Ninth ward, one of
the larger residential districts. Mr..
| Thompson recently attended con-
vention in Wilmington, Delaware,
and absorbed n number of import
ant things in connection with city
assessment work. In Wilmington
the city assessor has a complete
record of each city property to-
gether with a description of all i'm
provements on any plot of ground.
While Harrisburg's assessment plan
is not so general as this the city has
taken a step forward in the regis
tration of all real estate so that in
the future there can be no duph-
cate assessments and no question
about the owner cS any lot or build
| ing. The task of carefully revising
figures on the valuations of more
than $4,000 properties ~ no small
| one Mr.. Thompson claims but he
also assures members of City Council
that when his time limit ends the
work will be completed.
County Commissioners and other
county officials are in Pittsburgh for
the week learning developments in
various counties during the year.
In a week or two city commissioners
will attend a convention of officials
| of third class cities in the state to
be held at Erie. City Engineer Nj.
B. Cowden is listed for a talk on
the Harrisburg method of making
paving assessments.
|
Farmers in the eastern end OF
the county are wondering If the
crows will come back to the big crow
rodsts which the black coated hiers
tablished out beyond Penbrook and
toward Linglestown. Last year
there were hundreds of birds seen in
that section and some Judiciously
treated corn was spread for them
with dire results. There have not
been many crows around this year
and what have visited have been