Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-29
Eurntrg Chat

The last OF the flowers that win
bloom in the old Capitol Park beds
are blood red and they are blossom
ing with all of their pristine color
and making the lawn bright in half
a dozen places. 1t is not the inten-
ton to have any of the old style
flower beds next spring. Everything
about the park is to be changed to
make it conform to the great scheme
which is being worked out to make
the Commonwealth's domain one of
the beauty spots of the land and the
old-fashioned round beds of gerani-
ums and cannas and other flowers
Will be seen no more and the squlr-
rels will have to forage some other
place than hyacinth and tulip bulb
| beds for their midwinter banquets.
The green of the potted plants will
not be seen again and the petunias
will be missed. The flowers that are
now blooming are the red cannas,
which are saying farewell, the gera-
NUNS which seem to be as robust
as in July and the scarlet sage which
lives up TO Capitol traditions of red
ness. These flower beds will be re-
moved this fall. The old conserva-
| tory has about disappeared and the
rose garden which bordered the glass
| houses except some plants which
| look like golden glow and which
wave their message to come and
| cut. again" in melancholy fashion. as
though realizing that it is their last
stand on Capitol Hill. The flower
| hn6S will Ea rnnIa0nd with nafiUs
shrubbery of which a large number
| of plants have been gathered.
II don't think you have mentioned
| the eight o'clock rule in your remi-
niscences about the swimming in the
old Pennsylvania CANAL said the
man who was born close to the canal
and liked to swim in it better than in
| the Susquehanna. There used to be
a rule that us boys could not go in
swimming near Market or Chestnut
or Mulberry streets in the evening
until o'clock. The reason was chat
| there were trains arriving and de-
parting from seven to eight and us
boys used tC gather in crowds and
wear only birthday suits. The last
train was old st. Louis Express. II
the last car had cleared Market
street there was just one splash all
along the canal"
A friend who lives in another city
has sent an interesting bit of chat
about the old Walnut street lock OF
the canal. This lock, he says, was
the only one in the state at whose
start the Governor took part. Ii
was known as the Penn lock and the
cornerstone was laid March IA, 1927
A Masonic ceremony took place and
there were present the Governor and
state officials and many prominent
men, including the governor of Ten.
nessee, who happened to be here or
a visit. The orator was no less
person than the speaker of 7he
House, later Governor Ritner. The
old canal seems to have been a nigh
ty important enterprise to the peo-
pie of the State Capitol in the early
days.
Father PENIS revenue seems to
have been hit by its usual late gum
mer malady-lots of checks and not
so much money. Occasionally a
check for a couple of hundreds OF
thousands of dollars comes along
to gladden. the heart of State Treas
urer Kephart, but lately there have
been 400 to 500 checks a day and
an aggregate of $4,000 to $4,000.
OF course, there are many folks VINO
| would be glad to endorse a thou
sand checks for $4,000. but when
one is accustomed to turning over
slips of paper for a quarter of
million or more $156 check loses
it's novelty.
The work or fight order seems TO
have caused some queer ideas. 10
the first place draft boards are limit
ed to specified occupations which
are to be classed as unproductive.
Some draft officers, however, have
been making their own arrange
ments and railroad men, steel work
ers and others have been called up.
There is no controversy whether a
lawyer is an officer of the courts and
not to be drafted The draft officers
hold that a lawyer can be drafted
the same as a surveyor or clothing
cutter, but some attorneys rely on
the famous Gibson decision that an
attorney is an officer of the court.
Union station is about the most in
terestng place in Harrisburg If you
can get near enough to it. There are
trains of soldiers going through con-
.stantly, the movements being vari-
ous ways and there are also parties
of officers and men about. The cam
| teen workers of the Red Cross are
sbout the busiest people in Harris
| burg and they are easing the minds
| cf many boy and cheering the
hearts of their folks at home by
=, seeing that postal cards are mailed
and some times having to furnish
the stamps. The other evening while
a train load of drafted men was
standing in the station on it's way
to Camp Lee a train filled with SOL
| diers from the "Sandstorm' divi-
sion, which was raised on the west
ern desert, came in and there was
a cheering match. The soldiers were
singing and cheering and shouting
and the drafted men were making
considerable noise themselves. 1t
was noted, however. that the drafted
men were not as CHEEKY about it as
their brothers in khaki, but the
cheering had hardly been returned a
couple of times when they perked up
and made the station shed fairly rock
with sound. The cheering and sing
| Ing attracts many people to the
| bridges and even into the station and
there are some trains upon which
the men appear to be well drilled
singers and quite happy about it,