Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-29
EnFttng Gtrat

The foreign population of Harris
burg and Steelton, which comprises
almost every nationality in Southern
Europe and many men from the
banks of the Danube and other big
rivers which have been figuring in
the war news apparently does not
intend to be caught in another dry"
spell due to influenza epidemic or
to be thirsty during the seniprohi-
bition which will come when the
breweries suspend and higher taxes
are imposed on liquors. Every grape
vine for miles around this city has
been made to pay by its owners be-
cause of the extensive purchases OF
grapes made by the foreign speaking
people. They have bought grapes
of every kind, including the So
called fox variety, and have paid
fancy prices. Some have walked
miles to buy the grapes and carry
them home and whole families have
gone out into the country to secure
the supplies, while every man who
could get an automobile or a team
went beyond the range of the walk
ers. Wild grapes and grapes grow
ing in tracts of woodland which did
not seem to have any owners have
been stripped from the vines. The
foreigners say that they want to
make wine. Every fall there are
large purchases made with this OBJ
ject, but this year all records have
been broken for quantity bought and
prices paid. Estimates are that hun
dreds of dollars have been paid every
week at Steelton alone for grapes
and they have been sold by the wa
gonload. Some of the foreigners
have also been visiting stores to buy
small stills as they say they are 60
ing to make their own liquor as we'll
as wine. The foreign population OF
this section has always insisted on
having its own peculiar drinks and
there have been many mysterious
purchases made in the summer
time, but nothing like this falls out
lay for grapes.
THE best evidence in the world
that the influenza epidemic quaran-
tine was justified" said a well-known
trolley official to-day, lies in the
very large number of street car con-
ductors who went down with the dis
ease. These men met people in
crowds constantly during the rush
hour when the cars are filled. They
took their beds by the score and
even now, with the epidemic on the
wane, the street car companies are
unable to keep their usual schedules.
The Valley lines have not been able
as yet to resume their fifteen minute
service and they are using as sub
stitute conductors a number of
Technical High School boys who
volunteered to help out during the
emergency. If it had not been for
them and a few other extra men
picked up the lines would have been
completely tied up. Harrisburg lines
suffered in proportion. 1t is notice
able that the conductors, who had
to venture into the filed cars, caught
the disease in much larger numbers
than the motormen who did not
come into such close contact with
passengers. These facts make it
plain to me that if the usual meet
ings had been allowed and places of
public gathering had remained open
the death rate would have been
much higher"
H. E. Provost, the well-known
division publicity chief for the Bell
Telephone Company, with headquar-
ters here, has come upon tele-
phone directory for Harrisburg and
vicinity of the year 1892. At that
time Jnere were just SJO SIdIlOIlS III
Harrisburg. To-day there are $4,000
Bell phones in use in the city. Few
industries in the country can boast
of such a growth. In those days
only the more prosperous or pro-
gressive businesshouses or citizens
had a phone. To-day people of even
the most moderate means have
phones in their homes. Then a tele-
phone connection cost a young for
tune per year; now the rate is so
low almost anybody can afford one.
The general Offices in those days
were at 20 Market street and one
old-style switchboard with two or
three operators sufficed to meet the
needs. Leonard H. Kinnard, now
high in the counsels of the Bell Tele-
phone Company, with offices in
Philadelphia, was then local man.
ager. 1t is interesting to note that
none of the Harrisburg newspapers
except the old Star-Independent had
then reached a stage of prosperity
where their owners felt expenditure
for a telephone wise, while even the
Pennsylvania railroad had but few
instruments and the State Capitol
was without its own exchange, only
few of the officials being so reck-
lessly eXtravagant as to spend
money for such luxuries. But the
street car company had several, in
dicating that it was making more
money then than it is in these
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