Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-12
Eursttttg Gt1at

The Lancaster. Elizabeth anil
Middletown turnpikes, purchase o.
which, by the state will be rati-
fled at a meeting to be held at Ian.
caster on Saturday and to which re.
ference was made in this column yes.
terday, is said by men who have fol.
lowed the history of transportation
in the eastern counties to be on the
line of the first road west from Lam
caster, barring that built to the site
of Columbia. This road was begun
long before the French and Indian
war and includes part of trails used
by people who came to the ford OF
the Susquehanna from Philadelphia
soon after John Harris began oper-
alton of his ferry. 1t was a free
road until after the beginning of the
last century when the improvement
in stagecoaches caused a demand
for better highways just as the auto
mobile has brought about the recon-
struction of our roads to-day. In
1900 this section of the state, in
common with central New York un-
derwent a substantial DEVELOPMENT
of roads and the turnpike was con-
sidered to be the solution of the
problem. Few sections were more
rapidly improved, it must be admit
ted by students of history of the
state, by the construction of turn
pixies that Lancaster, Dauphin, Lep-
anon, Berks and the southern coun-
ties. The Downingtown, Ephrata
and Harrisburg Company, which was
chartered away back in 1903 was an
ambitious project, whose western
end was undertaken by the Lancas-
| ter, Elizabeth and Middletown, which
was incorporated in 1906. The state
| authorities thought SO much of its
| Importance to the commonwealth at
| large that they voted $4,000 to help
it. The road was originally twenty
six miles long but the company never
| got beyond Middletown with its
| building. So to connect the old town
| by the Swatara with Harrisburg,
which had become the capital a
few years before, the Middletown and
Harrisburg Turnpike Company, was
formed in 1915 and the Legislature
voted it $4,000. The company put
up $21, 900 so that the nine mile
road cost $4,000. The construction
of the pike began in 1916, the limo
including the old road, and the toll
gates stood until about twenty two
years ago when the country condem-
ned the highway and the state has
improved it in spots. The part to be
freed is mainly in Lancaster County
and is one of the historic highways
of the commonwealth.
The Lancaster pike, as we have
come to know this road, will in time
be the great highway for people
r coming to Harrisburg from Philadel-
phia. Many now come here from the
eastern part of the state by way OF
Reading because of the indifferent
5 condition of the Lancaster pike
With the toll-gates gone from this
4 pike and State Highway workers
giving it some of their best main
tenance. attention there is no reason
4 why it should not be noted nation
ally, just as are the Lincoln high
? way and the William Penn, the tirst
because, of its history and excellence
and the latter because of it's wonder.
full scenery and the smoothness UI
I the surface of the roadway in the
j valleys of the Allegheny Mountains
e
With the project now under way
= for the rebuilding of sections on the
4 William Penn highway between thi:
city and Reading, and the Carlisle.
:, Chambersburg pike in sections in the
r Cumberland Valley and the plans fol
: the Susquehanna Trail up around
: Clarks' Ferry this city should be
r made much easier to reach than
= now. 1t is an old coincidence that
the Berks and Dauphin, the Harris
burg, Carlisle and Chambersburg
and the Harrisburg and Middletowg
Turnpike Companies, on which these
Improvements are projected, were
all chartered in the same year, 1915
George P. Thorn, chief clerk @
the State Department, who sits il
judgment on the nominating peti
tions which are filed at the Capito
and who must decide if they are il
form and a lot of other things, ha
a big window. 1t is as large as tn,
side of an ordinary room and wheI
he opens it light and air comes in
1t was opened the other day for ven
tilation and in came in inquisitiv,
Capitol pigeon.
"Gee, George, they don't trust
the mails any more, they send peti
tions by pigeons" remarked one O.
the clerks.
The meetings of the Superior
=, Court here are always occasions for
great gathering of attorneys from the
central counties, probably more thar
Q in the case of the sittings of tn,
Supreme Court. One reason is tina
the Superior Court has larger calen
dars. The sitting this week brough
fifty lawyers together, among them
attorneys active in the courts of nint
counties. The court will not sit here
again until next March. The Supreme
Court will have its sitting in May.