Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-08
Enrntttg Glrat

School Libraries, the means by
which the Harrisburg Public Library
is taking books to the schoolchildren
and expanding its educational work
in this community. have attracteH
considerable attention in other Penn
sylvania cities and the Harrisburg
plan has been adopted in othSAv
places just as Harrisburg had adopt
ed similar enterprises in larger cit
les to its own particular use. Tb4
redistribution idea, which has been
worked out by Miss Alice r. Eaton.
| the librarian, with the object of get
ting the books a wider circulation
among the children cuts down the
number of books available at each
| building, but is the best that can be
done in the present state of resources
of the Library, which have scarcely
| increased in the last five years al
though expenses of operation have
gone UP many per cent. 1t was the
hope to double the number of school
libraries this fall, but instead of
twelve only ten can be provided and
that has been done by means of
stretching the books of six over four
more. The system is to have the
principals take charge and there is
generally one of the teachers who
attends to circulation, guides the
| little folks in their reading and helps
them to progress. The Library has
big field in these school branches
and with adequate funds could de-
velop q valuable adjunct to the edu-
cational system of the city. AS it is
it is making 745 books go long
ways.
The manner in which the city has
celebrated the victories of the Ital-
ian army is worth noting. Next to
| the joy at the achievements of the
American forces at the series of bat
ties on the Marne and the Vesle
! Harrisburg has shown the greatest
pleasure in the prowess of the Italian
army. There is a large Italian-born
| population in this section and the
| war has done more to smooth over
| feelings than anything possible. The
Italian speaking people are now on
the same plane as the people from
nations which were earlier in the set
tlement of Harrisburg.
If there is one place in Harrisburg
that gets hit hard when there is any
excitement like that which occurred
yesterday afternoon when the ru-
mors of the armistice fioated about
it is a telephone exchange. When
there is a fire alarm a switchboard
fairly blazes with the calls and IL
there is much inquiry fuses are
blown out and the man or woman
who calls up from somewhere not
affected puts everyone also out of
business. When a tense situation
like that of yesterday develops and
the interest of everyone centers in
a report the strain on an exchange is
terrific. The scenes about the Har-
risburg exchange of the Bell yester-
day resembled a barrage fire. The
switchboards were one glitter of
lights as the calls were flashed and
the operators worked with might
and main. In all the strenuous con-
ditions produced by the war and
rumors of war there has been moth
ing like the rush of calls that de-
scended upon the exchange yester-
day and the demand for attention
swept into the plant in a storm that
summoned officials and chiefs to
help out.
There was one man who was de-
termined TO be right yesterday when
the question about whether the war
was going to end this month was in
the air. He stood in front of the
Courthouse and said "I knew long
ago that America would win"
Did you buy bond?" asked a
man going by.
President ANDY" Patterson is
some fireman. While riding. in the
carriage with Senator Beidleman
during the demonstration in the lat
ter's honor, the president of the
Chamber of Commerce noticed one
of the marchers had set fire to his
coat by rather energetic use of red
fire. Mr.. Patterson eXtinguished
the flame and the procession was not
even halted.
1t is an interesting fact that James
NJ. Cox, elected governor of Ohio on
Tuesday. and Ex-Governor Frank b.
Willis, whom he defeated again, are
both we'll known in Harrisburg. Both
have been here within a year. Jim"
Cox was a great personal friend of
John X. Tener and his guest when
he was governor, while Governor
Willis and Governor Brumbaugh lec-
tured about the country together
The manner in which the Capitol
Park extension has been cleared
has been followed with interest by
many people because of the legal
proceedings. The Fishman suit will
| open another chapter fraught with
as much to hold attention as the
Matterhorn action.