Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-04
Eupsttttg Gtrat

Although the fact is not generally
known, it was March 4 which saw the
birth of Dauphin county. This coun-
ty was a part of Lancaster county
from erection of that county on
May 10, 1929. until March 4, 1885,
when the Legislature of Pennsylva-
mia, then sitting in Philadelphia,
established our county and named
it for the Dauphin of France. About
foot to further signalize the debt of
the infant republic to France by
calling the county seat Louisburg,
in honor Of the king. John Harris,
who had settled at this place before
even the county of Lancaster was
formed, however, left a son by the
same name who laid out the town
at Harrisburg and refused to sell lots
except by that name. AS John Har-
ris' ferry had grown to a fairly siz-
able village and its possibilities were
obvious because of the ford and the
meeting of the valleys here. Mr..
Harris had his way. Thus he be-
came the Founder, as his father was
known as Sthe Settler. Dauphin
county included Lebanon, when the
old fathers passed the act this day
1873 years ago, and some one whose
name has not come down to us, but
who is suspected as having been in
f1uenced by William Maclay, one of
the states first United States senator's
and son-in-law of Harris, very
carefully extended the county line
to the west bank of the Susquehanna
river. This city has become famil-
lar with interesting legislative pro-
visions in the last hundred years and
can appreciate the provisions of the
words in that old act of March
1885, which read Then down the
| Susquehanna, on the west side there
! of, by the line of Cumberland county
and that part of the line of York
county, to the place of beginning or
| the west side Of the river Susque
hanna" Perry county was then
part of Cumberland county, which
was erected 1850, and York county
dated from 1749, both older coun
ties than Dauphin. Lebanon wa
detached from Dauphin, February
16, 1918, while Perry was created
March %, 1920, so that it will have
q centennial in two years or so
Oddly enough, while Harrisburg wa
designated as the county seat o
Dauphin and was the home of abou
! 600 persons and well-known place
for fifty years, it was not incorpo
rated until April IS, 1871. Then
became borough and was the sub
ject of several other acts before i
became city in 1860. March 4,
therefore the county day for Dau
phin to celebrate.
"This fair city of your is up-to
date in a good many things, but
am sorry to say that 1 have found
some fire hazards which ought no
to be permitted to exist a minute
and have given some orders on m
own hook that abated some o
them," said Fire Marshal Chal Por
the other day. II took a wall
around some of the back streets tn,
other day after lunch and I'm afrai%
jolted some people. Why, in on
place between two dwellings ther
was a lot of packing material, an
excelsior among it and what on
cigaret or old match would hav
done to that pile, L would hate t |
say. The people of this city TAX
quickly to suggestion. and l hop
they will clear up the backyard
and help cut down risks. TIL
mayors got the right idea abou
cleaning up. Back him up"
,"If what 1 heard among farmer
on Saturday, is anything to go by
there will be a drop in the price o
potatoes before long, that will max
us wonder why things are so high,
said a man who deals in provision
to-day. II believe that over a thir
of the potato crop raised within fift
miles of Harrisburg is now hel
back from the public. This may b
going it strong, but you will find tn
big potato raisers held back in De
cember and the weather hit them
They could not move the potatoe
and some of them were waiting fo
higher prices anyway: Now the
have got to unload. And 1 hop
some of them get stung. Think
us paying close to 50 a bushel 70
potatoes last winter and hundred
being held in barns, almost in sight
| the Capitol. was among thos
ready to buy at market rates
| those that were offered. gran
you that some could not get out be
cause of the snow. but that sort o
aff1iction did not fall on all of them.
I'm sorry those engines built 70
Russia, that Uncle Sam took owe
and loaned to the Reading for us
y tAlA NV -
1 over there. They make so muc
racket, they would have browne
out the Bolsheviki speeches. The
are the noisiest 1 ever knew" sal
a railroad man who lives along tn
Reading. but they're doing goo
work here, even If you can hea
them a quarter of mile. And
does good to see u. S. A. on an en-
gine. It's a sign that Uncle Sam
on the job"
State Librarian, Thomas Lyme
i Montgomery's telephone is ringin
to-day in honor of his birthday. NJ
Montgomery selected Dauphin couI
ty's natal day to be born in at Gel
mantown, and If they carried out tn
old custom of offering the baby
book or gold, there is no doubt abol
which he reached for.