Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-30
Enfntttg Gl1at

1t is doubtful whether there is any
city in the country whose current
of life was affected by the activities
of the Spanish war and which is feel
ing some of the movements attend
ant upon the present world struggle
which presents a greater contrast as
far as morality goes than Harrisburg.
Writing in the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin the exceptionally well-in-
formed Penn says that the public
sentiment against drunkenness, the
repression of prostitution, the very
general desire to keep soldiers and
sailors clean, healthy and fit for
making the best of themselves in
war or peace and the determination
on the part of the people to stand
no nonsense is one of the most re-
markable things about the war in his
city. the typical home city, a manu-
facturtng metropolis and a naval
center. He says of it: Neither here
nor in the nation at large could there
be fairly drawn such a picture OF
folly as Washington in the Revolu-
ton had to draw when he described
the selfishness, venality, dissipation
ana wild living which so much pre-
vailed as to sadden him; nor is the
general condition of morals such as
| caused, some dispassionate and accu-
rate writer's on the Civil War to de-
| plore a degeneration which seemed,
for the time being, as if it might be
| almost beyond repair"
The observations of the Philadel-
phia writer are peculiarly applicable
| TO Harrisburg. AS has been pointed
out in this column this place has
inquired in history as q supply base in
| the Revolution, mobilization and
training point in the War of 1912 and
as the site of a great camp in the
civil War. Some of the older people
recall what things used to be like in
! the time of Camp Curtin and its ef-
feet upon the city. There are many
more who vividly recollect Spanish
war days in Harrisburg, the thronsed
bar rooms, the gamblers and gaudier
hawks who abounded on the streets,
the noisy nights in certain sections
OF the city and the provost guards
| with fixed bayonets at various cor
ners and the men bivouaced at the
Courthouse or camped along the
River Front on special detail from
Camp Meade to keep the soldiers in
, order and prevent collisions between
the men in blue and khaki and the
city policemen. Camp Meade with
| -o'NVO Tie ldle summer anu
fall of 1898 and the rehabilitation
camps for regiments of "Immunes"
and the organization camps for
Philippine regiments gave this city
! some idea of garrison towns. There
was in 1898 only one establishment
for the soldiers and it was maintain
ed by the good women of Harris
burg in the old brick building which
occupied the site of the Bell Tele-
phone Company's local Office and ex-
change. 1t did excellent work, but
the truth is that there were other
attractions now happily absent from
Harrisburg, or at least under ban
of the law and very much under the
frown of present day public opin-
ion. Things are really different now.
More people got good healthful
exercise Yesterday because of an
other gasolineness Sunday than
| imagined and similarly the number
of bicycles was greater than seen on
the streets for long time. There
was not as much buggy riding as on
previous Sundays and as for the
trolley cars the idea seemed to be to
take advantage of the fine weather
and walk. Just exactly how the edict
against Sunday riding affects trucks.
automobiles in transit and making
cross-state trips seems to be a dis
/ puted question just as the display OF
Y. M. c. A. and Y. w. c. A. stickers
on wind shields of some cards raises
doubts whether such vehicles can be
regarded in the same light as doc
4 tors cars.
i The Harrisburg district is saving
pennies as never before because to-
: r1onrnincr inNraaen Of 70 q
will go into effect upon almost one
hundred miles of trolley systems
radiating from this city and pending
determination by the Public Service
Commission of reasonableness of the
increases the new fares will be
charged. 1t is expected that the
Harrisburg Railways Company.
which advances to six cents and the
Valley Railways which advances to
seven, will furnish excess payment
certificates redeemable in case the
increases are not allowed and valu-
able as souvenirs If the advances are
found justihable. The nickel fare
has reigned in Harrisburg since 1890
and the people of the district have
not taken kindly to the increases,
although in Harrisburg only one
complaint has been made formally.
Ten have been filed against the Val
ley system. which taps Cumberland
and Perry county towns and reaches
to the northern end of York county.
Drives will be made against the
valuation of each system and the
companies are preparing to meet
them, the Valley having a firm of
nationally known experts at work.
|
"Please remind your readers to-
night that they have some chances
to help us lot tomorrow" said one
of the Liberty Loan workers
"They can arrange to devote
the money they saved and will save
on gasolineless Sundays to a Liberty
Bond sinking fund.- they can put the
money they will save by walking
when the six-cent fare starts, If they
walk as they say they are going to
do, into War Stamps and the spirit
of saving they get that way they can
use in other lines and establish q
little savings account in the bank
And they will be only lending tc
Uncle SAM"