Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-06
Gl1at


ing just now many visitors came to
Harrisburg for the Fourth of July
1t is pretty safe in saying that the
number of people here was greater
than ever before. Parade events in
the last year or so have completely
changed the old order of things
when from fifty to $50 persons looks
ed at a demonstration of an extern
sive character for every one who
participated and the numerous pro-
cessions. which have taken place in
the states capital since the great
patriotic parade of April. 1917
whetted Harrisburg's desire to do
something worth while on Inde-
pendence Day. The Presidents idea
of honoring the foreign born furn-
lshed a definite plan for the pageant
ana the skillful manner in which il
was worked out and conducted calls
Tor the highest praise. 1t was
greater in numbers than ANYTHING
ever known here and will supply a
new time from which to make com
parisons, just as it will be a theme
lor long time not only among the
SsAN "OhlCn OIner C0lln-
tries, VINO were honored in SO sig
nal a manner, but for the American
porn who marched with them or
cheered from the sidewalks and
housetops. The parade took about
lnree nours to pass a given point
after 1t got into line and here il
may be stated that the plan of hav-
ing the parade review itself and the
UNITS fall in was the only way that
such parade could have been
nanuied IN city presenting the
street problems of Harrisburg with
the railroads and the creek cutting
1t in half and the trolley lines simply
requiring more Freedom from inter-
ference than ever as q part OF the
PUBIC comfort on the big day In
any event 1t would take O good three
hours for more than $4,000 march
| ers, many of them more or less in
experienced, to pass a given point.
captain f. H. Hoy, Jr., the chief
Oh star, who organized the parade,
says that his reports indicate that
| over 10000 marched and that thew
were pretty closely formed.
Now as to the crowds here. there
were more visitors to Harrisburs
than there are residents by a good
bit. The towns about this city had
practically no celebrations of their
own that would conflict with the
capital and poured their people
here by railroad and trolley, team
and automobile. The Harrisburg
Railways Company Is supposed to
have handled about $4,000 on its
suburban lines, although it will take
sometime to complete study of
reports. The Valley Railways
brought about 10000 people here
from its territory in Cumberland
and Perry counties and also brought
many from upper York county,
without counting in the Marsh Run
contingent in the parade. The
Reading Railway had every car it
could bring here crowded to the
limit, while the Pennsylvania Rail-
road travel, which had to be re-
stricted because of demands in many
unusual directions, was exceedingly
heavy. And another thing to con-
slider is that there would have been
more II people could have gotten
here and that many of those who
did come here came from as fAr
away as 100 miles. The bands, of
course. in some cases, came greater
distances. And there is simply no
way of estimating the number of
people who came here by motor,
horse, mule or leg power. 1t is safe
to say that there was ten persons
looking on for every one that
marched.
The girls of The Telegraph Print
ing Company who marched in the
Fourth of July parade were moro
than proud Of the Telegraph's serv-
ice flag containing thirty-one stars,
representing that number of the
Telegraph Family who have gone
into the service. Nor is that all.
Not a week passes but that the girls
by some little act of kindness let
the lads in uniform know that they
have not been forgotten. Last week
it was the turn of Bion Welker,
former city editor, in the artillery,
who was remembered on his birth
day with a handsome briar pipe, u
box of tobacco and postcard album
bearing greetings from everybody in
the establishment.
Lieutenant Governor Frank B.
McClain, who, with Mrs. McClain,
and some friends. witnessed the pa
rade and some of the early exercises
of the Fourth, was more than de-
lighted with the demonstration. The
Lieutenant Governor, who has been
in many such things, said that the
spirit of Americanism manifested
was very striking and that he con-
sidered the spectacle of the ma
tive-born of the State Capital
marching with the men who came
from other lands, something that
would live long in memories and do
much for the state.