Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-20

''Ten minutes later they would |
return on dead gallop, one on each |
horse, with an escort of yapping
dogs and shouting urchins in the
rear. while crowds lined the street
and hung from the windows watch
ing the fire conquering heroes come.
ut was a great day in Israel for
the Harrisburg populace when the
fire tocsin called the horses home
from pasture.
ETTARRISBURG had the finest
farmers market in central
Pennsylvania thirty years
ago. Two or three times a week
Market square, now the throbbing
heart of this wonder city, was
abloom with masses of old-fashion-
ed flowers and redolent of the earthly
fragrance of early fruits and vege-
tables beyond compare.
Rolls of butter in white cloths;
smear case-it's cottage cheese now,
smear case is vulgar-Dutch cheese
in little pats and saucer cheese
| flanked by gallon crooks of apple
butter; split baskets of dried apples
apple snits-with now and then a
jar of golden honey strained, or it
might be honey in the comb, were
set out in lavish array.
THE market opened at daylight
with the dew still on the flowers
| The odor of it all, suggestive of the
wide river-fields and glorious sun
shine of old Dauphin, is in my nos.
trils yet Never was there such a
! market.
GAS for the farmers. they were
mostly Pennsylvania Dutch; Men
nonites, men in their broad-brimmed
hats, and their women in queer lit
tie black poke bonnets; River
Brethren, Amish and Dunkards
were mixed up with a liberal sprink-
ling of the descendants of the
Scotch-Irish of the post-revolution-
ary period.
eGD UT the farmers market of
n Market square disappeared
long years ago. Its existence
is a legend to the present genera
"In its stead downtown Harris
burg finds a substitute within the
walls of huge double brick struc-
ture on Chestnut street. At o'clock
one morning last week I found the
plain, thrifty. early-rising citizens,
converging toward it as a matutinal
center of attraction, basket on arm,
1 followed the crowd.
at was an interesting and busy
|
same questioning as to prices and
the character of the fruit. 1t was a
bigger market than the old alfresco
affair in Market square; there was
greater variety in the display of food
and a vastly wider difference in the
sellers thereof.
There were products on sale that
were never heard of in the old mar
ket Spaghetti and Camembert
oh E1nrida and honfa-
loupes from Texas; Spanish mack
erel and California lettuce, and all
the other exotic luXuries of sea and
soil.
Instead of the quaint caps of the
Mennonite women were bare-headed
Greek and italian goddesses in call
leo. One looked in vain for the
square cut whiskers and clean
shaven upper lip of the River Breth-
rem, the butter bowl hair cut of the
Amish. Now and then overheard
bit of conversation in Pennsylvania
Dutch, but modern English, with
now and then the accent and grace
full gesture of the Italian, prevailed
by these tokens I knew the old
Harrisburg had passed away.
EITIFTEEN years since the ma
gician of twentieth century
progress IOucneQ the mu-
| nicipal pride of the capital city and
wakened it to a new and radiant eX-
istence. The Transformation has
been proceeding each year with ac-
celebrated impulse.
"The cobble-strewn waters edge
and the clayey banks of the Susque-
| hanna have disappeared. In their
stead is a magnificent revetment, or
river wall. that holds suggestions of
Venice near the Arsenal. Above and
behind 1t is a boulevard whose
stately trees. minus the bordering
residences, recalls the ancient Toltec
Highway of Tula in the heart of old
Mexico.
"This Riverside Drive, with its
gray retaining wall. is the most
beautiful and imposing work of its
kind in the United States.
"a few blocks in the center of the
city hold the only memories that
now remain of Harrisburg as
| three-story-red- brick country town.
up and down the river and back
over the hills are stately homes and
well-kept avenues, while the trolley's
| fingers of steel reach out in all di-
rections to fetch and carry their tens
of thousands.
everywhere one stands in the
presence of great municipal enter
prises; schools. bridges, viaducts,
parks and boulevards. They are the
hallmark of the intelligent discrim-
mating. art-loving spirit of the peo-
pie.
"But to appreciate this wonder
| full advancement one. must have
known the city and watched 1t grow
as have run the gamut of progress
sive change, and the graceful pro-
cess of its transformation.
Great is Harrisburg, the City