Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-17
Ehrntng Glrat

st. Patrick's day has always borne
rather unjustified reputation in the
the minds of Harrisburgers because
OF weather conditions. For moro
man shan forty years people have been
accustomed to put down the day as
ohe OF storms when as q matter Sc
iact IL has been fair in q majority OF
instances and has alternated snow.
lails and bliZzards with such prims
conditions as would permit OPENING
pl soit seasons and a search for
hypauca. The meteorological roe.
. olu OF the great Irish day here fop
.""ehly years VIII not reveal such ura
conditions as to mako :.
h,, nam lnstinctiVely grasp for his UNI
nreila when he observes the date on
the calendar. Old newspapers show
that In the twenties religious oh
sefVance of st. Patrick's dav began.
cathoilc missions, which were held
III harrisburg very early and which
cohtrlputed much to the effect of
Ihe great religious revival of the
nrst decade of the last century in
thls community, made special ref
erence to the day. Newspanera of
early times mention that ST. pat
rlcks day was duly observed. show
ing that even if there We're MANY
mere from the North of Ireland they
ielt dlferences with their brethren
from the South behind them. For
lohg time observance of the day
- - cohlIned to the church which
a'iler r. Michael Curran built on
80 street away back in 1926.
| When various Irish organizations
came into being a dinner was al
ways held, often followed bv a dance
ana once in a while preceded bv a
parade. Some twenty years ago
there was quite a demonstration on
the DAY, but the late years Columbus
mas peen getting the best of public
attehtlon rather than the great Irish
l'Denefacor. Speaking of the parades
that used to be held there was much
good-natured jollying about one st.
Patrlck's day parade years ago and
still told of with zest. Several promi-
heht lrishmen arranged it and there
were visiting delegations. When
the procession passed Second and
| Nalnut several cronies of the afore-
said prominent Irishmen, but whose
lorebears came from the North,
were observed standing along the
curb and blowing their noses with
bright orange handkerehiefs. There
was many n sly wink and some toss
ing of heads and lots of kidding"
later on. But when certain ami
NeTsary came around which the de-
scendants of the men of the North
were accustomed to talk about with
Nlgor three of the leaders of the
| display of orange kerchiefs found on
awakening that their doorbells were
decorated.
Years when the Legislature met
here have of late furnished the only
festive observance of the day and
while it has not always struck the
same time as the calendar st. Pat
rick has come in for due need of
recognition. The Legislative Sons
of st. Patrick came into being
quarter of a century ago and their
dinners have brought together many
men of prominence. 1t is an occa-
sion when former State officials and
Legislators come back to visit the
halls and shake hands with Harry
Baker and Thomas II. Garvin and
when former newspaper correspon-
dents return to tell the fellows COW
ering the session how they used to
scoop the bunch" and of the way
George Handy Smith and John Fow
disturbed serenity of sessions either
in garb or debate.
Not so many years ago there was
a pronounced use of green things
on 81. Patrick's day and green' rib
bons and decorations were employed
by men from various climes. Just
about the time the war broke out
the Slav element in Steelton and the
Roumanians up here became imbued
with the idea that wearing of the
green was the right thing. And men
who never heard of Patrick or the
way he exercised the toads and
snakes and who could not pronounce
his name or locate ireland in a week
wore bright green with airs of being
right in the swim.
'If the inquiry We have had for
canoes is anything to go by the river
sports are going to be revived in style
this year." said q man who handles
such things" The war put crimp
in a good many things and use of the
river was more or less restricted.
However, it looks now as though the
cane fleet would assume real pro-
portions"