Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-12
Glrat'

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about the manner in which HArras-
burg went through the war. . feature
which must give q lasting impress
sion, Is that the churches OF the
State Capital never lost touch witt
the soldiers. This maintenance -
ties with home is something which,
will not only be bright page whes
the story of the great struggle Conner
to be written, but be developed u
the call should ever come again IN
our time, for Pennsylvania to mobo-
lie for warfare. During the civil
,war, we are told the the churches
worked for the men at the front,
which was not always so far away,
but it seemed to be more of a COM
munity effort than the systematic
way that each denomination, each
church, even each mission and Sun
day school kept the lads over seas
and in the camps, on the ships and
in the depots, in mind. And similar
ly, while the men in service during
the Spanish war were not forgotten,
there was nothing to compare with
the way the churches rose to the
occasion in the war about to officially
end. In the last two years, in every
church, the service flag has been
shown, the names of the men in the
service frequently read to the con-
gregations and proudly published.
When gold star was added there
were services in memory. Family
ties were not much closer than those
which were kept up by the churches
of Harrisburg. People in offices,
stores, factories and other places oc-
casionally thought of the man in the
service, but in the daily grind there
was not much time given to them,
; and it was so in social life. But the
, churches regularly, lovingly refer
red to the absent ones, and prayers
, for safe return were q part of every
; service in Harrisburg. The farewell
receptions which marked the de-
parture for service of many men are
now being joyously repeated as well
comes and the churches, which never
lest touch, are now strengthening
the ties which were propably formed
in many cases by the war.
Probably it is because the average
Pennsylvania, along with the rest
> of Americans, leaves it to his news
paper to record the doings and events
day by day, that many matters of
importance, which no journal can be
expected to collate and print, are
overlooked when a task is done.
Here we are at the end of the war
with as fine q list of achievements in
behalf of the Nation as any COM
munity in the whole land and de-
pending on the men and women, the
boys and girls, to hand down to their
grandchildren the story of what Dau-
e phin county did in the great war in
: after supper stories, just as the
/ legends of the early days of Harris
4 Ferry and of Harrisburg in the War
; of 1872, have come to us. To he
e sure, the State has undertaken to as
i semble the data to show what the
e Keystone State did in the struggle,
l but that involves the story of over
10000 men in army or navy, and of
thousands and thousands of people
who served as members of Liberty
Loan, Red Cross, welfare, safety, de-
! fence and q dozen or more other
i organizations, the story of the opera
ton of the draft, of the mines, of
the mills, of the railroads, of the
e shipyards, of countless activities.
= Hence. it does seem rather important
that the men who have just come
home, as we'll as those who have
been home, should commence to pre-
e pare the information that they pos
= sess and put it into shape to respond
to the call of officials of the Dauphin
County Public Safety Council work
:, ing in conjunction with the Dauphin
IL County Historical Society, the recog-
nized official channels for preserva-
y ton of the records of the community.
II In all probability, the most co-ordi-
e mated movement for this purpose
: ever undertaken here will be an
II nounced soon, and the men and
II women who did things should be
: putting down in black and white the
o information that will be useful for
II future generations.
" 1t should be realized that the war
/, brought about radical change in
l. relationship of the Dauphin County
S Historical Society to this community.
n This organization has gathered much
ID of rare interest to the history of
Dauphin county with it's splendid
1t record of service, extending over al
'r most 200 years, and its publications
IF have been so well grounded that
s. they have the stamp of authority.
d The Council of Safety and Defence
t. has recognized such organizations all
l. over the State, and the prompt in
e. auguration of a system that will
= give Wayne township and Roylton
lie opportunity to figure as fairly in the
is history of Dauphin county in the
y war as the Third Ward of Harris
l. burg can be looked for.
10
& If any one has any doubts about
lie the place that the Susquehanna river
V. occupies in the minds of the average
10 Harrisburger, he has only to note
g the number of people who go walk
1T ing along its banks, especially when
'e there is any change in the stream.
,r Yesterday, when the results of the
1t recent series of rains began to be
le apparent, people from every section
of the city strolled to the river front.
Every change in the stage of the
water was observed and the swiftly
flowing current was the theme of
conversation in many home last
>, evening.