Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-26
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Officials of the Hugh Nawn Con-
| struction Company, of Philadelphia,
| which has the contract for building
the section of the State main high
way from Dauphin "Narrows" to
Clark's Ferry, one of the most trav-
eled State roads in Central Penn
| sylvania, have put up to the State
| Highway Department the question
what to do about the taking of the
stone for the improvement by the
United States government. For the
| third time stone consigned to this
concern has been commandeered
right in transit, and the company
| has been compelled to suspend part
| of its operations and lay off it's men.
| The situation brought about has not
only forced continued closing of a
road which is part of the entrance
! of both the William Penn Highway
| and the Susquehanna Trail into Har-
| risburg by way of the picturesque
Susquehanna river valley, but has all
| the elements of controversy. The
| Nawn Company started work some
| time ago on the road and the United
States Railroad Administration com
mandeered some stone in transit for
it, causing delay. A few days later
more stone coming from quarries
near Bainbridge was taken and the
latter part of last week eleven cars,
some of which had gotten to within
six miles of the place where they
were needed, were taken by the
Government. No explana ton was
given and as the contractor could
not get any he complained to the
State authorities. The State High
way officials at once got into touch
with Washington and found that the
stone was being taken for repairing
of waShout on a railroad. AS every
effort is being bent to complete the
one hundred miles of State highway
under construction as much as pos
sible before frost sets in the possi-
| bilitieS created same alarm, and
stone materials being hard to get
at any rate the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania is still feeling the eX-
ercise of the war powers.
People connected with the State
Highway Department would like to
know what is "rabbitry."
day or so ago NJ. II. James, head
of the bureau of information of the
department turned up with col
lection of signs which he had con-
tiscated because they overhung
State highways and were in danger
of scraping off tops of cars as we'll
as being against the law, anyway.
one sign announced that a famous
hotel was half mile away, another
gave information as to garage, and
the third read Spangdoodle's Rab-
bitry Il mi"
What's a 'rabbitry?'" asked
Chief Clerk Howard Fry.
Guess its some kind of a hutch,
place where they raise and keep
rabbits" responded the ready Mr..
James.
"Mightn't it be place for refresh
ments?" was then shot at Mr..
James.
"How?"
We'll. place where you got either
Welsh or fried rabbits"
There are couple of fellows who
man wagons for removal of ashes
from the State Capitol who have to
do lot of extra work because they
wander off to talk while their wag-
ons are being filled by the labor
saving conveyor. The conveyor con-
veys and if the horses get restless
or move around the machine takes
no notice. but goes on delivering.
Almost every day when a driver has
his wagon nicely adjusted and the
ashes start to flow and he happens
to go away a short distance there
is some fly or other disturbance and
the team moves just enough to have
the ashes delivered on the concrete
flooring. Then it's a case of fill the
wagon by man power. 1t may be
said that Capitol clerks give much
assistance from the windows when
they discover teamster in plight.
s Capitol Park gardners are Won
dering whether the big elms that line
v the old Boardwalk" are now she'd
ding their leaves a bit earlier than
n l-f
or so the leaves have been raining
down on the lawns and the rakes
have been in use over time. There
are numerous signs of the approach
of fall on the big trees on the Hill,
and some of the men who take
charge of them say that the old
trees are showing their age. The
oaks planted in the row of the
governors" which is to girdle the
park are being given careful atten-
ton as some of them did not thrive
very we'll last year.
While many people are prejudiced
against the blackbird because of the
damage it does to the nests of other
birds, it's destruction of fruit and
harming of crops to say nothing of
it's untidiness there is a good bit
to say for the birds services in rid
ding us of pests. OF late years
there have been many protests
I against the blackbird and it is now
legal hunting from August l. the
season having been advanced a
month. Here is what an observer
has to say about the way the bird
7 clears out locusts Il have watched
: many u blackbird this year because
5 l wanted to see for myself whether
d the blackbird was u terror to locusts
' and this being Il time of the seven
: teen year visitation things were IA
o Vora BILE. Blackb birds will gather
r around trees where there are locusts
=. digging into young bark and they
n will bide their time and select their
s prey. Then they will pounce on
$ the insect and crush it with a ella ~,
e eating at their leisure. And the
t number they destroy in a day is
notable. There is some good to the
noisy, troublesome bird after ALL"