Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-27

single enemy, never have been quite able
to fully grasp his character. Though he is
| one of the biggest of many big men who
have lately come out of the Smoky City. he
| is little known to the city at large.
His life divided itself between work and
| his home This Is in itself not such an I'M
| usual circumstance, there are all too many
| who from reticence shun society or who
! have not the arts or inclination to enjoy it,
| even after business has removed all need
| of hard work
This was the riddle about McCrea He
| Stunned social functions, yet when drawn
into them he shone as a star. His fine
| physique, quick wit and Astounding good
fellowship made him immensely popular,
| and had he wished, Mr.. McCrea could have
attained political or social distinction. But
McCrea knew only one love-the Pennsyl-
vania rairoad-and found more pleasure in
serving 1t than in other forms of activity
or diversion.
That is the sole reason why a few days
ago directors elected him to the place made
vacant by the death of Mr.. Cassatt.
McCrea's Recreations.
Mr.. McCrea belonged to clubs in Pitts
burg-tbe Duquesne, Pittsburg Club, Coun-
try Club and Pittsburg Golf Club In New
York he is a member of the Union League;
in Chicago of the Chicago Club, and in the
Quaker City, where now he takes his resi-
dence, he is a member of the conservative
and aristocratic old organization, the Phla
delphia Club.
AS sportsman the new president knows
only two hobbies-horses and golf. He
owns half dozen thoroughbreds, and
thinks nothing too good for them.
On the links of the Pittsburg Golf Club
Mr.. McCrea, tall and powerfully built, his
bushy and somewhat forbidding whiskers
target for the wind, was long a figure
that will now be missed. In his pursuit of
golf he usually has had for company his
daughter, Miss Ada McCrea, a beautiful
young woman of Twenty-Five
Mr.. McCrea also has two sons, both of
whom have made business successes James
A. McCrea, the elder, is general manager of
the Long Island railroad and Archibald NJ.
McCrea is president of the Pittsburg Spring
Company.
The new head of the Pennsylvania was
born in the home city Of that organiza-
tion and is ffty-eight years old. His
father was a physician, who drifted into
banking, and had Jim McCrea chosen
to take the easier ways of life, he could
have taken over the business of the father
and settled down to comfort and a reason
able assurance of plenty without having to
work very hard to get it.
Ambition Stronger Than Love Of Ease
Ambition was stronger in the youngster
than love of ease, and after he graduated
from the University Of Pennsylvania at the
close of the civil war he looked the field
over and resolved that the probable growth
of the Pennsylvania railroad, then only a
struggling suggestion Of the power 1t has
now become. made it promising career
for a young man with both ability and
energy.
He applied for a place. Nothing attract
i've opened, but, undaunted, young McCrea
pressed so hard that they made him rod
man. This was in 1865. Before two years
had passed he received his first promotion,
and was made rodman and assistant en-
gineer on the Connellsville and Southern
Pennsylvania railroad. This first advance
convinced the ambitious rodman that he
had made no mistake in the choice of an
employer, and from that time on he never
doubted the wisdom of throwing his whole
energy into the cause of the road.
In September 1868, he climbed another
rung on the ladder that was eventually to