Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-01
EVENING Chat

6NA' II
Dick" McAllister who died yesterday
after a life filled with interesting
work and many experiences, were
aware of the fact that he made a
miraculous escape from being drown
in the Johnstown flood. The man who
was in charge of construction of a
good part of the Chicago elevated rail-
roads in later years was in Johnstown
In 1889 in charge of construction. He
lived at the Hurlburt house, a hotel
winch was completely demolished by
the flood. There were thirty-six peo-
pie living in the hotel at the time and
Mr.. McAlltster n II other were the
only ones TO escape with their lives.
During the days following the flood
Mr.. McAllister took a prominent part
in the work of removing the debris.
his engineering knowledge coming in
very we'll in the tremendous task. 1t
happened that the Johnstown disaster
took away Mr.. McAllister's position
and he went on to Chicago. where he
entered the service of the elevated
company then building the line to
jackson Park for the Worlds Fair.
That was the commencement of his
promotion. Mr.. McAllister was a des-
cendant of one of the early families
of this section. The family came
@~SAA " ApA hAAbNh III S1Olldllu bdCh
in the twelfth century and the founder
of the family came here early in the
eighteenth century. He was Archi-
bald McAllister and he helped organ
lie the First Presbyterian Church at
Carlisle. He was granted almost l.
600 acres in Cumberland county and
built the second grist mill west of the
~Susquehanna. He was the great
grandfather of James Harris McAllis-
ter, the squire" so many Harrisburg
ers remember. The squire was JUS
tice of the peace for almost thirty
years, the office having been held by
four generations of the family in Sus-
quehanna township. The father of
Squire McAllister married q grand
daughter of John Harris, the founder
of Harrisburg.
The Rev. DIR. Jesse Bowman Young.
the former pastor of Grace Church
and gifted author who died on Tues
day, used to visit this city regularly
once a year. DIR. Young used to say
that of all the cities in which he had
served, there was none he loved more
than Harrisburg and he too a great
interest in its people and their doings.
When the city began to expand Il
dozen years or so ago, DR.. Young came
here and discussed the comprehen-
sive plans with a number of citizens.
He was deeply interested and predict
ed that there would be a result that
burgers. The Doctors predictions
came true.
Tennis players of the city, particu-
larly those who have PLAYED at Reser-
voir Park for the last several years.
were more than ordinarily interested
in h opening of bids to-day for the
| NnnGtTrrntfAn 90 thl rs%tI- -x.. -Ir
house that is to he erected on the
terrace overlooking the upper tier
courts. For the designer was one of
Harrishurg's crack ennis players. He
is Thomas NJ. Kelker, a Central high
school graduate and Cornell man,
class of 1905 and 1909 respectively.
and during his school and college days
was probably one of the fastest,
headiest players in this section. While
in high school he held the champion
ship record n later al college he
created a stir i'm tennis circles. Incl
dentally Mr.. Kicker was the chairman
of the first city championship tennis
tournament committee and one of the
team which won the runner-up title
in doubles.
Just as quiet as you keen il not all
of the Austrians, Servians and others
living in Steelton who are liable to
military service or to call as reserves
are planning to return to the colors.
There are quite a number who prefer
the life in the land of the free where
military service is voluntary to going
back to Europe to become food for
powder and ball. Some of these men
are listed on the rolls of their home
districts and will ignore the call,
realizing that it means that they can
never return without running the risk
OF arrest. Some of the men who will
not return are those who went back
for the Balkan war and who think
that they have served enough. The
exodus from Steelton of men who will
fight will be smaller than a good many
think.
Just as an instance of the manner
in which the glamor has worn off it
may be stated that on one operation
in the city there are about twenty
Slavs employed. Some of them came
from provinces of Austria and others
from Servia or adjacent lands. The
foreman of this gang remarked yes
terday that only one of his force was
going back to fight and he was a man
who had a girl in the old country.
WELL KNOWN PEOPLE
VI -. r.