Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-03-21
DR.. LYTER'S RED MUSTACHE
"SETS FIRE" TO HIS FACE

! Derry Street United Brethren
Church, Fifteenth and Derry streets.
is probably the strongest built church
In Harrisburg. 1t was built under the
supervision of clergyman who is a
competent civil engineer and me-
chanic. The Rev. DR.. j. A. Lyter is
an amateur engineer, who uses tran
sit or plans a building or bridge just
; for the fun he finds in that sort of
work. He took engineering as side
course while at college. aD
DR.. Lyter is wiry, fiery man with
red mustache, that usually starts
things going when the Scotch-lrish
, in him is aroused. His method of be-
coming aroused as he describes it
himself Is: My red mustache sets
fire to my face"
! DR.. Lyter is mans man, with a
strong grip of the hand, warm con-
Victions on subjects to which he has
given study, a fighter from his toes,
and friend worth having. He has
a dimple in his chin and a humorous
mouth that relieves the fiery sparkle
! in his blue eyes.
Son of a Blacksmith
This minister is the son of black
smith, trained at the forge In his
fathers shop in Enders until he was
| 10 years old. Then he went to Leb-
anon Valley College at Annville, where
he spent six years in preparatory work
and college study. He was shortstop
on the varsity nine for three years
and could whale out liner or stop a
bad grounder with the best of them.
DR.. Lyter is passonately fond of
music though he is not a musician.
Yet he knows pipe organ SO we'll
that he designed and helped In the
construction of the large organ in his
church. Pipe organs and pipe organ
music form hobby for him.
When DR.. Lyter came to Harris
burg on September 30 1899, Derry
Street Church had ESQ members. The
congregation worshiped in O small
red brick chapel on one corner of the
present church property. To-day the
church membership is 654, the Sun
DAY school has 700 members and the
church prooerty, including limestone
church and a brick parsonage adjoin-
ing, is valued at $4,000. A Mems
Bible Class in which the pastor OF
the church is moving spirit, has 25O
members, and is one of the livest or
carnations of its kind in the city.
College Trustee
Lebanon Valley College has several
times asked DR.. Lyter to become a
member of it's faculty. 1t has given
him his bachelors degree, master
degree in cursu and in 1907 the degree
or doctor of divinity. He is a trustee
of the college and has been so for
many years.
DR.. Lyter left college in the class
or 1885, with no intention of entering
the ministry. He became principal OF
the Berrysburg Seminary at Berrys-
burg, and for nearly two years taught
there. He then decided to enter the
ministry, selecting the church with
which he had become acquainted
While student His first charge was
at Mountville, where he spent five
years. Then came a year in Philadel-
phia, three-year charge at Mt. JOY
and three years more at Hummels.
town before he came to this city
While at Hummelstown DR.. Lyter
caught what is said to have been the
largest fish ever hooked out of the
Swatara creek. 1t was monster
bass.
Building the Church
When the Derry Street congregation
was ready to build a new church, Dr.
Lyter took charge. He told the archi-
tect the kind of church wanted and
insisted that certain details be carried
out. One of these was the matter OF
deep foundations. Under some parts
of the church are six feet of soli6
concrete. The building has been filled