Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-06
Mt. Vernon Truck Co.
Started by Railroad Men
First Truck Had Six Ladders and Was
Drawn by Hand; Officers Old and
New; Must Move Soon

dent, William c. A. Lawrence: vice.
president, Richard Birkman; secre-
tary, William r. Wilson, and treasurer,
~. A. Garman. OF these officers Will
liam r. Wilson is still living. and is
none other than the well-known Penn
sylNanla Railroad veteran freight
agent now a resident of Philadelphia,
and brother of the late l.. Cameron
Wilson, former Mayor of Harris
burg.
on the list of charter members was
the name of Milton Myers That name
still holds a place on the membership
! roll Milton Myers is a painter and
, resides at 547 South Front street. He
is employed by the PENNSYLVANIA Rail-
road Company. Another veteran
member is Thomas Reed. former
fire chief, who is also Pennsylvania
Railroad man. Fred Huston, vet
eran still living, was an assistant fire
! chief at one time. An interesting
feature in connection with the Mt.
Vernon Company is that many of the
members are Pennsylvania Railroad
! The first truckhouse of the company
was located at the corner of Locust
4 street and Raspberry avenue, now
/ Court street. 1t stood on the present
site of the Post Office Building. 1t
was an old frame building. In 1866
| the company moved to North Fourth
street. The first apparatus owned by
this company was built by r. J. Flem-
: ing, at one time a famous carriage
! builder in Harrisburg. 1t cost $500.
! There were six ladders on the truck.
which was drawn by hand. 1t was not
until 1875 that the company used
horses. Their first fire when horses
were used was at the old German
Brewery in Chestnut street.
| Purchased a Hayes Truck
I Later the company secured a Hayes
/ Fr,... IL 81
Ical and Truck Company. Six years
/ ago the present automatic aerial truck,
with an S5-foot ladder, was purchased.
/ Two of the active officers still in active
duty are Williams S. Tunis, president,
and Charles Hilton, secretary.
Everybody knows "Billy" Tunis. He
was born in Harrisburg March 9, 1869.
and vas educated in the public schools.
! Later he was graduated from the
! Garner Business College and engaged
I in the stationery business with the
late William b. Till. On the latter's
death Mr.. Tunis bought out the busi-
ness and has been in 1t ever since.
| William S. Tunis served two terms
J as member of the Legislature from
| Harrisburg. He was the father of the
bill which increased the State appro-
| priation to the Harrisburg fire de-
partment from $4,000 to $500. He
was also instrumental in getting the
big aerial truck now in service. which
fis named the William S. Tunis' truck
Billy Tunis Joined the company
twenty-five years ago and has filled
every office in the company. He has
been president of the company for
eighteen years. Recently he was elect
ed representative of the company in
the next State convention of the Penn
sylvania State Firemens Association
to be held in Harrisburg in October.
Mr.. Tunis is also known in baseball
circles. He has been a big factor in
keeping baseball going in Harrisburg,
and is at present a stockholder in the
Pennsylvania Exhibition Company and
Tri-State representative.