Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-30
Ehfntny Gfrat

|
James Daugherty, one of the Oldest
steel men in the country, calls to
mind that one by one the men who
made the industrial borough that
stands at the southern g-tes g
Harrisburg are passing away. Stee--~
ton has always been a town of un-
usual interest to the student of COM
munfties. 1t is striking example
Of the way city develops about an
| industry, keeping pace with its
growth and in time obtaining an IN
dividuality even among munich
palities which owe their rise to sim
liar causes. When Steelton was
established it was a problem. AL
ways teeming with labor, 1T required
| men of force of character, foresight
and ability to get it into the proper
ways and keep those ways. Now the
| steel borough, as 1T is called, is noted
not only for its production, but for
| its progreSsiVenesS, improvements
and spirit. And much of it has been
due to the men interested in the
community long years. Steelton be-
gan just about half century ago.
! 1t was one-street village, indeed
hardly that, when the Pennsylvania
steel works was located there and
some of the older folks here recall
when it was called Baldwin.
Although this space of years is not
long, most of the men who figured
in its early history and who formed
the backbone of the community have
gone. 1t is only short time since
the deaths of j. Donald Cameron,
one of the factors in having the
steel works established there; of
Henry A. Kelker, who did much to
develop the town; of Major L. S.
Bent, who enlarged the works and
was the dominant figure in that
community for many years; of Wy
man e. Ambercrombie, one of it's
foremost business men, and of DR..
William H. Seibert, it's largest prop
erty owner and a believer in the
future of the town in sunshine and
storm. Mr.. Daugherty is the latest
name to be added to the melan-
choly list.
Few men in the borough were
better known than Mr.. Daugherty,
or welded a wider influence. He
was one of the greatest boosters of
the town and one of the strong men
r who help mould it's spirit. He went
t to Steeton when there was not much
of a place and he took staunch
, pride in it's development and in the
? industry which made it. 1t is not
r generally known that he was born
) into steel. His father was one of the
, men in the early steel development
r in New Hampshire and the son
/ went into the mills when only a lad.
> From Nashua he went to the origi-
nal works at Nicetown, now the
e great MidvaGe plant, where he spe-
7 cialiZed in open hearth steel, then
Y just rising into prominence. and next
1 took charge OF q branch of the
l Siemens- Potts concern at Pittsburgh,
where he became one of the best
skilled men in crucible steel. In
1872 he went to Steelton, where the
Pennsylvania steel works was just
beginning it's eventful industrial his
tory, and was put in charge of the
gas producers and reheating fur
/, naces. He remained with the COM
pany until some seven years ago,
when he retired. Mr. Daugherty
knew personally many of the big
steel men of the country and was
one of the standbys of Major Bent
and of r. G. FELTON,, who later con-
, Quoted the great plant. Many man
in Steelton owes his place in life to
the hard sense of Mr.. Daugherty.
, He had no time for narrow minded
? ness and he would not stand for
knockers" He believed Steelton
was "the place" and would listen to
nothing against 1t and neither would
| he stand for man not getting out
) the best there was in him or for
r hearing anything unfair against a
r fellow who played the game fairly.
Mr.. Daugherty was the father of
John w. Daugherty. now one of the
big steel men of the steel capital of
Pittsburgh. He applied his princ-
pies to him and made him learn
everything there was about metal
working from blacksmithing to
: charging furnaces and then sent him
: through Lehigh to learn the techni-
cal side. Young Daugherty not only
> absorbed the collegiate training, hut
found time to be one of the greatest
: football tackles in the United States.
: For years he was in charge of i'm
portant departments of the Steelton
> works and is now president of the
Pittsburgh Crucible Steel Company
, and vice-president of the Crucihle
Steel Company of America. There
are few men better known in steel
i
takes a pride in saying that all he
> is. he owes to his sturdy parent, to
!, whom Steelton also owes debt to-
day.
; A couple of newspapermen were
J.. talking yesterday about being iden-
; tilted. One man told a story of
how he was sent to interview a man
prominent in politics. How do I
know you're a reporter and that you
! represent that newspaper said the
man.. The reporter, of course, did
not have a card with him and start
ed to convince him. Tt was no use.
The man said that fellow alleging
he was a newspaper man had one
: time gotten his confidence and had
not done a thing to him. Finally.
the scribe got an idea. He said:
well I have two theater passes"
The interviewee demanded to see
; them. They had the name of the
newspaper printed on them. He got
t the interview.