Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-31
United States Will Not Reduce It's Naval Strength Daniels Predicts
VIM. l. GORGAS
DIES AFTER A
SHORT ILLNESS
Former City Commissioner
and Prominent Mason Sue
cumbs After Illness

w llldm Lutner GOrSaS, one OF
Harrisburg's most widely-known res
idents and for years prominently
identified in political, banking and
Masonic circles. died at 1.50 o'clock
this morning at the Harrisburg Hos
pital at the age of 20.
His death came as surprise TO his
family and the many. persons who
knew him. as he had only been seri-
ously i'll since uesday. A complica-
tion OF diseases caused death.
Mr. Gorgas was cashier of the
Harrisburg National Bank and was
well known in state banking circles
because of his long service with one
of the city's older institutions.
Politically, Mr.. Gorgas was . DEM
ocrat. He served as president of
Select Council under the ola bicam-
eral system. When the commission
form of city government began in
lH3 he was elected as one of the orig
NAL members of Council, serving un-
III 1916, when he was e-elected for
another term Both of these he
served as superintendent of accounts
and finance and he took great in
tfest in rearranging the clty's anan-
cial system 20 conform with the COM
mission plan of government. Upon
the death Of the late Mayor E. 8.
Meals he became acting MayoF-- until
the appointment of the late Mayor
Charles a. Miller by Council. Upon
the latter's death Mr.. Gorgas again
served as acting Mayor until the
court named j. William Bowman for
the position.
Defeated Fer Mayor
In the fall of 1917 Mr.. Gorgas was
a candidate for nomination to fill the
uaeXpired term of the late Mayor
Meals, but was defeated at the pri-
mary election in September. In I'm
uary. 1918, his term as Commissioner
eXperide and since that time he de-
voted his entire time to his posi-; m
as cashier of the Harrisburg National
Bank.
As a member of the Masonic orde-,
Mr.. Gorgas has held hohored places
in the lodge and was known
throughout Pennsylvania in Masonic
circles. He was a member of the
Blue Lodge, Chapter and Command
cry and for eight years served as
Deputy Grand Master for Dauphin
and part of northumberland coun-
ties, representing eight lodges. -Four
years ago he became Grand Master
of the state Lodge.
He wa salways interested in MIS-
torical events and was a member of
the Dauphin County Historical So
ciety and the Pennsylvania German
Society.
OF Old Family
Mr.. Gorgas was born June 20. S4S, |
NVVv. L..
William r. Gorgas, had served in |
both branches of the State Legisla-
ture as a Democratic member from !
Cumberland county.
After being educated in the Cum |
berland county schools and the Cum
berland Valley Institute, he. was II
teacher for few years but later be- |
came an apprentice in the works ct
Mullen, Cumberland county. Eventu- |
ally Mr.. Gorgas decided upon a bank |
ing career and in 1869 he became a |
teller in the Second National Bank, |
Ne johannesburg. He held the posi- |
tion until 1873, when he was appoint |
ed clerk in the Harrisburg Nation |
al Bank.
Nineteen years later, in 1892. Mr. !
Gorgas was elected cashier of the |
bank and held the position until his |
death, continuous service of almost |
twenty-seven years. He also served |
as a director of the Harrisburg |
Bridge Company. director of the Har- |
risburg and Mechanicsburg Railway |
Company and aided in the organiza-
tion and was elected president OF the |
Capital City Shoe Manufacturing |
Company. He was also treasurer of !
the Harrisburg City Railway Com |
pany, treasurer of the Harrisburg |
Hospital and president of the Camp |
Hill Cemetery Company.