El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-07
The old Family Album


THIs. kind reader. is q picture Of
1 D. ". Reckhart perpetual presi-
dent OF the 3IcGinty club Of FL Paso.
taken long before he had any idea Of
what a NcGinty was gong TO be and
while yet a resident Of the grand old
state and city Of New York
a'Reclz," as all his old time friends
call him, was born IN New York, and
is said to have weighed but eight
pounds at birth. being in this respect
like most American boys. Today he
Z is running light and only weighs $50
pounds, but his average weight for
many years after arriving IN FL Paso
was 315 pounds. and he has gone ever
that-just how much is a disputed
question
At the time the accompanying pic
ture was taken. "Reck was nine
years OF age. Having been born In
1874. the picture was made along about
1873 in the home OF his birth. his
youthful ambition is something
''Rsckn refuses TO recall for publica-
ton but some OF his friends who
knew his dad. say his ambition from
double his fist into a dangerous
weapon. was TO lick as many kids
as he could in one day Later he be-
came an athlete and was prominent
rover and all around athlete He
graduated from Columbia in 1884 as
a mining engineer and started imme-
diatelV for the west In those days
Colorado and Utah hired ali the
youthful Al Els and &c SaIr Lake
treked the young New Yorker. There
he worked at his profession some, but
his fondnsss for athletics led him off
into another channel and he soon
found himself an instructor in row.
r ri a
Along about 1891. young Reckhart
drifted down 70 Fl PasO and opened
an office as an assayer- Time hung
heavily on his hands as Il did on the
hands OF many others. They began
to hold meetings in his office of eve
nings and tell stories; then came
playing on musical Instruments. Then
came a plan TO organize a band and
do stunts" The outcome Of II was
that the men OF FL Fas0 formed the
McGiEty club. with a brass band. a
flambeau club. an artillery battery
and a lot Of other things They bought
the loudest uniforms they could get,
and hired Prof. Carl Pitzer 10 direct
their music. Then they established
a clubhouse on top OF a nearby sand
hill, long since demolished to make
room for the odd Fellows hall the
Laughlln hotel and other recent
structures. and they got a couple Of
civil war cannon and proceeded to
have fun on the slightest pr0Tacation.
Not to belong 70 the McGihty club
was not to be tin right" in FL Paso.
If you were man and had musical
ability and didn't join the lIcGintT
club. Il was because you couldn't get
in They celebrated elections-Which
ever way they Went-fired salutes for
prominent visitors and paraded and
gave musical concerts on the slightest
proV0cation. and often without pro-
vocation They we're hosts to two
presidents during their existence
Harrison and McEinleT-and their
cannon. now setting in the center Of
San Jacinto plaza on a mound OF
rocks. fired salufes 10 both Prior
to that, Il served in the civil war
and was buried at Glorietta BY the
Coufederates 10 prevent the federals
capturing IT.
Incidentally following the example {
Of their president. who believed fully
IN the motto, eat and grow fat" the
1IcGinty club had many a fine feast; I
its spreads were noteworthy affairs. ]
widely talked about Eating was not I
the only thing its members did and I
when a beer garden was opened /
across the street from "Reck's' place, !
the biggest giasses-iater they were /
called tubs" By the vulgar-were