New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-14
II. D.. SROEM5KER, ". c.

There died "a few weeks since III Trenton, N. j.,
man whose career had been somewhat remarkaOie,
for be was by trade shoemaker, graduated from
the Jefferson Nedl cal College, and was Twice
elected to the House of Representatives, serving IN
the XXXIId and XXXIIld Congresses. Then be
went back to his shop and his ShoemakIng. When
his will was admitted to probate on the 9Th inst II
was found that h. had given his library and book
cases TO the of the teachers and pupils OF the
public schools of Trenton, and to that OF the APP
prences and mechanics Of the city. His real estate
was also given to the trustees of the public schools
the income to be expended in the purchase OF books
for tho library. Charles SHELTON, for such was his
name, set forth in his will that truth is always
preferable to falsehOod" that "hfe is too earnest
and time too precious to be wasted on fctons that
give no knowledge -; and furthermore that sin
gle great practical truth is Of more value than all
the fictions ever invented by nOvelists" Where
upon he directs that none Of the money given by
him shall be expended in purchasing novels; but
that the books bought for the library shall consist
of " works and treatiscs the arts and sciences.
especially on mechanics, engineering mathematics,
astronomy, geography. chemistry, natural phlloso-
ply, architecture history. travels, and biography,
Of"mere tales aud works of hctou"he will have none.
Furthermore. as a man Of strong preiudices, or at
any rate Of very fixed opinions about certain mat
ters be ayers that part of the real estate devised
shall ever be used or let for the purpose OF manu-
featuring or selling intoxicating beverages nor OF
tobacco in any Of its forms.
Mr. SHELTON began life by working on a Bucks
County, Penn, farm and in a quarry. When his
father died. he inherited nothing but the care of a
large and dependent family. He went to Trenton
and there served three years apprenticeship, and
so became good shoemaker reading all the time
and determining to be physician. When he had
put by about $2,000-it took him seven years to do
tbat-he entered the Jefferson Medica! College, and
after graduating, began to practise In Phladel-
pha. Many patients came, but they had little or
no money, and Dr. SHELTON was not the man 10 send
them away. He had still to depend upon his
shoemaknC A little discouraged he went back TO
Trenton, opened sort of double shop with an
apotbecary's stock upon one side and a stock of
ladies' shoes upon the other and so he was prepared
to mend either soes or bodies. He Gratuitousy at
tended the poor; he was warm advocate of the
free school system; and he was appointed the first
superintendent of the city schools. Then the Dem
ocrats greatly to their credit, took him up,
and sent him 10 Congress. where he Is
aid TO have been Z" the same upright, scrupulOus,
plain citizen that he was in his shop at home"
When he left the House he was talked
of as candidate for Governor Of New
Jersey, but he was not anxious for the
place and would do nothing personally to
secure it. So the Hon. Charles SHELTON, NJ d.,
continued TO make and sell shoes until his health
forbade him to work any more. He still studied,
and prepared and published a work on g The I'm
mortality of the Soul as Sustained by Modern Dis
coyeres" He also wrote upon " Heat Light, Flee
tricity and Magnetism" kept up his interest in
scientific discoveries, and was all the time small
shop-keeper in a small city.
Here then was another man of the old Franklin
type The story of persistent endeavOr, of
prudence. and of success is repeated. Such
a narrative will always be attractive, for
its truth Is more fascinating than any of tho
fctions which DR.. SHELTON much disliked the
particular moral is that resolute nature controls
circumstances, and makes opportunities if fortune
does not furnish them but there other sugges-
lions Of common sense, of self-contrU, and of gem
erous impulses III the story, which the intelligent
reader will recognize for himself