Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-08-11
SUDDEN DEATH.
John =. Gable Found Dead.

john =. Gable Found Dead.
John S. Gable, prominent and highl,
respected resident of this city, was foun(
dead in an outhouse attached to his resi-
denae, No. 21O North Queen street. abou
1 o'clock this afternoon. He appeared t.
be in his usual good health this morning
ate hearty breakfast, and nothing more
was seen of him until his dead body wa!
found as above stated.
Coroner Mishler being notified empan
elled the following named gentlemen as a
jury Of inquest Joseph Samson. Edw. NJ
Schaeffer, J. II. Abraham, S. w. Eshle-
man, Abraham Hirsh and A. j. Flick.
1t was in evidence before the jury that
Mr.. Gable, after eating his breakfast, re
NAMED about the house for an hour OF
more, visited the water closet and, as was
supposed, went down town. Some as.
constituent was felt that he did not re.
turn to his dinner as promptly as usual,
and about l o'clock one of his sons, on
visiting the water closet, found him there
dead.
DR.. Compton, the cOroner's physician, on
viewing the body, expressed the opinion
that Mr.. Gable had died Of apoplexy soon
after entering the water closet. Tho jury
rendered a verdict OF death from ape
plexy.
Mr.. Gable was self made man and
possessed a more than ordinary share of
intellect. He was born in the northeastern
part of Lancaster county, in the vicinity Of
Ephrata and when but boy came to this
city with small bundle on his back and
without friends, to carve out his own for
tune. He was apprenticed to tho late
Peter G. Eberman as cigarmaker, and
boarded with Mr.. Christian Kieffer. After
becoming of age, and being backed by
some friends who admired his business
qualities, he opened a small cigar and to-
bacco store on the southeast corner of
East Kin. and Centre square
He prospered in business, and some
years later he bought the property on
the southwest corner Of North Queen
and Chestnut streets, which was then a
small tavern stand. Tearing down the
old building he erected on the site of it
the fine building formerly known rs the
"Rolrer House." which was ut the time
the tallest and one of the most costly
structures in the city. Here he carried on
the cigar and tobacco trade for many
years.
Before the year 1910 several friends,
who had seen his aptness for business,
supplied him with 81, 900 to 20 west and
purchase Ohio and kentucky tobacco, to
bring to this city to he manufactured. lie
was quite successful in this trade, but as
early as 1854, he began to encourage the
growing of leaf tobacco in this county and
was perhaps the very first operator to deal
in it to any great extent and he has long
been regarded as the father of local en-
tcrprise that has of late years grown to
such wonderful proportions as to over
shadow almost every ether interest in tho
county.
Some years later, in the interest of
several Lancaster capitalists, lie went west
and purchased large tracts of unimproved
lands. The company for whom he was
operating did not succeed as we'll as was
expected, whereupOn Mr.. Gable bought
out their several interests, and obtained
titles to the lands. The improvement and
sale Of these lands has occupied the greater
part of his time and attention for the past
nine o. ten years. and it is said he owns
twenty three of the finest farms in Iowa.
MIR. Gable was twice married first to a
Miss Pinkcrton, sister of Sample Pinkcr-
ton and the late Henry PinkertOn, sad
dicr. by this wife he had a large family
Q! children, of whom two sons and three
daughters survive. After the death of his
first wife he married Elizabeth r. Bossler,
!. teacher of the Mount Joy school. She
and her two children survive him.
Mr.. Gable became converted to Chris
tianity when quite y young man, under
the preaching of the Rev. John Elliott. of
the Methodist Protestant church, then
located on East Chestnut street, near
Duke. The building was afterwards used
by John Best rs 4 boiler works, but was
long since torn down. When John
Winebrcnner. the founder of the sect
known rs the Church OF God, began
his peculiar doctrines, Mr..
Gable was ono of the first in this
city to embrace them and he has, ever
since, been faithful and jealous worker
in the cause. From the time the Union
Bethel was organized until the time of his
death, Mr.. Gable was one of its most ac-
i've elders and liberal supporters.
Mr.. Gable w!8 prominent in all charita-
bic, benevolent and useful enterprises, his
purse and his voice being at the service Of
whatever appeared to him to be to the in
terest of the city or of his fellow citizens.
For nearly half century he was a men,
Der of the Friendship fire company, and
for more than forty years and up to the
time of his death was its honOred presi-
dent.
At the time of his death Mr.. Gable was
probably over IS years of age and was
him, and his death will be felt as severe
loss in a community for whom he has done
SO much.