The herald., 1896-04-17
HAS JOINED THE MAJORITY
Death of the Hon. j. de Barth Sh0rb
Last Evening
He Passes Away at His Beautiful Homo at
San dabriel-Onc Of the Best Known
Men in the State

Hon. ]. de Barth Shorb died at his
home, San Marino," San Gabriel, last.
evening at 7:45 o'clock. Mr.. Shorb has
been in failing health for some months
past, and on more than one occasion his
friends have feared that the end was
near. On each occasion, however, he
rallied and seemed to take a new lease
on life. His last attack was more Sc
rious than the others. and his system
being undermined by long illness, from
the first his recovery was regarded as
hopeless, and he finally passed away
last night at 7:45 o'clock.
In the death of Mr.. Shorb, California
has lost one of her best known citizens,
and u man who was prominently con-
nected with the development and pro-
Gress of the southern part of the state,
perhaps as much so as any single in
dividual in the commonwealth. In all
matters pertaining to the advancing
OF interests of Southern California Mr..
Shorb contributed freely of his time and
money, and did his full share in develop
ing the resources OF this section. Mr.
Shorb was native of Maryland, and
after graduating at college, took law
course and was admitted to the bar.
He also engaged in general business,
and was regarded as a successful man
at % years of age. He came to Califor-
mia in 1864, and was appointed assist
ant superintendent of the Philadel-
phia and California Petroleum COM
rany.a corporation organized by the late
Col. Il. A. Scott of Pennsylvania. The
company was not a success, and after
losing heavily in the venture he re-.
signed his position and accepted civil
appointment in the engineer corps of
the United States army. He afterwards
resigned this place, and began the work
of acquiring title to the Temescal grant,
known as the San Feliciana placers,
and developing water on the same.
While engaged in this work Mr.. Shorb
married the eldest daughter of the late
Hon. B. D. Wilson. Shortly after his
marriage Mr.. Shorb went into the wine
business with other parties, and in d
short time made a financial success OF
the venture. In 1876 the company
opened an office in San Francisco and
gradually extended the business all
over the United States, Europe and in
the Orient. Mr. Shorb travelled extern
sively in introducing California wines,
and is regarded as the pioneer wine ex-
PORTER of Southern California. Incl
dentally, it may be stated that Mr..
Shorb was the first man to ship a car
load of oranges from Southern Cali
fornia. Mr.. Shorb afterwards with
drew from the Wine business, and en-
tered into a partnership with his faith
er-in-law. which continued until the
latter's death. The Lake Vineyard
Land and Water association was or
sanized, of which Mr.. Shorb was elect
ed president, and took a prominent part
in the development of the San Gabriel
valley.
Mr.. Shorb during the boom organized
the San Gabriel Wine company, en-
listing English capital in the enterprise,
and was more or less intimately con-
nected with that corporation until his
death.
In politics Mr.. Shorb was Demo-
crat. The last public office held by
him was in 1892, when he was elected
county treasurer he and the late Col.
f.. E. Hewitt, who was elected county
tax collector, being the only Democrats
elected that year.
In his social relations Mr.. Shorb was
very popular, and had, perhaps, as
many personal friends as any man in
the state. He was an educated, re-
fined gentleman of the old school, of
broad and liberal views, and generous
to a fault-too much so for his own
good, perhaps, as of late years his
finances have not been in as good con-
dition as they might have been had he
been more careful in money matters.
Mr.. Shorb leaves wife and several
children to mourn his loss.
The funeral will take place at 10
o'clock tomorrow from the deceased's
late residence San co br;aI