Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-03-14
SECRETARY OF BOARD OF CON-
troll PASSES AWAY.
WAS FAILING FOR A YEAR
Deceased Lays Down Life's Burdens
at Sunset Thursday Evening
He Was an Expert Bookkeeper and
Held Position of Secretary of
State Boards for Seventeen Years
Madison. March /


the state board of control, died Of
consumption at 6:15 o'clock Thursday
evening at the age of &c. His death
was not unexpected for he had been
rapidly sinking for several days be-
fore the end came. The dissolution
was painless and peaceful, the de-
ceased passing to the great beyond
like child falling asleep. The
dread malady that carried him away
manifested itself over year ago, blu;
despite it's encroachments on con-
stitution never over-vigorous the suf-
ferer, contrary to the advice of both
physician and friends, kept at his
books in the board of control office
until last October when his illness
became so serious as to cOnfne him
to his home for several weeks. After
a months illness he improved SUI
iciently to resume his work. He
soon had relapse, however, and was
again forced to give up his books
and remain at home. After awhile
he rallied again and at the urgent re-
quest of members of the state board
of control he decided to take short
vacation, spending a month about the
holiday season at state institutions at
Mendoza, GAINESVILLE, Delavan and
Oshkosh. Between Christmas and
New Years he returned to Madison in
poorer health if anything than when
he left. From his return until his
death he was confined to his home,
failing daily until the final summons
came. He was always looked upon
as a most capable official and man
of sterling character and unblem-
ished reputation.
David Sanders Comfy was born at
Dayton, O., on February Is, 1885.
His father was Richard Nesbit Com
ly, a quaker and well-known news
paper man of Ohio who worked in
the Cincinnati Gazette Office when
Gen. Hammond was it's editor.
Comfy, ST., later founded the Dayton
Journal, the second republican daily
in Ohio. The son, David Sanders,
was raised in a newspaper Office and
was a fairly good printer. He was
educated in the Dayton academy, and
graduated as a civil engineer at an
early age. Before he was 81 years
old he was chief engineer on the
construction of the Michigan &
Dayton railroad At the outbreak of
the civil war his father, through
Schuyler Colfax, a personal frien1,
was appointed commissary at Wheel
ing, West Va, and David S., his son,
was his chief clerk. Within a few
days after receiving his commission
the father, in stepping off sidewalk
fractured his hip, and was perma-
nently disabled and the sen, David s.,
was practically in charge of this inn
portant depot all through the war.
After the war Comfy, Jr., went to De-
troit and formed a partnership with
his wife's brother, A. H. West. They
did a prosperous business but Mr..
Comly's health broke down and he
shortly retired with a competency.
Later he started in the manufacturing
business in Detroit, and prospered
until the panic of 1873, which wiped
out his fortune He was a man of
strict integrity, however, and paid his
creditors dollar for dollar and started
anew.
In October, 1876, Mr.. Comfy came to
Madison and was associated with his
b1other-in-law, Col A. Fl. West, in
the management of the Park hotel.
Shortly after the death of Col. West,
in the fall of 1879, Mr.. Comfy was APP
pointed bookkeeper at the state hos
pital for the insane at Mendoza. At
that time all the state charitable and
penal institutions were handled through
local boards of trustees. 1t was the
time of the Boughton scandal, when
there were some extraordinary expen-
ditures of public money for supplies,
etc. The trustees, who included sew
eral prominent Madison men, got Mr.
Comfy to go to the hospital to
straigIhten out the books and prepare
for an investigation About this time
the state boa. d of supervision was
formed. Mr.. Patton, an expert ac-
cOuntant, was chosen secretary of the
new board and examined the books OF
the institution after Mr. Comfy had
gone through them. He reported to
the board that everything had been
thoroughly Strengthened out by Mr.
Comfy. Mr.. Patton was the nominal
secretary of the board for one month
when the conditions of his election
were violated and Mr.. Comfy succeed
ed him in July, 1881, being practically
its first secretary. He served as Sec
rotary of this and the state board of
control till the time of his death with
but two exceptions. AT the June
election of the board following Gov.
Peck's inauguration in 1891, Editor
Wilson of the GAINESVILLE Recon der was
elected secretary of the board. He
requested Mr.. Comfy to remain a
month and before the expiration of
that time Mr.. Wilson found the work
fO0 OnnrO11c and rnci omAd Mr. HOyn1 70