The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-20
COL, CUTSHAW, LONG
SICK, PASSES AWAY
Death Of City Engineer Of
Richmond Came Peace
fully Last Night.
UNCON sC1oUS
FOR I'd HOURS
Served Public in Most Important
Capacity for Thirty-Four Years.
His Brilliant War Record
Praised by General Lee.
Council to Honor
His Memory.

Colonel wilfred e. cutshaw. City En-
gineer. died Last night at $3.50 O'clock.
in the sixty-ninth year of his age.
The end of his long and .eventful
lifc-characterized by great achieve
,nent on the field OF battle and In the
upbullding OF the municipality which
he hadsfathful1y served for thirty-four
years--came peacefully. He had been
unconscious for tweiity.four hours.
With him at the tine of his death
were Mr.and Mrs. Calvin whiteley Jr.,
and Mr.. and Mrs. r. z. Taiiaferro. Mr..
Taiaferro having been long associated
with him in the Engineering Depart
nient. The funeral arrangements have
not been completed.
Ill Several Weeks.
Though he had been I'll several
weeks, Colonel Cutshaw's friends ex-
pected him to recover. as he had pulled
through former attacks. When 1T be-
came known yesterday, however. that
he could not long survive, his friends
prepared themselves for the worst
Colonel Cutshaw lived with Mr.. White
ley. Mrs. Whiteiey, his niece. having re-
sarded him almost as her, father. He
left no children. His mother died on
Christmas Day. 1906. at the ripe old
age of ninety-four. His wife died in
1890.
One hour before the funeral the two
branches OF City Council will meet In
joint session TO pay tribute to his
memory. The members. with city OFF,
cials. will attend the funeral In
body. The Board of Aldermen was In
session. when Colonel Cutshaw died.
Preparing for His Relief.
Because OF his feeble condition and
his wonderful store of information
about every feature OF the city engi.
necr.ng work, the Council was prepar.
ing to adopt an ordinance making him
Consulting Engineer and placing the
detail upon another. who would be as
sociated with him as Engineer. His
term would not have expired until July
next. and as MAYOR Mccarthy recently
explained, no other man could have
been elected Engineer while Colonel
lCutshaw lived. 1t was through the
efforts OF tho Mayor that changes in
the department were suggested, az he
his services. but felt that he should
not be burdened with the worry and
care OF the Office work.
Colonel Cutshaw took hold of the
rebuilding and reconstruction OF the
city after It had been ravaged by war.
In that work he had to encounter
world OF difficulties and tribulations.
He planned the erection Of the City
Hall. the finest structure in Richmond: !:
he made the lines and grades for the
streets and avenues. the most beautl-
lfuI in the South: he laid out the parks
and boulevards. His greatest amb.
ton was to turn every available foot
| OF space into recreation resorts for the
public. and especially the children.
Fuithful aud Efficient.
A few months ago he Joined a
merry-making party at Byrd Park.
Gut beyond the lakewood pavilion he
looked toward the south. "Onc mis-.
take we made when we bought this
p.operty," he said. was in not taking
IN more ground" That was the way
| he felt about other parks. Up to the
time that he was forced to remain at
home-whtch was not many weeks ago
--Colonel Cntshaw spent almost every
AFTERNOON In his carriage, driving 10
the East and West End sections, in.
\ |specting sewer work and directing his
assistants He was Invariably present
at the meetings OF the Street Commit
tee. There weS not question about
the city which he could not answer
thoroughly, explicitly and in detail.
And when the members wrangled far
into the night he remained, and then
went home at the end, helped along by
his faithful man. He was not an off,
Ger who split, hairs. He demanded and
received the<best that was in his as
| ststants. and Yet with It all he was as
gentle as q child.
Assistant Engineer Talinferro and
Captain Taylor Stratton We're very
close to him. For weeks they called
daily Mt Mr. Whttcley's residence TO
ask about his condition, Mr.. Talia-
ferro went there late yesterday when
he knew the end was near and stood
by the bed as his friend and CHIEF @
passed aWay-after life that was ,,n-
sullied and brilliant and withaI a credit
to the community IN which he had
struggled for the common good. As
l General Robert r. Lee once snid ~
him. he was faithful and etticient-
meaning In war--and 1t was that way
IinFhis public, life.
Sketch OF His Life.
Harpers Ferry. Va, now West,
Virginia, on Ja,-uary 25, lsss. His Ills
father was George w. Cutshaw, a
native OF Loudoun county, Va, who
died in 1857 The grandfather OF COL
onel Cutshaw was John w. Cutshaw,
Maryland farmer. who was v.teran
OF the War OF 1872. The Cutshaw
FAMILY We're OF Scotch extraction. Tho
nlotller OF Colonel Cutshaw, Martha j,
MoSley. was born In Alexandria, and
Is OF English ancestry.
Colonel Cutshaw after preparation
at home and atf a local academy, en-
4 tered tho Virginia Military Institute,
nt tsLl4eSington, where he graduated In
\ civil ana military engineering, pro-
fessionf to which he has given tho
study OF lltatinle After teaching
4 one term In m academy in Loudoun
4 county, Colonel Cutshaw became, III
4 ls5p, an Instructor In the Hampton
until tile spring Of 1851, when lie re-
a (ContInueds on Third Fage.l