Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-02-11
JACOB NJ. SHAFFER DEAD
Mas Superintendent Of the City Water
Works For Nearly Forty Years
and Universally Respected.
from The World of Tuesday.

and Universally Respected.
sTrom The World Of Tuesday.
Mr.. Jacob VI. Shaft r, for nearly for
ny years superintendent Of the Mar.
finsburg water works aud enc Of the
most widely known and best men 81
ihs town, died Monday evening at five
minutes after o'clock at his resi-.
s1eBce, 222 South Raleigh street, OF
general debility incd ut to Old age.
following an illness OF several months
SIC was 70 years old the 18th Of last
september. The death Of Mr.. ShaTer,
tM1Ggh not unexpected, comes as a
Shock TO this community in the midst
81 which he spent his entire life. He
Nas taken i'll with malaria the 9th Of
sass August and never left the house
afterwata. ne gradually grew weak
er and three weeks ago was compelled
20 talse his bed. 1t was seen then
What the end was not far off and during
the past few days his death was no
1msntarily exp cited. He was unc0n-
selous all day yesterday and the end
v
s1r. Shaffer is survived by for chill
dren; George H.. Misses MADEIRA ].
and Florence NJ, at home: Mrs. w. S.
snyder, South Raleigh sire {, this
city. He was the last of his family.
Mr.. Shaffer was the son OF John and
Sarah (Curtis) Shlffer and was born
and reared in this city, the place of
ais birth being the northeast corner
Of West King and Raleigh streets He !
was a machinist by trade and skill |
"a mechanic. He worked for a number /
o. years in the shop of Samuel Fltz on
North Queen street, now occupied by
The firm of T. e. Matthews & Bro. In /
his younger years he was also employ /
"a for some time on the Baltimore and I
Ohio railroad.
but 1t is by Mr.. Shaffer's long CON /
nection with the water works that he .
s. best remembered by the people of
tsUsinsburg. 1t is a remarka5 bic fact +
that he was superintendent eff the wa
scr works ever since they went into op
GRAFTON on January IL. 1874. a period
)f thirty-seven years. He had entire
practical control of the system and on
aim mere than any one man was the
city dependent for it's daily water sup
ply. Indeed he took as mnch interest
IN the water works as II they were his
nwn. He was an ideal public servant.
He never complained II pipe burst
Or something else went wrong in the
system he went ont and fixed it. night
ar'day- He was man that needed no
watching. There was never sus-
picion of graft or trckery laid at his
door during his long conn ction with
the water system His character as
IN shonest, capable and trustworthy
public servant, therefore. was unique
and TO mis- everlasting credit.
1T is a noteworthy fact that though
Mr.. Shafer was a Republican in poll
tics ths Democrats when in power al
ways retained him as superintendent
Of the water works because they
thought him to be tn best mon FER
the place
..As ther evidence CT tae conf
de4ce rercsod IN Mr.. SEafrer by his
fellow cit;z ms. it may be mentioned
: bat he was the first and only collector
nor the local council of the Royal Ar
-s,s1Ilr1.n since it was organized January
'1E. 1880. a period q thirty-one years
T,has is a tfrm of service Of this char
,5cger perhaps unparalleled in local
nistery. 1t is also noteworthy that he
ssas treasurer for years of the old Mar
tinshHrg fire department before it was
reCrEanize3 in 1905.
MI. 4Shaffer had tal.n for music i
and he was a member Of the old Mar
ensburg band for number OF years.
Mr.. Shaffer married Miss Isabelle !
Burnett, of this city, with whom he
lived happily until December 2S, 1908, |
when death called her away,
The City Council and the Board of
Afairs VIII meet tonight to take some
action on the death Of Mr.. Shafftr.
The funeral win be held THURSDAY
morning at 10 O'Clock at the hnuse, in
charge OF Rev. C. S. Trump. pastor of
-. Johns Lutheran Church. Inter
rnent in Green Hill cemetery. The
City Council, Board OF Affairs and
Royal Arcanum will attend the funer
al in a BODY as mark of rsnect to
a man who was universally respected
ard esteemed.
Yhe parbearers will be the following
six members Of Kee Council, Royal Ar
eanam: w. l.. Jones. Chas. G. Cush-
RI. ]. T. McQuilkin, Harry A. Ham
hanu, eGeorg CushWa and George ii.
gouchman.