Arizona republican., 1918-08-12
O[D-T|MER |S
 READY AGAIN TO
 FIGHT FUR J. S.
John c. Schaffer, Postmas- ter of Groom Creek, Ariz., Is Native of Germany, But
 Loyal to Adopted Country

Declaring that he is ready to shoul- der gun again if the government would accept men of his age, John C. Shaffer, a veteran of the Civil war, and a native of Frankfurt, Germany, is as loyal an American as can be found. He is 75 years old, hale and hearty, and fulfills faithfully all the various duties and responsibilities as post master at Groom Creek, Arizona.
 Schaffer has been at Groom Creek or the near vicinity, for the last 30 years. Campers and vacation seekers from all over the state who have wis lted that delightful mountain region just south of Prescott, know of him, and have heard him tell of the pros- perious old mining days of the famous charge of the First Minnesota regi- ment of which he was a member, at deeds of the Battle of Gettysburg, and which lost S3 per cent of it's men.
 Never Saw Father Again
 He has a book which records the deeds of this heroic regiment during the Civil war, and the page on which it is found is well thumbed by the old man, who recounts the sacrifices of his companions with a tremor of emotion and dampness ip his eyes.
 
 and was engaged in many of the greatest battles of the war.
 His father was Henry Conrad Schaf- fer. man of strong democratic ten dencies and who, with many others, aroused the ire of the Prussian gov ornment for his political activities. He decided to leave for America and while on the dock at Hamburg with his family. was arrested, removed, and never heard of again. This occurred in 1S44 when John c. Schaffer was one year old His mother came on to America with her family and finally settled in Minnesota.
 Follows the Circus
 Among other notable Germans who left for this country in those stirring times was General Zeigler of the Civil war and Carl Schurz, after the war, d republican senator from Missouri.
 One of MT. Schaffer's first jobs was with the F. T. Barnun circus, which was better known as a museum ih those days. He was a mere lad of 15 years. and was officially known as the program boy at the Ann Street Museum" New York, where MT. Bar mum first learned that the American public likes to he fooled. That MT. Rarnum early began to use striking methods of publicity is shown by the following:
 The museum had two entrances Young Schaffer, with a handful of bricks would come out one and lay a careful path of bricks to the next, pass inside the tent, and on coming out again would carefully gather up the bricks in his arms and pass in again. repeating the process until the curiosity of the crowd was aroused tC such an extent that they bought ar admission to see what he did with tho bricks inside
 A Cherry Colored Cat
 Another time. Barnum offered sl0' for a cherry colored cat. farme brought him a black cat Mir. Barnun Eazed at him in amazement auo exclaimed. This is not cherry-col ored cat. it's black"
 But some cherries are black" eX postulated the farmer.
 Mir. Barnum got the point He ap- preciated another man using his meth ods. He turned to young Schaffer ant asked: What shall we do about it? The answer came, Keep the cat An' in few days New York was plasteret with signs that read, See the Cat. 1uIloSlty swept over lHe -NtN ol N'i 2 and great were the throngs that fille' the museum to see the cherry -colore' eat. that was common black but whicl had been clothed with a great show mans advertising genius.
 When the war of '61 broke out Johi Schaffer enlisted. but year or tw after peace was restored he resume his connection with the Barnum circu ss- an advance man.
 Comes to Arizona
 After wandering over the world fo many years in this capacity. he decide 10 seek his fortune in the gold field