The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-06
HEAD GO0DFELLOW
GOES TO REWARD
w. H. Shaler, Long With The
News Scimitar, saccumbs
to Pneumonia.

William III. Shaler. for fourteen years
Mechanical superintendent Of The News
Seimitar, died Friday evening shortly
aIter ! o'clock, Bin, big Bill" as
ne was a~fiectionately known, died at
81. Joseph's hospital from pneumonia
and a complication Of diseases.
1t was only a few days ago that
bIfs throaty laughter echoed about the
composing n press rooms; only a few
days, ago-that he went to his home at
ivy North ~Auburndale, complaining Of
what he thought was, a slight indis-
position. But pleurisy quickly de-
veloped, followed by pneumonia. Even
then his condition occasioned no real
alarm among his friends and ~acquaint-
ances until the middle of the, week,
when 4 was deemed advisable to re-
move him to hospital. EARLY Friday
ne suffered a sinking spell and never
rallied. His wife was with him when
the end came.
As superintendent of mechanical
equipment at The News Scimitar,
smaller was one Of the papers oldest
and most valued employees. He was to
the paper what the trouble man is to
a telephone COMPLEMENTARY, from
the office boys to the executive, call
ed Bill when anything went wrong, and
Bin was always ready with an Rtten-
! ear and a helping hand. He was
recognized far and wide. as an expert
on newspaper equipment, and his serv-
Ices were frequently in demand by
distant publishers.
To the few who were intimately iden-
titled with him in the cause OF the i'm
Of the Goodfellows-Shaler's death
brought an inexpressible sorrow. Vir-
tually the very life of the organization
went out with Bin's. He was a char
ter member Of The News Scimitar's
Goodfellow club-its first and only. pur-
chasing and disbprsing agent.
Santa Claus deputy.
For the lastSseven years his was the
arduous, but, to him, pleasant, task
Of easing the Yuletide ache in the heart
OF the forgotten ~youngster. To thou
SANDS Of children who otherwise would
have experienced the poignant misery
OF neglect. on the day Of days he played
the role Of Silent Santa-played It with
a sympathetic, unselfish, constant de-
votion that was as touching as 1t was
Inspiring to his fellow workers in the
cause.
Bill had a heart that was as big as
all outdoors. Generous, almost to a
fault, there was something about his
amiable, smiling face and h~abitually
cheerful disposition that was at one
and the same time the envy OF his ac-
quaintances, and a source Of comfort
to the needy. For children especially
he always had the war1nest affection,
and on Christmas eve, when the Good
fellows, worn out but happy, prepared
to knock off" Shaler 1t was who al
ways checked out the last package and
saw 1t safely on lis way to some smoke
less, dilapidated chimney. He was al
ways the last to leave and he never left
without a tug of fear at his heart that
on the morrow he might find a pack
age or two had gone astray.
And how the Riddles were wont to
peep into Big Bills storeroom at
1 Christmas time when he was busy as
sembling stock! They knew intuitively,
someway. that he was Santa's official
representative. and he, in his big, love-
able, gruff way, knew they knew it.
Look here" he would say, leading a
dozen or more into storerooms where
dolls, toys, books, candy, everything
heights, See all those things? Well,
Santa sent them for me to distribute
Christmas eve. But you must be good
and run along now and maybe, when
you wake up Christmas m~orning-Say,
Christmas means to HIM" Then, to
an assistant: Get the names of every
one of those youngsters, We must
see that not one is forgotten"
Shaler's acquaintances say that he
was never known to turn a deaf ear
w IN iNNNS utAA ~ was SpAioNuAlNll
going out Of his way to do a good turn.
Bill came to Memphis from Indian
apoiis when the old Sentinel went I'M
der and was absorbed by another pa
per. He had resided here ever since,
marrying Miss Connie Davidson, Little
Bill" their son, is not vet 4 years old,
Shaler became a Mason in Indian
apolis. Upon becoming a knight Templar
he was taken into AL Chymia Temple
of the Shrine, but he always retained
his Masonic membership in the lodge
of the Indiana metropolis.
Funeral services will be conducted
at Norris funeral parlors Saturday
afternoon at 4 o'clock. The Masons
will be In charge. The body viii be
sent to Indianapolis for burial Satur-
day night at 5 o'clock over the L..
irreparable loss on the part OF those
who were daily associated with him
as q co-worker.