Obituary & Death Notice

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Jay S. Butler Dead

JAY S. BUTLER DEAD ＿
The End Came Last Evening at Asheville, N. C.
Sketch of His Career.
Something About His Busy, Useful and Honorable Life -Mr. Brockway Going to Washington This Evening to Meet the Remains.
Jay S. Butler, of this city died at the Winyah House, Asheville, N. C., at 9:30 o'clock last evening. Death was caused by pleurisy and consumption, Mr. Butler having long suffered with the latter disease. Pleurisy developed a week ago, and with his weakened constitution he was unable to withstand the shock. Mrs. Butler was with her husband when he died. They went to Asheville about the middle of January, and had remained there to from that time, Mr. Butler being constantly under the care of a physician. Mr. Butler was forty four years of age and was a very able writer. He was born in Fulton, N. Y. Both his parents are dead. Two of his brothers were killed in the war. The deceased was a newspaper writer the greater part of his life. He was connected with Buffalo newspapers for a number of years and was last employed there as an editorial writer on the Express. On January 1, 1885, Mr. Butler became editor of the Elmira Gazette and remained as such for four years. On April 24, 1889, he was married to Miss Carrie Brockway, a daughter of Superintendent Brockway of the Reformatory, and they went abroad for the summer. Returning in the fall of that year Mr. Butler became connected with the New York Times and remained there until his health failed him to an extent which rendered further work impracticable, and since then he had traveled a good deal in the hope that a change of scene and atmosphere would be of benefit to him. Mr. Brockway will go to Washington, D. C., to-night to meet his daughter to-morrow with the remains. She will leave Asheville at midnight to-night going direct to Washington. Until Mr. Brockway has seen his daughter nothing will be known as to the time or place of the funeral. In the brief time available it is impossible to speak in fitting terms of the qualities that made Mr. Butler admired as a man prized as a friend and associate, and valued in his professional capacity. The finer qualities of mind and heart were in him so mingled and developed that they were most appreciative who had been most familiar and were his truest friends who knew him best. Few men carry into their work greater earnestness or greater conscientiousness. His aim was to be right. His characteristics was carefulness, conservatism and this conscientiousness which was the strongest of them all. To tell what he sought to be and what he was is to relate the purpose of right endeavor carried into accomplishment. The fine traits upon which admirable characters are builded were his by nature. He had the heart of the generous and kindly, the instincts of the gentleman, the disposition of the scholar. With these qualities the evolution of a character to respect and admire is a natural process that in this instance found full development. He was a man to trust. None who knew him well could do other than feel him worthy that confidence that is beyond suspicion. His ability, the columns of this paper during his editorship attest. He came to this city with experience and general equipment in learning that qualified him for his work in an exceptional degree. His style was clear, cool, direct and conservative. It cannot be said that he sacrificed his conception of the truth to make a point, or strained at effectiveness at the expense of this understanding of the facts. No man was farther from the criticism passed upon those who "would rather say a smart thing than a true one." It was his custom to weigh the statements of his pen judicially, to consider them carefully; if he was wrong at any time, it was not from inconsiderateness nor intent. His anxiety to be accurate in statement and exactly correct in conclusion cannot be understood by flippant writers nor appreciated by the public which knows so little of what passes behind sanctum doors. He deserved in the highest degree the respect awarded to excellence of intent and application in the effort to make intent accomplishment. The sense of the loss in the death of Jay S. Butler comes with exceeding keenness to old coadjutors on the Gazette, who knew his worth the better by long association. A wide circle will feel that regret which attends the departure of the possessors of high qualities from the earth. With relatives and immediate friends will remain the consolation that is in the memory of an honorable and well spent life.
--Star-Gazette, Elmira, New York, May 14, 1891 Page 7

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