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BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA

VINCENT SCHELLHAMER. -- No better class of people come to the shores of America, and none are more hospitably received as prospective citizens of the United States, than are the Germans. They differ in many respects from some other immigrants who seek a home among us, in that they are, as a class, developers, and as such have contributed much to the substantial thrift and prosperity of our boasted Republic. As farmers they are to be found in the many fertile valleys of the Keystone State, and, wherever found, their farms show the results of careful and industrious cultivation. Among the class above referred to must be put the gentleman whose name heads this sketch.     Vincent Schellhamer was born in Germany on February 26, 1837, and is a son of Vincent, and Katharine (Schellhamer) Schellhamer. While in his native country he followed the pursuits of a farmer, and at the same time drove an omnibus. Believing that America offered many inducements to an industrious man, he emigrated to this country in 1869, and located in Johnstown, where for nine years he drove for the Cambria Iron company. About 1878 he rented a farm in Conemaugh township, which he cultivated, at the same time continuing to work for the Cambria Iron company. Being a man of great energy, he soon started a dairy in connection with his farm, which proved to be a very profitable enterprise. In 1887 he purchased a farm of one hundred and fourteen acres in Stony Creek township, to which he removed. He now conducts one of the largest dairy farms in the county, in connection with which he owns thirty-four cows. Being located within easy reach of Johnstown, he finds a ready market in that city for all his products.     He married Agnes Hepp, and to this mari-

tal union have been born the following children: Charles, Richard, Katie, Jacob, John, Annie, Libbie and Florence. JOHN J. SHAFFER, J. P., a contractor and builder of Conemaugh, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, is a son of John D. and Catharine (Custer) Shaffer. He was born November 4, 1851, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania. His grandfather, who was a native of York county, and a farmer by occupation, settled in Somerset county, where he died in Paint township.     The father of John J. Shaffer was born in York in 1801. He removed to Bedford about 1852, and died there March 12, 1889.     Politically he was an old-line whig, which party was subsequently merged into the republican, the principles of which he continued to uphold. He married for his first wife the mother of our subject, and had a family of thirteen children; they are as follows: Philip F., who lives in Conemaugh; Abraham and Jacob, died in infancy; David J., who lives at Scalp Level, Cambria county; Lucy, now dead, was the wife of George Berkey; Susan, also deceased, was the wife of Moses Yoder; William J., residing in Bedford county, Pennsylvania; Rebecca, wife of Daniel B. Horne, of Bedford county, Pennsylvania; Daniel L., served in company E, Twenty-First regiment Pennsylvania volunteers, during the late war, and died in'1879; Elizabeth, wife of Jonathan Ling, now living in Somerset county, Pennsylvania; Dillie, wife of John Findly, of Bedford county; Silas, also a farmer of Bedford county, and the subject of this sketch.     The father was married the second time to Miss Susan Allison, and had one child: Anna Mary.

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