Death Calls W.A. Chalfant Funeral Services Held Monday Closing a career that had brought him many honors and the deep love and affection of the community he had served so faithfully for more than 50 years, W. A. "Bill" Chalfant, 75, editor, author and historian, passed away at the family home in Bishop at 12:30 a.m. last Friday. He had been failing in health for some time, having been stricken last Labor Day, and had been practically bedfast since that time. Last February he had suffered an illness, but had recovered considerably and had continued his writing and weekly contribution for the Inyo Register, which he edited and published for more than a half-century. Pay Last Tribute Representatives or newspaperdom, state and county officials, and hundreds of friends paid tribute to his passing at funeral rites held Monday afternoon at Albright Memorial Chapel, Bishop. The ceremony was preceded by Masonic rites conducted by Winnedumah Lodge, No. 287, F.& A.M.., of which he had been secretary for more than 40 years. Part of the Masonic rites were continued at the regular service, followed by Christian Science services conducted by Mrs. Bessie Patterson, reader. The chapel was banked with scores of floral tributes, man of them from official bodies of county and state, lodges, and business firms of the valley. Simple graveside rites were recited by the Christian Science reader Mrs. Bessie Patterson, at the Masonic cemetery where interment was made in the family plot, near the graves of his parents. Pallbearers included W. C. Parcher, Ken Irons, Doug Joseph, Art Hess, Bob Crosby and Wallace Partridge. Came to Valley Willie Arthur Chalfant was born in Virginia City, Nev., Jan. 10, 1868, the son of Pleasant Arthur Chalfant and Adeline Chalfant. His parents had come west with an emigrant train during the California gold rush, crossing the mountains through the Beckwourth pass. After a few years in the mining districts of the Feather river, they moved to Virginia City, where the senior Chalfant was a printer for the Enterprise. Two years later the family moved to Owens Valley, still a wilderness where Indians fought against the encroaching whites. July 9, 1870, the elder Chalfant and James E.Parker established the Inyo Independent at Independence, buying a Washington hand press from the Esmeralda Union which had been published at Aurora. This hand press, said to be the third press in California, is now in Henry Ford's Museum at Dearborn, Mich., having been later sold to Ford's representative by Wm. C. Parcher and son, subsequent owners. Career Began in Inyo The Independent chronicled events of the great Cerro Gordo and other booming camps of southern Inyo in language easily understood by the bearded gentry understood by the bearded gentry of that romantic era, and it was in the Independent office that young W. A. Chalfant got his first smell of printer's ink and received his first training in newspaper work. When he was only eight years old, Willie Chalfant first learned to set type and operate a tiny press given him by his father. His first attempt at newspaper publishing was his Juvenile Weekly and a little later, at the age of 13, he published the Owens Valley Newsletter for a period of three months. In 1891, P. A. Chalfant sold the Inyo Independent to his partner, but Bill continued to work there for a time, until he failed to receive compensation due him and went on to Bishop, where his parents moved in the meantime. Took Over Register April 4, 1885 P. A. Chalfant and Son started publication of the Inyo Register at Bishop. During 1887 the publishers were W. A. Chalfant and B.H. Yaney, the senior partner having been elected county assessor. With the coming of 1889 W. A. Chalfant became the sole publisher, and continued as such until January, 1842 when the property was purchased by Geo. W. Savage and Roy L. French, who named their publishing firm the Chalfant Press, in deference to the father and son who had founded the two leading newspapers of Eastern California. September 21, 1892 he was married to Flora Mallory, a Nevada schoolteacher, who had attended Inyo academy in Bishop with Willie Chalfant. They have always resided in Bishop, living the past 49 years in the home they own. Paid Tribute to Home His home, Bill Chalfant always admitted was the epitome of happy Christian life, and largely responsible for the success he achieved. The P. A. Chalfant home, where Bill and the other children were reared, reflected the thorough Methodist teachings of love that was dominant in the late editor's life. Of his own home life, he spoke most highly, best portrayed in his inscription in the front of one of his books he presented to his wife, "It has been earths nearest touch of heaven above." Files of the Inyo Register reflect the progressive spirit of W. A. Chalfant, editor and publisher. His career in Owens Valley newspaper circles was climaxed with the fight with the City of Los Angeles over the purchase of Owens Valley water rights. He fount tirelessly for the rights of the people of Inyo in their water battles, yet when hotheads began dynamiting the Los Angeles aqueduct, he opposed this action as bad judgment on their part. Best Known for Books He was possibly best known throughout the nation for his books on Eastern California, Nevada and Death Valley, including "The Story of Inyo," "Outposts of Civilization," "Death Valley, the Facts," and "Tales of the Pioneers," the last published recently by Stanford Press, and containing many stories of early day life in Nevada and California. His literary efforts had brought him many honors, including memberships in national historical societies such as the life membership recently granted him by the Mark Twain Society. He had been chairman of the advisory board of the Bank of America and member of Automobile Club of Southern California; yet he had never driven a car in his life, and the only auto he ever owned, he said, was one he gave away in a subscription contest years ago when automobiles were a curiosity. A charter member of the Inyo Associates, he also had been a charter member of athe Knights of Pythias Lodge and secretary of the Winnedumah Lodge F. & A. M. for 42 years. He was also a member of Islam Shrine, San Francisco for more than 30 years. His 100 per cent attendance record at Rotary club meetings since he joined as a charter member 15 years ago had attracted nationwide attention in service club circles. On several occasions in later years Rotary members had met in his bedroom to assure his perfect attendance record. In 1842 he and Mrs. Chalfant were honored by the Rotary club and other citizens of Inyo-Mono on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. Honored Professionally May 26, 1939, the American Institute of Journalists, alumni organization of Sigma Delta Chi, national professional journalism fraternity, met in Los Angeles to pay tribute to W. A. Chalfant, dean of Western editors. When Bill arose to speak the assembled newspapermen stood and greeted him with a prolonged round of applause. That night this writer for the first time met W. A. Chalfant, and heard him relate his interesting experiences of early-day newspaper work. More than a hundred members of Bishop Rotary and Lone Pine Lions club met in a special joint meeting in Lone Pine in March 1939 to pay tribute to Bill Chalfant for publishing the history of Inyo county for more than 50 years. On this occasion he was presented by the late Father J.J. Crowley with a commemorative gift in the form of desk set and bookends made of Death Valley travertine. These were presented with an engraved plate thereon reading: "To W. A. Chalfant, after 50 years of Living, Writing and Publishing Inyo's Story. Bishop Rotarians - 1939-Lone Pine Lions." In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sisters, Mrs. W. D. Nelligan of Riverside, Mrs. George A. Clarke of LeGrande, Calif. And Mrs. D. N. Wheeler of San Jose, all of whom were here the past week for funeral services. Attending the funeral services were John Long, general manager of the Califonria Newspaper Publishers Association, and J. D. Funk, secretary-treasurer of the same organization, who represented daily and weekly newspaper of California in paying tribute to their First Citizen of the Fourth Estate. Representing the Automobile Club of Southern California was Carl E. McStay, field secretary, who was born in Mr. Chalfant's birthplace, Virginia City. They had known each other for a good many years. The Inyo Register Bishop, Inyo County, California Friday, November 12, 1943 - Page 2 Transcribed by Pat Houser for Inyo County GenWeb, August 28, 2004