Notes |
- The following account of his life was read at a special communication of Prince of Orange Lodge, No. 16, F. & A.M. in the Masonic Temple, NYC, July 9 1875 by the Wor. Bro. Stephen M. Wright:
"Brother Puffer was born in Boston, MA, February 26, 1837, where he received a liberal education at the High School, and at an early age developed a love for literary pursuits.
"In 1856, at the age of nineteen, he came to New York, where he soon engaged in mercantile life, traveling extensively through the Southern States as a representative of the dry goods and silk trade of this city; during this time he found opportunities to indulge in his literary labors, contributing articles of interest to many popular periodicals, those to the Atlantic Monthly being the most frequent.
"In the early part of 1862 he received an appointment from the New York Herald as War Correspondent, and was assigned to accompany General Butler's expedition to New Orleans. His abilities and gentlemanly deportment so attracted the attention of the General that he invited him to accept a position on his personal staff, first with the rank of Lieutenant, and afterwards as Captain, and thus he continued with the General till the close of the war, occupying many positions of confidence and trust. He then engaged in business at Mobile, but the commercial interests of that city not reviving as he had anticipated his venture proved unsuccessful. Returning to New York, he was appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for the 32 District, which position he held until 1870, when he received an appointment as entry clerk in the Custom House, and in October, 1873, he was selected by Collector Chester A. Arthur as one of his deputies.
"Brother Puffer connected himself with the Masonic Fraternity in 1867, being initiated March 7, passed June 7, and raised June 20 of that year, in this lodge. His abilities were soon recognized; he was elected Senior Deacon in 1869, and Junior Warden in 1870. In 1872 and the two succeeding years he was elected Secretary, he declined a re-election this year as his public duties were of such a character as to prevent his accepting the position for another term. The Lodge records for those years are referred to with satisfaction as elegant in style and complete in character.
"In conclusion, I desire to add my tribute to his worth, and I know that I feebly reflect your own thoughts in saying that I cannot but feel that his record was pure and untarnished; that he was a courteous gentle man, ever affable and genial, noble minded, generous and forgiving -- a lways faithful to life's duties; he was an honest man, a good Mason, and as such we deplore his loss, not only to our Lodge and the Fraternity, the business and social community in which he moved."
The lodge adopted the following:
"Resolved, That in his death this Lodge has lost one of its foremost and most valued members, whose skill and untiring energies were devoted to its welfare and prosperity, and whose deportment and character gave dignity to our professions and marked a "perfect ashlar" in our Masonic edifice."
He left military service in 1865 to work for the Internal Revenue. At the time of his death he worked at the New York Custom House. In that capacity he corresponded with Susan B. Anthony over a small amount of tax she owed on the sale of pamphlets of suffrage she printed. She paid the tax under protest and scolded Mr. Puffer and the IRS for taxing her without the benefit of her being represented in Congress.
He left a widow and two children.
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