The Portland daily press., 1868-01-29
james n. CaIsOon.

Our respected fellow citizen, James b. Ca
hoon, after protracted and painful sickness,
was relieved Of his heavy burdens by death,
yesterday morning. Thus has departed, in the
Goth year OF his age, man, who for more than
fifty years that he has resided among u.s. has
filled all the relations of life in which he has
moved, with exemplary fidelity and honor. AS
a husband and father, as a merchant, as treas
urer of the State, as Mayor of the city, and as
Christian gentleman, he has lived without
reproach. His whole life has been character
lied by activity, intelligence and moral worth.
Mr. Cahoon was born in Sutton, Vermont,
February 10, 1902. In January, 1915, not yet
thirteen years old, he came to Portland and
entered as a clerk the store of B. c. Atwood,
who then kept in Haymarket row. Mr.. At
wood married his sister. He afterwards became
q partner of Mr. Atwood q I'd their auction
and commission business was conducted in
Exchange Street. He subsequently formed
connection with the late Nehemiah Cram and
the firm of Cram & Cahoon will be remem-
bered by our elderly people more than thirty
years ago as among the earliest and largest
dealers and commission merchants in -four and
grain.
After the dissolution of that firm, Mr.. Ca
hoon continued in business alone for some
years, when he formed partnership with
Capt. George Turner, who was large ship
owner, and extensively engaged in mercantile
and other pursuits. He needed just such
man as Mr.. Cahoon to arrange and keep in
order his numerous and miscellaneous trans
actions. Mr.. CahOon was an accurate ae-
eountant and a practical merchant, while
Il
better.q qualified for executive duty than for the
details Of the counting room. This connection
was unfortunately dissolved by the death of
Capt. Turner, in 1851, and the settlement of
the large concerns of the firm devolved npon
the surviving partner.
From that period Mr.. Cahoon's employments
have been varied but always active. For some
years past he has been an agent in the very
large concerns of Mr.. j. b. Brown. He out
lived all his partners in trade, and most of the
persons who were the early contemporaries of
his business life. d..
In 1888, at the early age OF So, Mr.. Cahoon's
financial ability and his integrity had become
so favorably known, as to cause him to be
elected treasurer of the State in the first adj
ministratiou of Gov. Kent; but by a change of
political parties the next year, the Office which
he had faithfully administered, was transfer
red to another. .Ai.He,-'t Z.
In 1849 he was chosen Mayor of this city, as
successor to Eliphalet Greeley, and was re-
elected the next year; we can offer no better
proof of the acceptable manner in which he
discharged the dutiee of this responsible Office,
than the fact that after an interval of two
years, when from an extraordinary excitement
on the temperance question, this station was
successfully occupied by Neal Dow and Gov.
Paris, he was again chosen for the years 1858
and 1854. 81 1-
81 In every sphere, whether public or private,
in which it was his fortune to move, he was
found competent to its duties, and no shadow
OF reproach was ever cast upon his ability or
his integrity In private life he was uniform
ly kind, courteous and genial, and of simple,
unaffected manners. He has been one of the
managers of the Portland Benevolent Society
over twenty seven years, part of the time it's
Secretary, and at the time of his death Vice
President; in his attendance upon its meetings
he has in been constant, and the admins
tration or its charities, iudicious and faithful.
"ILe walked with man from day to- day
AS with brother and friend"
The death of such man, and of the good
Mr.. Tuckerman, in the same week, is loss
to be seriously felt in the paths of their useful
and familiar duty.
Mr.. Cahoon was brought up i'll the Meth
odist Communion, but afterwards connected
himself with the High Street Church. In
1928 he married Martha the youngest daugh-
ter of Samuel Homer who was one of the
founders of the Methodist Society in this town,
and one of its first trustees, and was for
many years town clerk under the old munich
pality. She, with son and daughter survive
to mourn their great and heavy bereavement.