Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-12
DEATH OF AMOS KENDALL.
A GOOD MAN GONE.
HIS CAREER.

HIS CAREER.
The venerable and beloved citise. named
above died this morning. after presracted i'll
ness, at the age Of 81. The pr, seat generation
Of our city will remember him only as the mild
looking white-haired Christia a gentleman. con-
spicuous in every good work and deed of benev-
Olence, but Old men ame,ngst us call him 10
mind as one q the most Conspicuous figures in
the stormy party times of forty years ago.
Mr.. Kendall was born on the 18th of August.
1is9, in Dsnstable, Mass, of the plain and hardy
yeomanry of that secluded district. His parents
were from early life professors of religion and
none were ever more true i'm their uniform way
of life to their profession. Such was the neigh
bOrlroOd and such the home influences, i'm the
midst Of which the early years of the deceased
were passed. Mr. Kendall, as matter of course
was raised to labor on his fathers farm. His
opportunities for education in early bOyhOod
were the same as those of other farmers boys in
that region, consisting altogether oa the country
free schools Before he was old enough to rem
der his labor valuable on the farm he went to a
female teacher each summer for about two
months, and to a male teacher i'm the winter for
about the same length OF time. But after at
tanning the age of eight or ten years he could no
longer he spared in the summer and soon after
wards his elder brothers leaving home he was
not able TO enjoy the advantages of even this
rtu1menI1i SCilOOilng. Tor several seasons,
more than from four to six weeks in the
winter. From the earliest age he eviuced
an earnest thirst after information and
remarkable facility in its acquisition. He WAS
fond OF school, Obedient to his teachers, and as
siduOus in his studies. and at home devoured
eagerly every thing of interest that he could get
within his reach, and in his way. There was "a
small library in the township, all the works in
which. having reference tO geography, history,
science, ana general literature, he read through
before he was fifteen years old. In the summer
hiS fllar hiG hny of ol.n
hours in the middle of the day. This intermis-
sion Of labor, as also the long winter evenings,
he applied to reading. His taste for books, ana
his rapid progress, attracted attention and re-
mark, which made his father desirous of giving
him a more liberal education, but he had not
the means without straitening severely the cir
cumstances of the rest of the family. He, how
ever, offered his son his time-a parental favor
not slight i'm Importance and value-wth all the
aid he could justly give, if he thought proper to
make the effort. The offer was accepted, and i'm
the fall of 1900 he spent about eleven weeks at
New Ipswich Academy, boarding with brother
and paying for his board by manual labor, night
and morning. In the winter he retired home
and attended the free school. The next summer
he spent at New Ipswich Academy, paying for
his board as before. The next winter. being
then sixteen years old, he taught free school
in North Reading, Mass, for three months, for
which he received his tOard and thirteen dollars
Il month. and with the money thus acquired he
went TO GrotOn Academy, Mas, the next sea-
sOn, and in August, 1877, entered the Freshman
Class AT Dartmouth College N H., but he WAS
obliged TO spend the fall term at home for want
of means, and in the winter taught two schools
for about sin weeks each, one in Dunstablc. y.
H., and the other in his native town. With the
money tI1Is acquired he went on in the spring
and re-entered the class, having taken care 10
keep up with them in his stu,iies while absent
The next fan and the next he was obliged TO
spend at home in like manner. and again earn.
by school teaching at sixteen dollars month";
summer. % lis senior fall '' term wa was the the
only one, a part OF which lie spent II
college; but AN absence of four months in sciio6
teaching, at twenty-five dollars per month, that
winter, forfeited his connections and required
him to enter again in the spring. Thus did he
enter college five times In the four years. and
to enter the class and another to re-cnter it
after having forfeited his CONNIE ctiOrs by alb
sence. This class consisted of about sixty young
men, many of whom were distinguished for tai
ents. In the sophomore year he received the
fourth honor, notwithstanding his absence halt
OF the tine. The LOnOrs tor the uior year
were conferred by vote of the class, who as
signed to him the first, 1t is believed, unan
mOusly. On graduating he received the firs
honor from the authorities OF the college. In
his sophomore year Mr.. Kendall was exceed
ingly unpopular with his fellow students. With
a few other resOlute young men he set his face
against the practice Of treating and drunken
revelry when appointments were given out ana
on quarter days. A tremendous excitement
grew out Of the attempt to suppress this prac-
tice, and the number who dared to perscvere
was only about sixteen out OF about one hundred
and fifty students. Their names were written
on the walls with OpprObrious epithets, their
doors were broken open in the night, and all the
malicious arts Of persecution practiced upon
was perhaps the most conspicuous. His name
with all sorts Of appendages, covered the college
walls, and on one occasion billet OF wood was
thrown at him from an upper window, which
fortunately missed its aim. He appeared, how
ever, to take no notice OF all these things, firm
ly pursuing the course on which he had deter
mined as the right, without utterng a complaint
or even attempting To discover the individual
authors Of these injuries. That course was COM
pletely triumphant, and in less than two years
many of his prosecutors were among his best
friends, and the foremost to do him justice and
honor.
Having finished his collegiate education at the
age of twenty-five, Mr.. h. was about to resort TO
school keeping to obtain the means of studying
profession. His purpose was made known to
Wm. NJ. Richardson, Esq, then living at Gro
ton, Mass, who advised him not thus TO waste
the flower of his life, and offered him the use of
his Office and books, together with his instruc-
ton, and even board in his own house, without
any present recompense, if he chose Immediately
to enter upon the study of the law. So generous
and advantageous an offer could not be refused
and i'm the Fall OF 1911 Mr.. Kendall commenced
the study of law with Mr.. Richardson. In 1912
the second war with Great Britain commenced.
and the business of the over-stOcked profession
was so thoroughly depressed as to leave a young
lawyer i'm New England without money, family.
OF friends TO s,a sla him, almost WITHOUT nope @ OF
termined to seek his fortune in the South or
West. In February, 1914, he bade adieu to he
land Of his nativity and came to Washington,
where his friend Mr.. Richardson then repre-
sented Middlesex district I'm Congress. Here he
spent week making inquiries, and determined
to 90 to Kentucky. Travelling in the stage to
Piftsburg he found himself in company with
Governor Cass, with whom he was subsequently
associated i'm the Cabinet. The only letter he
had for Pittsburgh was to the Hon. WIN. wilkins,
whom he met again at Washington, in 1922 as a
Senator. At Pittsburg he fell i'm with the Hon.
w. 4. Barry, late Postmaster General, and de-
scended the river with him in the same boat to
Maysville, KY, little dreaming that he was des-
tined to be his successor In the Office of Post
master General. Thence he went down the river
as far as Cincinnati, and after spending few
days there travelled on foot to Lexington, Ky,
the western country beyond Pittsburgh. A few
days after his arrival at Lexington accident
made him acquainted with Mrs. Clay, the wife
Of Henry Clay, then absent i'm Europe, who
offered him his board, the use of Mr.. Clay's
library, and a salary of three hundred dollars,
with the prospect of Mr.. Clay's powerful as
sistance i'm his profession on his return, il he
would take charge of the education of her chill
dren for one year. The offer was accepted; the
year expired, and the time of Mr.. Clays return
was entirely uncertain. Mr.. Kendall was now over
twenty-five years Of age;bad obtained license
to practice law, and though pressed by Mrs. q.
to remain in her family, felt that it would be too
great n sacrifice to delay the commencement of
business another year for the uncertain aid
which Mr.. Clay might have it i'm his power TO
afford. He accordingly left Mr.. Clay's, and set