The Portland daily press., 1871-08-22
Phinehas Barnes,

Iour mOnJnS ne Las been cODnned 10 MS 0e0
bearing his great pain with wonderful forti
tude, receiving the visits OF his friends, and
carefully and methodically arranging bis bust.
ness affairs and surrendering, one after anOth-
er. the places of trust and labor which he had
been called to occupy by his fellow citizens
and preparing for the great event which came
early yesterday morning.
Mr.. Barnes was born in Orland, Hancock
county, January, 1911. His father was ira
der who was drowned in the Penobscot river
previous to Pninehas birth. He left a very
slender property, which his widow was deter
mined to devote to the education Of her son,
and consequently Phinehas was sent to An
dover, where he was fitted for college, and
graduated at Bowdoin in the class of 1922
with the first honors though it is alleged that
favoritsm was shown on the occasion, the
valedictory fairly belonging to J. F. Hartley,
now Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. The
class numbered %, and among Mr.. Barnes
classmates were DR.. VIM. Wood, James II.
McCobb, John Q. Day, and Allen Haines of
this city, and Joseph c. Lovejoy OF Massachus-
etts. Hugh McCulloch, late Secretary
of the Treasury, was a member of the class
but did not graduate. After graduation Mr..
Barnes came to Portland and entered the book
store of Sam'l Colman on Exchange street, as
clerk, pursuing his law studies at the same
time with the late Hon. Chas. s. Daveis. He
then removed to Brunswick, where he contin-
ued his studies with Ebenezer Everett, and at
the same time was cashier of the Union Bank.
In 1882, the year of the famous political con-
a., Al. IL
Jackson, Mr. Barnes resided in Bangor and
edited paper which ably supported Henry
Clay, the Wing candidate. He laid aside this
vocation to become tutor in Waterville College,
in 1888, and the following year was chosen
Professor of Greek and Latin in the same in
stitution. 1t was during his residence at Wa
terville that he married Ann, daughter of Rev.
Nath'l Butler, Baptist clergyman of North
Yarmouth, with whom, until now, he has lived
most happily, and who bore him seven chill.
dren-four sons and three daughters. Mr.
Barnes connection with Watervile College
ceased IN 1889, and the following year he was
admitted to the bar and took mp his Re sidence
in Portland. In 1S41 he became political edi-
tor of the Portland Daily Advertiser, -con-
tinuing his law practice at the same time-suc-
ceededing James Brooks, who had Just estab-
lisbed the New York Express. Mr.. Brooks
had given the Advertiser high rank by his po-
litical sagacity and enterprise in journalism,
and in Mr.. Barnes a worthy successor was
found. The paper gradually expanded its in
fuence under his management of its political
department, and his editorials were frequently
copied by the leading Wing papers of the
nnfr Mr. lafk no 4 -
1S47, and was succeeded by Henry Carter. In
the autumn of 1874 Mr.. Barnes was elected a
member of the House Of Representatives, and
in 1S45 was reelected on the fourth ballot. In
1916 he declined to be candidate, but in 1847
was re-nominated. This was the year when
the temperance question was first introduced
into party politics. The Wing candidates were
William Goodenow, VIM. Boyd and Phinehas
Barnes. Mr.. Goodenow was chosen on the
first ballot, the temperance men boiling Mr.
Boyd and helping elect the late William Kim
ball, one of the Democratic nominees, on q
subsequent ballot. The contest continued I'M
til late in December, when Mr. Barnes was
chosen at the ninth trial, his regular contes-
tant being Harris c. Barnes, who withdrew af-
ter the sixth trial, the Democrats nominating
George f. Shepley in his place. Gen. Neal
Dow was the temperance candidate against
Mr.. Barnes. = = -
In 1856 Mr.. Barnes was a member of the |
Senate from Cumberland county, and took an
active part in the even is which led to the re-
moval of Judge Davis from the bench of the
Supreme Court. In truth he was leader in
that movement and prosecuted the case with
his usual persistency and zeal. Whether he
ever regretted his action is not known; certain
ly he was sincere and was able to give good
reasons for his cause-satisfactory to many
even at this time In 1854, when Judge
Wells term of Office as Judge OF the Supreme
Court expired, Mr.. Barnes name was freely
used as his successor, and 1t was understood
that Gov. Crosby would have made him the
appointee, but he peremptorily declined and
Judge Cutting was appointed to fill the vacan-
cy. In 1860, when Gov. Washburn was chosen
for the first time, Mr.. Barnes was the Bell and
Everett candidate for Governor. Mr.. Barnes
active political life closed with the expiration
of his senatorial term, but he continued to
serve the public in other positions. During
bis connection with the Advertiser be identi-
fed himself with nearly all the important in
terests of the community. Himself practical
educator he espoused the cause of our public
schools, and for twelve years was member OF
the School Committee, presiding over its de-
liberatio1s during number Of terms. The
Atlantic and st. Lawrence railroad had no
more determined and able advocate than Mr.
Barnes, and those who remember the hard
struggles which ended in the completion of
the road, will give him large share of the
credit for the success of the undertaking. He
was one of the trustees of the Portland Acade-
my, and when that institution was supplant-
ed by our High School, he SO carefully invested
the fund that it grew three-fold. He was also
director in the Portland Athen@um and for
time its President. Mr.. Barnes was also an
overseer of Bowdoin College, and at the time
of the establishment of the State Agricultural
College in 1865, he was made trustee and
Treasurer. Subsequently the Presidency was
offer him by Gov. Cony 1--WE think but he
declined it. Nevertheless he had strong de-
sire to promote its welfare and he gave it the
benefit of his ready and powerful pen. He was
first chosen City Solicitor in 1852, and perform
ed the duties of the Office several times after
wards. He was also one of the directors of the
Trunk Railway Co., and the last President 4
the Atlantic and st. Lawrence railroad com
pany, and President of the Portland Savings
Bank. .. 100 ..lz
He was an earnest promoter of agriculture
and delivered many lectures before the differ
ent agricultural societies in the State, and if he
was not thoroughly versed in the practical
work Of raising corn and potatoes, he was well
informed in the philosophy and chemistry of
soils and manures, and his Lectures were often
preserved in permanent form for study and ref
erence. He was also member and strong
friend of the American Colonization Society,
and deeply interested in the welfare OF the COL
ored race though not an abolitionist.
Mr.. Barnes was not calculated to win friends
rapidly. He was dignifed, reserved and some
times brusque in his contact with his fellow
men. But he was true to the trusts reposed
in him; sound in judgment and serupulously
exact. Hence there was committed to him
private trusts, and this part of his business in
creased from year to year. He won confidence
and friendship by the honesty OF his nature
ana the clearness and correctness of his iudp-
ment; and when he unbended the rieor of his
ou1-door lie was an agreeable and comnan-
ionable gentlemen. He was modaro,a 80.
tally IN the acquisition of property, DESIRING
1t only for the good it brought and not for the
sake of the accumulation of it. Hence md,
circumstances which many men would how
turned to their own pecuniary ADVANTAGE no
retained only what was legitimately his and