The Portland daily press., 1875-10-28
M. A. COURSE.


City Hall was we'll filled last evening by
about the same audience as gathers each veal
to hear Cough. The speaker was introduced
by President Coolidge, and received hearty
welcome from the audience.
1t proved to be like Mr.. Coughs others, a
mixture of the serious aud the humorous, and
it was delivered with the same dramatic and
mimical power and superabundant gestures
| At the outset he defined the distinction between
an error, mistake, blunder and bull. Then
he told of cooper who put his little son into a
barrel to support its head while he fastened it.
not thinking how the lad was to get olt after
ish blunder Describing other kinds of blund.
ers, he said dentist pulls out the wrong tooth
"a stupid bunder; physician prescribes, or
an apothecary compounds, the wrong drugs-a
criminal blunder. He told scores of anecdotes
in rapid succession about ludicrous blunders in
speech, especially Irish bulls,-in literature,
| in newspaper advertisements, and public no.
tees. For this portion of his lecture he drew
very largely upon the current paragraphs of
the newspaper press, and introduced a few
cient,-the famous mixed metaphor of Sir
l Boyle Roche for instance At least one story,
however, is probably not familiar. 1t is of an
English gentleman who, being rallied at din
Il uCt party dUOut tu0 UullS p6Tp6LIdtGu ny us
countrymen, retorted that the English were
| much more open to the charge. "Why,' said
| he, s.you are all Bulls yourselfs and you have
| hardly public house without bull for sign.
In this very street there are six inns with bulls
for signs '.No, no." said the Eaglish gentle
men, who were his entertainers, 1--WE know the
| street we'll, and you are mistaken" The Irish
man insisted, and offered to wager a dinner
that he was right The wager was accepted
| and he proceeded to count the inns on his fin.
gers. There's the Black Bull, the White Bull,
the Spotted Bull, the Red Boil, the Dun Bull,
and-and-the-Pm sure there's another
mo" said the other, ''thats all" "Ah," said
the !rishman, there's the Red Cow "Ha!
BULL" swell, them" rejoined the Irishman,
triumphantly, shat makes six of 'em.'
But Mr.. Cough devoted his lecture mainly to
more serious bunders; first. to the blunder
classes suffering their children to grow up uu-
der the worst influences and become vagabonds
and criminals; next, TO the blunder our electors
make in sending to Congress and to the state
Legislatures men who are not above the COZ
rupting influences of the lobbyist, who truckle
to the low and vile to gain their votes, and who
would even thrust the Biole out of the public
schools and stamp upon its desecrated pages
for the sake of Office. 81 DECLARE" said Mr.
Cough vehemently, that the man who would
lift bis hand or voice against the public school
system is guilty of treason to the country, trea-
son to humanity and treason to God" He pro-
tested Indignantly against the bunder which
was committed in allowing fOur-fold bigamist,
the representative of the oath-bound and ty-
rannous community which perpretrated the
Mountain Meadow massacre, to sit in the halls
OF Congress the peer of the best man there.
He then made powerful attack on the liquor
traffic, and closed with an eloquent appeal to
young men to devote themselves to the Chris
tian religion.
Portland Widows Wood Society.
At the annual meeting of the Widows Wood
Society, held last evening the following officers
were chosen for the ensuing year:
President-Lewis B Smith.
Vice President-John Barbour.
Seeretary-C. G. Hayes.
Treasurer-Samuel Rolfe,
Audtor-H. g. Barnes. 4
Directors-First Parish, NJ. P. Emery; Pay
son Memorial, s. w. Larrabee; Chestnut street
M E., H.; G. Barnes; First Baptist, d. B.
worthy; Casco street, Thos. Cobb; Congress St.
NJ E., Ezra Drew; st. Lawrence street, VIM
Curtis: ST. Paups Episcopal, Geo. F. Aver;
Free st: Baptist, Lewis B. Smith; High street,
bour; plymouth church. Frank s Il. C Colby Park P
street, James Fl. Baker; st. Stephens, Episco-
pal, james II. Eaton State street, T. r. Hayes;
New Jerusalem, A. M. Burton; St. Luke's,
p iscopal, Geo. E. Jackson; Pine St M. E.,
Lord; Bethel, Rev. F. Southworth; Catholic
Cathedral Patrick MCGOWAN st. Dominic's.
Daniel L. Began; Preble Chapel, Rev. Mr..
Phelan; Allen Mission. Cyrus SturdIvant; LIST
John A. Lidback; Abysinian church, Reuben
Ruby; Monntfort st. M. e., Josiah Jones; Ad-
vent Christian church, S, K. Dyer; West Con-
gregational church, Geo. D. Buzzell.
Purchasing Committee-Sam'l Rolfe, H. @.
Barnes, G. G. Hayes.
General Agent. r. Thompson.
Advisory COmmittee-H. G. Barnes, Sam'l
Rolfe, Thos. Cobb
The treasurer, Samuel Rolfe, presented his
report which shows that the Society have paid
out about $4,000 the past year, and have bal
anceion hand of $967.07. The Society have
1922, 531. "a invested in bonds. The interest on
the bonds is $14O0 and the balance of the
money expended by the society is contributed
by the churches and private individuals.
j. r. Thompson, the distributing agent. le-
ports 246A tons of coal and 70 cords of wood
distributed to 632 families
The Society rendered their thanks to H. G
Barnes for his services in getting up the praise
meeting in City Hall last Thanksgiving. 1t
was voted to have another praise meeting next
Thanksgiving and to give Mr.. Barnes the
charge Of it.
Mr.. 81. G. Barnes presented the following
resolutions of respect to the late Charles Hol
den:
Death has entered the ranks of this association
since its last annual meeting and removed of its
true friends, Hon. Charles Holden, leaving another
vacancy in our ranks, and reminding us Of the un-
certainly of human life.
ResolUed, That in the death of Brother Holden
this society has suffered the loss OF member whose
irreproachabe life and daily walk and conversation
were worthy of a man and friend. Though feeble
health and the decline of years, did not permit his
constant attendance at our meetings, yet the
evidence was all about us, heard of bis septi-
ments, that he cherished the Portland Widows
Wood Society worthy bis highest devotion, and as
one of his last acts donation Of five hundred do lars
by his will fully of his sympathy for those
this society is laboring to benefit. He was good
citizen, worthy man. and beloved by all who knew
him. We mourn his loss, but not selfshly, because
we know by faith that our loss is his Unreasonable
gain.
Resolved, That the sympathy of this society is
hereby rendered to the family of our associate the
hour Of their deep af1iction, when the hand of the
Lord is laid heavily upon them, and we pray that
they may be supported and cheered in the remem-
brance Of the long years which he was permitted
enjoy, and the unspotted reputation which he bears
as priceless memento of his virtues.
MECHANIC COURSE OF LEcTUREs.-The COM
mittee appointed to arrange for a course lee