The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-11
DIR. Samuel e.. Howe.

The life of DR. Samuel G.. Howe who died in
Boston Sunday, reads like romance Born in
that city on the 10th Of November, 1901. he
pursued his preparatory course in the Boston
Latin school and in 1921 graduated at Brown
University. On leaving college he commenced
the study of medicine, but in 1924 on the break
ing out of the Greek rebellion his sympathies
became aroused in favor of that people in their
struggle for freedom, and abandoning his
studies he sailed for that country where he
entered the Greek service as surgeon and re-
mained until the independence of Greece was
established. After the war he taught the
people in the arts of peace and the first cart
ever made in modern Greece was built under
his direction. Twenty years afterward as he
rode into Greece on horseback he was recog-
nized by peasant woman, who spread the
news of his arrival, when he was surrounded
by the people and borne upon their shoulders
into neighboriDg city, upon the site where he
had founded village.
On his second return from Greece he became
director of the Perkins institution for the blind
in Boston, and at once embarked for Paris TO
learn the modes of treatment and procure ex-
perenced teachers. While there DR.. Howe
undertook to carry to the Poles who were st-ug-
Cling for liberty, the contributions which
had been collected in America. He sue
ceeded in e,uding the vigilance of the
Prussian soldiers and delivered the money.
but while in Berlin on his return he was
arrested by Prussian authorities, but eontrived
to hide all the compromising papers which
he had on his person. He was taken to gov
ernment prison and after two days was brought
before secret tribunal and required to answer
several hundred questions. At the end of two
days more he was again brought before the
same tribunal and the same questions pro-
pounded to him with the expectation that he
would contradict his former answers This
process was repeated for six weeks during
which he was confined in a nosome dungeon.
At the expiration of this period he was driven
bindfoleed to the French frontier where be
was released. AS late as 1843 his name stood
upon the prescribed list in all the Prussian
frontiers, but subsequently the King releuted
and sent him gold medal in token of his won
derful achievement in the education of Laurv
Brdgmau. The facts of this case are tolerably
familiar to the public from the account given by
Dickens in his American Notes.
The remainder of DIR. Howes life was de-
voted to philanthrophic effort. Out of his la
bors to educate one of his blind pupils, who was
also idiotic, grew the Massachusetts school for
idiots and feeble minded children. Through
out his life his efforts in behalf of the slave
were constant and untiripg He never held
any political Office but in 1871 was appointed
one of the San Domingo commissioners by
President Grant and was strongly in favor of
the annexation of that island. Late in life he
married Julia Ward, daughter of a wealthy
New York banker, a lady who has obtained
considerable celebrity.
DR.. Howe's literary labors are quite volumin-
Gus, but relate mainly to the calculation of his
views ard the dissemination of knowledge up
on the topics to which he devoted his long and
useful life, such as blindness, idiocy, insanity,
reformation of criminal and prison discipline.
He delivered several public addresses, and is
the author of a historic sketch of the Greek
revolution and very interesting report 20 the
government upon San Domingo. During the
var of the rebellion he was indefatigabe in his
efforts to promote the health and comfort of
our troops, and devoted much time and labor to
the dissemination of knowledge as to the care
of the sick and wounded aud in organizing
corps of competent nurses for hospital service