Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-03
REV. WILLIAM A. DREW.
He Quietly Passes Away at the Advanced
Age of Eighty Y.ars-A sketch OF his


morning, at four o'clock. Although Mr..
Drew has been quite feeble in body for the
past two years. and his friends felt that his
life hung upon slender thread, yet the inteli-
gence of his death came with the suddenness
of an unexpected stroke. Only two or three
days before his death he appeared to be in as
good condition as fer several months past,
but on Monday the disease with which he has
been afflicted so long became more painful,
causing him great agony, and on Tuesday
morning he died as gently as an infant drops
into its slumbers upon its mothers breast
Death had no fears for him he welcomed it
as the gate Of heaven, his face lighting up
during his last hours with an angelic bright
ness. in anticipation of his release from earth
and the coming meeting with friends who
had passed before him to the celestial shore
The disease of which Mr.. Drew died fastened
upon him some seventeen years ago, but until
a little more than two years ago, he was quite
active. preaching and writing and taking an
interest in public affairs. About two years
ago he became so enfeebled in health that he
was obliged to give up active labor, and has
since been confined to his house the most of
the time, occupying himself with writing his
autobiography, a work now before us, and a
marvel of neat penmanship and composition
for a man eighty years Of age. His last
writing for the press was his article on the
Washburn family, written for and published
in the Kennebec Journal few weeks since,
the handsome chirography Of which we re-
marked upon at the time.
TO the last moment Mr.. Drew's mental fac
ulties were bright. Neither age nor disease
had impaired the fine mechanism of his brain.
He read with delight up to his last days, and
understood with remarkable clearness and
remembered what he read. lie was a stall
wart leader in his day of the religious denom-
nation to which he belonged, controversial
list by nature and training, and he died firm
in the faith which he preached and battled for.
Though he had his faults-as all men have
he was good neighbor and citizen, strong
pillar of the Univcrsalist church, a man of
large ability, and never failing industry, a
the field in which his labors extended. The
principal facts in his history we gather as fol-
lows:
On December IL, 1898, William Allen
Kingston, Mass. 1t is said that he was a
comely child and that he gave early proof of
his ability to make a noise in the world. On
the Sabbath following his birth the parish
event, and besought the prayers of the men,
bers of the church that the life of the new
conner might be a long and useful one on
earth, and in both respects it would seem that
the supplicatons of the devout were answered,
for the life of Mr.. Drew has been one of many
years, and also one of great usefulness.
His immediate ancestors were men Of mark
and ability in their locality, one grandfather
having been a large shipbuilder and the other
surgeon in the Revolutionary war. His
father was man of intellect, but intemper-
ate, and the bringing up Of the family devolv-
ed largely upon the mother, woman of I'M
common excellence. Young Drew when he
reached the proper age was sent to school,
and fitted for college, eventually, but his faith
er was not able to send him. Yet his love of
books and his close application had made him
self-educated, and in every way very supe-
rior scholar. He says that his first religious
impre ssion came not in the whirlwind or earth
quake of a revival, but in 'the still small
voice" of the divine reason addressing the
reasoning faculties of his own soul. Mr..
Drew early began the habit of keeping a
diary, and he has stated that his whole liter
airy career as journalist and public writer
had its starting point here.
From his home in Massachusetts he went
to live with his brother .in-law in Bath, and in
1914 went from there with the family to Hal
lowell cross roads, now Manchester, where
he worked in store and labored upon the
farm. From here he went to Topsham,
then became a student in Pennington
Academy and soon after principal ofthe same
institution. 1t was in Pennington he preach
ed his first sermon Oct. /, 1920, and he be-
Universalist denomination who made it a
practice to preach by notes. He was married
in Hallowell, Feb. 20, 1921, and seven child
rem were born to them, of whom there are
now living two sons and three daughters.
His next place of residence was Belfast.
where he remained two years. He also was
settled in Thomaston and Camden.
In Belfast his editorial life began, and in
this profession he spent thirty-two years. and
to which might be added twenty-four years as
correspondent Of different periodicals and
newspapers in and out of the State. The
publication which he first began to labor up
on was one entitled the "Christiant Visitant,"
being series of popular tracts devoted to
scriptural statement and defence Of Univer-
salism, and its publication continued till he
removed from Belfast to Augusta in the au-
tumn of 1926 to take charge Of the Christian
Intelligencer at Gardiner. Taking up his
abode in Augusta he has continued to reside
here till the time of his death, or for the
space of forty-two years, and in all these
years he strove to promote the true honor
and prosperity of the place. He was inter-
ested to see the building of the dam, the
erection of the Insane Asylum, the railroad and
the telegraph and served on the school COM
mittee. In 1881 he purchased the place on
Chestnut street where has been his home
ever since, and where he delighted in cult
waiting his garden, and experimenting with
trees and vines. He began the publication
of the Gospel Banner in 1885, and continued
to be the owner and publisher of it for some
twenty-five years. The Rural lntelligencer
he was editor of for three years Maine Gull
tivator, three years the Augusta Courier and
" = 4 l.z. and hn