The Portland daily press., 1879-02-24
WILLIAM FREEMAN.
Death of au Aged Native OF Portland.

Wllilam freeman OF Cherryneid uled Satur-
day at the age of nearly 96 years. His distins
guished ancestors, his own literary talent, his
industry and active mind at his great age,
seem to call for some sketch of his life.
Enoch Freeman, grandfather of William.
came to Falmouth Neck from Easthau,s Cape
Cod, in 1742, where be was born in 1706. He
was graduate of Harvard College. He was
Judge OF the Coutt of Common Pleas and Col.
onel of the regiment of militia; aud held all the
town offices that were consistent He was the
most prominent man of the town for many
years and died in 1888. aged 50. His oldest
son Samuel was born in Falmouth 10 1913. he
took promineHt part in the management of
the affairs OF the town and the province. He
was delegate to the Provincial CougIess and
secretary of that body in 1775 For twenty
i've years, with one exception. he was one of
the selectmen of bis native town At one time
he held eighteen off ,ess the principal of which
was that of Judge of Probate, which he held
seventeen years. After he bad reached the
age of so years, be prepared and published the
journal of Rev. Thomas Smith. ae died in
1881. aged SS years.
From these distinguished ancestors, descsnd-
ed William freeman. H was the second sou
of Samuel aud Mrs. Mary (Fowle) freeman.
He was born in Portland, July 81. 1873. He
was educated at Harvard College, in the class
of 1894. Among his classmates were the late
Judge Ware, Dr. John Merrill, so long ply
scian in Portland, Col. Thomas Aspinwsll Of
Boston, who lost an arm In the war of 1872,
Professor Norton, Gen. Abraham Eustis of the
amy, Samuel Cary, afterwards minister Of
Kings Chapel, Boston. and Samuel Cooper
Thatcher of Brattle street church At this
time the commons hall of old Harvard had
sanded stone floor, aud the tables were of pine,
painted red. a2d were set for meals without
any covering. Tho provisions were served and
eaten on pewter dishes. Tea and coffee we're
not furnished, but for each mess of eight or
ten, two pewter mugs were set, filed With
cider or water. Crockery and glass ware were
not used at commons until ten years later.
While 10 college Mr.. Freeman wrote many
articles for tire Boston Advertiser and other
papers. Soon after graduation. he entered the
office of Judge Green of Berwick aud remained
there about two years. At that time il was the
rule for college graduate to study law three
years, and others five years, before commenc.
ing TO practice. To comply with this rule,
Mr.. freeman spent one year with William
Syms of Portland, who had an office in Market
square. Woodbury. Storer was his FELLOWSHIP
dent. Syms and Salmon Chase were the
Leading lawyers of the town. In 1906 Nr.
freeman married Miss Clark of Boston, and
took up his residence in three story house
erected for him by his father, next below the
old Second Parish church on Middle street, and
opposite his fathers resideoce. Both were
burned in the great fire of 1866.
Iu 1907, Mr.. Freeman op-ued an Office for
the practics Of Law, on Middle strest, below
Exchange street, in bdilding whica was af-
forwards moved to Exchange street and occu-
pied as pos'-office by Postmaster Wngate
Here he remained until the CONNIE nee ment of
the war of 1872, when he removed to Limerick,
where he remained eight years, From thence
he returned to Portland, and in 1924 he re-
moved to Saccarappa. lad bailt the house now
occupied By Lewis Warren, Esq. In 1927, Mr..
freeman bails cottage house on the site of
that uow occupied by Wn. E. Gould, ia Deer
ing, and resided there one year or mora He
was the owner of large tact Of eastero lanos
which required his personal attention, and he
visited Cherry field. Finding that his business
would require his stay there some time, he left
part of his children at school in Pott!ani, in.
tending to return, bat after the death of his
f'ther in 1881, he decided to make Cherryfeld
his permanent residence, aud commenced the
practice of law there. ln 1929 he was elected
representative from that town. and although
he had not 6ually fixed his residence there, be
was allowed to take his seat.
Although Mr.. freeman was bJra to 8fll.
ence, he was very Industrious man aud an
enthusiastic poet from a boy up. While in
college he wrote au exhibition poem on "Flc-
tiJn," and a com nencement posm on "Credu-
lity." He also wrote a class poem entitled
Indifference" which was delivered b-fore the
"Hasty pudding Society" of Harvard Ga the
4th of July, 1908, while a residsnt of Portland,
he delivered an Grafton iu the old wooden First
Parish Westinghouse, by invitation of the
town authorities, which was published, copy
of which lies before me. The embargo was
then 10 force, and he thus alluded to it:
"Since the adoption of the Constitution, since
the landing of our forefathers, the enb b.rrass-
ments of private interests were never so press
lug and severe; the prospect of industrious
exertlon SO gloomy and despondeat A few
VINO IN better times treasured up aff1 f1uence,
may now live on their capital and enJoy the
comforts aud Injuries of life; but how many,
whose expectauons were nrlght, are nuw check
ed ia their enterprise, aud their hopes defeat
ed; the iabors OF the past rendered fruitiess
and th7 prosp4c5 OF the future foriorn. But
when we consider thu situation of thousands
who lived upon the sweat Of their hrows, aud
who depended for subsistence upon their daily
earnings, the aspect of poolIc Cal amity is mel
aucholy, almost to despair"
The evil OF intemperauce was favorte
theme, and VIM. Freem an, even in his old age,
was always ready TO Speak or write on the
suoject, without money aud without pric, H.
delivered a temperance address more th al fly
years ago. Hardly day passed without some
literary labor. Several of his produc lions have
been published for grstaitous distroution.
At the time Of the Portland fire in 1866, the
printed sheets of a book by him, on historical
matters relating to his native town, and on
which he had paid a considerable sum, was
burned in the printing Office. This also was
for private distribution. In answer TO some
inquiries,a friend of Mr.. Freeman wrote ms the
following, under date of Sept 10th, 1876:
"Altbough he is in his 9th year he takes a
great IL tort ST in the news of the day. and devotes
the most of his time to reading, aud writing
poetry. As an evidence of tue facility WITH
which he composes, [ mention an incident
which occurred last month relative fcom
Boston was mere GU visit, and wishing to
carry back specimen uf bis handwriting,
she requested hlm TO write verse of poetry
for her. He Immediately Com Piled. Alter
reading the lines she told MN that 1t was LOO
sober, and requested him to write others Of
more cheerful STRAIN, and with verJ little
thought he wrote the following and handed it
to her:
Although the present may be dark,
The sun viii rise again,
Aud with the warbllngs of the larS,
You may swell the glad strain.
-WiitiGna FL eenadn, dug. %, 1876.
The time occupied IN the composition was
but few minutes. l do not send it as being
OF any special merit, but to show you the re-
markabe vigor of his mind at the great age of
SO. He wrote over $50 pages of poetry, besides
many letters and some ARTICLES for the press.
Last Saturday l spoke to him about calling for
bin with a carriage to take him to vote. He
had not been to church for many weeks on ac-
count of ill-health. He said she must go to
church before he could vote, so the next day he
walked to church, distance of aboat quarter