The Portland daily press., 1883-07-25

ate ne was on SJate COMMISSION 10 locate
a site for State prison, and stoutly opposed
the location adopted. He was also on
commission to locate the seat of government
of our State. In 1899 he was director of
the branch bank of the United States. He
served on the committee on military affairs
In the Senate and procured the establishing
of military road from Bangor to Mars Hill.
He also urged the establishing OF road of
the same kind from North Arson via Dead
River Valley to the Lower Canada line. At
the expiration of his service in the Senate,
March 4th, 1927, he was appointed by Presi-
dent Jackson Collector of the Port OF Port
land. He had been offered and had declined
the Col lectorship of Boston previous to this.
He shortly after removed to Portland and
lived in the Thompson house, No. So Spring
street. He held the position of Collector
eight years. During this time the late Fran
els 0. J. Smith was in Congress from the
Cumberland district. He procured the re-
moval of the postmaster of Portland, and
tried to GUST Gen. Chandler. He waited
upon "Oid Hickory" and stated that the
party needed u younger man, and urged the
old veterans removal. The sturdy hero of
New Orleans listened to Mr.. Smiths request
and looking at him slowly said. San honest
man Is the noblest work of God! General
Chandler is an honest man. Good morning,
Mr.. Smith," Smith left, but it is doubted
if he ever understood Jackson's meaning,
but he understood his manner. With the
close of President Jackson's second term
Gen. Chandlers commission as Collector ex-
pred. President Van Buren, offered him
re-appointment. He was then Is years of
age. and feeling that his public life should
end, he declined it and recommended his
warm personal and political friend Hon.
John Anderson to be his successor, and be
was appointed.
Thus closed public life covering peri
cd of forty-seven years. In the following
July he removed to Augusta, where four
years later, Sept. 20, 1871, he entered the
other life. His wife survived him nearly
five years. She was born in Nottingham,
N. H, February 16, 1865, married to the
General August ~, 1888, and died in
Bath, Sept. 16, 1916. One who knew her
we'll says, "She was a noble specimen of
New England woman, one of many who
have sent out from our country firesides men
aud women who have made our land bloom
with piety, intelligence and patriotism
Gen. Chandler was man of commanding
presence and uncommon manly beauty.
His courage, like that of all his race, was
undaunted. When on his way to enter the
Senate of the United States rhymster said
of him:
"John Chandler will be here
Tough as steel and bold as Hector"
He was amember of the Masonic Fraternity,
and was present in the Grand Lodge June
End, 1920, when Gov. VIM. King was in
stalled its first Grand Master. He was a
Unitarian in bis religious views, and wor-
shipped when in Portland at the First Par
ish church. He left four children at his
death, two sons and two daughters. His
sons were John Alfonzo and Arson Gonsalo
Chandler. His daughters were Caroline
and Clarissa Augusta. John A. married
Della West of Hallowell, Maine. He was
for several years Clerk of the Courts in Ken
nebec county. Arson G. settled in Calais,
Maine, and served in both branches of the
Legislature. He was for some years Judge
of the Court of Common Pleas, being an ac-
tive Democrat and leader of his party in
Washington county. Prior to his death ia
1862, he was United States Consul to Lahai-
ma, Sandwich Islands. His first wife was
Elizabeth Pike of Calais, a half sister to
Hon. Frederick A. and to the late Hon.
james S. Pike of that place. After her de-
cease he married Annie Eliza, daughter of
the late Hon. Jeremiah Bradbury of Calais,
who formerly resided in York county.
and was clerk of its courts for sever
al years. She was sister of Hon. Bion
Bradbury, of Portland, and Emily, the de-
ceased wife of Francis K Swan, Esq, of the
same place. Caroline married DR.. Benja-
min Prescott of Dresden, Maine. Clarissa
Augusta married DR.. Amos Nourse of Hal
lowell, who moved to Bath, where he died
few years since. He was an eminent physi-
clan and was prominent in our politics.
The children of General Chandler, togeth-
er with those they married, have been gath
cred to their fathers. Mrs. Stratton and
Mrs. Ladd of Augusta, Maine, daughters
of Hon. John A, Chandler, are living.
OF the Epping branch of the family the
only one in Maine bearing the name
is the venerable Marcelus A. Chandler of
Augusta. He was son of the late Gen.
Joseph Chandler of that city, who was a
nephew of the General. To him, together
with the Hon. George B. Chandler of Man
chester, N. H., and DR.. George Chandler of
Worcester, Mass, am under great obliga-
tions for many of the facts contained in this
sketch.
In conclusion I will say that careful pc
rusal of the papers in the early part of this
century discloses the fact that no man
held warmer place in the peoples heart
than Gen. Chandler. He came from their
ranks and never forgot it. He wasted no
time in hunting up titled ancestry or mon
sy to hire some skillful engraver to invent a
fictitious coat of arms. To him his honest,
patriotic ancestry was patent of nobility
enough. For more than forty years he was
to our politics what Hannibal Hamlin has
been to the politics of later generation.
He endured privations which caused him to
love liberty. To him it was precious jew
Of because of the hardships he underwent to
obtain 1t. When the political history Of our
State shall be written by a pen in the hand
of worthy successor of Williamson it will
be demonstrated beyond dispute that among
the many able men noted for their devotion
to her welfare none has left better record
than John Chandler, the blacksmith, farm
er, soldier and statesman.
Matthew Arnold on Wordsworth.
Address to the Wordsworth Society: Macmillan's ]
doubt whether any one admires Words
worth more than do. l admire him, first
of all, for the very simple and solid reason
that he is such an exceedingly great poet.
One puts him after Shakespeare and Milton.
Shakespeare is out of comparison. Milton
was, of course, far greater artist; probably,
also, greater force. But the spiritual pas
ell of bic opiritpaI yaeeion