The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-01-05

MEMORIAL SERVICE OVER CAPT. j. B. CoYLE.
A very large congregation was present at st.
Stephens church, yesterday morning, to hear
Rev. Mr.. Daton's sermon on the life lessons
OF the late Capt. J. B. Coyle. The texts were
from II Samuel, 1923, and Revelations xiv, 10:
"They we're lovely and pleasant in their lives,
aud in their death they were not divided"
"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord,
from hencsforth yea, saith the Spirit, that
they may rest from their labors and their
works do follow them" After referring to
three deaths in the Coyle family within the
year, and the solemn funeral services at each,
he asked what occasion could there be for fur
ther remarks. For the dead, none whatever
bat for the living, much. Capt. Coyie was the
last man to desire personal euIogy, but would
have approved sincere effort to draw from
his life lessons useful to the young and others
who might profit by them. Such, then, is the
purport of this sermon. Let us ask, to what
did Capt. Coyle chiefly owe his influence and
success in life?
First-To the blessing OF having had, sue
cessiyely, good mother and a good wife.
Second The choice of good sound pay
ing business, sure to be of permanent value in
itself, and due regard to the fact of his per-
sonal fitness to engage and succeed 10 it.
Third-To the thorough preparation he
made, the long apprenticeship he served, and
the motto he made his own for life, viz, that
Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth do
ing we'll"
Fonrth-The sagacity and foresight which
enabled bim to discern the fitness of Portland
to be the base of his operations as a protector
OF steamboat lines TO Boston and other ports
also the enterprise and enthusiasm which
secured him the co-operstion of others.
Ffth-The sound principles adopted by the
z, s. p. Company, and their strict adherence
to them. serving the public SO well, that rival
and competing lines had no chance of success
and so died an early and natural death. q
Sixth-His high moral principles of action
as illustrated in the suppression of open bars
on the steamers, his general firmness vi resolu-
ton TO adhere to line of action once entered
on.
Capt. Coyle was chiefly man of action
rather than of thought, yet he was not deti-
Gent in thought for he was always on the
lookout for Improvements, and ever ready to
adopt new invention as soon as tested. Men
OF thought and men of action are both needed,
equally necessary TO each other aud to the
world. 1t required a Marquis OF Worcester TO
discover the expansive force of steam, and
Fulton to apply it to navigation Several
pertinent anecdotes we're here related to IL
lustrate Capt. s'oyle's irmness self respect,
anu how he learned to exercise self control.
Secondly, The charities and charitable in
situations of the city. He was friend to them
all, and contributed to most, If not all, and
that with an open hand; 50 literally, indeed,
that he may not have felt abba to leave 60 any,
large legacizs. He gave freely and took pleas
ure in giving almost daily while hs lived, and
seldom refused a worthy applicant, or sent the
needy away empty. But his chief interest and
personal activity were ia connection with the
nj fk,or tfoff Ia a G
which he was president several years, aud an
active member to the end OF his life, and in
the ancient order of Masona, belonging per-
sonally to the Ancient Landmark Lodge, of
which he WIS a Past Grand Master
Mr.. Dalton eulogized both thts5 institutions
the one as useful and having grsat possibilities
before 1t, and the ether as not only benevc-
lent, but most ancient and honorable iustitu-
ton which could be traced back rot ONLY to
Jerusalem and Tyre, Solomon and Hiram, but
to old Egypt aud the Pharaohs as we'll.
Finally the preacher spoke OF Capt. Coyle's
relation TO the churches and ministers OF the
city. His wife vas always Methodist, hiu.
self at last q Methodist, yet to the last firm
old fashioned Epscopaian. In this respect be
was like both John and Charles Wesley, the
founders OF Methodism. They therefore,
we're certainly good enough Methodists, vel
they we're also, and at the same time, mem
bers, communicates, and clergymen of the
Episcopal church to the last day of their lives
and held their Mother church in the highest
generation. So We see, how it was possible fol-
Capt. Coyle to have been at the same time, q
good Episcopalian. and an equally good Meth
odisf.
One of st. Stephens rectors. the Rev. DR.
Pratt, was his most intimate personal friend
for quarter of century. Hs was also on the
most friendly terms with the venerable DIR
Carruthers and DR.. Chickeriug, both of whom
still live, and live to be loved By all. He was
equally the friend of Rev, Dr. Hill, and OF
Or. John L. Gilman his life long physician.
Thus we see how broad the man, how wide tbs
range OF his sympathies, how comprehensive
ence in the Steam Packet Company, in the
charities OF the city and in the churches, will
endure as long as the company, the churches