Middletown transcript., 1886-03-12
JOHN B. COUGH.

Robert J. BwdeHe in the Brooklyn Eagle
JOHN b. COUGH.
After more than forty years of con.
spicuously successful work as tenn.
perance advocate, John B. Cough
died on Thursday, February is, at
Frankford, Pa.
He was born in England, in 1917,
and at the age Of ten was teaching the
spelling Of words Of two syllables and
the ssrule Of three" in the village
school. Two years later he came to
this country, to begin q life which
was to be marked both by degrade
ton and by a high degree Of honor
able fame. 1t was not long before he
Joined the Methodist Church, and en-
tertained thoughts ofpreparing for the
ministry. But that was soon given
up, and he worked on at his trade Of
book binding, for which he was re-,
ceiving only So a week.
But hard times came on, and even
that small income was lost. His
mother and sister we're depending on
him for support. In his discourage
ment he began to drink, and from
that time he fast ran down hill. He
would work few days at his trade,
and then spend all his earnings in q
debauch. And when his mother died
he had no money to buy a grave,
and she was buried in the potter's
field.
he wandered from place to place in
search Of work, but on account Of his
habits was of course unable long to
retain any position, and at last he
Joined a low theatre company, aud
played the part of a keeper Of tenn
perance hotel, in play in which DIR.
Lyman Beecher and other temperance
leaders were reviled. Then he fell to
a still lower plane, singing comic songs
at saloons, drinking heavily, and los
ing all self respect.
It was in the fall Of I842 that the
tide turned. A stranger stopped him
in the street one day, in Worcester,
and asked him to sign the pledge.
The next evening he attended q tenn
perance meeting and there took the
decisive step, and Immediately began
to sreak in the temperance gatherings
where the same powers which had
rendered him an attractive companion
in the saloons-his humor, his com.
mand Of language. his powers Of MIN.
icry-drew large audiences to listen to
his addresses on the the evils of drink.
His fame spread. He was sought
for by the "lyceums" scattered through
New England. "In 365 days." he
says in his autobiography, "I gave
383 addresses, and received for them
$1,059, out of which I paid all ex-
penses. / travelled 6,S40 miles, and
obtained. 1928 signatures to the
pledge" From this point on his pro-
gress was rapid. His fame spread.
He travelled through the eastern and
southern states and Canada, and in
1858 went to England, where two
years were spent in successful work.
Mr.. Cough was untiring in his ef-
forts to carry on the work to which
his life was devoted. Up to the be-
ginning of the present year he had
travelled fully half q million miles, de-
livered more than $500 lectures, and
written an autobiography Of which
more than 100000 copies have been
sold. It has been truly said that no
orator of the century was 80 widely
known as John B. Cough. His style
Of speaking, which could never be for
gotten by any who had heard him,
was original and remarkable. lie says
of himself: L have never known the
time when I did not dread an audi
ence. Often that fear has amounted
to positive suffering, and seldom am I
called called Ga tte face an audience when I
would not rather by far run the other
way; and as I grow older this suffer-
ing is increasing" 1t was only the
beginning of his addresses, however,
that he dreaded. He was intensely in
earnest. With him, to speak was an
imperative necessity. He had a mes
sage to deliver, and it could not be
held back. His sympathetic voice,
his dramatic manner, his abundant
energy, enthusiasm and humor capti-
waited his audiences.
His influence in the cause of tenn
perance has been beyond all human
computation. He has carried convic-
tion into thousands Of hearts, and
thousands Of homes have cause to
bless his name. He had long made
his home at Worcester. Mass, where
his house with its fine library, spac,
ious rooms and its surrounding estate
Of 24O acres, is said to be exceptional.