Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-19
John ID. Cough Dead.

where he was taken on Monday night
when stricken with paralysis while lectur
ing al the Frankfort Presbyterian Church.
His wife was at his bedside when he died.
There were also present Mrs. Pidge. his
sister; Mrs. Burns aud two nieces, Misses
Mary and Fanny Whitcomb, Mrs. John
Wannamaker. Rev Thomas Murphy and
Mrs. Jacob Wagner. Il was recalled to-
day that the last words spoken by Mr.
Cough were: Young man, make your
record clean"
lat o clock yesterday there died one of the
remarkable men of the day. John B. Cough
was born at SYNDICATE. Kent, England on the
I'D Of august. 1917. he attended a private
school, but at the age of 10 left it. aud never en-
joyed any other school advantages. Unable to
secure his son the opportunity TO learn trade,
his father, who was a poor man, sent him at the
age of l. % America to be apprenticed. He was
placed Oh g farm in Oneida county, New York,
where he remained two years. Being convinced
that agricultural pursuits were i'll suited to him,
he had his fathers consent to go to New York
city, where he arrived with four sh.lliDgs as all
his worldly store. He apprenticed himself to
boOkbinder. but his master was grinding man,
and the relation was speedily dissolved and
new situation found at S. a week. He sent to
England for his mother and sister, and they
Joined hiIn in 1898. They lived in garnet in n
condition OF poverty. He lost his position and
was driven TO beg for food. The mother soon
died in the garnet, and was buried as pauper.
The LAD struggled on alone with i'll success. Pos
Sessed of a fine voice and remarkable initiative
powers he attracted attention, and secured en-
ployment in a cheap theater and worked
little AT mis- trade. He fell into bad habits. and
from having been devout Christian descended
to vice anc dissipation, and eked out existence
in low amusement halls an actor. He be-
came confirmed drunkard apparently. During
q temporary reform he married, and removed to
Newburyport. He soon returned to his cups,
and sank 10 the low levels of the drunkard
again. he tecame the veriest slave of the
bottle. His social qualities and amiable dispo-
sil IN won him friends who did their utmost to
reclaim him His wife left him repeatedly and
endeayored by as frequent returns TO rescue
him. but MS habits grew no better. His wife
went lit decline and died, and Cough sank
lower sill when her influence was withdrawn.
enc night In October 1917 q stranger tapped
him on the shoulderas he staggered in the street,
and asked him to sign the pledge" and
promised him aid if he would do so. He re-
solved to acs ept the offer went on final de-
bauch, and then signed. Delirium tremens
seized upon him almost Immediately, and the
de scription OF his experience with mania potu
formed one of the most startling portions
OF nearly all his maryelously eloquent
Lectures for forty years thereafter. Friends
rallied 10 MS support. He procured employ
ment at his trade and began to prosper He
was brought out as "a reclaimed drliukard
at Temperance meetings By the Washing
tonians. and began to make speeches. The
spirit Of oratOry was in him, the fire of earnest
ness and the tru h of convictions. 1t was but
a short time until he was permanently upon the
lecture ros,rIm. Twice only did he violate his
pledge. but he was saved from appetite by
strong. supporting wills. Mr. Coughs career
tlnce that year 1912 is one familiar to the Ameri-
can public. lie became the most brilliant and
dramatically effective temperance orator ever
upon the Arferican platform. Wherever ne
vent the people fiocked to him. His power over
an audience WAS something wonderful. He en-
chained not only the intelligence by the melody
of his tongue and the grace of his delivery but
ne touched the heart and won the sympathies
No one who ever heard him doubted his sin
cerlty or denied the magnetism OF his ora
tory. He was called to every part of
the Union. IN the first year of his work
and reserved from rs cents to Sc a lecture
II is estimated that Cough delivered no less
fhan 8, $50 zee urcs on the topic of total absti-
nence and prohibition, and that over two
millions OF people signed the pledge at his in
stance he was invited TO England and warm
" welcomed there in 1859 public reception of
q phenomenal character being given him. The
first men OF England came forward to do him
honor and acknowledge his power He lectured
throughout England and Scotland, arousing the
greatest enthusiasm on all sides. In 1856 he re-
turned TO England in response to demands of the
pe5ple, and remained there tl.-ee years. lectur-
ing constantly. From 1859 to 1850 he iectrred
With less frequency, but never wholly ceased,
even when age began to cripple his powers. He
was married the second time in iS43 we'd
ding Miss Mary Wbitcomb, of Boylston. Mass.
and this lady. in all his subsequent career was
a powerful helper in his work. Mr.. Cough
never acquired wealth. He had comfortable
rative he had no equals; his descriptive powers
were wonderfully vivid and strong; i'll pathos
he surpassed Gavazzi. but had not his tragic
grandeur. On the platform he was restless.
tossing, acting, every limb and muscle and
feature playing part in his wonderful lex
preston" He WIS exceedingly witty, and his
readiness in repartee was one of his chief
weapons 10 success There was nothing of the
ceclamatory in his style-it was natural I'M
conscious eloquencc, reInless, dashing, stormy
yet at times terrible in its peculiar placidity
mi nc in ifc hos
and bewildering in the beauty of its imagery
EDS. REcoRD-pNIoNl
Railroad Matters.
NEW YORK, February 1Sth.-The Union
and Central Pacific roads reduction in
passenger fares of SO per cent. between San
Francisco and Omaha will be followed al
mo I Immediately by reduction in freight
rates. All lines west of the Missouri river
are making like competition for business,
& the amount of which is no heavier than
last year, when full tariff rates prevailed.
The Central and Southern Pacific people
take the dissolution of the pool phiio-
sophically. c. p. Huntington states the
case thus: l don't look for any more
travel than there has been under the pool
There was cutting then. and there will be
cutting now. Naturally it would be ex-
pected that we should discontinue the Pa
cific Mail subsidy. We are, and have been
all along, in favor of low rates. We be-
lieve in getting people to California, to set
tie the country. AT our meetings we all
agreed. except the Atchison which wanted
more than it earned, or was able to earn. 1t
earned % per cent. and wanted 40 per cent.
We objected. None of us feel particularly
friendly to the Atchison How long the
cutting will go on it is impossible to say
DENVER (Col.), February 1Sth-On ac.
count of the failure of the Transcontinental
Railway Association to agree upon terms
of the pool, the Santa Fe, Union Pacific,
and Denver and Rio Grande companies to-
day announced cut of $50 on emigrant
rates. and SIS each on first-class unlimited
and limited tickets to the Pacific coast.
The Braksmen's Strike.
HousToN Tex, February 18TH The
freight traffic on the Southern Pacific Rail.
Dad between here ard New Orleans is en-
rely suspended, owing to the brakemen's
rike. A committee Of two brakemen left
New Orleans last night, to inquire into
grievnces of the men on the Morgan
sion. The men here say they have no
auee of their own. The local agents
,e Southern Pacific Company to-day
arged sixteen freight-handlers and
clerks, because of the suspension OF
:. It's understood that agents all
line as far as FL Paso have been
do likewise.
-cEssIoN TO THE STRIKERS.
SIX. February 19th--A M-The
G. z. Huntington made an i'm.
sion yesterday. He determined
e the troubles among his en-
Southern Pacific, Louisiana
Morgan Steamship Company
/ explicit orders to his New
gers to comply without any
he demands of the striking
This is important and signifi-
ing on the railway warfare
:, by giving in to the aggrieved
than 100 in number, and by
hem the advance of wages from
% per month they ask, thus not
0n.s is the fight in New Orleans against
his steamship and railway lines, but puts
his lines in a position to run at their very
fullest capacity.
Match for a Running Race.
New YORK, February 18th. = Athletic
circles are excited over the acceptance by
L. E. Myers, the champion mile-runner OF
America, of w. G. Georges challenge to
run a series of races for a la &c purse.
George is the English champion, and in
1852 defeated Myers in two out of three