The Republican journal., 1889-07-11
Eli and Sybil Jones.
DEVOTED LIN ES OF TWO MAINE MISSIONARIES
AND PREACHERS. A QUAKER AS A MILITARY
OFFICER. MAJOR GENERAL JONES SPEECH
TO THE HOUSE IN 1S55.&


| 10 HE lfot Sc IN lSoD.#
From the Portland AdyertSer
Eli Jones and his wife Syhi were, until a
few years since, familiar figures to Maine pco-
pie, by whom they were favorably known and
much honored. They will he remembered by
our citizens as prominent in the meetings of
the Friends in our own city few years since.
For over fifty years they have held the most
conspicuous place as preachers and mission
aries of the Society of Friends. SyhiI Jones
certainly must rank among remarkable women.
Whittier and John Bright have both spoken in
the highest terms of her inspiration. her power
and her poetic language. The book opens with
a description of their early life in the forests
of Maine, and gives glimpses of social and re-
lgous life in the country eighty years ago.
Eli was born in 1907, at China, then called
"Twelve mile Pond" because it is twelve miles
from Augusta, the State capital. Without
doubt nothing in nature had more influence on
the bent of Eli Jones mind than China lake
and its beautiful shores. As the author SAYS
| "a boy placed on the bank of lake stretching
| OIL seven miles, becomes inheritor to Il domain
more vast than the acres of water it contains
| He feels that he owns much of the worlds
mon, dull round of life
| There is still standing by the side of the
| county road about mile from South China, a
| little red building called the Chadwick school
! house. 1t was in this house that Eli Jones first
| spoke in the assembly of the people. He was
| then under fourteen years of age, and his
marks must have been more than an ordinary
| boyS talk, As a few years afterwards. a very
| aged man came up TO him and said IL remcnl-
| Der the first time YOU ever spoke in meeting
and what you said. lie first interested him
self in the organization of temperance >ocie-
| ties, and many meetings were held in China
and the adjoining towns. These organizations
We're made two years before the Washington-
ian movement was started. The influence of
| this movement in the State was great, aiding
undoubtedly the enactment of the "Maine
| Law"
1t is an old maxim that HE wise man IS
| taught by everything; and we are also taught
| that the Spirit teaches them that give ear unto
! Him. one of the principal causes OF Success in
| Eli Jones life work is due to the fact that he
| listened to the voice that said, Give me thine
| heart" In 1888, he married Sybi| Jones. who
was born at Brunswick in l>US. Ii i related
that when Eli first visited her for the purpose
| OF asking her TO become his life companion,
| She, not >u>pectng his mission took down the
| Bible to read chapter, As was the custom
among Friends on the departure of guest.
She opened to the twentieth Psalm and read,
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;
grant thee according to thine own
heart and fulfil all thy counsel"
| SlhiP> early life was spent in Augusta, where
| She became much attached TO the Methodist dc-
! nomination. 1t was most Illuminating cross
TO her to obey her fathers will that she should
| show her Quakeri>m by wearing Friends
| plain bonnet. She was to accompany her faith
cr to the China monthly meeting and he IN
| sisted that She should wear the ''tlaiu' bonnet.
| From this determination II wa Impossible to
| move him. There was no way Tut to wear il.
! but She put il on bottom side up and rode with
| it 50 from Augusta to hina. AtterWard She
| crew to appreciate the simplicity and sincerity
| of the Friends a> well a, the >piritllaIity OF
| thoir f,itb and she hrra,nc hruli tivnl in t},n
| Lolif th.t tn lao a trua ouaI.nr was. tn L,,' .
, iN ~ " - ~ t;ttet II ~ ~ "
| Iea'oue hiiAl'tl ai" l'tillul ipiio"tI ~
| Jesus a> ne ana ms apostles nafktd out me
| way. She spent her early life in teaching AMI
| was given much to writing poetry. and III fact
| displayed highly poetic nature. John Bright
once told the author of the book. that II was
| always delight to listen To her, and that he no
gardcd her as poet OF high degree IN her
| thought and eNpre>slon.
| In the autumn of lN4o IN and >lht com
menctd their first missionary work, Which con
| tinueG all through the next forty wears. lhrir
| first journey in America was M carriage 10
Nova Scotia. and afterwards through the West
ern and southern States. In lNIO, after Il
severe internal struggle. Eli and >yhiI Jones
Went in sailing packet 10 the west coast Of
| Africa, and their Joint work there was Of great
value to the civilized and unriNiIiHcd negroes.
ne tndpItF on thl> MISSION gives an tN'tIlthI
account ot the I.iheran Republic in l>.3-53.
From there they Went to Ireland. England,
Norway Germany. switzerland and tie south
of France, continuing in each of these cptll-
tries their religious work.
In lS54 three years after the passage of the
Maine Law. the town Of { nina elected Mir.
Jones. by large majority over Two other r;tl!-
di,latcs To represent ii in the next legislature.
1t was expected that he Wouii agitltc >till
further reform. or ;> he expressed it ''put new
teeth into the old law" lie was given i prom
inrut place on committees especially on the
committee on tempcrahre lie worked con-
stantlv to bring about thr desired L..i,lition
but seldom spoke most of his work hcin. in
the committee 1t was Il notable winter in AIi-
wu>ta ana the different branches Of tine ~ta1e
Government were Tiled with rrpresrnt#tjye
men. Arson r. Morrill, was governor. AhHpr
Coburn in tie Executive Council: Woodbury.
Davi, was State treasurer. In the senate were
Mark H. DunnrlI and William Willis In 1he
House Sidney Perham was speaker and H. H.
Baker. clerk, while among the members were
other uromiuent men. Eli Jones was thg univ
person Who refused TO rjSe when Governor
Morrill, called upon the united senate aua
House TO take the oath of Office He stood
alone and rave affirmation that lie would faith
fully pcrf0rm hi, work. some member, of
thr IIau,e who knew him intimately. wished
TO can him to his feet and they arranged plap
nor 4. a per>ouaI lest. but AZ 4 scheme TO Jet a
sneerh. An appointment Of a major general
IN, ~ ~, N.,;,,, t,;Ii,;,,