The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-09-21
o OBITUARY..
Ira Berry.

Aes'o "oAo 30 wei known to our citizens,
and whose kindly nature made him beloved
Dy ALL died yesterday morning at his resi-
dence on Brown street, from the effects of a
paralytic stroke received short time ago.
Ira Berry was born In New Durham, N. H..
sept. %, 1901, and was the son of stephen
ana Allce (Chamberlaln) Berry, and the
grandson Oh stephen Berry, veteran officer
Oh the French war, who was descended from
william Berry, who came over to Ports
mouth with Mason In 1880. He learned the
printing trade in Dover, N. H., being ap
prenticed to John Mann in 1918. Asa iour-
neyman. he worked In the Patriot Office. in
concord two years. then in the Statesman
| office In Boston, under True and Green, In
1924. and year In the Argus Cfice in Port.
land. under Thomas Todd. In 1s25-6.7 he
worked for Wells and Lille In Boston, then
TOR while on the journal Of Commerce in
New York, returning to Boston to the office
OF Isaac r. Butts, where he took charge Of
the composition Of DR.. Bowditch's transla-
tion OF La Places Mecanique Celeste. In
this difficult work he won the friendship OF
the distinguished author, and enjoyed the
privileges Of his valuable library.
On December /, 1881, he married Lydia NJ.
Hobart. at bingham. Mass, descendant Of
one OF the founders Of that town. In the,
same month he went to Augusta, as partner
Of Francis o. j. Smith. in the Age, which
was then established on the first meeting OF
the legislature at that place. ln 1884. Mr..
Smith having previously retired from the
control Of the Age. he also left II, and be-
came partner In the Eastern Argus, in
Portland. with Charles Holden, under the
firm name Of Berry and Holden. In 1885 the
publication Of the Argus daily was COM
menced. August 81, 1887, he left the Argus,
returned to Augusta and became partner In
the Gospel Banner. In the fall Of 1880, fol-
lowing the political fortunes Of +. o. j.
Smith, he quilted the Banner, returned to
Portland. and with Mr.. Smith, started the
ARGUS Revived" whose name indicated its
object, which was to carry a dissatisfied poT-
tion OF the Democi attic party over to their
opponents. This object was accomplished,
| so far as to carry the state for Harrison in
the brilliant campaign OF 1910, but the paper
did not capture the support Of the Argus con-
stituency financially, and after two years It
suspended publication. This was time of
great financial depression, and Mr.. Berry
was left with heavy burden Of debt, which
he struggled bravely under for many years.
He for while published a Universallst pa
per called the Amulet, Of which Charles @.
Burr. brilliant but erratic Universalist
clergyman was an editor, and for one year
| the Eastern Farmer, In both OF which enter
prises he was aided by r. o. J. Smith.
March 10, 1874, Mr.. Berry went to Norway
with Francis Blake, and founded the Nor
way Advertiser. After the first year, Mr..
Blake retired, and after the second year Mr..
Berry sold out to Edwin Plummer. his old
apprentice, and went to Boston to engage
with Mr.. Smith In the new and promising
business Of telegraphy. BE assisted In build
ing the line to New York, the first In New
England. and became the first operator and
manager Of the Boston office. When the
lines were connected with Cambridge .obser-
vatory to assist the Coast Survey In estab-
fishing longitude, he was the operator who
l took charge of that station. Thus he may be
considered one OF the pioneers In telegraphy.
In 1S4S, Mr.. Smith again entered into politics
by establishing the Umpire In Portland. to
advocate the election Of Gen. Taylor, and
| Mr.. Berry once more followed his fortunes,
came to Portland and took charge of the
Portland telegraph office, then situate In the
Museum building on Union street, and edit
ed the Umpire. After the election Of Taylor
ne was given the position Of Inspector In the
Custom House, which he held four years,
and which enabled him to pay off the last Of
his old argus Revived" debts, and to start
fair again. In 1910. he had been appointed
weigher and gauger. which In those days was
valuable place, but the early death Of Pres
ident Harrison, and the succession Of Tyler
cOused changes which quickly threw him
out.
In 1858, he again established himself In the
| job printing business. where he was jOlned
| by his eldest son.
In 1866 he was elected Grand Secretary Of
| the Masonic Grand Chapter, and In 1856 of
| the other grand bodies. In few years this
business so increased that 1t demanded his
whole time, aud he retired from the printing
business and devoted himself to his secreta-
ryship, In which he has become widely known
throughout Maine and the Masonic world.
As a politician, Mr. Berry was better
known for his social qualities than as a par
tisan. He was very popular at Augusta, and
old politicians like James w. Bradbury and
OF his talent at singing comic songs and tell
ing funny stories. Enoch knight once de-
scribed him as ''she chiefest among ten
and the one altogether lively
His talent as a writer was in the literary
line, and his contributions Of verse and
| prose were elegant and valuable. His taste
| was excellent, and such admirable writers as
Charles s. Davies would ask his suggestions
In revising their proofs, while Governor
Dunlap once said "You know you always
| were my Magnus Apollo" He was fire.
| quently called upon for poems and songs for
public celebrations, and was quite happy in
the discharge of such duties. His busy life
left him no time to write books, until in ad-
vanced age he wrote and published history
| Of the Beethoven Society lin 1881 This was
| a labor Of love, both In regard to the musical
| people Of Portland, whom he had known and
loved in the old days, and in his devotion to
music, which had absorbed him from his
| youth. He was an accomplished musical
| scholar and critic, and was an active suppor-
| ter Of most Of the musical enterprises Of the
| city. He was one Of the few honorary men,
bers Of the Ladies' Rossini Club, and a con-
slant attendant at their rehearsals and re-
cltals.
He was almost equally interested in botany
and one of the authorities on rare wild fOw-
ere, which he had diligently sought and gath
cred from his childhood. when he first
learned to know them from an old Indian
woman in the New Hampshire forests.
He had nine children, Of whom six survive,
with many grandchildren and great grand
children, numbering over fifty, Of whom he
has been In the habit Of gathering at the
home roof, as many as possible, on his we'd
ding anniversaries, on which occasions the
chronicles Of the year and literary contribu-
tions have been read, with songs and instru-
mental music In 1850 he adopted the Ger
man custom of a Christmas tree, which he
described In the Eclectic at that time, and
ever Sine his descendants have met annually
at his Christmas tree.
Although his following an erratic leader
too boldly kept him poor until after middle
l a0a hto taotoa m, a.. hin, Lead m hanUxy aud