Smyrna times., 1894-03-14
"Maine's Grand Old Man =,


Through the press, and TIE Dublic
meetings which will be held March 20
commemorative of the Ninetieth birth.
day of Gen. Neal Dow the attention Of
the world will be direction both to his
remarkable life, and the success of Pro-
hibitiOn as a Temperance measure
Aroused to an intense hatred of the
liquor traffic when quite young man.
by discOuragements encountered in his
efforts to save friend addicted to in
temperance, he began his mission
ary temperance work, which he
persistently continued for ten wears
speaking, and distributing temperance
literature throughout the entire State
OF Maine. In 1851, when he was first
elected Mayor of Portland he presented
an antl-liquor bill to the legislature
which was passed by vote of Is to 10
in the Senate, and Sc to 40. i'm the
House. That bill thus passed il
known everywhere as the Maine law.
Prohibition in Maine originating in the
adoption of that bill yet remains
stronger than ever in the public opinion
OF the State" Three years of the life
OF this noble champion of Prohibition
were devoted to gratuitous temperance
work in Great Britain, under the
auspices of the United Kingdom AL
lance.
I'm 1861, Mr.. Dow raised a regiment
OF infantry of one thousand men. and
by special permission of the Secretary
OF War, he raised also battery of
artillery. He went in midwinteT of
1862 directly to the Department of
the Gulf, as Colonel of the 18th Maine
volunteers, and soon after his arrival
at ship Island, he received from Presi.
cent Lincoln commission as Brigadier
General. When Gen. Banks made the
attack on Port Hudson, where he was
twice wounded, he was captured bv a
squad of Logan's Cavalry, and taken to
Libby Prison. W
AT Libby Prison he slept upon the
floor through the exceptionally cold
winters OF 1864, and in March 1864
was exchanged for Fitz Hugh Lee
his health was so shattered at Libbv
prison that he had furlOugh, and lust
on the week when his health would
permit him to return to the field. the
rebellion was so far subdued that its
collapse was only question of a month
or two, and though all ready with lug
gage packed to do so, he did not 90 to
the front again"
Gen. Dow has been IA student all his
life and is said to own one of the finest
private libaries in the State of Maine
one bookcase containing five hundred
French books which he reads as read-
lily in the original as in the English
language.
Mrs. l.. M. N. Stevens, president of
the Maine w. G. Il. u, and a neiobhor
of Mr.. Dows' tells this story which H.
lustrates his kindness of heart Re-
ing at convention with his daughter
Cornelia who presides over his home
Mrs. Stevens shared With her in the
reading of postal card from her
father ut contained line about her
return, but the larger part of il read
Inc squirrel Is gone again, shall we
not try to catch him, so as to give him
warm place for the winter? The
next day the postal card contained
these Words squirrel has returned
well and bright, saw him this morning
NOT frightened-found many nuts
came up to the window for them -
Among the many tributes offered Gen.
Dow, one from the pen of no less n
distinguished person than Canon vii.
berforce, gives US another glimpse of
the great mans character.
"How is il possible to express in n
few sentences my appreciation of the |
noble, courageous, persevering work of
Gen. Neal Dow? Most reformers are
willing sheets ofpaper circulating wide |
~ the truths with which they have |
been impressedi Gen. Dow is a block |
Of type, aud he has imprinted on the
human race the eternal truth:
Hereditary bOndsmen, know ye not
Who would be free himselfmust strike the blow"
When / was his guest at Portland /
vas deeply impressed by his gentle
courtesy, bis luminous intellect, and
lis elevated moral sense. The world
3 the better that he has lived.n
w. @. Il. VI, PRESS SUPr.