The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-09
MEMORIAL SERVICES
For the Late Alvin F. WEIGH at st. Ste
phen's Church.

Memorial services in honor of the late
Mr.. Alvin F. WEIGH, who recently died
at New Orleans, of small pox, were held
at st. Stephens church, yesterday after
noon. The weather was extremely I'M
propitious, but there was good congre-
cation present.
At 2.35 o'clock promptly, the members
of Bosworth Post. G. A. R., No. 2, Com
mander Tobie, 45 men, entered the
church, followed by the Union Veteran
League, Colonel Nickerson, 20 men, of
which organization deceased was chap
lain. Then came some eight
cen members of Shepley Camp, S. of ",
commanded by Captain Elmer F. Golf.
A number of members of Bosworth Re-
lief Corps and Ladies' Aid, S. of ",
were already seated The members of
the various organizations were seated on
the pulpit side of the church. In front
of the chancel were placed a pot of beau
tiful Easter lilies, and several fragrant
wreaths and other emblems.
After voluntary by the organist, the
choir sang with much feeling ''Come un-
to me all We that labor" which was fol-
lowed by Rev. DR.. Dalton, the rector, re-
citing the. Episcopal burial service. At
its close the 261st hymn mas sung by the
choir.
DR.. Dalton then took for his text, Acts,
XII, "a: "For he was good man.
One man is great in one thing, said the
preacher, and another in another. One
man is great in war and another in peace.
Some men are good citizens in that by
their public acts they help build up the
cities of their residence. There are
good lawyers, merchants and farmers,
all striving to increase the material adj
vantages of the community in which
they live, so that no one class should be
honored above another. A man s sell
fshness often is productive of good even
when such a result never entered his
thoughts, nor does he care. We admire
physical strength. In the ancient times
the greatest athletes were often the lead
ers. But, beyond all these things is the
essence of goodness; is moral character.
Our friend who died was an exemplifca-
ton of this truth. When very young he
was brought up in his uncle's family in
Westbrook, where he laid the foundation
of the character that we all admired !;
that trustworthiness we all remember
The Doctor then went on to enlarge
npon the fact that while it was we'll
enough to seek and gain honorable posi-
ton and riches, it was far better to cult
vate those characteristics that in the end
would find man ready for the eternal
kingdom. Remember that the Scrip
lures have said, 'the fiji st shall be last
and the last first" Strip the man of his
riches, of his social surroundings, that
are merely external, and what remains of
him? Live from within, not from with
out. The great Farragut said, Don't
give me iron ships and wooden men but
wooden ships and iron men, meaning
that no matter what the material of
the ships might be if the men were con-
scientious to the ideas of duty nothing
could withstand them. In conclusion he
called the veterans remembrance to the
fact that since the first gun of the war
echoed. in Charleston harbor their hair
had grown white, their appetite had
failed, their sight was dimmed and their
hearing weakened. Some had grown
rich and honored, while with others the
world had gone hard. 1t may be that
Win IHeu Iue HTSt SItll uo ldSb anu Une
last first. but it will be well for all of
them if at the end of life their minister
can say "He was good man.
The choir sang the 260th hymn, ASLEEP
in Jesus" the benediction was pro-
nounced, the postlude followed, and the
congregation dispersed.
During the services the family occu-
pied the seats in front of the chancel.