Middletown transcript., 1894-03-17
Maine,s Grand Old Man.

Through the press, and the public meet
ings which will be held March 20, COM
memorative ofthe Ninetieth birthday of
Gen Neal Dow the attention of the world
will be directed both to his remarkable life
and the success of Prohibition as a Tenn
perence measure. Aroused to an intense
hatred Of the liquor traffic when quite
young man, by Encouragement encoun-
tered in his efforts to save friend adj
dicted to intemperence, he began his mis-
sionary Temperance work, which he persist
emily continued for ten years speaking, and
distributed temperance lierature throuhout
the entire State Of Maine. In 1851, when
he was first elected Mayor of Portland, he
presented an anti-liquor bill to the legisla
ture which was passed by vote of Is to 10
in the Senate, and Sc to 40, in the House. |
THAT bill thus passed is 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 Alliance.
In 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 midwinter of 1862 directly to the |
Department of the Gulf, as Colonel Of the |
12tI Moin al Nd of b;S |
arrival at Ship Island, he received from
President Lincoln commission as Briga |
dier General. When Gen. Banks made |
the attack on Port Hudson. where he was |
twice wounded, he was captured by a |
squad of Logan's Calvary, and taken to |
Libby Prison.
AT Libby Prison he slept upon the floor |
through the exceptionally cold winters of
1864, aud in March 1864, was exchanged |
for Fitz Hugh Lee His health was so |
shattered at Libby Prison that he had |
furlough, and just 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 60 to the |
front again."
Gen. Dow has been student all his life
and is said to own one of the finest private
libraries in the State Of Maine, one book
case containing five hundred French books
which he reads as readily in the original as
in the English language.
Mrs. L. NJ N. Stevens, president of the
Maine w. G.. T. u, and neighbor of Mr..
Dows' tells this story which illustrates his
kindness of heart. Being at convention
with his daughter, Cornelia who presides
over his home, Mrs. Stevens shared with
her i'll reading postal card from her
father. 1T contained line about her re-
turn, but the larger part of it read. "The
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, s,-"the squirrel
has returned well and bright, saw him
this morning-not frightened-foun many
.nuts-came up TO the window for them"
Among the many tributes offered Gen.
Dow, one from the pen of no less distin-
guished person than Canon Wilberforce,
gives us another glimpse of the great mans
character
How is it possible to express in few
sentences my appreciation of the noble,
courageous, persevering work of Gen. Dow?
Most reformers are willing sheets of paper
circulating widely the truths with which
they have been impressed; Gen. Dow is
block of type, and he has imprinted on the
human race the eternal truth:
Hereditary bondsman, know we not
who would be free himself must strike the
bow,''
When was his guest at Portland was
deeply impressed by his gentle courtesy,
his luminous intellect, and his elevated
moral sense The world is the better that
he has lived.
Annie W. Sutton, w. c. T. U. Press Supt
SMYRNA March u, 1864.