The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-03-16
NlNETY-ONE NEXT WEEK.
General Neal Dow's Next Birthday March
Twentieth.

General Neal Dow will be 81 March
2Oth,and Tor man of his great age his
vigor Is astonishing. 1t may well be
doubted If theresis in this country an
other man nearly 81, who is still, to SO
great degree, 'f'n public life.
General Dow has been very busy
man during the past year. He began
what may be termed his public lahors
for the season of 1919 hy going to New
Yolk, where he addressed great pro-
Inhibition meeting, and later attended a
gathering OF the men who are recognized
as leaders in the prohibitory movement
in the country at large
General Dow was then asked to Ego to
Montreal, to strike the key note of the
campaign there. He left Portland one
July morning at 8.45, expecting to reach
Montreal that evening, but an accident
detained his train, and compelled him to
pass the night in chair in parlor car
instead of in sleeper. lie reached Mon
treal in the morning, and did not retire
during the day, being very busy as ii
matter OF fact, and in consultation with
the prohibition leaders In the evening
he addressed an audience that filled the
largest Protestant church i'll Montreal,
and then attended the reception that fol-
lowed. 1t was past II before he retired,
and the next morning at I, be was on
his way again to Portland, and reached
home that evening, not at all tired out.
During the summer General Dow
twice visited Boston, making speeches
on both occasions. He was in the field
last summer. and was a speaker at a
large temperance meeting held at Water
vile. spoke at temperance gathering at
York Beach, and then delivered a long
address at an open air meeting at Old
Orchard, addressing from 5000 to 5000
people on that occasion. He showed no
signs of his advancing age while on "the
stump" during the summer, and little
later accepted the challenge of Editor
Patten of the Bath Times, and had
public debate with that gentleman.
When there WAS some talk made DUR
ing the fall of movement N favor of
the resu omission of the constitutional
amendment to the people, General Dow
declined to take any special interest in
it, assuring other temperance men, who
were somewhat disqIuieted, that it would
fall through. He however announced
that rs should make an aggressive
movement. and prepared the bill he later
presented to the temperance committee
of the legislature. During the winter he
went to Augusta five times leaving Port
land by the early morning train and re-
turning in the evening, on each occasion
making long argument before the COM
mittee on temperance. His arguments
were fully reported in the PRESS, and
showed that his vigor is yet untouched
and that he has on the platform that re-
markable command of Language for
which he has always been distinguished.
He was never more aggressive than in
his first argument before the committee
General Dow has written much for
the public press within the last few
months, and on widerange of subjects.
His interest in passing affairs is that of
a man who is still ain the SWIM and he
still reads and works at least eight hours
a day. His correspondence is very large,
and the demands upon his time are
many. He reads number OF the leading
journals of the country, aud keeps
II abreast of the current literature. He is
by no means ready to retire. Last week
he said, when told that he was looking
remarkably well, II am glad Of it. NV
work is not yet, done" It may be more
than doubted if there is in the world an
other man of his great age who is still
able to keep his leadership of a move
ment of the magnitude of that which
he Originated. and of which he is still
the admitted head, the man who is
personally assailed nina times out of ten
when his system is objected to, and who
still holds himself ready to defend it
against any and all DIRECTORS.
~ rs