The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-19

November, 1862. He was blessed with
perfect health and developed early,
physically and mentally. His period of
duration because he was naturally pre-
cocious, was always associated with per-
sonssolder than himself and early formed
habits of systematic work and study.
He began to teach school when but
fifteen years of age and taught for year
and half. during which time his parents
moved to Marlboro, Mass. He Joined
them in 1879, then aged seventeen years,
and entered Worcester Academy to fit for
college. There he displayed his remark
| able mental power and Mr.. Abercrombie,
| the principal, once said to him that his
place in life should be that of teacher.
He next took the four-years' course of
study at Brown University and easily
won first honors among his fellow
| students In his Freshmen year he won
the first entrance prize in Latin. In 1.-The
| Sophomore year there was not prize ex-
cept for defamation and he did not COM
pete for that. In the Junior year he won
the Howell premium for the best rank
in mathematics. This was source of
particular satisfaction to him since that
branch of study required the overcoming
of natural Discrimination, his prefer
ences being in another direction. In his
Senior year he won the Dunn premium
for rhetorical studies and also in the
same year was awarded by the president
the Carpenter premium for the best
standing in ability, character and at
| tainment !" fe also won the Foster
premium for the best examination in the
Greek language.
While student at Brown he began to
preach for church in Providence at the
| beginning of his Sophomore year and
continued to do so until he graduated
He preached every Sunday for three years
and also undertook all pastoral duties,
so that he was at any time likely to be
called away from his studies to officiate
| at some occasion connected with the
church. and therefore he made it a
prepared a week in advance. He received
a pastors salary. He believes that this
extra work was a help rather than a
hindrance to the prosecution of his
studies. His record would certainly seem
| to prove it. President Andrews of Brown
once told Rev. DIR. Burrage of Portland,
that he never found Mr.. Whitman unpre-
pared in a recitation but once
After leaving Brown he attended the
Newton Theological Institute, and from
there came to Portland in 1890 to enter
upon his first pastorate at the Free Street
Baptist church. DR.. Stearns OF the New
ton Institute once said of him, i've had
a great many bright young men during
the past twenty five years, but L do not
recall one that comes anywhere near Mr..
Whitman.
The habit acquired at Brown Of always
keeping in advance of his work, has been
continued ever since, and the regular
methodical mental labor that Mr.. Whit
man has demanded of himself is such as
few men have the will power to accom-
plish, or the physique to withstand. But
Mr.. Whitman has both. During his stay in
Portland, the mornings could almost be
counted on the fingers, on which he has
not risen at half-past five and studied till
half past seven, his breakfast hour and
| then began again at eight O'Clock and
| studied till one.
| His afternoons and evenings have been
devoted to pastoral duties. His studies
the past year have been principally of
| theological nature, but he has been read
| ing Homer as a mental recreatlon and
stimulent. He finds that there is nothing
like fifteen or twenty minutes contact
with the mind of the great !ather OF
poetry" to "strike the spark in his own
mind and induce the requisite mental
activity for the prosecution OF his work
| This severe and unrelnittlng tax upon his
mind, and the necessary confinement has
in no way injured his health a1 1,o,,o L. mas
rather proved to be a physical benefit and
he was never in better health than he. is
today, and that is SAYING good ;, deal 5;s Or
he never was in ill health in his life.
And it is the Inspiration of health
moral, mental and physical-that one
feels in his presence, and IT that at one oasn is
god bye. He is overlooking with good
health, good spirits and ,good. wishes and
approval Of everything that is common
not to be wondered at that everybody,
whether old or young; knows him and
likes him wherever he may be. He
exeites admiration and sympathy His
preaching at the Baptist church in Port.
land has drawn large audiences many Of
When he first came to the Portland
church he had the pulpit removed SO that
there might Be nothing a 6stwssn h Mb and
notes of anv kind. His preaching has
been characterized by high line of