Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-12
JOHN |. STEVENS.
,..,e,slye Funeral Services at the Universal
list Church.


rhe funeral services OF the late Hon.
rim L, Stevens were held in the Univer-
..,;st church, Monday, at II A. NJ, and
,,ere very impressive. Many prominent
roonle of the city gathered to pay the last
tr;bute of respect to the Industrious citizen
aud statesman Seated in the church were
c,ergymcn, judges, lawyers, journalists,
business men, county and State officials.
and in fact those who ill nearly every
.ocation of life, all of whom had known
and esteemed the deceased.
I-pon the platform We're Rev. c. A. Hay
den and Rev. II. S. Whitman, who con-
Quoted the services. In front of the pull
nit were the remains and around the
casket many very handsome floral trib
utes. consisting of banks, pillars, wreaths
and OTHER offerings of beautiful flowers.
IJpon the front seat were the bearers, Hon.
f. C. Burleigh Hon, Joseph Homan, Hon.
W. S. Badger, Hon. c. A. Milliken, Hon.
C. T.. Nash and G. S Ballard.
Rev. C. A. Hayden opened the services
in a very impressive manner, paying II
worthy tribute to the deceased. In the
course of his remarks he read the following
from one of Mr.. Stevens friends:
Lay him to rest!
Time-worn and spent-a life's warfare is
ended %
No heart beat gives answer again to the cali
or duty with service so Loyalty blended
Lay him to rest.
For Truth and the Right-every word he has
Rings clear with purpose, nor doubling,
nor weak; ~
His face never blanched, his heart never
fiuttered,
Where duty has found him "the flag was
apeak.n ffi0vaf
Lay him to rest.
Here, where began the high manhood ambi-
tons, .attt~-E
That. with no loss of manhood, have won
him place IN
With the names which have reaped fame's
fairest fruitions-
Here, where triumphant has ended the race.
Gone, from the scenes of earth's joy and affec-
From the home OF his love, again death-dark
in sorrow, =
He has left with us here, like saints benedic-
tion
Fresh courage, new cheer, for our work OF
the morrow.
Lay him to rest.
Mourn not for our friend; tears are for the
living.
The heart breaks of earth will have never
surcease;
But out of a | pain will rise gladdest thanks
giving
For the infinite joy of a spirit at peace.
After Rev. Mr.. Hayden had concluded
this portion of the service, Rev. MIR.
Whitman stepped to the pulpit and paid
the following tribute to the deceased,
who had been to him warm personal
friend:
1t is with sense of personal loss that
I stand here today, to voice our common
grief 1t is with feeling of sad desola-
ton that / bring my tribute of love and
honor to the memory of one of Maine S
most illustrious citizens. He was my
friend, I walked with him in the closes,
relations of intimacy. | trusted him
implicitly. And thus l came to love him
with a love that neither time nor dis
tance could dim.
The voices of the dead come to us at
every turn, from every side They speak
to us from out the silent past with
solemn impressiveness. Not those alone
who have stood conspicuously before the
world, it's leaders and heroes, but thost
from the humber walks of life, those
who have been with us in the home and
gained place in our hearts, those who
have ministered in some way to oul
needs and helped US to come into larger
thoughts and higher aims. How does
the memory of these, so precious and hal
lowed, press in upon us by every avenue
of the SOUL They speak to us, though
dead, by al the power OF that wondrou;
personality which has touched ours and
made US in any thing larger and better
than we once were. Go where we will thu
dead are with us. Their well remembered
tone minglcs with the whispering breezes
with the inarticulate melody OF nature
with the voices of men. Their mem
cries are all around us; their foot
steps are in our paths; the memorl
ais of them meet our eye at every turn
their presence is in our dwellings; thel
voices are in our ears they peak to us
in the sad reverie of contemplation in th'
sharp pang of feeling, in the cold SHADOW
OF memory, in the bright light Of hope ant
it cannot be that they will speak il
vain.
How impressively does this dear depart
ed brother now speak to us BY all tn
cumulative power of a long life of useful
ness devoted in signal service to his coun
try and humanity does he speak to us.
John Leavitt Stevens was born in Mt
Vernon, Aug !, 1920. 1t was the yer.
year in which Maine was born into TIN
Union, as an Independent State. He thus
grew up with his native State and be
came living embodiment of those deer
forces of right and justice which gaine'
the ascendency SO manifestly in it's life
and history. He was fortunate in tn
time of his birth. What swift unfold
ing panoramic view of the march of EN-
pire and of human progress was given hin
to behold in this three-quarters of a cen
fury from 1890 to 1885, But he was III
mere idle and passive spectator. With in
tense moral earnestness and enthusiasm
he entered into all the living questions c
the time in which he lived.
Like many of our ablest and most prom
inent public men, he had to make hi