The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-11-05

MIS- v. W Ah dCCulDei ltCtlNtN Il ltluCG
Saturday evening giving the sad intelligence
that her son Winfield Macomber died Oct.
18th at Lisbon, Portugal. He was on his way
home from the Congo River in Africa by
steamer, and on arrival at Lisbon was too i'll
to proceed and was placed in a hospital
there under charge of missionaries of the
international Missionary Society, with
Which he was connected. Mr.. Macomber
was d son of Mrs. Maria and the late Con-
verse O. Macomber, and was born in Bucks
port Sept. 10, 1865. When he was quite
young his parents moved to Belfast and he
attended the public schools here, after
which he Went to DR.. Cullis school in Boston
and Or. simpsons in New Y ork, they being
special training schools for evangehsts and
missionaries. While attending these schools
he spent his summers at work for the Maine
Bible Society, distributing and selling
Bibles, collecting funds for the work, &c.
In 1892 he was employed by the Internation-
al Missionary Society to go as missionary
to the Congo. The field to which he was as
signed was new and the dialect of the peo-
pie had never been translated into the Eng
lish language. While III school in New
York Mr.. Macomber became familiar with
the Swedish language, and when he arrived
at the Congo he found that grammar and
dictionary of the native dialect had been
made by Swedish missionary. With these
as help he soon prepared similar works in
English, which proved great help to the
missionaries in learning the language. He
also translated portions of the Bible and a
number of hymns into the Congo language.
This, together with the hardships of mis-
sionary life and the bad effects of the
climate, 80 impaired his health that at the
end of two years he was sent home
to recuperate. After short vacation in
Belfast and with friends in Massachusetts,
he began Evangelical work in Ohio and
Pennsylvania, laboring at this in the SUM-
mers of 1894 and 95, and in New York
city ON translations and other work for the
missions in the winter. Last spring the
Sociery decided to return him to Africa, and
he arrived at the mouth of the Congo June
1st. Again he was assigned to a new field,
800 miles farther into the interior than mis-
sionaries had ever before been settled The
little band were first obliged to build the
mission house and their dwellings, which
they made in the native style, stone, brick
or boards not being obtainable. A new dia-
lect also again confront ed them, but being
familiar with the work of translation Mr.
Macomber soon had the grammar and die
tionary prepared for the missionaries and
portions of the Scripture rams lated for the
natives. While engaged in this work his
health again failed, and it was at once de-
cided that he should return home and the
tedious journey was begun. First journey
of l 10 miles in hammock carried by natives
on foot, then 200 miles down the river on a
small steamer to the coast, from whence he
took passage on an ocean steamer for home.
but was left as above stated at Lisbon
When nine days out from the Congo he was
taken with the dreaded hemorrhetc fever
to which so many Americans and Europeans
fall victims, and in his enfeebled system was
unable to rally.
Deceased was 70 ung man of great prom
Use, and his early death casts gloom over
this community, in which he was well
known. He was to have been married this
fall to Miss Annie Hess of Lancaster, Pa.
who with her brother is engaged in mission
airy work at a station near his own His
widowed mother, one sister, one half-sister
and two brothers remain to mourn the loss
OF loving son and brother. Those who
are left behind are Edward L. and Wilbur
A. Macomber of Belfast, Mrs. Alice Corbett
of Brattleboro, VT, and Mrs. Nellie Knee