The Portland daily press., 1896-02-05
OBITUARY..
Rufus Deerinp.

| company, the Rufus Deering company,
passed away very suddenly at his home
in Deering Place at seven O'Clock last
evening. He had been i'll for few days,
but not seriously, and his death was very
unexpected. He wac rs years of age.
Notice of the funeral will be given later.
Rufus Deering was a self made man in
the best sense of the term. He struggled
upward, unaided from the beginning. He
never lost heart. either for effort against
obstacles or for good will towards others,
and his life has been blessing to himself
and to everybody else with whom he has
been connected. AS an example of the
value of persevering industry and the
virtues of integrity, kindness and charity
in all the relations Of life. Deacon Deer
ing has been for many years one Of the
most prominent and valuable citizens of
Portland
He was born in Scarboro, April 18th.
1918. His father was Isaac Deering, a
farmer of small means. The family
moved to jackson when Rufus was but
four or FIVE years old. His attendance at
school was very limited, and at sixteen
years Of age he was thrown upon his own
resources for a livelihood. He earned his
first five dollars by working for month
on farm and then went to Belfast and
spent it for school books. He learned the
carpenters trade and he taught school in
Buxton and Hollis. In 1910 when 20
years of age he went to Georgia with
some other Maine men to work as a
carpenter, and remained there one year.
On his return he went into trade on his
owc account in Hollis aud continued in
the business for six or eight years. After
that he operated a farm IN Hollis for two
years, and at one time, though over
thirty years of age and married, he took
charge of a store for the Inunificent COM
pensation of seyenty-t cents day, yet
paid all his bills and managed to save
some money besides.
Soon after, in company with another
man, he bought an interest in the town
ship of Suooesi in New Hampshire and
though they paid but sixty-two cents an
acre, the lumber WAS so difficult of access
that the enterprise was not very profit
able. In 1854, the next year, he came to
Portland and with a capital or barely
$1,000, commenced business on the same
wharf where now the Rufus Deering
company has one of the largest stocks of
lumber IT, side of Boston
| For the first ten years, Mr.. Deering used
to work in the yard all day with his men
and then work on his books in the eve
ming. He made occasional trips up the
| Grand Trunk railroad to buy his lumber
from the mills and until within recent
years all the stock that he handled came
from this section, but now much of it
comes from thu far West.
In 1870, he took into partnership three
young men who had been in his employ
for some years. Their names were Albert
Legrow, NJ. W. Ripley, and Merrill p.
Jordan. The latter, who was Mr. Deer
ling's son-in-law. died ,six years. ago
Al bert Legrow is in business for himself
on Preble street and only Mr.. Ripley re.
mains with Mr.. Deering.
| The business is Eow conducted by a
stock company. In addition to Mr. Deer
ing and Mr.. Ripley, the formers son is
/ interested and SO also are two young men
who are among the employees. They be-
came interested in the following unusual
manner. Mr.. Deering with that wisdom
which must be accompanied by Kindness
of heart, desired to help them, and at the
same time himself, and said to each of
them, "Here is $1,000 worth of stock. 1t
is in your name. AS soon as it pays for
itself together with the interest, the stock
belongs to you" 1t was the same thing
as lending each $1,000 and giving the
privilege of investing it In the business,
with the prospect of its earning much
more than the interest. 1t will be seen
that this surplus, above the interest is
practically gift to those employees. Of
course this kindly interest in their well
fare, this willingness that they should
share in the profits of the plant, was the
best possible way to increase those
profits.
Perhaps the following story will indi-
cate the spirit that prompted Mr. Deering
to first take in three employees as partners
ana VQeu huupb ullo hpOv6 cooperative
plan, better than any direct statement
that we can make. About twenty Eight
years ago young man came to this city.
He was stranger and desired employ.
ment He became a member Of Mr..
behring's Sunday school class at the Free
Will Baptist church and asked his teacher
if he knew any opening for a young man.
Mr.. Deering, though in the midst of his
extensive activities, yet found time to
hunt up place for this stranger who
made rapid progress and is now one OF
our largest manufacturers and most
prominent citizens. That young man
was Lewis A. Goudy.
That is the kind Of man Mr.. Deering
was. He liked to have others advance
and helped them to do so, and he was
also one of those men who could recognize
the fact that it is privilege to share
ones own prosperity with others. In a
very modest way he was one of the
heaviest contributors to charitable, hene-
vo1ent and religious oroaniza+iona When