The Portland daily press., 1896-11-25

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affairs. One of our papers justly re-
marks: "For there-quaTters of century
he as a conspicuous figure in his native
city. For great part of that time he
was leader in the business, political
and religious life of the town, and he
always led in the right direction"
The key to his life was to be found in
his integrity. He had that Wilderness.
completeness, uprightness of character
which kept him from bending to anything
UNIV rthy. He was self poised and
serene. He never violated the sacred
ness of his individual self respect
He was true to his own mind and con-
science, his own heart and soul, and SO
he was true to men and to God.
His word was as good as his bond, an
that was never questioned.
He priced something's beyond dollars.
he was won't to say: "The man does
not live who can say have wronged
him out of dollar or a cent"
IL was the assertion of integrity. He
looked upon business from a high m oral
plans.
He never pursued man to wrest from
him his due.
He was a Citizen of no mean city and
he kept himself alive to all the interests
of citizenship.
The nation, the state and the city had
from him an abiding loyalty and concern.
To th weak of his death he had not
lost this.
land, he lost heavily. He showed his
courage and his faith in the place by
rebuilding largely and encouraging 9th
ers to do so.
Twice mayor of the city during the
first years of the wHr he was typical
war-maYor.
Interested in the security Of the city,
in the welfare of our soldiers at the
front and in caring for their widows and
orphans when the sad news came.
He was patriot and showed 1t IN
quiet ways. He subscribed largely FOR
government bonds in the days when it
took faith in the country to do SO.
He went to Washington and secured
defences for Portland when other means
had failed. 1t was at this time that his
friendship with Stanton stood him in
good stead.
Office came to him again and again.
but always unsought. 1t was an Incl
dent not the aim of his life and he only
accepted an Office as aaduty.
This was the temper with which he
met his life.
That idea of duty, the recognition
of something to be lived for beyond the
mere Satisfaction of self, was to his moral
life what the sun Is to the solar system.
And we find again that
"The path of duty is the way of glory:
He who walks it. only thirsting
For the right, and learns TO deaden
Love of self, before his journey closes.
He shall find the stubborn thistle BURST
ing
Into glossy puppies, which outredden
All voluptuous garden-roses.
The path of duty is the way to glory.
He that ever following her commands.
On with toll of heart and knees and
hands,
Thro' the long gorge to the far light has
won
His path upward, and prevailed,
Shall find the topping crags Of duty
called
Ars close upon the shining table lands
10 which our God Himself is moon and
sum-
In the line of his duties as citizen
the cause of temperance found In him
an early advocatesand champion.
In company with Gen. Neal Dow. w.
D. Little and others, he formed the Port
land Temperance Society In 1927.
This society had long and honorable
existence.
In his connection with this society in
deed in all offices which he held touch
ing every duty he was aggressive.
x1o WOuld w VIC OA1d6 euht WOE AAS
| to do, and stay not for the march of the
m attitude.
Modest in holding his own opinions. not
given to thrusting them upon people, he
| yet would do what he conceived to be
| his duty, to the utmost limit.
| He was no opportupist. He would do
| in New York what he would do in Port
| land.
| And he turned the dust of servile OPP
! portunity into gold. by his courage.
One incident which he related to me
| illustrates this. 1t was at a banquet Civ
co in honor of Prince Bonaparte In New
York. The Prince asked him to drink
with him, but Mr.. Thomas turning his
glass down begged his pardon for the
refusal but stated that he could not
break his principles. There breatned the
man. 1t was matter of principle with
| him.
And years after in Bangor when gen.
tleman asked him ii he were the Mr..
Thomas who did that. he reaped his re-
ward for said the gentleman: "It put
couI age into me- and enabled me to
stand"
When he was SO years old Mr.. Thomas
married Miss Eli zabeth White Goddard.
One OF her surviving frie nds says of het
that she was one of the lovef1est women
who evcr lived, an almost perfect char
acter, full of sweet charity. Her hus-
! band said of her: 81 never saw frown
upon her face"
God blessed him in this companionshiI
which almost completed the golden cir
Gle of 30 years. There were born to them
four sons and two daughters.
With an intense love for his family,
Mr.. Thomas belonged to that generation
of fathers almost gone.
| His love manifested itself not in In
diligence, but in discipline. he wal
Roman, almost Spartan in his bearing
toward his children. His love, his Joy,
his pride in them was revealed in hi
thoughtfulness for their welfare. and
his determination that their future
should not be marren by present license
He was a patriarch In his household
and moved there as in society, . man tt
be reyefed.
His life was enriched by his love fol
music and by his familiarity with thu
best old English authors.
And he kept himself in touch with {
multitude of good causes, educational
benevolent, religious.
A list of them cannot be given. But