The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-09
V. RICHARD FOss.
The Memorial Service Held Yester-
day.

Judge Bonney, Mr.. Ayres, Mr.. Garland
and MI. Smith Pay Tribute to His
Memory.
A memorial service in honor of the late
V. Richard Foss was held at this Young
Mems Christioh Association rooms at
$50 yesterday afternoon. The attendance
was very large. A large portrait of Mr..
Foss. heavily draped, was on the wall
and the platform was covered with the
memorial offerings at the funeral The
centre was cross inscribed Victory"
Mr.. Hall led in the singing Of hymns,
the special faYorites of Mr.. Foss.
General Secretary Garland said that
the audience had assembled not 80 much
to do honor to the memory of Mr.. Foss
as to lift up Jesus Christ. J. R. Libby
led In prayer and was followed by others.
Judge Bonney said 1t was eminently
proper that the first service in memory
OF Mr. Foss should be held in his own
house, and that the second service should
be held in the First Baptist church, and
still more EN- inently fitting that the
third service should be held In the rooms
OF the association to which he gave such
devoted service. Judge. Bonney spoke
feelingly of the shook the death of Mr..
Foss caused. Mr.. Foss was born in the
town OF Leeds. his fathers farm joining
that on which the most distinguished
soldier of Maine, Gen. o. o. Howard
was born. The town may be said to have
been prolific of distinguished men.
He spoke OF the career of Mr.. Foss. He
was bright and witty writer. and while
a newspaper man was noted for his sue
cess in getting. and bis bright way Of
telling news.
As business man he was success.
He was "a. great worker. After he had
spent the week In hard labor, be would
take the train Saturday night to help out
some poor. discouraged minister. More
and encouraged.
In the early days of his Christian life,
he said in 8 manly way: "Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do?'' and h Q
promptly gave himself up to the work
he had on hand.
He was a generous man. He not only
gave literally, but he gave in very COM
mon sense way. Few benevolent objects
were passed by.
Judge Bonney said that on one occasion
Mr. Foss, who had previously given liber-
ally to some object in which he was him
self interested, the last day of the year
sent his check for q certain number Of
dollars and cents. Half wondering at the
odd circumstances of the making OF the
check other than even dollars, and meet
ing Mr.. Foss few days after, he asked
him how it happened that he made such
check, and Mr.. Foss replied: ut is
the closing of the year and had reok-
oned up my income and expenditures
and found that amount was due to chart
ty, and SO looking over the field thought
would send it to you"
Judge Bonney closed with an impress
sive and eloquent tribute to the memory
of MIR. Foss to whom he said he would
not say .Good bye,'' or "Good night, :"
but "Good morning"
President Payson spoke Of the great in
terest Mr.. Foss always manifested In
the work of the association and referred
to the interesting fact that three weeks
ago Mr. Foss and himself led the m est-
ing of the association. Ex Policeman
William Smith spoke Of the helpfulness
of Mr.. Foss. she was the same man on
the street that he was in the prayer
meeting His life was an inspiration to
many"
Rev. W. s. Ayres said that Mr.. Foss
was q man who was bubbling over with
life, and that life was wholly conse-
Grated to Christ. 1t Is wonderful how
many churches in Maine owe their exis-
tenoe to him. Only recently MIR. Foss
called on him in great perplexity. He had
received strong Invitations to enter the
ministry, and while he felt that it would
be above all things sweet to him to
preach the Gospel OF Christ be did not
see his way clear to do 1t.
Mr. Ayres said to him: 1.-THE world
does not need ministers as much as it
needs business men who will do business
with one hand and lift up the CROSS of
Christ with the other" he spoke of
touching incident connected with the
last Sunday Mr.. Foss was at church. the
last Sunday of his life. Mr.. \ oss had great
power with others largely because he was
SO much in earnest. His strong faith
led him to talk to others Of the claims
of religion.
Secretary Garland offered the closing