Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-06-05
TWICE MADE MAYOR
Favorite Son of Maine Dies at
His Home.
Lawyer, Business Man, Musician
and Linguist.

BANGOR, Me-. June Frederick NJ.
Laughtop, .x-mayor of the city, has lust
died here ut his home. Mr.. ,.aughton was I'M
married. For many years he had lived with
his father aud mother and was deeply de-
voted to them. His mothers dea.h occurred
year before his own to m hour, and
since that time the bereayel son had
been steadily failing in health. His en-
tire constitution was undermined. The
attending physicians named Bright's dis
ease ms the immediate cause OF his death.
For the past ten years Mr.. Laughton, "a
prcsid nj Of tho Pib!i' Works company.
had been closely confined to business, and
the care had proved n heavy lou den for him.
This, combined with the great grief OF his
mothers death, resulted in his nal break
Ing down. Mr.. hpIgh!on was great social
favorte. Although u Democrat. he was
chosen mayor of the city in 1875 and again
In 1893 rs the young mems candidate.
He was born in FcXcroft, Me-, in 1874.
His fathers family came to Bangor when he
was child, his father. DIR. Samuel Laugh
ton, having been in active practice here ever
since. In 1864 he began reading law and In
1866 graduated with high honors from the
Harvard law school having previous
ly been admitted to the Penobscot
bar. He began practice Immediately in
partnership with b. II. Mace. who had mar
ried his sister. the widely-known poet. Mrs.
Frances l.. Mace. In 1871 they dissolved,
and MIR. Laughton was in practice alone I'M
til 1850, when he formed co-part-
nership with +. II. Clergue. He early
of his father, and has been an un
compromising and earnest Democrat,
though far from an unpopular partisan.
He was chosen to tho city council in 1853,
when only "a years Of age, and served two
full terms. and in 1875 was elected mayor,
u nrnk n.,,,, ~ 4.
gor. In 1892. hal his consent been given,
he would probably have been the
Democratic candidate for governor.
Having remained bachelor he took
unusual interest in fraternal organizations.
He was knight Templar and ed degree
Mason, has been grand master Of the Maine
Odd Fellows and grand chancellor Of tho
he was Names representative to the sover-
egn grand lodge of Odd Fellows and the
same length of time represented the
state at the supreme lodge OF Knights
OF Pythias He was an accom- plished linguist
and musician, member of the leading
clubs of the city and great favorte
with all classes of Bangor people.
Always interested in seeing Bangor boom.
he broke away some years ago from an OK
tensive law practice to plunge into business
enterprises of vast importance. He, with
the help of his partner, Mr.. ClerSue, estab-
lished Bangor's street railway system, its
electric light and power system, aud, not
content with this they gave similar systems,
together with complete waterworks. to
the city of Brewer and town Of Veaze.
waterworks and electric light to Oldtown,
Orono and saltwater, and were Interested in
a project to connect these places with each
other and Bangor by an electric railway net
work. These and dozen other enterprises,
one of them being the Bangor & Bar Harbor
Steamboat company, of which he was presi-
dent, engrossed Mr.. Laughton's attention
until his final illness.