The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-04-22

N~"NN'NSSA teAA'SN>A
away. few minutes before his death he
| regained consciousness and asked to see his
| wife and children. His son, S. NJ. Milliken,
member of this years graduating class at
West Point, had arrived Saturday night,
| and Mrs. Milliken during the afternoon, but
by the advice of the physicians they had
! not before entered the room. Now they re-
sponded to the summons and reached the
bedside in time to receive the farewell of
the husband and father. At the moment of
death there were also by the bedside Frank
and Byron Milliken, brothers of the dying
man, and Judge Advocate General Lemley,
| with Mrs Lemley, Mr.. Milliken's niece.
| His daughter, Miss Maud Milliken, is in
California. His mother survives and lives
with one of her sons in Washington, but
was too feeble to join the other members of
the family at the bed side
| Seth L. Milliken was horn in Montville
Waldo county. Me-, in 1887 the son of Will
! liam Milliken, who was the son of John
Milliken of Scarboro who entered the Rev
olutionary army when he was but l6 years
of age and served through the war. The
family is Scotch, and their coat OF arms is
! found in Burke's peerage. Mr.. Miikens
maternal ancestors We're French and of noble
| lineage. When Seth was but a child his
father went To Texas To hHid some houses.
/ and had disastrous experience. The houses
were burned and the Comanche Indians
| came near getting his scalp and he returned
/ to Maine somewhat reduced, it is presumed, ,
in his financial resources. At all events
Seth L. started in life poor boy. He was
wont to recall the time when he WAS II wears
OF age. That WINTER SAID he, II went into
The woods and cut hoop poles and hauled
item ont on ha Il sled. Those / sold for
% cents hundred to the amount OF Sl2
| With that sum l bought my mother set OF
dishes and felt very proud. That WAS the
/ first money [ ever earned My mother
has those dishes vet, with only one or
two broken" He obtained the rudi-
ments Of his education in one of Names
little red schoolhouses Of which mention is
made in an article the 7th page. He
paid his own way through college with the
exception of So he borrowed of his grand
LIiotIcI III AhoIbNIiItt w here ut SbODptu one
day to get dinner, while walking from Cam
den to Waterville, where he attended the
Waterville College for a time. Later he
went to Union College, Schenectady, New
York, from which he was graduated in the
class of 1856. In his campaigning tour last
year Mr. Milliken visited his alma mater,
recording his Impressions in letter to The
.IOOrpal Ha 70 HI
graduation and within six weeks was elect
ed Representative to the Legislature from
that town. He had not then attained his
majority, and it is said that for that reason
he could not take his seat at the opening of
the session. He served that-term and was
reelected. In 1859 he was elected Clerk of
Courts for Waldo county and admitted to
the bar. He held the Office by repeated
elections until 1871. Although admitted to
the bar he was never in active practice.
From 1866 to 1871 he was alderman from
ward g He early became interested in poll
tics and always was a strong Republican.
During the time Mr.. Milliken was clerk of
court and previous to his entering Congress,
he travelled nearly thirty thousand miles
while speaking for the Republican party in
New York, Ohio and other States. In the
State and National campaigns he was in con-
slant demand, and he gained National
reputation as popular speaker even before
he entered Congress. His labors in that
direction continued up to the last National
campaign, when he spoke in New England,
New York and some of the doubtful West
ern States
In 1876 Mr. Milliken was delegate to the
National Republican Convention at Cincin-
, natl, and an elector of the President the
same year, he was also a delegate to the
National Republican Convention at Chicago
in 1884. In 1880 he was elected to Congress
from the Third Maine District, and had en-
tered upon his eighth consecutive term at the
time of his death. Only once during that
time did he have serious opposition for the
nomination, when Hon. E. G. Burleigh was
, a candidate against him. He won National
, reputation during his first term in Demo
, craJic House as the leader of the Republican
. minority on an investigating committee, and
by his readiness in debate. For many years
he has been chairman of the committee on
public buildings and grounds, and has sue
cessfully carried through Congress, often
against great opposition, appropriations fol
, some of our largest and finest public struc
: lures. The District of Columbia is largely
indebted to him for the post-office building
now in course of construction at Washin g
} ton. He had the custom house building il
this city enlarged, and the fine post office
building in Augusta is due to his efforts. He
obtained many appropriations for river and
; harbor Improvements in his district, and for
the construction of lighthouses, and did
vast amount of work on pensions and other