Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-10-04

~ resigned. He was conscious up to
within an hour of his death.
Gen. Dow recognized his son, Gel
Fred N. Dow. long after he VS. un-
lbled to speak.
The news of his death was received
with deep regret throughout the city.
The flags on the public buildings are at
half mast as a mark of respect to his
memory, and will remain so until after
The funeral.
March 20, 1904. at Portland, Neal Dow
was born. His parents We're members of
the society of Friends, as were his ances-
tors as lar back as anything is known of
them; all sober Industrious, God fearing
people, who endowed their children with
vigorous constitutions and a high degree
of intelligence.
At danes schools. private schools.
Portland Academy and the Friends Acad-
emy at New Bedford. Neal Dow received
his early educational training. But he
always remained a student and when on
leaving school he put to work in his
fathers tannery he spent much of his
leisure time in study.
1t was in the home of Neal Dow that
the custom of serving wine on social oc-
casions was first set aside.
Dow was a leader in the sports of boy
hood, as he was later in the duties of
manhood. When a youth he became in
terested in the work of the Portland fire
companies and from clerk of company
became chief engineer; and when captain
of a company at the age of q it was
through his influence that liquors were
not served at the annual supper. He
early became interested in temperance
and was a most Jealous missionary in the
work, visiting all parts of the State at his
own expense in carrying it forward. One
of his achievements is said to have been
to lead in ending n custom which existed
at Portland of ringing the town bell lat
II o'clock in the morning and at o'clock
in the afternoon as a signal for mechan-
les to take their drams.' In 1899 he in
duced the board of aldermen to refer the
question of license or no license to vote
of the citizens. The license party pre-
vailed by a majority of So votes. Four
years later the question was again sub
mitted to the popular vote and mo Ii
cense" was carried by a majority of 44O.
Encouraged by his local successes, he
started out to accomplish prohibition
throughout his state. In his own private
conveyance, a sleigh in winter. buggy
the rest of the year, there being no rail
roads in those days. he Travelled up ana
down through the State, holding meet
ngs. speaking in the churches. school
houses and woods and at cross roads
whenever people would come to listen.
circulating petition for signatures and
distributing tracts and pamphlets. Refer
ring to this period, he said recently:
1--WE covered the State knee deep with
temperance literature" Finally, he ap-
peared before the Legislature of Maine In
the winter of 1916 with a petition bearing
40, 900 signatures asking for the passage of
a prohibitory law. The petition was
granted, but the penalties under the law
were so inadequate that 1t was ineHectuai
In 1851 he was elected mayor of Portland
and Immediately thereafter secured the
enactment of ''the Maine law" before
referred to, and proceeded as mayor OF
Portland to put it into execution after
thirty days notice that the law would DC
vigorously and impartially enforced.
In his early years he gave promise or
being a successful business man. He was
chosen director of corporations. ana old
business men banked on his judgment.
He went all over Maine, observed many
things and remembered them all.
While a boy he was contributor to the
newspapers. For years he was also
contributor to the Washingtonian Jour
nal and other organs of the movement
that bore the name OF Wasnllls,oh. q,
He went into politics before he was q.
and was then a pronounced Whig, and not
at all averse to defending ms pontlcal
faith. Then he went into the antl-siavery
movement, and was one OF tne iitile Dand
of men who here in Maine stoOd by Car
rison when he would be heard:
Although nearly sixty years Ola ana eX-
empt from military service, ana Quaker
withal. he responded to the call FOR vol
unteers in 1861. and. raising regiment
and battery of artillery, marched to the
front and served as a brigadier general
nf volunteers. holding at different times
three tn se.as separate commands He was twice
wounded in battle and. being taken pris-
oner. was confined for eight months in
Libby prison. III.
At the conclusion of the war ms TEN
ne,anca work was resumed, and in its
pprnsno,,+;nn he Travelled extensively |
through H the states and also in Canada;
He has also three times visited Great
britain giving over three years without |
anW ,."ac necuniary compensation to the ad-
1.nooa', uno Of total abstinence and prohibi- |
tion and addressing large audiences in all
the the principal centers of England Scot
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