The Somerset reporter., 1897-10-07
Neal Dow Dead.


$3.50 Saturday afternoon. His remark
able vitality enabled him to make that
fight hard one. Death was due to old
age.
His last sickness began week ago
Saturday. Sunday he dressed for the
last time. 1t was not until Tuesday that
the probably fatal nature of that sick
ness WAS seen.
Gen. Dow was from the first perfectly
resigned. He was conscious up to with
in an hour of his death. Gen. Dow
recognized his SOD, Col. Fred \. Dow
long after he was Enabled to speak
The news of his death WAS received with
deep regret throughout the city. The
flags on the public buildings were at half
mast as mark Of respect to his memory.
and remained SO until after the funeral.
March 20, 1904, at Portland, Neal Dow
was born. His parents were members of
the society of Friends, as were his an
cestors az far back as anything is known
of them; all sober, industrious, God fear
ing people, who endowed their children
with vigorous constitutions and high
degree of intelligence. At danes
schools, private schools, Portland Aead-
envy aud the Friends Academy at New
Bedford, Neal Dow received his early
educational training. But he always re-
manned a student and when on leaving
school he WAS put to work in his fathers
tannery he spent much OF his leisure
| time in study.
He early became Interested in temper.
ance and WAS II most Jealous mis-
sionary in the work, visiting all parts of
| the State at his own expense in carving
Ii forward In 1899 he induced the
board of aldermen to refer the question
of license or no license to a vote of the
citizens. The license party prevailed by
a majority of 35 votes. Four years later
the question was again submitted to the
popular vote, and mo license was car
ried by majority of 440.
Encouraged by his local successes, he
started out to accomplish prohibition
throughout his State. In his own
private conveyance, a sleigh in winter, a
buggy the rest of the year, there being
no railroads in those days, he Travelled
up and down through the State, holding
meetings, speaking in the churches,
schoolhouses and woods and at cross
roads, whenever people would come to
listen, circulating petition for sigma.
lures and distributing tracts and
pamphlets. Finally, he appeared before
the Legislature of Maine in the winter of
| 1916 with a petition bearing 10000 sig
natures asking for the passage of pro.
| hibitory law. The law WAS enacted, in
! 1855 repealed aud reenacted in 1896. In
1851 he was elected mayor Of Portland,
and immediat ly thereafter secured the
enactment of "the Maine law" before
referred to, and proceeded rs mayor of
| Portland to put it into execution after
thirty days notice that the law would be
vigorously and impartially enforced.
lie went into politics before he WAS q
and was then q pronounced Wing, and
not ut all aVerse To defending his politi-
cal faith. Then he went into the anti
slavery movement, and WAS one of the
little band of men who here in Maine
stood by Garrison when he "would be
heard
Although nearly sixty years old and
exempt from military service, and a
Quaker withal, he responded to the call
for volunteers in 1861, and, raising a
regiment served as colonel and briga-
der general of volunteers, holding
at different times three separate com
mands. He was twice wounded in
battle, and, being taken prisoner, was
confined for eight months in Libby
| prison.
At the conclusion of the war his tenn
perance work was resumed, and in its
prosecution he travelled extensively
through the States and also in Canada.
He has also three times visited Great
Britain, giving over three years without
any pecuniary compensation to the adj
Voeacy of total abstinence and prohibi-
ton, and addressing large audiences In
all the principal eenters of England,
scotland and Ireland, AS we'll as ia many
cities on the continent
Even after he had reached his nineti-
eth year he continued TO travel ex-
! tensiyely, addressing large audiences in
Boston, Montreal aud elsewhere, and at
| Old Orchard Beach made a lengthy adj
dress to an audience of about 5000
people.
The past few months he has confined
himself to writing and short addresses to
delegations who frequently visited him
at his home.
Neal Dow married, Jan. 20, 1890,
Maria Cornelia Durant Maynard, the
daughter of Boston merchant, and i'm
mediately moved into the house on the
corner of Congress and Dow streets,
where he lived so long and where he
died. OF ten children born to Mr. and
Mrs. Dow but three are now living, the
third child, Emma NJ. Gould of North
Conway, n. H., the fifth, Frederick N,
and the sixth, Cornela NJ, both now of
Portland. Mrs. Dow died in January,
1882, at the age OF - years.