The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-03

Gen. Neal Dow had been before the public as q
temperance reformer fer moro than fifty years.
He was the author and promoter OF the Prohi.
bition law In the State of Maine. Gen. Dow was
born in Portland in that State on March 90,
1904. He celebrated his ninety-third birth
day in a house in that city across the
street from the house in which he was
born. Gen. Dow's biographers say that the
original reason for his war on the liquor traffic
was wholly an accident. When he was "a small
boy they say he encountered q drunken man
who stumbled against him in the street,
knocked him down and then fell on him and
held him there for several minutes. When no
got away he swore eternal enmity to tho liquor
business.
fight the business when he was a very young
man, and In his time he lectnred. all over the
Se;oEe S Se w sem & renIs I'D he H Te ioin int 'b po Whis
party. He was one Of the original antis slave
men,. He was nearly 60 years old when the civil
to the front. He served under Gen. Butler. lie
led a gallant charge at Port Hudson and was
from the field. Before ho was well he was cap
tured by the rebels and was confined q year in
Thirty years ago Gen. Dow was Mayor Of Port.
land. and he won the enmity of the saloon keep
era. They hired a ,slugger to thrash him. The
with some Of the minor city officers to get him
in trouble. These officers purchased a quantity
fb l'9 Maine for ls .a0 s Si'y ssSS en de eFiGSidfd th bSF II Z
ton Of the law and that he intendcd
City Hall and seize the liquor. The militia was
called out, and one of the mob was killed. Gen.
Dow was accused Of murder, but he was not in
dicted.. He was tried by the Maine Supreme
Court. however, for having, liquor in his. posses
sion with intent to sell. The trial was famous.
p In, General Ea E was de defended en- by Senator Wii 1inI,
ended the Eight ri the saloon keepers.
The Maine prohibition law was the first law
Dow own story OF how it came about follows:
-; 1T was a good many years ago: and was sit.
whom ! knew very well as the wife OF a Govern.
mont official in this city. He was a periodi.
cal drGnL.Td: and on this very night
wished me to get him home quietly. be.
cause II he was drunk next day he might lose his
back room OF one OF the downtown saloons. I
said to the keeper in a quiet way: j wish you
would sell no more LIQUOR to Mr.; Blank. Why.
supply my customers That all may be. re-.
piled. but here is this gentleman, with
sup Is1Fo ffmi by s dseep I'd Sis OF o9,,ca him Io.m for
you would sell him no more. He became
family to support and that he had a license TO
sell liquor TO whomever he pleased. so you
have a license. have you ! and you support your
about, this ! went home thoroughly deter
mined to devote my NE to SURPRISING the
!MiG nioe l ,r%t d1ir in tsS i 6e ,b,t way T,m . sbopa The
The Gen raj did devote all his time after this
until 1851 to the work Of getting a law through
the NJ ,ine Legislature. he got one through in
1916. but it co taincd no provision for its own
enforcement. and II was five years later when
he succeeded in getting an efcctiye law passed;
his daughter Cornclia since the death OF his
wife SOME years ago.