The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-26

him They had been married for more
than 62 years, and of their five children
three are now living Mrs (Clara Is. }
James NJ. Sawin, Ida A., and Cyrus A.
Howland.
The span Of Mr. Howlands years COM
pretended many and important chapters
In the history of Providence, with the
progress and development of which
through this long period he was actively
identified. He attended the schools of his
timc up to the age Of Ii, when he was
apprenticed to James Eames and learned
the trade of tinsmith, in due season going
into business for himself at the corner of
Weybosset and Orange streets, where he
remained until Pratt's block was built.
His shop on the corner of Ship and Eddy
streets has for years been "a landmark in
that district Mr. Howland's brothers
carrying on the business there after his
own retirement some 80 years ago.
For, perhaps, 81 years Mr.. Rowland
lived where he died, in the house at the
northwest corner of Pine and Claverick
streets purchased by him when young
man, and mt that time regarded as being
SO far out in the country as 20 be quite
undesirable except for summer resi-
dence. In his young manhood he was a
leader in tho politics of the old 9th ward,
and indeed was conspicuous among the
prominent West Siders throughout the
period when the East Side maintained a
prcdominating influence in municipal
affairs, and the West Side waged an un-
rcmitting warfare against that control.
Mr.. Howland was among the first of his
day and generation TO abandon the prac-
tices of generations i'm the matter of liquor
drinking and TO espousc the cause of tenn
perance. He was "A leader of that move
ment along in the middle of the century.
beginning as early as 1910, when the tenn
perance cause, in Rhode Island at least.
was probably stronger and more popular
than II has ever been since The city
Temperance Society was an immense in
flucnce, and temperance men controlled
ward politics In those days like yerit-
able ring of political virtue, and they
made and unmade men i'm the caucuses.
Mr.. Rowland worked i'm the politics of
temperance with the same vigor that
characterized his entrance into every
cause that appealed To him as right
The writer has at hand programme
printed on poster of State Temperance
Celebration held in Providence June z.
1913 and the general and enthusiastic
support OF the cause evidenced by the big
procession of the day is impressive OF
the committee of arrangements of that
notable occasion, all are now dead Mr.
Howlnnd, despite his strong temperance
sentiments the work he did, political and
otherwise, for the cause and his efforts i'm
securing the signatures of thousands of
young men TO temperance pledges, never
affiliated with the political prohibition
party as developed In more recent years.
In national politics he became "a Whig.
but all through the ante bellum days ho
was an uncompromiSing antl-slayerv
man, standing with the followers of Gar
rison, but was won 10y the spirit of Lin
coin, as expressed i'm his well remembered
speech In Railroad Hall before his nomi.
nation for the Presidency, 20 halt i'm his
extreme views and follow with faith and
patience the leadership of the heroic
war President He served part of one
term In the General Assembly (lS5S.'59,) }