The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-15
OBITUARY..
REV. EpHRAIM CUMMINGS.

| noV. Epnrdlm cummings, VINO mas
been seriously i'll for some time past with
valvular disease of the heart, died at his
residence on Park street yesterday at
1890 p. m.
| Rev. Ephraim Chamberlain Cum
mings was born in Albany, Me-, Septem-
Der 2, 1926. His father was Francis
Cummings. an enterprisng business man
of Oxford county. His mother was Lois
Chamberlain, daughter of Deacon Eph-
rain Chamberlain of Waterford, soldier
of the Revolution. MI. Cummings
paternal grandfather was Asa Cummings
pioneer of Albany. veteran of the
Revolution, deacon of the Congregational
church and town clerk for many years.
| Rev. E. G. Cummings left home at the
age of thirteen years and came to live in
this city with his uncle, DR.. Asa Cum
mings, editor of the Christian Mirror.
| He attended the North Yarmouth Acad-
envy while preparing for college and in
1s41, at the age of IS years, entered at
Bowdoin in the class of IA, His health
failing, it was deemed best that he
should not continue there. The next
eight years was period of irregular
work and study and alternating resi-
dence between this city and his home in
Albany. At one time lie was a fellow
printer in the office of the Christian
Mirror with the late Edward H. EIwell
of the Portland Transcript. In 1849 he
again entered Bowdoin College, and after
graduating in the class of '53 became
teacher during that fall and winter in
the Bucksport academy. The next sum
mer he taught the Augusta High school,
and in the year 1855 was tutor of Latin
and mathematics at Bowdoin.
Though he was not averse to mathe-
mates, his preference was for philo-
sophie studies and the languages, and
his home associations and training and
natural propensities led MIN toward the
Congregational ministry. Therefore he
entered the Bangor Theological Sernin-
airy in the same year that he was tutor
and graduated in 1858, His earliest pas
| torate was that of the First Congrega-
tional church of Brewer. From there in
1860, lie removed to ST. Johnsbury, VT,
and became pastor of the North Congre-
gational church. In 1929 he served
as chaplain of the 10th Vermont.
While settled in St. Johnsbury Mr..
Cummings made his first trip to Eu-
rope and remained ten months. In 1866
he was married to Miss Annie Louise
Pomeroy of this city and i'll 1869 lie and
his wife crossed the ocean to Europe
where they remained nearly three years.
Mr.. Cummings was in Europe
at the time of the Ecumenical
Council and saw many Of the
church, and also was in Germany when
peace was declared after the Franco
Prussian war. He saw the old Emperor
William, the Crown Prince Frederick
and the great Bismarck and Won Moltk
then in the zenith Of their fame
On his return in 1871. Mr. Cummings
became a resident of this city and has
lived here ever since. In the winter of
'72-73 he filed the chair of mental and
moral science at Brunswick Since then
he has devoted himself almost entirely
to his studies.
In 1873 he published volume of dis
courses entitled .'Birth and Baptism"
and in 1885 published the volume that
represents his chief effort and vast
amount of theological and Biblical re-
search Mature in Scripture The
Literary World said of the work: Its
main object is to show tibet the Bible is
thoroughly consonant with nature and
providence. 1t shows that that book
contains religious teachings in perfect
accord with human reason and instruc-
tive faith. OF course this has been said
before, but in this little book the theme
is expanded and handled with singular
depth, breadth and fullness.'' Rev. DR..
Thomas Held called it 1.-THE worthy com.
panion and complement of Buffers ia
nous Analogy"
Mr.. Cummings Is also the author of
another work entitled 1.-THE Grea. Cues
ton, or Twelve Lessons in the Faith"
which first appeared as series of arti-
Giles in Sunday school paper published
by Mr.. Hoyt of this city, of the firm of
Hoyt, Fogg and Donham.
Mr.. Cummings has been a devoted
member of the Maine Historical Society
and of the Fraternity Club of which he
was the President in 1894. He was an
ardent student of the French literature
and delighted especiallyin the writings
OF tie early missionaries and explorers,
SMASH-UP AT RUMFORD FALLS.
Rumford Falls, December 14-At
about 8. 30 p. m. Monday the shifter was