The Portland daily press., 1899-04-07
AT REsT.
Funeral OF the Late Captain Benja-
min +. willard Yesterday.

| gationsl Church, south Portland
An Interesting Address by Rev. A.
~. wright-BeautifuI Floral Tri-
/ -butes from Numerous. Friends.
Tho remains Of Captain Benjamin II.
Willard we're laid at rest Thursday after
noon in Mt. Pleasant cemetery. south
Portland, after services ct his late resi-
dence 90 ~ Federal street and In the
North Congregational church on Meeting
House hill. There was prayer at one
o'clock by Rev. A. II. Wright, after
which the funeral cortere proceeded to the
church where there was gathered q large
assembly Of prominent citizens from
every walk Of business life, family
friends, neighbors, etc., to listen to the
impressive funeral services which began
at $50 O'Clock by the singing Of the
hymn 1--WE Are Gathering Home One By
One" which was effectively rendered by
Shaw's ouartette, composed of John L.
Shaw, George Il Smith. Mrs. Fannie
Halves and Lou Harding. Then followed
scriptural reading by Rev. Robert Law
ton, pastor OF the North Congregational
church, after which the following inter.
esting address was delivered by Rev. A.
II. Wright. pastor of ST. Lawrence Con-
gregational church Of this city.
REV. MR.. wRIGHT'S ADDRESS.
Fellow Citizens and Friends; In &C
cordance with arrangements made by
our departed friend, long before his death,
Ne meet In this time-honored church to
perform his obscquies.
Here where his father and mother wor-
shipped, in the house of God familiar to
him in mis- childhood, in which he placed
a memorial window for his mother, here
almost within sight Of the housetn which
he was born, which is still standing,
here, near to the cemetery where his
parents and his kindred are buried, in
the improvement of whi3h he was so
ueeply interested, we are assembled to
perform for him We honored and loved
while living, the last rites OF burial.
1t is fitting that some words should be
spoken at this service In memory of our
friend, who has been SO widely known
and so generally testeomed. and whose
active business life has extended over a
period of at least fifty years.
Capt. Willard some years ago gave to
the world brief, interesting and often
thrilling sketch of his Eexperienoe as q
usutTllhIlt ebcNtuOTo anu Pilot II 10 %
simple, mo lest and straightforward mar
rative of his eventual lie which must
leave the impression upon every reader
that his fe was largely imbued with the
Captain Ben's Book" contains the
history of a man who had career we'll
worthy OF narrative.
Captain Willard was a most skillful and
Intrepid Ailor; a most dextrous and sue
cessful tsnei man, u very, efficient steve
dore and one OF Portlands most distin
guishec pilots. Bora by the sea, Graded
as he said in boat. he drew his living
out Of the sea and had his almost lifelong
occupation on the sea.
Capt Willard was man trained by
knowledge and experience for great emer-
genciss. When GOODNESS, courage and eff
cheney were required at short notice i'll
business upon the great waters, he was
the man sought for. When competentpilot
was wanted to take into our harbor the
british war ship Hero. which had come
Wales in 1860, Capt. Ben was the man
for this responsible service, and soon after
he piloted into our harborss the hattleship
Nile to act us an escort to the Hero. -
In 1868 when the Revenue Cutter Ca leb
Cushing was smugglsd out of our harbor
by rebel privateer, Capt. Ben was the
man whose wisdom, Judgment and prac-
pursuit and capture OF the bold privateers
who finding no escape burned and sank
their prize.
When the i'll fated Bohemian was
wrecked in 1864 on the Cape Elizabeth
shore. Capt. Willard with his pilot boat
"Nettle" was promptly on hand to rem
der valuable aid.
When liz 1870 the British ironolad
Monarch was outside with perhaps the
most precious freight ever landed in
Portland, tn remains Of the distinR uished
American born Philanthropist Of Ens-
laad, George Peabody, Captain Willard
was with characteristic enterprise, outside
with his pill OF boat looking for her in the
mist, and0nad the good fortune and the
honor of plotting her into our harbor. On
that favorable occasion. Capt. Willard
improved bis opportunity to show to the
British officsrs of the Monarch the So per-
Tor capacity Of our harbor. in the depth
of its channels and the extent of its
waters
Again in 1888, Captain Willard had an
opportunity to show himself q nan for
an emergency.
The Dominion steamship Brooklyn.
Just sixteen years ago this day, left her
wharf in Portland harbor to cross the At
lantic, at eleven O'Clock at night. At
midnight the news came to this city that
she was on the rocks of the south west
pOlnt OI diamond lslauu leuSe. Shpt
Willard WAS at once summoned, not only
because he was the stsvedore Of the DO
minion line, but because the emergency
called for his energy and enterprise. The
Brooklyn scar golwas discharged and land
ed at the Grand Trunk sheds and tho yes
sci delivered from the rocks and repaired
in our dry dock.
refer to these events AS illustrations of
the practical sagacity and efficiency of
our departed friend in those matters
which relate 60 his occupation Self-re-
lance, entsrprise, promptness in action
and tremendous energy characterize the
man whose death we mourn.
But perhaps Capt. Willard was not
more favored for business energy than for
his enthusiasm in which one OF his most
intimate friends called rational sport"
1t was not to Captain Wizards discredit