The times., 1899-08-23
JOHN BROWNS FUNERAL.
The Minister Who Preached the Ser
mon still Living In Maine.
(From the Boston Herald.

(From the Boston Herald.)
The Rev. DR.. Jushua Young who Of
| hciated at the funeral OF John Brown. is
living at Prout's Neck, Me. Being asked
to relate the incidents connected with his
attending the funeral of forty years ago
he replied: Il had never met John b own.
but was firm abolitionist, and thorough
ly in sympathy with his purpose. 10.
eleven years | was member OF the vigi-
lance committee. and belonged to the
abolition school at the time the fugitive
slave act was under consideration in Bos-
ton- In Burlington l was what was
termed the station keeper of the under
ground railroad taking part in the
transfer of fugitive slaves from one State
to another. l harbored at my home many
| slave 1t was not difficult for me to rem
der assistance to escaping slaves, for wzs
very near the Canadian border.
After Browns execution / learned that
his body was to be brought TO his home
at North Elba and l was determined to
attend the funeral. / was accompanied on
the trip by Mr.. L. G. Bigelow, one of my
t Burlington parishioners, an enthusiastic
abolitionist. 1t was long, hard. midwin-
| try journey. We started in the midst of a
northeast rain, and when we reached there
it was showing hard. We travelled by cart
roads, through the blazed woods, and
nearly perished from the cold. Had | not
been young and vigorous man / never
could have withstood the rigors of that
long and perilous ride
eve reached North Elba about o'clock
| in the morning, and the burial took place
at l O'Clock in the afternoon. / happened
to be the only minister there, and at the
earnest request of the family / performed
the usual funeral service There we're
present at the service the widows OF four
members OF Browns party. When the re-
mains were escorted from the house to the
great boulder, beside which the grave had
been dug, Wendell Phillips took the arm
of John Browns widow, Mr.. Mckim sup
ported the widow of Oliver Brown, 1 Of
fered my arm to Mrs Watson Brown, and
Mr.. Bigelow, of Burlington, escorted the
Widow Thompson to the grave.
"One incident had cause to particularly
remember because it was so often after
ward hurled in my face. At the grave
John Browns widow gave way to her sor-
row. and as a solace TO her grief / re-
peated the scriptural passage: I have
fought a good fight, l have finished my
course, | have kept the faith; henceforth
there is laid up for me a-crown of right
eouSneSS.
THE newspapers published very fully
the details connected with the funeral SER
vice. and my critics wanted to know how
/ could claim that John Brown had fought
good fight, and what he had done TO
entitle him TO crown OF righteousness.
1t is not pleasant to recall the treatment
l received from former friends after that
funeral. Being naturally sensitive man,
/ suffered a great deal from the rebuffs
l received. Many persons who had been
exceedingly friendly to me Stunned me on
the streets, and some of my parishoners
would pass me without sign OF recogni-
ton. Ny professional brethren volunteered
the opinion that / had ruined for life my
chances as a minister of the gospel, and
was informed that some people OF the
town had expressed the sentiment that
ought to be strung up as high as old John
Brown
"a dissolution of my relations. with the
church at Burlington was an outcome OF
my connection with the Brown funeral, but
l continued in the ministry, despite the
predictions that l could never again find a
pastorate. The feeling against abolition
lists was as strong in some portions OF the
North in those days as it was in the South.
The sentiment was stronger in Vermont
than in Massachusetts, for, owing to their
nearness to New York, Vermonter's nat
urally followed in New York's trend of
sentiment rather than patterning after the
people OF Massachusetts.
II was we'll acquainted with William
Lloyd Garrison. / witnessed the rendition
of the slave, Anthony Burns-a shameful
day for Massachusetts. 1t will be remem-
bered that John Brown, Just before his ex-
eeution, wrote on the margin of a paper
In his CELL i. John Brown, am now quite
certain that the crimes Of this guilty land
viii never be purged away but with blood.
had, as l now think, vainly fiattered my
self that without much bloodshed it might
be done How soon this prophecy was full
filed 1t is impossible to find in all his
tory an illustration of a more noble. self
sacrificing life than that of John Brown"
The Rev. DR.. Young is a native of Ran
dolph, Me-. a graduate of Bowdoin College,
class of 1S4S. Ten years ago Bowdoin Col
lege conferred on him the degree of doctor
of divinity. Last February he and Mrs.
Young celebrated their golden wedding.