Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-09-18

Al0nz0 freeman LOWS, VINO was ID
Ijured by falling from ladder while en-
gagged in efforts to save his building
from destruction by fire during tn
disastrous conflagration which occurre,
at Fryeburg on the 31st ult., died at tn
Maine General Hospital, Portland, q
$50 A. NJ, the following day. Mr.
Lewis was one of Fryeburg's best know
and most highly respected citizens, an,
his death saddens wide circle of friend
and acquaintances. He was born II
East Conway, hamlet in the adjoining
town of Conway, N. H., on June %
1884, being the son of Jacob and Abigail
(Coolbroth) Lewis. He was educated
in the public schools of his native tow
and in Fryeburg Academy, fitting TO
college at the latter institution and II
1858 successfully taking the examina
tions for admission to both Dartmouth
and Bowdoin Colleges. A weakness o
the eyes obliged him, much to his sor
row, to forego the pursuit of his scholas
tic education beyond the course prepare
tory to his naturalization for college, bu
his love of learning was SO strong anC
so enduring that it may with almost
literal exactness be said that he was 6
student all his life. Fond Of books, anC
selecting, for his reading, those books
which embody the work of the bes
standard writers, he kept abreast of the
times in all that concerned the worlds
intellectual activities. While he wal
we'll read in general history, he was
especially interested in local history, de.
voting much time and labor to the study
of the history of Fryeburg and its fami
lies, and none feeling deeper pride in
the town and its people than he. In
early life he learned the tailoring bust
ness at Warner, N. H., and at that place
and at Concord in the same state he for
a time pursued this business as his voca-
ton. His desire for an education, how
ever, soon caused him to give up this
business and, as student, to enter Frye
burg Academy and fit for college. After
he was, as just stated, obliged to forego
his purpose to acquire collegiate edu-
cation, he at Fryeburg resumed the
tailoring business, but not long after
wards he discontinued this business and
went into partnership with Franklin
Shirley in the business of dealing in
general merchandise, the style of the
firm being Shirley & Lewis. At the end
of a few years this firm OF Shirley q
Lewis discontinued business, and Mr..
Lewis then went into the fire insurance
business, which continued to be his
vocation till the end of his life.
In whatever business Mr.. Lewis was
engaged, he always managed to find
time to devote to the qualification OF his
literary tastes and proclivities. Not
only did he feel deep interest in the
history of Fryeburg, but he also felt
great interest in the history OF his native
town of Conway and of the other towns
which, together with Fryeburg and Con-
way, in days long agone constituted the
Indian sachemdom of Pequawket, much
time and labor being devoted by him to
information regarding the old
time annals and the early Inhabitants OF
all these towns.
He was fond of travel not only for the
fleeting pleasure Of gratifying that love
of novelty which seems to be character
istic of the human family in general, but
for the educational effect which travel
has upon the mind of the intelligent
and, notwithstanding the de-
mands of his business, he contrived to
fiid considerable time for journeys to
parts of the world remote from his be-
loved Fryeburg. In 1878 he was a men,
Der of a party of excursionists who
made a pleasure trip to Europe. In
1879 an account of this excursion was
published in the form of book OF $50
nages entitled "a Summer Jaunt through
the Old World; Record of an Excur-
sion Made to and through Europe by the
Touriee Educational Party of 1873"
Mr.. Lewis belonged to the First Tor
'Italian'D Division of this party OF ex-
and, of the book just men
toned, chapters 10, II, II and IL, which
describe the journeys OF this division OF
the party, were written by him. In
1882 Mr.. Lewis and his brother, Calvin
w. Lewis of Boston, published the 4th
of July address, then recently discover
ed. which Daniel Webster delivered at
Fryeburg in 1902, and at the same time
was published by them the Fryeburg
Webster Memorial, pamphlet which,
besides Webster's 4th of July Grafton
last mentioned, contains considerable
interesting matter regarding Webster
and Fryeburg. In the course of trip
which Mr.. Lewis made to California he
visited many places of special interest,
and the information which he gathered
on his trip to Europe and on this trip to
the Pacific slope was embodied by him
in lectures upon Rome, London, Salt
Lake City and the Mormons, the
Yosemite Valley, etc., which he deliver
ed in many places.
On January l, 1902, an address on
Daniel Webster was delivered by MI.
Lewis at a celebration of the Tooth an
niversary of the coming OF Webster to
Fryeburg in 1902 to take charge of the
academy. A pamphlet of 80 pages con-
tanning the proceedings Of this anniver-
sary celebration was published 6y MIR.
Lewis in 1902. In New Church Hall, on
the evening of August 0, 1904, thirteen
residents of the vicinity who were born in
1884 held a joint celebration in COM
memoration of the 10th anniversary OF
their natal year. The proceedings of
this celebration, which was initiated by
Mr.. Lewis, and practically all the labor
of making arrangements for which Mr..
Lewis took upon himself, were embodied
in pamphlet of 146 pages which was
published by him in 1904.
OF late years Mr.. Lewis spent his win
tiers in Florida, Cuba or Washington, in
which latter place he delivered addresses
before the Society of the Sons and
Daughters of Maine and before the So
ciety of the Sons and Daughters of New
HAMPSHIRE. He spent much time in
tracing the genealogy of his family on
both the paternal and the maternal side,
and after his injury at the fire and while
the conflagration was still raging and 1t
was uncertain whether his building
would be saved, he expressed himself as
pricing this collection of genealogical
data above anything else among his
effects and as being desirOus that the
collection should be rescued from de-
struction in preference to anything else.
At a public meeting of the people OF
Fryeburg he pronounced eulogy upon
the late President Mckinley, and he de-
livered an address at the dedication OF
the Woman's Library Club of Fryeburg.
He was prominent in the Chautauqua
course reading circle, and contributed
not a little to the success OF the circle.
He was a member of the Maine Histori-
cal Society, and was an honorary mem.
Der of the Webster Historical Society OF
Boston and of the Columbia Institute OF
Tennessee.
Mr.. Lewis ever took deep interest in
the cause of education in general and
special interest in the prosperity Of
Fryeburg Academy in particular. Al
the time of his death and for many
wears previous thereto he was one OF the