The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-07-12
LUTHER WISWILL.
T From the Waldo County Advocate.


side over the Congregational parish at
that village, and also the parish IN the
adjoining town of Jackson, where the
church is located at the center near
the town house. He was young man
with his ministerial career just opening
that has compasSed fifty years OF great
usefulness. in good deeds, spreading
gospel truths and building public SEN
timent for high ideals.
His name was Luther Wiswill and he
settled in Brooks fresh from his books
and studies at the Theological Semina-
nv. but he commenced Immediately to
impress his strong character upon the
community as the advocate of the
Orthodox doctrine Of the Plymouth
Puritan Church, for he preached with
heavy voice. in cool, collected and
persuasive manner that made his pull
pit discussions remarkably convincing.
He was neighborly, charitable, genial
and kind: was paternal in his ways, in
viting confidence and love of people of
all classes, but was firm and most I'M
Welding in his opinions and ready to
stand alone for his convictions upon
any question and defend them with all
his great force and ability in his pulpit
and at all times and places.
The first year of his passionate he
commenced to preach against the traffic
in human flesh and blood, and with
equal vigor to declaim against the rum
traffic 1t was too early period and
most unpopular to agltate those ques-
lions which a few years later stirred
communities SO powerfully, and to an
extent in Brooks that resulted in an or
ganiZation of mer and women who pro-
nounced doom upon the further sale
of Intoxicating beverages III the town
ship. which eliminated, after due warn
ings had been given, in an attack upon
the bar room at Boynton's tavern.
headed by Washington Lane, whose
conservatism and delay in giving the
word to destroy caused the waiting
crowd to break all bounds in their I'M
patience, until Allen Davis with one
swoop of his axe smashed the row OF
decanterS and in an instant heads OF
barrels were knocked in and the floor
was flooded with mixture of all kinds
of liquors. From that eventful day no
Intoxicating drinks have been openly
sold in Brooks Village.
With the Bible for his foundation
Elder WiSwill made war upon human
slavery. Never stopping the discussion
of its evils, preaching from the pulpit,
talking it on the streets and lecturlnS
in the country schoolhOuses and avail
ing himself of the first opportunity to
support the principle of abolition OF
slavery at the polls when with Richard
Morgan, Gilman Roberts, Nesmith Nc
Clure and Moses Earney, in November
1s45. he voted direct for William Birney
the candidate of the abolitionists fol
president; little band that had in
creased to 81 three years later wher
they had candidate for representative
in the person of Hon. Allen Davis.
The example of Elder Wiswill i'll the
pulpit was soon followed by Elder Jos
eph Higgins in Thorndike; Elder lis
dale d. Clements in Monroe: Elder
| Hugh G. Carley in Swanvilie, until but
a few years elapsed before many of the
leading men in the northern tier OF
Waldo county towns were found IN the
ranks of the Free Sellers, and Brooks
Jackson and Thorndike polled plural
ity for the Liberal party.
| Elder Wiswill was most pronounced
| in his zeal for education and for four
| teen years was chairman OF the super
intending school-committee, where he
was ever found the unrelenting defend
| err of the teachers in their battles Will
! the fashion that led stalWart young
men to take greater pride in an ability
| to carry the teacher out OF his schoO
than to spell correctly or parse a sen
tence in grammar All vlolators OF
| local school regulations were suppress
ed with an iron hand under his admin
istration, for it was he who discharged
| fourteen young men, members of proml
! nent families, from school, the ring
| leader a nephew of an associate mem
| Der of the board, for creating dis
| turbance in the schoo! OF Prof. Hobble
who finally abandoned the school; bu'
not for moment did he lack the mora
and official support OF the school board
AS a theologian Elder Wiswill had q
| high place in the church, ranking Will
Rev. Stephen Thurston OF searsporl
and Rev. DR.. Cutter OF Belfast, anO
was recognized AS one of the leading
divines in Waldo county. He was call
ed to much larger church and concen
trated field in Windham, Maine, in 1858
and never has Brooks lost citizen
whose removal was more regretted. ZIG
preached in Windham until his death
in 1885, remaining in active work until
| the last, beloved and honoreG by every
one who knew him.
Luther Wiswill was born in Mari
borough, New Hampshire, January g.
1901, and was consequently more than
81 years old at the time of his death
He was the son of Major John and
Mary (Taintor) Wiswill. In early boy
hood he developed an intense desire fol
an education and at seventeen years OF
age had reached the limit Of common
school instruction and began to teach
winter schools, which he continued tC
do for fifteen years. In the meantime
he attended two terms of an academy,
pursuing his advanced studies al
home. In 1922 he united with the Con
gregational church, became at once &C
tive in its service, was chosen deacon
and was for several years superintend
ent of Sunday school.
In 1929 he purchased farm and set
led down to tilling the soil, but was
constantly impressed when working
his acres with his duty to devote his
abilities and education to preaching
the gospel, which thought finally pre-;
vailed and selling his farm he entered
the Theological Seminary at Bangor,
where he graduated in 1886. Licensed
to preach by the Penobscot association,
he supplied at Passadumkeag for a
time and was ordained and became act
ing pastor of the church in Jackson