The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-04-12

| town, district and county.
His habits of thought were conserva-
tive. He was slow in speech, OF kindly
manners, bubbling over with dry, but
most expressive wit and humor, and
while ever ready to maintain his views,
he had happy and quiet way OF fght-
| ing wordy battles without antagomZlhe
those who could not accept his ideas.
A strong character Simple, earnest,
sincere, and genuine good man, with
combination of virtues rarely found IN
! an individual in any community. A SYM
pathetic nature whose heart beat warm
! " for his fellowmen, he was always
| found present in times of trial, sadness
and affection of his neighbors, and
nearly always was official manager OF
! the funerals of those who sleep IN the
| little cemetery near his own home, III
which he, too, rests with his father
The old house erected by his father
always remained sacred to him. ten
| der reminder of the struggles OF his BOY
hood, and still stands with the elaborate
| farm buildings now occupied by his
worthy son who succeeded to his name
and estate.
| In 1872 the following was written by
Mark Stiles: Il have kept the old
house of my father standing, in memory
of the hard times saw in it during my
youthful days. The fall that | was
eighteen years old | travelled four hun
bred miles to the Miramichi country in
! the province of New Brunswick, where
| | labored for six years Numbering. l
underwent many severe hardShlpS III
| that time, and escaped many dangers
| of losing nv lite: but that almighty
power that brought me into existence
| had design on my creation, and l &c
| believe there is no other power that can
| Illustrate or thWart the designs of God.
| hereby acknowledge that | have been
remiss in duty to help carry out those
designs and have lost d great enjoy
ment by such neglect"
With money acquired by lis six years
of hard toll 50 far from home, he pad
the notes given so many years PREV
| Gus to William Moody, agent for the
original proprietors, and III 1923 be
| came possessed of the farm, winch is
| still held with additional acres, 10y hls
| son, Mark Saunders, 2ud. He did not
marry until nearly thlrty-hve yeats old,
| having in the meantime become falr4V
| INDEPENDENT financially for those days.
He also early became Interested, as a
good citizen, in public questions and a
RECOGNIZED leader of the Democratic
party in Jackson, which then embraced
such strong NEIL as Joseph \. Green,
Nathaniel ;. Knight, John CrOXtord
and Ezekiel T. Hatch, the three latter
having served i'll the State legislature
and each one become identified with the
Liberty party shortly after It's lorna
ton.
Politically Mark Stiles was an Ole
school Democrat who reyered the Ole
constitution III the day or his death
He was an anti-slavery and Temperance
, Democrat, and 1t greatly grltVed hlE
neigh who had become aggressive
Free SolierS to have such a model MAJ
and neig nboI unable to agree With then
uuon their radical methods for the apo
litiUn Of slavery. yet never did that DIT
ference III the slightest disturb the
harmony of their relations,
In the Democratic factional warfare
which became so pronounced that sew
eral times two full nominations Wert
made ia Waldo county, he always stoot
with the wing of which in the STATE
Hannibal Hamiin was the recognlZtt
leader, and Ephrdim *. smart III lht
county. although always supporting
what me regarded Us the nominees bear
ing the commas en- OF legu a}uN.
H. vas known as d Wupjhead DetAo
crat. aud I'D Jackson the party was sub
stautiaiy in accord with hm, inciuryiIg
such well Remembered neu rs Ilay Il
Buou,. Aaron Snow. James Euuh, I'll
nund Wallace, LOUIS Davis, ID, \. "
R}ch, TT ais, as WAS the party n
ThoIndikt: While in Brooks, Andrew
h. Bean, and the party eeLtia!y, SITS
tanned tie wild Cat' faction, Whatt
in the county WAS under the recogulzst
leadership OF j. q. Dlckelson and J. \
McCiiutock.
In 1896 Mark Stiles WAS candidate
for representative to the Legislature
but was defeated by a sma | majority
by Ezekiel 7. Hatch, "A member Of hh
own party. In September, 1913, he was
again candidate from the classic
towns of Jackson, Thorndlke and Troy
there again being division III the
Democratic party, James Pattee, Free
Soiler leading, with Mark Stiles and
Joseph Y. Green running neck and
neck; there being no choice, it then re-
quiring a majority to elect. At the
second election the Wings and Free
| SOll6rS VOJeu lOI vi L. SIlleS anu cleCItu
him, as a choice between Democrats.
and he consequently represented the
class in the Legislature of 1874.
In September, 1919, Mark Stiles was
elected County Commissioner by the
! Democrats, defeating Joseph Muzzy,
Wing, and John Mcclure, Free Soiler
He was reelected in 1852, with Otis
Hartman of Prospect; the Wing candl-
dates being Samuel Fletcher and Nath-
aniel B. Robbins: that of the Free Soil
ers, John M. Bailey and Richard Ford
His associates on the board at various
times during his six years term were;
Abner Dunton of Hope, Josiah Staples
of Swanville, Henry Meservey of APP
pleton and Otis Hartman. During his
term of Office the present court house
at Belfast was built.
Upon twenty seven different occa
sions was Mark Stiles member of the
board of selectmen of Jackson, and his
sound judgment was always appealed
to whenever an unusual expenditure
was called for.
In religion he was a Universalist
among Free Will Baptists and Quakers.
Prior to 1s43 school district number
! was nearly solid with him politically
1 Tc.oc and David hhOtt Hamlin and