Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-15


know the man.
want tp say today, quietly and calmly
without any prrtcnce ol culoSy o. orato-
rY or preaching, that one Of my greatest
JOYS in Washington has been his friend
shiI-onc o. the greatest Inspirations IN
my ministry has been his life.
The interest was awakened first hy
( love of history, hy his personal Knowledge
~ public men ANA events stretching over
nearly Il century, by mis- Gccp and Keen
interest in public affairs. | liked to hear
him talk about campaigns in Maine. 49,
20 ana 60 years ago. | liked to ask him
about war times. his experiences in Con
| gress his knowledge Of men like Neal
Dow, Hannibal Hamln, James G. Blaine.
! William Pitt FesSenden and, above all
others, of Lincoln, whose loyal supporter
he was Throughout the Civil war.
Tncn' rs | came 10 know him better,
my interest grew from. history to biog-
ranhy-irom the great events with which
he was connected to the relation. these
events bore to his life. The pap.'rs haze
tGld us the story. | need not repeat It
here Born ana bred on the farm, train
ed in the schools ana academies If Maine
4 farmer ana Il teacher himself. hc was
the discussion Of public questions, draft
ed to serve in public office. Three times
he was sent Ivy Maine To Congress. Three
time 8 he was made Governor of the Ola
Pine Tree State. To other positions OF
honor ana trust, political, educational
reformatory ard religious. all his life ne
was called. lie was the first moderator
oc our Universalist Society in Washing
IL;
trc days If the war. II was his to back
up IT," men who fought for the I'uion. il
was his to HELP with the work Of recon-
struction. to bind MP the wounds. and by
preoept ana example 70 try to max" the
warning sections one.
Last night a Maine man IN public life
said this
1T is not because Of the Offices he has
filed, il is not because Of his place in
STAT" ana nation tlat we most honor
him, but because Of the simple virtues Of
home ana town. we are proud to say of
him and his wife that they represent the
best traditions ana the highest achieve
m@nts of our State"
And 50 ! speak not now Of any achieve
ments but of the man back of the
achievemcnts-the hardest thing in all the
thing in all the world to sense and appre-
ciatr. one comes to admire a statesman.
One comes to appreciate Il tru" servant
Of the church. But one comes to love a
pure and noble man. Such was Sidney
Porham. lie was one of the most gentle
and kindly Of men. He was ono Of thu
most considerable of others-of evorybOd"
about him, that l ever saw. lie was one
of the most cheerful and sunny. lie had
Il keen serse Of humor. 1t was not be
meath his dignity to joke. Dying and
knowing he was dying, repeatedly he
! smiled ana brought the brighter side to
things. lie bore his intense suffering
with fortitudc. lie faced the end with
composurc and faith.
| want to say Just few words about
those last days of his life. In them was
some thing so beautiful that it ought to
life us above our sorrow. A sense of
victory ought to permeate this place and
fill every heart.
on Easter Sunday he attended church.
The week following he was unusually
well. Friday, the 9Th of April, Re Went
ont. took Il car ride alone, descended 1
long flight Of stairs at Georgetown. Went
out upon the Arucduct bridge to see the
majestic river and thc bluffs. He came
home alone, tired but well.
That night in the night he was stricken.
A skllful and able doctor whom we all
love came at once. Other specialists wera
called in but it was a difficulty hard to
reach. Ills suffering was intense. When
| saw him Saturday, We felt the worst
was over. Relief had come, although he
was grey end exhausted from the pain.
Sunday was cheerful day for all. The
danger was over. But Sunday night
again came the attack. The doctors
were with him for hours and conditions
were discovered that made us realize that
the dear old friend. the Grand Old Man
of Maine had about lived out his days.
! That Monday afternoon he talked with
me calmly ard frankly about tie end.
He had said all that he needed to say. He
had done all that he needed to do. We
| talked of Maine and the friends there
and he corrected my memory on some
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