The Republican journal., 1909-03-04


our worlds order, and a very able lady
she says of these older and very able
members who have recently passed te
life eternal: ct is very sad to have
these older leaders dropping off one
after another, as they have been doing
the last few years, but the work lives
on and we must hope for the best and
do our best to make our beloved order
again a power in the United States''
1t was at the international supreme
session of our worlds order in Sweden
that We made a strong effort to bring
the next worlds session, in 1905, to Port
land, Maine. On my arrival in Stock
holm called at the United States Lega-
ton to secure the assistance of Hon. w.
w. Thomas, who was then our foreign
minister to Sweden, in this matter, but
his secretary informed me that he had
just left the city for his summer resi-
dence. | then wrote him and asked if he
would be SO kind as to write me letter
that | could use in my address when |
presented Portland. A few days after
the opening Of the worlds session | re-
ceived the following letter:
UNITED STATES LEGATION,
STOCKHOLM, July IL, 1902
Mr.. FRANK w. GoWEN,
My Dear Sir: | have received your
letter of the Sth inst. and hasten to say
hat l. ~,
your efforts to induce the International
hold the next worlds session in our
land in Casco bay What city could be
the birthplace of Neal Dow, the great
apostle of temperance? Assuring you of
my readiness to assist you in any way in
my power and hoping that your endeavors
may be crowned with success.
| remain,
Sincerely yours,
W. W. THOMAS
But our efforts to bring the world s
session to Maine were not successful
much to our regret. However, we took
our defeat good naturally and after the
close of the days session Hindoo dele
gate, descendant of an ancient race
who spoke English, told me he had voted
for Maine, the home of Neal Dow and
the cradle of prohibition. Thus the name
of Neal Dow, who devoted years of toll
to glorious cause, can never die, and the
State which gave him birth will always
be remembered by the people in all lands
for its undying devotion to the great
principles of prohibition which was first
adopted on our soil.
At the close of the worlds session |
took a two days rest from attending
further lodge meetings in the city, or
functions, and devoted much of the time
to visiting historic places, and on tram
way ride into the country was accompa-
MED by several Swedish friends who
were Good Templars Late in the after
noon of the second day we babe our
friends and Stockholm farewell and took
the limited express for Gothenburg some
$50 miles distant, where we arrived the
next morning, and in the afternoon took
a steamer for a voyage across the North
Sea. 1t was very rough and stormy and
we were all seasick and glad when we
arrived safe and sound on the shores of
our motherland, where we could hear
again the English language spoken,
could read the papers and converse free
ly with the people of our own race. The
impression left upon my mind by this
trip to those far northern countries, and
my attendance at the worlds session of
; our order in Stockton, will never fade
from my memory.
In my next article l shall give his
tory of the Good Templar order in Maine
and tell of my second visit to Europe in
1905 in the interest of this order, and also
, Of my extended trip through Ireland, the
land which gave birth to Burke, Sheri-
dan, Thomas Moore and the brave and
gallant Gen. Richard Montgomery, who
! lost his life at Quebec, and of Father
Matthew, famous as temperance ad-
vocate, who converted millions of his
countrymen from drunkenness to Sc
briefly.
ia SIS c1 ~ 40 i "a.
n