The Republican journal., 1910-12-29
One of Bangor's
"Grdnd Old Men. y
Rev. Stephen l.. Bowler. Past Four Score
and Ten Still at Work. Brief Story Of an
Eventful and Useful Life.

Rev. Stephen L. Bowler. Past Four Scor
and Ten Still at Work. Brief Story Of al
Eventful and Useful Life.
From the Bangor Daily News.l
Rev. S. L. Bowler was born in tn
town of Palermo, in this State, on tn
25th day of July, 1920. He fitted fol
college, almost wholly at his home with
out teacher, and graduated at Water
vile college in the year 1847. As .
scholar he stood in the first rank, ane
was appointed valedictorian Of his class
After teaching year in Bangor he en-
tered the medical college in Castleton,
VT, and received one course Of lectures.
The following year he studied medicine
with DR.. McRuer of Bangor and then
entered the medical department of Har-
ward, and was there during the most ex-
citing scenes that ever took place in the
history of that institution, when DR..
Parkman of Boston was murdered by
medical students.
On leaving Harvard University he
entered Bangor Theological Seminary
and there remained till he completed the
course of study in that institution and
graduated in the class of 1852. A few
weeks later he was ordained at Machias,
street church in that village. This was
his first pastorate. His second one was
in Orono, where he continued his labors
for eight years. On May 18th, 1883, he
was married to Miss Augusta J. Colburn
of Orono, who shared his labors and his
triumph over hindrances for many years.
IF Mr.
Ter enjoyed his work, and we'll he might,
for his work was fruitful. In March,
1868, he began his services for the SOL
the auspices of the United States Christ
ian Commission. In this service he en-
tered, heart and soul, and with all his
might, into the religious work in the
army. Here his position was one of
evident responsibility. He had the care
of directing the work of scores and
hundreds of delegates and helpers. With
men enough, and money enough usually,
it required a knowledge of human ma
ture and of business, and great deal
of organization, to conduct the work sue
cessfully
Under the authority of the Commits
sion he had charge of its work at Wash
ington, b. c., for nearly two years,
when he was elected general agent for
the State of Maine. that he night raise
funds for the Commission in his native
State He began by dividing the area
of the State into three districts and Or
ganizing an army committee in each dis
trct. In those days, when the brave
sons of Maine took their lives in their
hands and went forth to defend their
country, large collections of money were
needed and were made. Under the ex-
citement of those days, when bloody
battles were lost and won, when nus
bands and fathers, brothers and sons
were liable to be shot down at any time
and thousands were already in our hospi-
tails, our citizens at home poured out
their contributions in such generous sums
as has not been witnessed from that time
to this.
In one of the smaller cities of Maine
Mr. Bowler after an earnest address to
the people, asked for 81, 900 and by means
of committees, one in every ward, gath
cred in 1880, In another city in this
State, he pulled III more than 81, oo0. IN
Kittery navy yard he collected 49, o9,
and in several other places he was equal,
ly successful. Moreover, he engaged
delegates to continue the work of raising
funds till the war closed. The Commits
sion had had the assistance Of more than
four thousand delegates, who gave their
services for limited time as voluntary
helpers in the distribution of literature,
in ministering to the sick and wounded
and in taking care of the dying and the
dead. Delegates from Maine reported
TO Mr. Bowler at his headquarters in
Washington, D. c., on their return from
the army, and he engaged many of them
to give public addresses and tell the peo-
pie what they had seen of the Commits
sion's work among the soldiers, and to
take contributions for the furtherance of
this service and forward the same to the
treasurers of the army committees Of the
State.
He had something to do, also, as man.
ager, in feeding starved prisoners.
When, after long delay, the actual ex-
change of prisoners was about to begin,
he went as agent of the U. S. Commits
sion to Aiken's Landing, Va, where the
exchange took place. to plan the work of
feeding them in systematic and orderly
way so as to prevent abuses on the part
of prisoners, half-crazed with hunger,
as the strong would trample down the
weak and jostle them aside in their haste
to reach their food. His plan was to put
up a stockade which they could enter,
only one at time, and be fed from al
lowances prepared by the surgeons, and
then be marched out on the other side of
the stockade, where mounted guards
could prevent their passing through the
second time. This plan was adopted by
the order of Col. Mulfcrd, our military
agent for the exchange of prisoners
The plan worked we'll and Mr.. Bowler
received the thanks of great many
prisoners and from several of the mill
tary officers for the food he had ordered
and for his careful method of feeding
those who suffered with hunger.
At the close Of the war large book
was published containing $50 pages, en-
titled "Annals of the U. S. Christian
Commission. Mr.. Bowler had the
pleasure of furnishing large part of the
materials Of which this book was COM
posed. The book contains a multitude
of facts and incidents of the war, and of
the religious work in the army which are
to be found in no other publication.
Twenty copies of this book are to be
found in the public and private libraries
of Bangor.
AS preacher and pastor Mr.. Bowler
had good success. He preached the Cos
pei of Christ in many places, and for the
long term of nearly fifty years. He ex-
ercised his ministry chiefly in Maine, but
ono Of bic poc PorE,, NJ