St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1918-03-15

A brief life sketch of Neal
Dow. paper read by Mrs.
Serrurier at w. &. T. U. meet.
ing.
Neal Dow was born in Port.
land. Maine. March 20. 1904.
lie was the son of strong.
sturdy New England Quaker
stock, industrious. frugal and
temperate through several gen
crations. His early schooling
up to the age of l3 years was
at the Portland Academy. then
! his parents decided to send him
to the Friends Academy" in
New Bedford. Mass. The
reason for this change was not
only the desire OF his parents
TO assist the academy. but they
believed IL would be of advan
tagc 90 him 10 mingle with peo,
pie outside of his own home.
lie was content from the very
beginning. lie had the good
fortune TO come under the IN
llucncc Of n circle in which his
mind and manners had oppor
tunity for Improvement. There
was an exceptionally fine
library in the school where he
could crafty TO his hearts con
tent. his love for reading. BE.
cause Of his love for reading he
said. 81 have had in all my life
very few II any lonely hours. z"
Ills school days ended at the
age of l6. lie wished 10 finish
his cdcuation and attend col.
lcgc. but his parents had n fear
that il would be at the peril of
his soul. A friend of his was
Ia medical student who gave
him the privilege of studying
with him IN his home. and he
kept pace with him in all his
studies. His earliest business
venture was surveying n large
tract of land. IL was no easy
task To enter the woods of
Maine in those days. and they
had many interesting adyen.
lures. The guide employed on
this occasion was addicted to
the use of liquor. and of course
would not go on a trip of this
Kind without "A generous supply,
but the Journey was much long
cr than they had anticipated,
and he had To 90 without and
after being in the woods sever
al months. acknowledged that
he was In better health than he
had been for several years.
which fact of course pleased
Neal Dow very much. At the
age of 2l he travelled all over
the settled part of the United
States and after his return his
father took him in as a partner;
he was a tanner. This gave him
a comfortable income of his
own. lie was married at the
age of 26 and became the father
of nine children. always in
structing them i'm the principles
OF true temperance. of which he
was AN ardent advocate. Al
though temperance was by no
means popular in those days.
yet he was a man of wealth and
influence at the early age of 2S
years. lie spent three years in
Europe. lie answered the call
of his country in 1861 and serv.
ed two years. Eight months
OF that time he was in Libby
prison. He is called the father
of probition because Maine was
the first prohibition state and
il was largely through his in.
tluence, In the year of 1881 the
influence of the Washingtonian
reform reached Portland. Ill
originated in Baltimore in 1910,
where a few workingmen. all
drinkers. suddenly resolved that
they would abstain from all in.
toNlcating drinks. The move
ment started a contest between
drinkers and abstainers. The
rumor soon spread throughout |
the country and much good was
accomplished. The Good Tenn.
plar Society was formed in 1860 |
and the Woman's Christian |
Union in 1874. Neal |
Dow and many others who |
spent their lives in establishing |
he great principles of temper.
lnce passed away before they
saw the results of their faithful
ahOrs. but for their noble ex.