RECORDS OF MEETINGS OF 1906 279 



ant surgeon of the Second Maine Regiment. He served with distinction through 

 the entire war, rising successively to higher grades and more important responsi- 

 bilities, until he was mustered out in 1865, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. 

 On returning to Bangor, which was ever afterward his home, he soon gave up the 

 regxdar practice of medicine, to devote himself to literary'- pursuits and public activi- 

 ties. He was twice elected mayor of the city of Bangor, by large popular majorities, 

 and made an able and honorable record. He wrote and published quite extensively, 

 on medical subjects, on certain portions of the history of the war, and on the gem- 

 minerals of Oxford County. Among the latter was his well-known work "The 

 Tourmaline," published in 1873. This book created the greatest interest and was 

 the inspiration of Saxe Holmes's "My Tourmaline," a dainty love story of Ameri- 

 can art. Others were "Leisure Hours with the Gems," 1884, and "The History of 

 Mount Mica," 1895. All of these attracted much attention from gem-lovers and 

 mineralogists, and made him widely known. 



Dr. Hamlin made extensive collections of the tourmalines and associated minerals 

 of the country, and especially those of the mines at Paris Hill. The majority of 

 his colored tounnalines were purchased some years ago for the museum of Harvard 

 University, by the late James H. Garland, Esq., and are one of the choicest features 

 of the mineralogical cabinet there, under the name of the Hamlin-Garland Collection. 

 The entire proceeds of this sale were expended in the "History of Mount Mica," 

 a memorial to his only son. In 1900 he presented another collection illustrating 

 the minerals of the county, to the Oxford Cabinet and Hamlin Memorial Library, at 

 Paris Hill. The histoiy of this very valuable local museum is worthy of notice. 

 There was at Paris Hill an old, verj-- plain, and verv^ substantial granite building 

 which had long been used as the county jail. It was decided finally to give up this 

 building and place the jail elsewhere, upon which action, by the terms of the deed, 

 the property reverted to the original owners, the Cimimings family. Dr. Hamlin 

 then proposed that if the ladies of Oxford County would purchase the building from 

 the heirs, he would remodel it at his o^\ti expense into a fire-proof library and mu- 

 seum. The heirs were many and widely dispersed; but all were well disposed, and 

 in time the transaction was accomplished. Dr. Hamlin then, in 1900, had the build- 

 ing entirely refitted and made suitable for a library and a repositoiy of both histori- 

 cal and scientific material relating to Oxford County. He himself presented a large 

 number of books for the public libraiy, and the fine collection of minerals above 

 noted, which is installed there together with two other choice local collections given 

 by the late Samuel R. Carter and Jarvis L. Carter, of Paris, the whole making an 

 exceedingly fine representation. 



Dr. Hamlin took much interest also in the introduction of the Paris tourmaline 

 into jewelry. To his granddaughter. Miss Elinor C. Hamlin, of Boston, he gave the 

 famous Hamlin tourmaline necklace, which is probably unique. It consists of 17 

 large tourmalines, from 3 to 30 carats each, hung by a chain of Maine gold work, to 

 a general connecting chain, and so adjusted that they can be removed and replaced 

 by others of different colors. With these there are also a cross and ear-drops of 

 variously colored tourmalines, set with colorless beryls from the same locality. 

 Thirty years ago tourmalines were unfamiliar in jewelry, but now the public taste 

 has been educated to kiiow and appreciate them, and this change has been largely, 

 though not indeed wholly, due to the interest and acti\aty of Dr. Hamlin. 



In other fields, too, Dr. Hamlin exerted important influence and did valuable 

 service. He wTote much on the history of the Civil War, especially with regard to 



