The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-11-10
sOuaihan Morgan.

| ~ zee EdstofS or the Press SET
Your paper of Tuesday brought me the frs
Intelligence of the death of Squire Morgan
with an Interesting sketch Of his life, and yet
tEink can add some items of interest, as
have known him long and we'll.
My first acquaintance witch him was in 1896
while was boarder at the old Elm House,
where he was a nightly visitor, for no,with-
standing his life OF seclusion, he was very So
| cial with his acquaintances.
| have spent many hours when 1 ought to
| have been aleep listening to him and his
| friend John Gordon, discussing their favorte
| theories, for they were kindred spirits. l have
visited him many times since in his room, al
ways learning Something my last call was in
June. will give you some incidents in his life
communicated by witnesses at different times.
He was born in Brimfeld, Hampden county,
Mass, 70 miles from Boston, so named for
John Hanpden, the regicde under Cromwell,
who, after the death of King Charles and the
restoration was copcealed in this viciri.y. Mr..
Morgan was born March 4th, 1778, while Gen.
Washington with his army were wintering at
Bordentown. He entered Providence College
in 1879, at the age ri. Nicholas Brown gave
the college five thousand dollars, for which, the
name was changed to Brown University, thus
immortalizing his name for small sum of
money. qtz go esrtf.4resf ne
Jonathan Maxey was then President of the
college, with salary Of $1,000 5IF5
La 1902, Union College, Schenectady. N. Y,
offered Mr.. Maxey, the Presidency of that insti-
tuition, with salary OF $4,000, which be accept
ed. M
So much attached was young Morgan to him
that he prevailed on Mr.. Maxey TO dismiss him
before he resigned his charge, and be went
wita him to Union College. President Maxey
finally went to Georgia, and was succeeded in
the Presidency by the celebrated DR.. Mott. Z
Mr.. Morgan graduated at Schenectady in
1903 then read la with an uncle at Brimfeld
and went to Cincinnati to settle-ridipg one
thousand miles in thirty days, on horseback.
averaging over thirty-three miles day. Gin
cinnati then contained only two thousand in
habitants. He remained there five months in
the family ofJudge Sims, who took great in
terest in him. 3ea
He then concluded to return to New Fog.
land and came back to Brimfield, where he
continued the study of Law with Stephen Pin
con while and went to Shrewsbury, Mass,
where he practiced law from 1906 to 1877, when
he went to Alma. Me-, and from there he came
to Portland in 1920.
He was not strong man but had great
tenacity of life. saw Fowler the phrenologist,
examine his head, blindfoldcd. His first words
on putting his hands on his head were iron
all iron.
Squire Morgan's death was not looked for.
His odd figure and dress and strange mode of
living were so unlike common men of educa-
ton that he seemed hardly human, but was
looked upon as spirit of the pasta reservoir
of knowledge, compos ed of bones and sinews,
moved BY internal machinery, but without
fiesh or blood, with a strange vitality invented
by himself that defied ordinary wear and de.
cay. We supposed he would continue to move
about the streets at all hours OF the night and
day, not noticing men and things, for the next
fifty years as he had fer the fifty years of his
citizenship in Portland. at ies a1e
No object about Portland would be more
missed than Squire Morgan, except perhaps |
the obseryatory,if it should be suddenly de- |
stroyed; and yet most every one has noticed
that his figure was more STOPPING and his gait !
slower, but there was the same cloth cloak, |
slouched hat and broad shade over his weak |
eyes. sEa $685. n
1t seems as though an ancient Landmark had |
been removed, and what is worse, that the |
varied store of literary, scientific and mecban- |
cal knowledge. which he spent long life of |
industry in acquiring, has passed away with |
him. His name adds another to the large |
number OF Portland's aged citizens who have |
passed away within the year.
Windham, Nov. s. VIC.