The Portland daily press., 1877-04-05

good soldier, well-known and highly respected
by officers and men. Mr.. Gould further says
that he took to camp life kindly, and although
the most of his comrades were far below him
intellectually he never assumed to be their su-
perior nor gave offencs to any one. On the
contrary he was zone of them," mingling in all
their games and sports, aud was distinguished
as story teller and joker. With the excep-
Coast Guards, fIom January to September,
1865, this constitutes the whole of his career as
soldier, and be quietly returned to his trade
and his scientific pursuits with renewed energy
and ardor.
The Society purchased the Portland Academy
lot il. the latter part of 1862 and moved into its
new and commodious. quarters early in 1861.
MIR. Bicknell joined the Society December 18th,
1862. soon after being relieved of camp duty,
and from that time during the remainder of his
residence in Portland he spent all the time that
could be spared from his avocation as carriage
builder, and nearly all his evenings in its labor
atOry, that little room in the west corner of the
building SO precious to the band of workers
that at all hours made it hive of industry
The fruits of their labors have indeed, as far
as the public is concerned, been remorselessly
swept away by fire, unless they are to be sought
for lin the awakened interest manifested by
large numbers of our citizens for such pursuits
snd the advancement in education of the young
people who thronged the meetings of the socie-
ty and its public lectures. But whilst it is of
course impossible to decide just how far such
Influences have swayed the minds of the great
numbers who from first to last have been sub
Jected to them, we can readily point to several
IN whom love fof the study of Natural Histo-
ry was first awakened and into whose minds
the very rudiments of its study were first in
stilled by this society. Under its auspices they
made progress that attracted attention beyond
the limits of the city and state, and in some in
stances determined their career for life, causing
them to occupy conspicuous positions in the
,nI-n h,%
ample of one whose love of scientific pursuits
was created by thees labors and fostered under
the direct influences Of this society and as i1
has proved, whose future career was wholly
determined by it. Soon after joining the Soci-
ETY. he began to devote bis attention almost
wholly to microscopy, making profound study
of the minute and intricate structure of almost
everything that he could obtain, and especially
of all material derived from the animal king
dom. The skill and tact he displayed in making
the sections of soft and hard tissues either of
vertebrates or invertebrates for examination
under the high powers of the microscope were
simply wonderful, as were also the ingenious
devices by which he finally suImounted the
difficulties that beSet this method of investiga-
tion.
The cunning hand that made him foremost
among his fellow workmen at the business of
carriage making, guided by his love for science
and bis genius for investigating it, made him,
even before he left Portland prominent among
the micIoscopists of this country He now re-
solved to quit his trade in which he SO much
excelled and devote his whole life to scientific
pursuits. AS with others who have commenced
and acquired no inconsderable portion of their
education as scientists ander the guidance of
our society, he found the field here too limited
to encourage him to remain and he soon after
removed to Boston. Here he early resumed his
labors with the microscope and before long his
services were also in requisitOn by those en-
gagged in the manufacture of such instruments,
in the construction of which and the apparatus
connected with it he was able to make some
important Improvements. he became a men,
ber OF the Boston Society OF Natural History,
and a section in Microscopy being established
he was appointed chairman. His services were
also sought for by those engaged in public
lectures that required illustration by the micro
scope and oxy.hydrogen lantern, and it will be
remembered that in this way he assisted, with
Mr. Fuller, curator of the society, the Rev. E
G. Bolles in his lectures upon the microscope
given at different times in this city.
But his skill and requirements early at.
tracted the attention of the late Louis Agassiz
and it soon resulted in his finding constant en-
ployment at the Cambridge Geological Museum
preparing aud mounting objects requir-
ing the combination of the rarest mechanical
skill with the tact and knowledge of the most
experienced Microscopist. Possessing these he
became an important assistant to Agassiz in
his labors at the Museum, accompanying and
aiding him in his lectures or courses of instruc-
ton to naturalists, given at the school at Peni-
kese. 1t would be as impossible as it would be
unnecessary to enumerate the results OF his
labors, or to estimate the value of his services
to the illuStrious Professor. That BCknel
continued in his employment, enjoying the
most intimate scientific relations with him as
long as he lived, demonstrates the Importance
and satisfactory character of these services,
A visit to his rooms at this time was a source
of great pleasure and Intellectually as prohta-
hp ni1asant Surrounlp1 nv prnat
numbers of the animals whose anatomical and
physiological structure he was investigating,
he was busily employed in preparing and
mounting for study and exhibition under the
microscope, sections of successfully injected soft
and hard tissues, revealing to the be-
holder portions of the intricate structure
of that machine, a body, the study of which has
occupied the attention of the wsest in all
ages Its wonderful structure thus revealed, in
itself artistic and beautiful beyond description,
and its adaptation 10 the purposes for which it
was designed would seem 10 be sufficient to
overwhelm all with the irIetragable proof that
it could only he the wora Of One who was All
Wise, the Creator and Originator of all species
This we believe to have been the humble faith
of our departed associate, and il he did not
adopt any of the conventional methods OF ex-
pressing it we doubt not that it was we'll
grounded in his own convictions. all his lnvest;=
cations only serving to strengthen it, leading
him to look through Nature up to Natures God
After the death of the lamented AgasSiZ the
| financial embarrassment of the Museum rem
| dered it necessary to greatly reduca the mum.
Der OF the assistants, and Blcknel returned to
the business that even during his connection
with the Museum he had never entirely discon-
| tinued. Many in search of high priced and
| valuable microscope were very clad to avail
themselves OF his skill in the selection OF one
| with all its accessories, as in all that was re-
qulred to make them first class as to quality
| and action he was an acknowledged expert OF
| the highest character by reason of his superior
| practical and theoretical knowledge. He also
| continued to prepare and mount with the rarest
| skill great variety of objects for examination
| by this instrument, and to show great tact IL
| the methods devised by himself for the solution
| of the problems of the day relating to micro
| scopy. So also he continued to assist IN lee
lures requiring for their illustration the combi-
nation of the lantern and the microscope, and
it was in this capacity that he was employed
by the Rev. E. G. Boles during the winter just
passed, and though his health had been failing
he was able to perform this duty to the close OF
| the course of lectures about six weeks ago,
1t is but little more than three weeks when
| Bicknell mace an early morning call at my
| house, having just arrived from Boston in the
| boat. l had not seen him since last June when
| he bore all the appearance of being in robust
| health, and hurryiDg in to greet him ! was
much shocked and alarmed by the changed
| appearance he then presented, and slight ex-
| animation was sufficient to convince me thai
| his end was close at hand. He spent the day
| with me, returning in the evening by the boat
| to Boston and from that place to his sisters
residence at Lynn where, as has been already
said, he died Monday, March 10Th at II a. m
and without any apparent distress passing
away as calmly as one falls into quiet sleep.
Thus terminated the career of self-taugh
and self-made man in the very prime of life
one who by his love of science had attained q
| position which in the department he had Sc
lected for himself could not be said to be second
to any other in this country. Naturally modest
and retiring in his disposition he was possessed
OF sterling integrity, good morale and happy
even Jcvial temperament. This made radiant
| his countenance and gave charm to the hu
| NOR and sallies Of wit that were ever overflow
ing, and made him. as his friend Gould ha'
said, the enlivener of the camp and as we our
selves know full well, desirable accession, i
Tor no other reason, to any party bound upol
an exploring expedition by sea or by land. by
all these traits of character he had endeareo
himself to all with whom he associated, ant
especially to those whose pursuits were con-
genial with his own and by which they wer'
brought into more intimate relation with him
BY all these and especially by all the members
OF this society will his loss ever continue to b.
mourned with unfeigned sorrow and unavallinl
regret