The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-24
In Memoriam.

wherever william Senter was known
and his acquaintance was broad as the con-
tinent-there will be sorrow, sincere and
profound, at the tidings that his kind heart
has ceased to beat His friends were le-
gion. To know him was to love him. His
nature was singularly frank, gentle and
kindly. His love was not bounded by hu-
manity, but went out toward every created
thing. The beasts of the field. the birds of
the air and the fishes Of the streams, were
all his comrades and friends. He loved the
open air, the broad upland, the deep forest
and the sounding sea Of our rocky coast. He
was an ardent follower of manly out door
sports. When in the spring of 1861, Mr.. SEN
ter and his associates sailed their new yacht
Sparkle" In our waters they created reyo-
luton in yachting in Maine. Hitherto we
had sailed in open boats. With the
Sparkle" came the era of decked yachts,
and in them we cruised with unwonted COM
fort along the entire coast of hundred har-
bored Name
Many who read these lines will recall with
pleasure some sail in the Sparkle" among
the islands Of casco Bay. the rare good fel-
lowship of the kind host now departed, his
keen interest in the tides and currents, and
every change of sea and air, and the quaint
legends of the isles he repeated to his friends
grouped about him on deck, as he steered
homeward when the day was spent and the
domes and spires of our city by the sea
stood sharply outlined against the glowing
West.
Mr.. Senter was keen sportsman, a good
shot and skillful wielder of the rod. And
yet his chief object never seemed to be to
shoot birds or capture fish. True, he took
bis rod with him as he wandered along the
brooks in June, and he whistled to his dog
and shouldered his gun as he went afeld in
brown October: but these were simply the
outward excuses he made to the world, nd
perchance to himself. for getting away fr ON
the din and dust of the eity and spendi ng
the day with nature and in the companion
ship Of some friend, trusted and true, with
whom his soul was in sympathy. And how
unselfish he was too in these sports, ALWAYS
willing his friend should whip the
best trout pools before him, and always
ready to plunge into the, thickest alder
swamp with his setter and hunt the covert
through, while his comrade stood on the out
side to shoot the wo0dc0ck. Often as the
day drew on you would miss him, and when
found again he would be picking wild flow
ers to carry home to some sick neighbor, or
perhaps you would detect him quietly enter
ing a poor country cottage to leave some
dainty or gift he had brought from the town.
Everything In nature keenly interested him,
and what world of lore he had upon the
fight of birds, the habits Of wild animals
and the growth and characteristics of every
wild flower that grew in your path; and
how freely and willingly and entertainingly
he impaired his knowledge, the result OF q
long life of observation and research. How
eloquently, too, he discoursed of the Won
ders OF the heavens as you drove briskly
homeward in the autumn evenings,
with the stars shining brightly through
the frosty air. All what a rare
comrade he was. His loss leaves
void In the heart of many friend that
again.
More than three score years and ten had
rolled over Mr.. Senter's head, yet he never
seemed to grow old. His heart.was as young,
his feelings as fresh and his voice as CHEEKY
as ever. He loved the society of younger men,
and they In turn found no one Of their own
age, whose soul was so bright and youthful
as his. He was the life and soul Of every cir
Gle in which he moved. None so cheerful,
hopeful and helpful as he.
TO the very last he kept up his excursions
| into the woods and fields. 1t was only last
October that spent day with him hunting
in the woodlands, near our city-our last out
ing. 1t Is true we did not shoot bird. We fired
q
when we trod together well known forest
paths and conversed together with the free
dom OF long years OF unbroken friendship
| will ever remain mellow hallowed memory.
Ever since l can recollect, his shop on Ex-
| change street has been headquarters for
| troops of friends. There all knew they
| were welcome. and there at almost any hour
| Of the day you were sure to find little
cluster of kindred spirits grouped about the
proprietor, who while continuing steadily
i fha uuar NJ urifipO ha had N af 20
| same time was easily able to entertain his
| friends with anecdote and repartee. Many
man has entered that hospitable
| store on Exchange street, detected, careworn
bright and buoyant, feeling that the skies
were again clear above his head and life
| worth the living.
And William Senter's good deeds were not
| confined to cheering up his friends with apt
| stories and lively banter. He was constant
| ly doing good deeds and kindly offices for
| others, and yet he was so quiet and modest
| in his charities that none except his most in
| innate friends even suspected how large his
field of benevolence really was.
Especially did Mr.. Senter seek out those
who had known better days, and who were
suffering In silence, too proud to make known
| their wants. To many such has he conveyed
much needed succor and relief, and In so
gentle and sympathetic and unobtrusive a
way that no ones pride was ever hurt OF
| II to go about doing good is the
mark Of true follower Of the great
Master, then William Senter is one OF the
best Christians ever knew.
Mr.. Senter was an upright and successful
| man Of business, learned In astronomy skill.
| full In mathematics, honest and incorrupti-
BILE; and he filled every station from private
citizen to the chief magistrate Of our city
| with ability, success and honor.
OF his sterling business life of more than
half a century among us q volume might
well be written. But all this i leave 10 9TH
ers who knew him as a man of affairs.
write these few hasty lines as one OF
those who had tue rare good fortune to be
the companion and disciple of this genial
interpreter Of nature, in bis excursions In
the forest. by the stream and on the shore.
His comrades. in-arms-if | may so speak
loved William Senter with the deep strong
love of brothers and as one Of them.
place this hurriedly plucked chaplet on his
bier w. W. THOMAS. JR.