The Portland daily press., 1893-05-22
Isaac Mcclellan.

in the world must be q satisfaction tran
scending in its sublimeness all other
feelings peculiar to human joy. The
ability to reflect upon lifetime OF two
generations, during which no act of OPP
preston. no cause of offence to friends
or neighbors, no mean advantage taken
where temptation has furnished oppor-
tunity, is grand, to be sure; but higher
elevation has been reached by him who,
in addition to a merely negative expert
ence, has succeeded in making others
happier and in laying the foundation for
future influence when hand, head and
heart can no longer act. This thought
has been suggested by the perusal of
Isaac McLellan's Poems of the Rod and
Cum book replete with instruction
and knowledge in the field of nature. The
birds of the air and the inhabitants Of
the water have been the texts for the
mental travail of this author, and on the
wings of the muse he has sought out and
and elaborated the traits of fish, fowl
and four footed beasts, until we have
before us series Of triumphs in art,
science, history and philosophy, verita-
BILE volume of natural history. His
studies have been the tenants of ocean,
river, lake, brook, mountain, forest
prairie and stubble field, and his field OF
observations in his own country has ex-
tended from the Northern lakes to the
gulf of Mexico. He has laid under con-
tribution the Asiatic leopard and panther
the great elk in the island OF Ceylon, the
moose in Canada, the tiger in India. the
elephant in Africa, the skyiark In Aus
tralia, the channels in Switzerland, the
bear of the polar region, and he has re-
uuiemed the English sparrow. With
him all this has been labor of love. He
has sought to inspire the sportsman with
the spirit of humanity, and has succeeded
in Identifying the pastime of angler and
gunner. Mr.. Mcclellan is about to round
off his 87th year. One of his joys has
been writing without compensation. In
all his years he has never sought money
for the product of his pen. Notwith-
standing his ripe age his face is fresh, he
walks with spring and has a quickness
of motion that is wonderful. His mind
is as bright and clear as ever, his memory
is remarkable, and he is ever the gentle
man. In the summer months he still
avails himself of such opportunities of
sport as are furnished on the Long Is
land shores in the region Of his pleasant
home at Greenport.
Isaac Mcclellan was born in Portland,
Me-, May 81, 1905. There also were born
his friends. who have already winged
their way upward, Henry W. Longfellow
and N. P. Willis. Having removed to
Boston at the age of 10, Mcclellan and
Willis were sent by their parents to
Phillips academy, Andover, to be fitted
for college. Mcclellan went to Bowdoin,
and Willis to Yale. In college Mcclellan
was in the next class to Longfellow, the
poet; Hawthorne. the romancist; Chew
or, the theologian and Others who dis
tinguished themselves in fields Of use
a classmate who delighted to rove the
woods with him in pursuit of game. In
Boston, Mcclellan was associate editor of
the Daily Patriot, subsequently, lncorpor-
ated with the Daily Advertiser, and soon
thereafter began the publication of a
monthly known as the Pearl. His
contributions enriched willis Monthly
Magazine, the New England Magazine
and the old Knickerbocker. Poetry and
prose were equally at his command, and
he has always been brilliant. Three vol
umes of his poems were published previ-
Gus to s'Rod and Gun" They were en-
titled 'sThe Fall of the Indian" 1.-THE
Year. and mount Auburn His little
gem, "The Trout Brook appealed to
the Judgment and sympathy of the edi-
tor of Blackwoods Magazine, who quo
ted and commended it.. Over 40 years
ago Mcclellan removed to New York, and
there he soon found acceptable and APP
preciative friends in William T. Porter of
the Spirit, Frank Forester, Fl. W. Her
bert, Genio O. Scott. William Cullen Bry-
ant and a host of others known to fame.
Abiding to them the poet, in ga Vision
of the Past" has taken occasion to note
his sense of loss as follows:
These portraits of old faces. these pictures of
Glow ever in my mind. to fade they will be last;
But alas! the heavy shadow of the grave has
clos'd fore'er
Der many that we cherished so precious and
During certain seasons he was visitor
on the coast of Virginia, Currituck
Sound, N. g., and other points where his
sportsman's tastes found sway. Latterly
he betook himself to the Shinnecock,
Great South and Peconic bays of Long
Island, and he has resided for a number
of years at Greenport He still has
friendship with Oliver Wendell Holmes
one of the lingering associates of his
youth. Wendell Phillips held him in
high esteem, and DR.. Cheever, DR.. Girls
void, Mr.. Kettell and other comnilers of
poetry drew generously upon his works
to add value to their own. There is too
extensive field in life of 81 years to
presume covering in necessarily rapid
newspaper sketch. But this much the
readers of the Eagle will gladly accept as
deserving tribute to one whose light
not only still shines as to the body and
the intellect among us, but whose name
and work, like the light of star in the
armament, will continue to send its rays
to coming generations for their comfort,
their instruction and their Joy. A fitting
close to this brief birthday chapter on
McLellan's life is to be found in the clos
ing stanza of his poem, stThe Sturgeon
Though time has long INSCRIBED thy name
High on the scroll of poets fame,
Yet well know thy memory strays
Far back to scenes of anished days.
To Brunswick woods and waters blue,
When we were young and life was new.
Though Time has sprinkled on Our brOws
His white, inevitable SHOWS.
sui in our hearts the life tides pour
a a yuorr 14x