Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-06-19
Or. CALEB HARLAN DEAD.
He Was One of the oldest and Most Promi.
mont phN,irInns in Ihr Ntntp

rae was ohc oil the oldest AMI Most 'FRONT.'.
nent rhS,icIans in the state.
DIR. Caleb Harlan died at |. 10 O'Clock
Friday afternoon at his residence
Union Farm on the Now Castle road
noar Rose Hill, after protracted i'll
ness. During his last sickness he was
attended by DIR. j. Paul LuElens OF this
city and DIR. Carl Vischer Of Phiadel-
phia.
DIR. Harlan was one of the oldest and
most prominent physicians in the
State. He was born at MddietoWn,
October 18th, 1911. He studied medi-
cine three years and graduated in lS3G
at University of Pennsylvania; prac-
ticed tho old system 10 years in the
country; studied Homeopathy and
moved to Wilmington in ls47. Here,
meeting with violent opposition. he
WINS induced to publish pamphlet en-
titled "A Lecture on Allopathy and
Homeopathic, which was noticed by
the eminent DIR. Herring in his periodi-
cal in the following complimentary
terms: very ably written; full of
interesting remarks and a great many
new ideas. At the age of q he mar
ried Eliza Montgomery young widow
remarkable for her piety and good
sense. They had three children ;Elgarda,
Elizabf th and John. The first was
married to DIR. J. G. Hutchinson of
Philadelphia. She died at 32, leaving
no children. Elizabeth died in her
18th year. John studied medicine,
graduated at Hahnemann Medical Col
lege and died with consumption 10
months afterward In 1860 DR.. Harlan
published " Ida Randolph of Virginia, "
a poem in three cantos In 1858 he
| purchased IL farm near the city and inn
proved it by blowing in green croIs
Being convinced of their great utility
be published in 1876 II little work en-
titled Farming With Green Manures
on Plumgrove Farm. The second
edition, revised and enlarged, has since
been published in handsome volume
| by j. b. Lippincott ~ Co., of Phlla-
| delphia. As a full treatise on green
manures ii has no equal, it is said, in
Europe or America.
The crowning effort of his life was
the publication of poem, which, if
FcritiCism be true, must place his name
among the first writers of the age.
"1Glfora of tho Susquehanna from
the press of j. b. Lippincott ~ Co., OF
Philadelphia, is the title of the work,
which has received tho highest praise
from the best critics who have read it.
The Rev. Dr. Lands, the great classi
cal scholar, and the distinguished
author of "1'he Cross, - says in letter
on receiving q copy: : could not put
it down until bad devoured it all to
the very last line. am greatly pleased
with it. The plot, style, and execution,
all have interested mo greatly. Your
versitication has nothing 10 fear from
comparison even with Dryden. You
have his flow, caderce and rhythm.
Your power of description is equal to
his own. No man, however gifted, has
ever attained to your mastery Of the
power of poetic expression without a
good deal of thought and practice. The
charm and melody of your versitica.
tion, and your pictured images, are Sc
admirably presented in your descrip
tions. . The late John &. Hardness,
A. NJ, a graduate of Bowdoin College,
said. "The poem of Eltlora of tht
Susquehanna, by G. Harlan, M. ID.
is so delightfully."- entertaining tha
whoever begins its perusal will not la,
ii aside without completion save from
sheer necessity. | have read it u mum
ber of times and find it Just the thinl
to entertain an honured guest. 1t ha
great strength and stirring energy o
diction, refined sentiment, clearnes
and fidelity Of description. Its comb
nation of these high and exccedingl.
rare merits give tho poem Eltlora i'm
mortality Mental power glows in ever,
page. The plot is so Skillfully wrough
that you all the time want to know
what is going to happen next. Such
work is monument to its author
; genius, infinitely more enduring tina
marble column or granite structure.
tElnoran was written more than .
years ago and then laid aside. Th
: tolls and anxieties of professional life
= incident to u very large practice, an
the imperative necessity of a close al
: tention to business, caused the doctc
to give but little time or thought
: literary pursuits. He was satisfied wit
. the discharge of his duties as Il ply
sician. Curiosity, more than anythin
u else, induced him tu look over his earl
y writings. lie was astonished to discovt
u that tElfiora" needed only u carefl
. revision to be not only the best thin
= he had ever written but Il masterpiet
: OF the highest order of composition.
n In 1896 DIR Harlan published
: pamphlet form, entitled Ment
y Power, Sound and Long Life--lio
IS Obtained by Diet. "
= A high mark of appreciation al
u confidence was shown DIR. Harlan
10 his cousin John Ferris, late of vi
O. mington, who died in 1882, worth
quarter of million dollars. ]
~ selected DIR. Harlan as his sole execut
g and trustee, and stated in his will tn
l. the doctor should not he required
give security for the faithful rcrforl
ance of his duties. After the estate "
sottled there was residue of over SS'
600 dollars ''to he applied " says t
10 will, "by DIR. Harlan for the benefit
lis the necessitous portion of the hum
family that may come to his knoN
AT edge" The tcsTator suggested th
W "if used for house of refuge it wol
he have his approval. =" Hence tho - Fer
Reform School" was established Il
RI all the residue assigned to the instit
'e- tion which is now known as the Fer
al Industrial School.
n Dr. Harlan leaves conslderal
%, estate including his fine country no
ia. near Rose Hill.