The Republican journal., 1912-03-28
OBITUARY..

|
Hon. William H. Mcclellan died Monday
evening, March 25th, from acute Indigestion
He had been in failing health for some years,
suffering from asthma and during the past
winter had been closely confined to his room,
having been out but once. He enjoyed calls
from his friends, and they enjoyed his discus
sons of the issues and political movements of
the day, in which he maintained lively inter-
est to the last. Mr.. Mcclellan was born in
Skowhegan, November 26, 1882. He attended
Watervie College, now Colby, from 1S49 to
1852, and graduated at the University of New
| York in 1858 He studied law with Merrill &
Fessendon of Auburn and was admitted to the
Androscoggin county bar in 1856. He
practiced law at Mechanic Falls from
1856 to 1860; at Searsport from 1860 to
! 1868, at Belfast from 1868 to 1882, in
the latter year moving with his family to
Kansas City, where he remained until 1889,
when he returned to Belfast and resumed the
practice of law. In 1908 he retired because of
/ ill health. He was recognized as one of the
ablest lawyers in the State, was an effective
| and eloquent speaker and one of the leaders of
the Democratic party in Maine. He was elect
ed to the State Senate in 1872, was Attorney
General in 1879, and delegate to the National
Democratic conventions in 1876 and 1909. For
many years he was president of the Waldo
/ County Bar association and was prominent in
several murder trials of Statewide interest,
including the trial of John True Gordon, the
/ last citizen to be hanged before capital punish
ment was abolished in Maine He defended the
prisoner, the trial being held about 1874, during
the term of the late General Harris M. Plaisted
as attorney general. March 8, 1868, he married
Miss Angeline Nickels of Searsport, who died
July 81, 1906. -Four children survive: Jane
| Angeline, wife of James F. Preston of Lowell,
Mass; VIM. Harry Mcclellan, Esq, of Toledo,
Ohio; Hugh D. Mcclellan, Esq, of Cambridge,
Mass; and John N. Mcclellan of Omaha, Neb.
Mr.. W. H. Mcclellan and Mrs. Preston and Mr..
and Mrs. H. D. Mcclellan will be in Belfast to
attend the funeral, which will take place in
the Unitarian church tomorrow, Friday, at 10
o'clock. Rev. c. B. Ames, the pastor, will Of
fciate.
Mr.. Elisha Harding Conant, one of Belfasts
best known and highly respected citizens.
passed away at his home on Church street,
M arch 22nd, at p. m. He was born in Hope,
now Appleton, the son of the late Isaac and
Nancy Wentworth Conant. When II years of
age he went with his father to Fort Fairfield,
where they took up farm and engaged in
numbering. They cleared the farm and built
log house in which the family lived for sew
eral years. Two years in the wilderness was,
however enough for Elisha and he returned
to the old home and when he became of age
bought saw mill, which he conducted about
26 years, at the same time carrying on a farm
of 80 acres and a grocery store. He was f.
nancially interested in constructing the
Georges River canal from Lake Quantabacook
to tide water at Thomaston, a distance of %
miles. 1t consisted of series of locks on the
Georges river to hold back water and make
navigable the shoal and rocky places. With
SO many locks to open and shut it took all day
for the boats to make the trip and the enter
prise not a financial success and was
abandoned. In 1873 Mr.. Conant came to Bel
fast and bought an interest in the grocery
business his brother, William B. Conant, was
conducting in the store on Main street now oc-
cupied by Goodhue & Co.; later conducting
the business alone with his son until March,
1909 when ne retired on account of ill health,
thus closing long and honorable business ca
reer. He was of the Oldest Odd Fellows in
Maine, having been in 1S4s Noble Grand of
Appleton lodge. The subordinate lodges then
worked in seven degrees with ritual differ
ing from that in present use. He united with
the Methodist church iii 1851, was for many
years teacher in the Sunday school and an
officer on the church board. He was the last
of his fathers family. His grandfather, Eph-
rain Conant, was in the battle of Bunker Hill
and his father was in the war of 1872 JAM
IL, 1849, he married Mary Jane Hawkes. of
Durham who died in Belfast Nov. 4, 1904.
Their home life was ideal and the shock of his
wife's sudden death undermined his own
health and he gradually failed. Their four
daughters and two sons survive: Mrs Georgi-
anna Tuttle of Boston, Mrs. Mary Ella Thomas
of Columbus, Ohio, Bancroft H. Conant of
Belfast, Frank A. Conant of Santa Barbara,
Calf, Mrs. Bertha J. Wiggin of Portland and
Mrs. Eva A. Marshall of Winchester, Mass.
He also leaves seven grandchildren and six
great grandchildren. His age was s6 years
and months, He was lifelong Republican
and good citizen. The funeral took place at
his late home Monday afternoon at l O'Clock,
his pastor. Rev. Montford S. Hill, off
ciating. The bearers were Messrs B. H. Con-
ant, A. c. Tuttle, W. H. Wiggn and w. R
Marshall.
Elijah Reynolds of Burnham died very sud-
denly March 18th, aged 81 years. An hour
before his death he was as we'll as usual. He
was the youngest son of Timothy w. and Dor
othy E. (Braley) Reynolds and lived with his
father on a farm on the Ridge road. He has
left father, Timothy W. Reynolds; two
brothers, Chas. E. Reynolds, trader at Rey.
nolds' Corner, and George E. Reynolds, station
agent at Winnecook. The funeral was held al
the Reynolds Corner schoolhouse, Rev. James
Ainslee of Unity officiating. Vocal selections