The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-06-05
WAS ONE OF NAMES FAMOUS
SONS


Mr.. Kellogg was 90 years old before
he began to write the series of books
that have made his name reyered by
millions of young people The best
known of his numerous classical dec
lamations, however, had been written
many years before "Spartacus to the
Gladiators", the first and best known
of them all, was written while he was
a theological student at Andover in
1912 for the rhetorical exercises of
his class. "Regulus to the Cartha-
ginians' was written in 1845 for
Bowdoin student-Stephen A. Holt,
who was later for half a century a
Boston merchant-to deliver at the
junior prize speaking. These and
his other declarations have never
been surpassed. In some schools 1t
has been necessary to bar them from
the list at prize speaking contests, so
invariably have they carried off the
prizes From earliest boyhood in his
fathers library Kellogg was passion
ately fond of the classics from which
he drew the inspiration for the
characters and action of these decla-
nations, and when he died there were
235 volumes of the classics of Greece
and Rome in the little library of his
Harpswell home, every one Of them
worn by the loving use OF many years.
He was natural story teller, and
when he resigned from the work of
the Mariners Church in 1866 he de-
termined to write the books that had
long been in his mind. The first
was Good Old Times story OF the
pioneer days, when his ancestors were
the first settlers of Gorham, Me. What
boy has not read it again and again?
This appeared as a serial in Our
Young Folks in this city in 1867. Then
came in quick succession the Elm
Island series, the Pleasant Cove ser
les, the Forest Glen series, the Wits
pering Pine series and the rest
about 80 in all, live books for live
boys, written with a rhythm that de-
lights the ear, and with an intimate
of the sea and the forest
that delights the soul. The Maine
coast is the scene of many of the
books, but the Whispering Pine series
of six volumes deals with. student life
at Bowdoin in his own time. No
freshman who enters Bowdoin is real
ly of the college unless he has read
the books, and no alumnus tires OF
reading them.
During the years that he was writ
ing so much he spent most OF his win
ters in Boston, passing the summers
at Harpswell His Boston home was
at 80 Pinckney street, and it is an IN
teresting coincident that this mas
since been the home for many years
of another BoWdoin man and author
of note, Isaac Bassett Choate of the
class of 1862, who still resides there
The favorite workshop of Kellogg was
the Athenaeum, and there he often
wrote from morning till night. He
had great power of concentration and
often wrote 10 hours at a stretch.
the failure OF his publish
ers caused Mr.. Kellogg to lose prac-
tically everything that his many BOOKS
had earned him, and he died poor.
But he was so generous that he would
always have been poor, no mattef
how large his income. Once his par
ishioners gave him heavy coat, ana
the next day he gave it to poor
man he met shivering on the road.
A thousand such stories are told oil
him
His 20 books were written between
1867 ard 1883, and the rest OF ms lie
was devoted to his people in Harps-
we'll Occasionally he went to Port
land to preach or to Brunswick OF
Topsham. Spending all his life SO
near his college and being the man
that he was, his close connection win
ROwdoin never ceased Often in the
earlier days students who were way
ward were "rusticated' into his keep
ing at Harpswell always a happy
fate for them. 1t was a great treat
when he came once or twice year
TO the college to preach, and II was
a favorite Sunday program Tor party
Of students to walk down to the ser
vice at his quaint old church nearly
10 miles away IT,.
Characteristic of the man and ms
life work was his appearance at the
celebration of the Bowdoin centennial
in 1894, when he was 81. The COM
that year was maze
great occasion and tent was erected
ON the campus for the exercises,
which we're attended by some l20O
alumni from all parts of the country
for that was before the immense
new gymnasium was even dreamed OF.
Among the speakers were distinguish
ed graduates-judges, governors, gen.
erals, college presidents, members oil
both branches of Congressman one
of the last whom President Hyde in
reduced was a quiet, even shabby
little man who had been sitting behind
nj a
was Elijah Kellogg, and as soon as
he was recognized, and before lhe
words of introduction were concluded,
the whole assemblage-undergradu-
ates and alumni. young and old
arose to their feet and even cllmDed
TO the tables and gave him such
reception as had not been accorded
any of the other speakers. Under
his bronZed skin the little old man
blushed like boy as he waited LOT
the tumultuous demonstration 10 SUD
side. and when at last he could make
himself heard he gave that gathering
an address which for splendid eloq-
uence and for its expression OF 10Y
atty to the old college shamed any
thing that had been uttered there our
ing that memorable afternoon. when
he concluded there was an even great
er demonstration than when he was
introduced, and while the cheers were
still ringing he slipped quietly out
of the tent, hurried across the campus
and unhitched the horse that he had
tied to a fence near by, and drove OFF
alone through the pine woods and
across the sandy stretches to the
10 cborn