New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-17
ST. CLAIR M'KELWAY'
NOTED EDITOR, DIES
Chancellor of Board of
Regents - Honored by
Several Universities.
SERVED FOR YEARS
ON "BROOKLYN EAGLE"
Friend of Many Prominent Men,
He Won Fame in Oratory
and Education.

DR.. St. Clair McKelway, editor of
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle" died yes
terday afternoon at his home, p Mon
roe Place, Brooklyn. For several years
his health had been failing For the
last five weeks DR.. McKelway had
been confined 70 his home. His death
was due to hardening of the arteries
Mrs. McKelway, who was Virginia
Brooks Thompson, was his constant
attendant
Journalist, educator, orator, publi-
cist, man of many sides, but always
and above all journalist, was ST. Clair
McKelway. There was poet who
"lisped in numbers" and here was ore
who in his childhood's scribblings
wrote news letters and editorials, and
who at threescore and ten could re-
view ffty-four years of practical
newspaper work.
He was born at Columbia, No, on
March Is, 1s45, the sixth of the seven
children Of DR.. Alexander J. and Mary
A. Ryan McKelway. Seven years later
the family removed 70 New Jersey,
and there 81. Clair was educated by
private tutors, never going to school
or college, save for a short term 70
the New Jersey State Normal School.
At the age of sixteen he began real
newspaper work as the writer Of
series of articles on the Civil War
in his local home paper, "The Consti-
tuition" at Woodbury., n. J. The next
year he was on the staff of "The State
Gazette" OF Trenton, and also was
cor tributor 10 The True American"
and The Monitor" of that city, and
served as a Trenton correspondent. of
The Tribune.
At the close of the war, being then
still a year short of his majority, he
hit the trail" of all good newspaper
men, and came to the metropolis. He
had already studied law little in Au-
gustus Ritchie's Office in Trenton, and
IN New York he continued that study
in the Office Of Blatchford, Seward &
Griswold, meanwhile supporting him
self and gratifying his strongest in
clinations by serving as a reporter on
The Brooklyn Eagle"
Admitted to Bar in 1867.
In 1861 he was admitted to the bar,
but at once left the Office with which
he had been associated and never en-
gagged in the practice Of his profess
sion. Instead he joined the staff of
THE New York World" under Man
ton Marble, and for a couple of years
was its spondent at Washington.
During those years he was also a
correspondent of The Brooklyn
Eagle" and at the beginning of 1870
he associated himself exclusively with
that paper as its leading editorial
writer, remaining in that capacity UNI
iii the middle Of August, 1873. He
was then called to Albany, as the edi-
tor-in-chief Of The Argus" and there
served for more than SIX years, max
ing himself one of the foremost ing
ures in the upstate Democratic press.
Powerful friendships were sought
and gained by Dr. McKelway. He par
ticularly sought acquaintance with
men who might be Of service to him
or 10 his newspaper
Don't waste time on the lesser
sort" he said once, "for generally the
time is wasted that you spend on
them
Thurlow Weed "the king maker"
was one whose friendship DR.. Nickel
way cultivated. BY virtue of that
friendship DR.. McKelway was saved TO
journalism. Dr. McKelway was seek
ing a position as deputy collector Of
internal revenue at 81 day. Horace
Greeley, Henry J. Raymond, Samuel
Blatchford. Richard VI. Blatchford and
Thurlow Weed were among the in
dorsers His application was success
full and he was told to report for duty.
Before that day came "the king
maker" sought out his young friend to
urge him not 20 abandon his newspaper
work for the political appointment. Mr.
Weed declared that he himself had
made n mistake in taking a postmaster
ship in Rochester and a nomination for
the Assembly. He did not wish 20 see
his friend make one like il. His adj
vice was taken by NJ. McKelway.
Friend of Horace Greeley.
Horace Greeley, one of those whose
Endorsement was sought on the appl-
cation for the post in the revenue SER
vice, was long a friend Of Dr.. Nickel
way.
Shortly after the first election Of
Grover Cleveland to the Presidency, IN
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