The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-23
A Congressman's Funeral.

When Congressman dies at Wash.
ington while Congress is in session, IL
is customary to hold the funeral services
at the capitol, as in the recent instances
Of the late Representatives Hartridge
and Schleicher. To give our readers
an idea of the manner in which this i'm
pressive ceremony is conducted, we
append the following description of the
scene connected with Mr.. Schleicher's
funeral
The government in all its branches,
Legislative. judicial and executive. met
in the hall of the House at IL o'clock.
The House met and adjourned, and the
Senate soon afterward receiving the
formal message of the House, adjourned
too.
The House met at 8 o'clock. The
Speaker, with white sash over his shoul-
der, fastened by rosette of black and
white, took his seat before thronged
desks and filled seats, and gave single
rap with his gavel. The swinging doors
were pushed opeE. A tall, white-headed
man walked in, 30 often the head of this
procession, and behind him, two and
two, came the Senate, the sergeant at
arms, French, leading, rosette of black
and white for some inscrutable reason
on his shoulder. The door-keeper turn.
ed. "Mr. Speaker" he shouted, as o
man must to be heard one hunored feet:
The Speaker arose. "The Senate of
the United States," said Field, as the
head of the procession passed abreast
Of him.
"The Senate of the United States, {"
said the, Speaker, like an echo, and his
hammer fell with single sharp tap as
the pausing procession moved on. III
House arose, and, Through it's St.
ranks, the Senate paAsed p
Before those seats inn
were the green chairs set t.
right of the Speaker for the feVl
dietary and the federal executive. 9dc-
cessively there came the same simple
announcement: "Mr. Speaker, the
Supreme Court of the United States "
aud "Mr. Speaker, the President of tho
United States ;" and each time the gavel
fell the House and Senate arose and
first, FL, of men in silk gowns, rust
lino somewhat, and then another of men
in overcoats, just from out doors, step
ped to their seats.
1uSTt WtS uO duhOuhCCthOAI ~ buC
next approach. The doors were held
back, and the doorkeeper advanced and
turned and walked before the pail
bearers, with long white scarfs. Behind
them men walked with heavy burden,
fower-covered, and behind them the
dead mans delegation, the associates of
his official life. The great audience
rose. The coffin was slowly lowered.
The mourners and the pail bearers sat
in the seats left them. The gavel fell.
The crowded ranks sat again, and the
chaplain of the House, rising in the high
marble desk, began: 81 am the resur-
rection and the life." Briefly the
chaplain went from passage to passage
of the simple service. There was an
impressiveness in the bold absence oi
music, in the gavel and the mace behind
him, the notebooks and pencils of the
official reporters below. It was, never
theless, the Senate and House af Rep
resentatives in joint session assembled.
It was all soon over. No word was said.
Men stepped forward and raised the
coffin. Behind it the guests of the
House followed in the order they had
entered-the President and the cabinet,
the Supreme Court, and the Senate.
The House adjourned. The public
funeral was over.