The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-02
THE DAY AND THE CITY.
PRELIMINARY SCENES.
Opening of the Funeral Pageant-The Crowds
Thronging the Streets.

Opening of the Funeral Pageant-The Crowds
Il Thronging the Streets.
B The day came up like the slow rising of cur
\ tain, revealing background of somber ashen
gray its chilling suggestiveness slightly relieved
4 by faint lines of warmer hue where the light
beyond the clouds gave hints of the sunshine
above all the palllike development of earth.
The morning gun at the United States arsenal
sent out its deep bass announcement of new
day, but tho usual single reverberation was fol-
lowed by others in rhythmic regularity until the
prescribed salute to the dead ce-president had
J been rendered, telling that it was a day
Sof mourning to the Nation Long before
the shadows of the night had been
dispelled by that of day cheerlessly in keeping
with the character of the observances which had
drawn hither throngs of people who, at this
early hour gave the streets an unwonted ap-
pearance of life and activity, that something of
an unusual character had set tide of life to-
ward this city. would have been apparent with
out the interpreting and emphasizing aid of the
mourning draperies so profusely displayed upon
I the exterior of public and private buildings, in
all parts of the city. Yet, but for these, in the
early hours in the morning, SO lightly does the
shadow of death fall upon those lives not touched
by sense of personal loss, that some great
gala day might have seemed in anticipation
as the cause of the great influx of visitors and
the unusual activity upon the streets. But the
shadow of death lay heavy along the thorough
fares, above which gloomed the external en-
blems of nations sorrow. The flags almost
pu,seless, dropped at half mast under the leaden
5cIv acl-p ha
presence of that power to which life is vassal,
and stilled the air, save at times chilly sough
] ing. like sobs and sighs of mourning.
AS grew the day so the multitude increased;
regular and special trains discharged their loads
of life at the station, which, flowing up the
streets to the confluence of counter currents at
! the crossings rendered them almost i'm
passable. The walks were one surging
mass of life, drawn hither by the terrible fascna
tion of death In this living tide all classes
were represented. If not the high and the low,
at least the rich and the poor were there, drawn
together by the exercise of the power whose
sknightng stroke carries with it absolute equal
I ity. They had come, some to render the last
possible evidence of love for their great leader.
all to tender that need of respect which pre-
eminent ability and correct social life exact from
all who do not seek in their littleness to carry
/ into Gods country the differences engendered
/ in this by varied habits of thought, induced by
the results of different training. The
aged father, very near to the shores
SO lately won by him they have
come to mourn, walks totteringy by the side of
young manhood, in the full flush and vigor of
health, while beside them. with wde-eyed won
der, are children not yet able to grasp and com
prehend the results of the mystery so symbol
lied by the funeral trappings SO profusely dis
played on all hands. The streets of the central
portion of the city are thronged as perhaps
never before, save once, in it's history, upon
similar sad occasion, eight years ago. The
movements of this compact mass of life are, in
the aggregate, as seemingly uncontrolled by any
given purpose as that of breaking and receding
waves. 1t is simply ebb and flow, save for one
minor current which sets towards and past
the mansion of the dead statesman in steady
stream gaining force as 1t nears the point Of in
teresr, until upon the street where stands the
house of the Nations mourning it becomes so
dense and strong that but for the guard posted
at an early hour in the morning passage of the
sthoroughfare would be impossible Many pause
and gaze long and earnestly at the walls inclos
ing that which was the external evidence Of him