Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-08-12
TERMS: Two Dollars Per Annum, in Advance.


| threes amidst the throng, and seemed
intent to put up with ali sorts of dis
comforts, and women with babies il
their arms and other young ones strag
Cling at their heels, hurried OF
to find a vacant bench or chance
By 9 o'clock, when the signal fol
the start came, the nine miles Of streets
over which the procession was to move
were perfect mass of people on eithel
sidewalk. In some places, especially
along upper Fifth avenue, the specta
tors were standing five or six rows
deep. The windows, stoops and bal
comics along the line were a sea o1
faces. Some dropping with big beads
of perspiration, and all Redeemed by
the hot rays of the sun. People climb
ed over the sign boards and win
dow sills of the front of the big bust
ness houses on Broadway like so many
ants, and sat for hours in the full glare
of the burning sun. The trucks that
blocked up the cross streets were hid.
den from sight by their human freights
and men and women hung for hours
to their sides.
Up town, however, the throng was
greatest, especially around the large
hotels. The Fifth Avenue hotel,
Delmonico's, the Victoria, and
the Windsor were packed; and ever
the Brunswick, which has been closed
for several weeks, found a ready sale
for its hundred windows fronting on
the avenue. Further up town above
Central Park, where the houses are
scattered, the streets were equally
crowded, and many people were
gathered on the little knolls hundred
yards or SO back. The ''squatters, -
who live among the rocks and open
fields of upper New York, mace more
money than they have seen at one
time for years, they renting the roofs
of their tumble-down shanties. The
tops of houses were fringed with rows
of people, and every available point
was occupied, despite protestation OF
argument by its proprietor. Through
these two lines of people, stretching
away as far as the eye could see and
numbering over half a million human
beings, the solemn cavalcade passed.
Some idea of the size of the multitude
who bowed in silence as the remains OF
the great general were borne to their
last resting place can be gathered
when it is remembered that not half a
dozen cities in the Union have an equal
number of inhabitants. It was an or
derly mob, however. and the police had
but little trouble with them. The
street was kept clear from curb to curb,
and passage-way was made as far as
possible on the sidewalk, back of the
rows of people that fringed the edge
with spectators, who stood for hours in
the broiling sun before the black
plumes of the funeral car were seen
and the solemn notes of the band o1
escort heard. Those who attempted tc
raise umbrellas or parasols found such
strong sentiment against them that they
were compelled to lower them. The
result was that many women anC
children were overcome by the heat
and kept dropping one by one
to the sidewalk. At the corner OF
Fifth avenue and Goth street alone
several persons had to be cared for by
the ambulance corps, and some had tc
be taken to the hospital. The physi
clans darted in and out among the
lines of soldiers and picked up those
who had to drop behind. 1t is cstima.
ted that fully 1000 people were cared
for by these physicians and probably
twice as many retreated before their
sutferings became serious enough to
warrant attention.
1t was after o'clock when the last
lines passed into Fifth avenue from
lower Broadway. Fully half the spec.
tators left as soon as the funeral cal
passed by and they kept gradually
dropping off until a small proportion
were left when the last of the civic
bodies moved along the line.
1.-THE CITY HALL.
1t was quarter of nine when the
whole force of the Liederkranz Sing.
ing societies marched into the plaza
and massed themselves upon the front
steps of the City Hall outside of the
gates and directly in front of the coffin.
Their voices blending in the pathetic
strains of the "Pilgrim Chorus, -
floated across the open space before
them, beat upon the score of heads be-
yond, struck the facade of the ugly
postoffice and echoed out to Broadway.
There the vocal music, mingled with a
dirge played by the band which had
just taken its place near Light Battery
+, and with the clatter of horses hoofs,
a moment later and Gen. Hancock, a
splendid figure splendidly accoutred,
cantered upon the plaza followed by
his staff; great cavalcade, who sud-
denly filled the hitherto empty esplan-
ade with sounds of hoofs, jingle OF
scabbards, gold lace, and noddjng
plumes. Assured that all was ready,
the general rode back to Broadway,
his staff forming four abreast behind
and glancing up and down a street,
ordinarily crowded with traffic, empty
of cars or wagons, its Belgian pave
ment long dazzle of white in the sun
it's curb black with waiting thousands
and knots of color at the corners sug
gesting the bodies drawn up in thu
side streets ready to wheel into line
the moment their turn should come
Behind there stretched down Broad
way for a goodly distance regular sol
dicrs and sailors.
1t was just five minutes of whe1
Gen. Hancock made sign to one 0
the staff, who dashed sword in salute
| and cantered back to where Capt. Ran
| dolph sat on his horse at The head 0
Battery F. Another salute. and Capt
Randolph's buglers blew the advance
and the pageant had begun its march
Past the building where the dead so]die
lay in final peace swept the staff, tn
Grape upon their arms hiding half thei
decorations. Behind trailed the bat
terry, the men sitting like statues o1
the caissons, their red plumes noddin;
with the jolting of the heavy wheels
their guns trained downward to tn
ground. Then followed band witt
wailing dirge, while the singing on tn
steps Of the city hall was renewed. Tn
drums muff1ed in Grape, the instrument
knotted with black, the spotless uni
FORMS the even movement of the line