Telegram-herald., 1889-05-31
HUCO'SO OBSEOUIES
The Remarkable Scenes Recalled
by Grand Rapids MAJ.
TIE FRENCH METHOD OF HOTRslsC
asn >siliEs the Poets verses sad
HoSrsSis ssastns the N ords-An Ina
E1sRss t0neo0rss- Hoa the Red tlas
Ma Suppressed by Aathoritiss-

H0arssis siastag the "A ords-An iua-
lasRss t0aeo0rss- hos the Red tlas
Ma Suppressed by Aathorities-
-Four years ago yesterday morning al
5 o'clock. Victor Hugo's remains
We're conveyed % the Arc de Triomphe,
and placed under the imposing c2ta-
falqle. The twenty mayors ot Parls
escorted them. AL Par.s, barehesded
passed tie coffin. and ln tie evening
tOEch-hs &fers stood Mound lho nelosure
carriage lTaftic was suspended within
certain radius, snd Notwithstanding the
enormous number of people there Was
no jOstling or disorder. l lived Within
a stones throw of the Are, actually on
the spot; for two DAYS the avenues
leading 10 Il Were anything but solemn.
IL Was what might be described a. a
popular entertainment, and display
OF fireworks would form a not map
propriate item in the program. The
structure reared under the Arc dc
| lnOmphe was the scene OF constant
PROCLAMATION. About 100 persons, pro-
vided with double ladders, took up
their station there, and for the sum of
ten centimes two cents each, men and
women climbed up 10 look at the sarco-
phagus over the heads of the specta-
tors. In the afternoon numbers of
hawkers We're going about offering for
sale photographs and biographies Of
Victor Hugo, and illustrations of vari-
Gus kinds of his career, all commencing
their wares in shrill accents. Dealers in
cocoa passed through the crowd, ring
ing their bells, lnnunerable carriages
drove TO and fro, the occupants of
which-idlers and Ightseers-mOked,
laughed and sang. Men selling verses
sang hoarsely the words of the poet 10
tunes lmprOvised for the occasion. The
crowd pressing IN on all sides besieged
the bakers shops, and It was AT last
impossible TO buy loaf of bread IN our
neIghborhOod.
The deputatiOns were necessarily
passing near the monument. The
great bands of black Grape scattered
about had the appearance of huge
splder-webS waving IN the night breeze.
Grape had been hung over the lamp
posts, and the hippodrome, in a truly
burlesque fashion, announced the fact
that it would suspend It's entertainment
by hanging Grape over It's bills. There
* nothing III tins which could tend to
honor the great poet. Such scenes
may be thought by those who adopt
the materlalIst doctrine, not inapprO-
pirate, but that this was utterly at vari-
ance with the opinion OF the deceased,
may be inferred from what he sand IN
1880, when 4S years of age, and at that
period of life when sincere convictions
have been formed. In terminating IA
speech on public instruction he used
these words: God will be found at
the end of all. Let us not forget Him;
and let us teach Him TO all. There
would otherwise be no dignity in living,
and IT would be better to cle entirely.
What SOOthes suffering, what sanctliies
labor, what makes man good, strong,
wise, patient, benevolent. Just, and at
the same time humble and great
worthy of liberty, Is u have before him
the perpetual vision of a better world
throwing Is ravs through the darkness
of this life. As regards myself, ] be
heve profoundly IN this better world,
and declare it in this place 10 he the
supreme certainty of my soul. ! wish
then, sincerely, or, To speak more
strongly, | wish ardently Tor religious
instruction"
The crowd evidently knew nothing
of the poet or thinker, little even OF
the novelist, and saw only the exile
and the supposed demagogue. Hap
PLY these ndecOrOus scenes are past.
and from out the peace of the tomb
the man of genius will rcappear.
The wTeaths arriving from ali parts
were placed on ten or dozen ears
drawn by four or SIX horses. and ac-
cOrding to the greater or less brillance
of the car, the crowd clappcd or was
silent. In short, they applauded as If
IN a theater, and not at all as If at a
funeral. They did not, however, APP
plaud the deputies, senators, Judges,
ministers or projects, but they ap-
plaudcd the army which they love or
fear. The ceremony, IN short, was I'M
posing, but had IN 1t nothing thrilling
or suggestive. Windows and balconies
were thrOuged, even III the aristOcratIc
quarters, bat the true sovereign was on
the foot pavement, and seemed to un-
derstand that ms accession was definite,
and that IN and for HIM French great
ness Is now concentrated. The author
tiles, with considerable skill and fore
sight. had directed most of the societies
likely 10 bear what might be qualified
as seditiOus banners 20 meet IN the
Avenue de Bois de BOulogne, where
accordingly. at q little before 9 O'Clock,
were massed various frec-thOught so-
cIeties. nearly all of them bearing red
flags or banners. Some of the banners
We're ornameuted with Phrvg.au caps.
Close bv. iu the Avenue de ia Grande
Armie, the pros,TIpts of lS5l-52 had
also red hammer. BY 10 O'Clock there
were fifteen red fags close 90 the Arch
De Trompho. A little before II o'clock
a commissioner of police IN PLAIN
clothes accompanied by naif a dozen
pol ccmcu and p company Of rcpub-
lcau guards marched down the Avenue
Dc Bois de- BouIoZuc. and accosting the
bearer of every red flag thst seemed at
8I Objectionable. lifted his hat and de-
mandoi that the emblem should he
covered over. il the 81 gitest hosita-
ton was shown. or the faintost protest
uttered tho officer mined atelvcfaured
his tone and caused the flag ~ be- ruth
ioss.y seized and taken awav. Rv 11
o'clock the ght at the foot 0f the Arc
do Iromphe became more and more
Impressive. The duh, gray sky, tho
roI Of the wuficd drums and the
m0uuf1. stra rs 0f the funeraI march
combining with the hushed tones ~