The Portland daily press., 1892-10-28
AT THE White HOUSE.
The Simple but Impressive Funeral of
Mrs. Harrison.

WASHINGTON, October 27.-About the
executive mansion all was sombre and
quiet this morning. The sun shone
brightly without and the air was clear
and cool. The trees in the grounds
reared their tall heads aloft, bare and
lifeless, while the leaves were scattered
about and covered the ground every
where. Withing the house of death, in
the large east room, rested the plain,
black casket enclosing all that was NOR
tai of her for whom the whole country
mourns.
The casket was in the center of the
room, resting on four black supports, in
the same spot where three years ago
there stood the Baskets of Mrs. and Miss
Tracy The sweet odors of flowers
filed the room. The larger pieces were
grouped about the bier while others
were distributed all around the room.
The profusion was unequalled in the ex-
perience of all who witnessed it. Among
them were wreath of chyrsanthemums
From Queen Victoria,
presented by Hon. Michael Herbert,
British charge d affaires; a mammoth
wreath from the diplomatic corps;
wreath of large chrysanthemnms, sur
rounding bunch of loose blooms, from
the Cabinet; cross of ivy leaves and
chrysanthemums from Vice President
and Mrs. Morton; wreath of lilies of the
valley and roses from Mr.. and Mrs.
Whitelaw Reid; immense shield of white
chrysanthemums and roses, in the face
| of which was worked in purple the in
sigma of the order, from the Washington
city chapter of the Daughters OF the
Revolution.
During the time intervening between
| the arrival of the first persons to appear
| at the door of the White House for adj
mission to the services and the entrance
of the President and other mourners. the
arrivals were brisk and constant. Mr..
| Whitelaw Reid was one of the earliest to
appear. A number Of diplomats, in
Guiding Baron Faya, the Italian minis
! ter, Minister Guzman of Nicaragua,
| Senior Romero, the Mexican charge d.
affaires, and Marquis Imperial, the ltal-
| ian charge d. affaires came together. 1t
| wanted few minutes only of 10 o'clock
| when ex-Secretary Blaine, following
close behind Mrs. Blaine and Mrs. Hattie
Blaine entered the White House.
| The Services Were Simple
| as the President wished them and the
wish that his private grief should not be
/ made a public one was respected. There
/ was no intrusion and the mourners were
not subject to the gaze of curious
throng There was no crowd and not
many present.
| At 10 o'clock. the hour set for the
| services, Rev. DIR. Hamlin of the Church
| of the Covennta and Rev. DR.. Bartlett of
the New York avenue Presbyterian
church appeared in the east room and
soon after the family came down from
their private apartments. The services
according to the prescribed Presbyterian
\ form were commenced by the reading
| of the scriptural selection by DR.. Ham
| lin, following which was the lesson of
| the day, and as the words died away the
| soft. sweet notes of II heard the
| voice of Jesus say, Come unto Me and
| rest came from the green room. The
| beautiful hymn was admirably rendered
| by the boy choir of st. Johns Protestant
Episcopal church. DR.. Hamlin offered
| the closing prayer, and the active bear
ers took their places about the casket'
The beautiful hymn, LEAD, Kindly
Light" was sung by the boy choir.
The honorary pall-bearers led the sad
procession from the room. The bearers
| weresVice President Morton, State Sec
rotary Foster, Secretary Tracy, Secretary
Elkins, Secretary Rusk, Postmaster Gen
| eral Wanamaker, and Attorney General
Miller. Then came the casket, followed
by the President and family, and the
| mOurners,
The funeral procession moved to the
Pennsylvania railway station. and the
remains will be conveyed to Indianapo-
lis on special train, leaving this city at
| 11.30 o'clock.
L kT,S1 a.,