The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-09

FIRST FUNERAL AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
political pedestal in the land-it cannot
escape tho vsitations of tho dread
monster. Death is no respecter of Der
sons, and palace and howell, prince and
pauper, must alike bow tho knee to his
tyranny. AS the White House record
stands today, its first and last deaths
were i'll the Harrison family. Never
before, however, has an administration
been SO sadly marked by the tragedy of
nature i'll the White House and the i'm
mediate circle revolving around it.
The presidents wife died last week.
Less than two years ago the wife of his
private secretary, Mr.. Halford, passed
away. For several weeks the priva,,.
secretary himself lay ut deaths door in
tho executive mansion. Secretary Pru-
den, of the White House staff. lost his
wife early in the present year Since.
Harrison became president the wives of
three other White House employees have
died, and four or five children have been
lost from the White House circle. In
all these Affections the president and his
late wife performed many acts of deli
cate sympathy, endearing themselves to
the bereaved. Since he came to Wash
lngton as president General Harrison has
lost sister, and Mrs. Harrison's sister.
Mrs. Scott-Lord died two years ago.
Death has played havoc in the cabinet
families too. Walker Blaine died with
III stones throw of the executive man
sion from II cold taken at q White House
reception. His brother Emmons fol-
lowed him last summer, just after Mr.
Blaines resignation from the cabinet
Before that Mrs. Blaine had lost sister
Other cabinet families have had bereave-
ments among their near kin, but the
most terrible tragedy of all, saddest
scene perhaps the great East room of the
White House ever knew-and it has had
more than its share of tragedies-was
when, in the dawn of morning, fire and
smoke combined to rob Secretary Tracy
of his wife and daughter.
Their funeral was held in the White
House, and to this day find it impos-
slble to enter the palatial East room,
even on such occasions as state re-
ceptlons, when the great apartment is
thronged with beauty and fashion, and
allght with smiles and laughter, without
thinking OF the afternoon when the
blackened remains of mother and
daughter lay there side by side, and near
them stood Il strong man, IL husband and
father, whose grief was too great for
tears.
1t is only since the death of Mrs. Hair
rison that more than half Il dozen per
sons have known how she, on that sad
occasion, took pity upon the grief of Sec
rotary Tracy, sympathized as only u
woman could with his yearning again
to behold the face of his wife, and with
her own hands, alone and secretly,
opened the casket as it lay in the East
room, spread flowers over the cruel
wounds the fire had made, and then led
the secretary to the spot and left him
there with his dead.
How many such scenes the East room
has witnessed-how many tragedies have
played one or another of their acts with
in its beautiful walls! Though the White
House is now nearly hundred years
old, it Is remarkable fact that for more
than forty years not one death occurred
in tho families OF it's inmates. During
tho last half century the grim reaper
has moro than made up for lost time.
April 4, 1871, the presidents house
was for the first time wrapped in mourn
ing. On that day President William
Henry Harrison died, just one month
after his inauguration, his fatal illness
having been brought on by exposure to
the storm on inauguration day. Funeral
services were held in the East room.
No sermon was preached, but Rev. Haw-
Aza1 ,./L