Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-02-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, Jan. 30, 1902.
The solemn tolling of the big bell In
the towerwhich surmounts the church
of the Covenant tells the sympathiz-
ing thousand who crowd the streets
adjacent thereto that the remains of
Americas greatest statesman-James
Gillespie Blaine-have left the house
in which he made such brave night
against death. Slowly, slowly the
funeral cortege moves through the
vast sea of sympathetic faces, every
head uncovered and reverently bow
ed and every heart throbbing with
the same sympathy that is felt by eV-
cry patriotic American. At the door
of the church the unostentatious black
basket, an almost exact duplicate OF
the one in which Mrs. Harrison was
so lately carried to her last resting
place, was carried within by loving
hands and carefully deposited on the
velvet covered dias. In the congre-
CATION which filled every inch OF
nent Representatives of every pro-
fession and calling, conspicuous among
them being President Harrison and
his entire Cabinet, and the lega-
tions of every foreign government
represented at Washington. The SER
vices were of the simplest, no sing
ing, no music, except a dirge upon
the organ, played by Mr.. Walter Dam
rosch, Mr. Blaine's son-in-law, and no
sermon; nothing but the reading of
the Presbyterian burial ritual, and
prayer by DR.. Hamlin, pastor of the
church.
1t was proposed to give the dead
statesman a grand public funeral in
the Capitol building, but at the re-
quest of the family, the idea was
abandoned. Mrs. Blaine also request
ed that no further official notice of
the death be taken by the National
Government than was ABSOLUTELY nee
essary, and that the mourning now
on the State Department on account
of the death of EX-President Hayes
should be removed at the expiration
of thirty days, just as would have
been done had Mr.. Blaine not
died: and her wishes will be respect
ed in that as they were regarding the
funeral.
From the church of the Covenant
to Oak Hill cemetery where the IN
torment was made, beside the grave
oil
effects of whose death Mr.. Blaine
never entirely recovered, is some
thing more than mile, but the crowd
which followed the procession, on
foot, cared nothing for that; they
were there to do honor to the man
they loved, and had it been twenty
miles they would have followed that
casket to it's final resting place. And
who doubts that in the after years,
when the United States shall have
reached the grandeur which was so
visible to the prophetic eyes of Mr..
Blaine, it will be considered a great
honor in thousands of families to be
able to say: t'My father,or my grand
father, or my great grandfather, saw
Mr.. Blaine buried?' Not /.
Already there is much talk of a
movement for the erection of grand
monument at the Capital Of the Ma
ton he did so much for, in honor Of
Mr.. Blaine, and there is little doubt
that in due course of time such a me-
mortal in bronze or stone, or both,
will be erected; but Mr.. Blaine will
have a monument in the history of
his country that will last as long as
the world itself. His great work in
behalf of his country is already as well
recognized by his political opponents
as by his followers, as was shown by
the following telegram to his widow,
from Mr.. Cleveland: "His brilliant
craftsmanship will always be an in
inspiration to the nation he has serv-
ed so long and SO well. Permit me to
extend my sympathy on the death of
your distinguished husband
1t is expected that the President
will this week send the nomination OF
a successor to the late Justice Lamar,
of the Supreme Court, to the Senate.
Within a few weekS-SOmetime In
March-the patents on the principal
parts of the Bell telephone will ex-
pire. This will be very important
event to the renters of telephones who
have been compelled to pay extor-
tionate prices to the owners and con-
trollers of these patents, which may
soon be used by anybody.
Whether intended or not Senator
Chandler's resolution providing for