The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-02-02
BLAINE LAID TO REST
ALL WASHINGTON TURNED OUT TO
HONOR HIS MEMORY.
The Quiet Funeral Desired by the Family
Would Not Do, the Great American
Public Claimed the Right to
Mourn With Them.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30. - Blaine
could not have a private funeral
Every effort was made to comply with
his own understood wishes and the
expressed desire of his family in this
regard, but the surging waves of pub
lie interests swept over every barrier
and made bis private funeral one OF
the most impressive of public demon
strations in honor of the dead.
The most eminent men in the ma
ton stood around the bier. All bust
ness in the nations capital was sus-
pended during the period the funeral
services were in progress. The pres-
ence of the president, cabinet, SUI.
preme judges, high officials of con-
gress and of the diplomatic corps was
not more significant than the homage
of the waiting crowds, who in respect.
full silence lined the streets through
which the funeral cOrtege passed.
The parlor where the body lay was
fairly uncovered with floral tributes
and the casket itself rested on huge
bed of roses, violets, palm leaves and
ferns sent by Mrs. EmmOns Blaine.
A large ship of state, SEM by the
Knights of Reciprocity, was near by,
and around the pedestals on which
the coffin rested and upon the coffin
itself were numerous wreaths of or
chids, roses and violets, to- ether with
many other floral designs. The par
Tor was far too small for the dis
tinguished mourners, who by invita-
ton sought access to it, and many re.
manned ia the long line of carriages
which filled the adjacent streets.
The ceremonies inside the house
were impressively simple. A few
minutes after II o'clock the mourners
entered, and the president and all the
distinguished concourse rose to pay
fitting honor and sympathy to the
sorrow of the deceased statesman's
relatives. The family, followed by
Rev. DR.. Hamlin, of the Church of
the Covenant, who, standing beside
the casket, in a low tone delivered the
Presb yterian service for the departed
touched the keys of the piano to a
slow dirge, and the scene was an inn
pressive one. His prayer completed
the brief services, and the caskeU was
closed and tenderly borne to the
hearse.
Solemnly and in silence the family
and mourning guests left the house,
and the procession wendell its way
slowly to the church. Outside the
house the street was thronged with
spectators who reverently DOTTED their
hats as the pail bearers deposited their
sacred burden in the hearse, and when
the attendants had temporarily
buried it under as many flowers as
could be placed thereon, the corIege
started for the church.
The pail bearers were Senators Hale
and Frye of Maine and Morgan of
Alabama, ex-Speaker Reid of Maine,
Representative Boutelle of Maine,
Hit of Illinois and Bingham Of Penn
sylvania, Thomas e. Ewing of Ohio,
John Hay of Washington, JOS
eph H. Manley of Maine, AL
met f. jerks and p. V. I. Ely.
Following them were Mrs. Blaine,
Miss Hattie Blaine, James g. Blaine,
Jr., Mrs. Damrosch, Mrs. Emmons
Blaine, Miss Abigail Dodge, Miss H.
Price, II. G. Blaine and family,
Hampton Denman, Frank and Henry
Stanwood, Walter Stinson, Horace
Stanwood, August Stanwood and
wife, w II. Hatch, Drs. Johnston aud
Hyatt. Distinguished guests followed
in regularly assign ned order without
confusion, the arrangements being
superintended by w. E, Curtis at the
request or the family.
The Presbyterian church of the
Covenant, where Blaine was pew
holder, was surrounded with rope TO
exclude all not specially invited.
Relatives and pail bearers occupied
the first eight rows of seats il the
main aisle. Behind them were seated
the president, vice president, cabinet
officers, Speaker Crisp, members OF
the supreme court, diplomatic corps
and senators and representatives.
The procession moved up the aisle
as Walter Damrosch, Blaine's sOn-in-
law lat the organ played an improvisa.
tion made up of several themes OF
hymns which Mr.. Blaine loved. All
present rose and remained standing
as the funeral party moved down the
aisle. DR.. Hamlin, the pastor, walked
at the head of the mourners, reading
from the ritual of Presbyterian wor-
ship. When all were seated the deep
peals of the organ ceased and DR..
Hamin from the pulpit began the
church services with reading selec-
tions from the scriptures. Reading
finished, prayer was offered. At the
close of the prayer the procession once
more formed and the body was con-
veyed to Oak Hill cemetery and there
laid to rest.
Mrs. Blaine did not attend the fun
eral at the church or the interment,
her grief having resulted in utter pros
tration just before the body was re-
mo 1ed from the house to the church.
GIRLS MAKING THEMSELVES USEFUL. y
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