The Indianapolis journal., 1893-01-31
FUNERAL OF JAMES G. BLAINE.

Brief Services as the House, Church ana
Cemetery-Meny Floral Tributes
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-Nature furnished
Its tribute of beautiful flowers. art csused
the air to pulse with most exquisite music.
the Nation surrounded the bier with tho
personal presence of the most distin guished
leaders in every avenue Of honored aotiv.
ity. more sacred than ALL the mingled sor.
row and hope of the immediate kin fol-
lowed the casket until the last words.
Earth to earth, dust to dust. ashes to
ashes" had been spoken-such was the
funeral of James G.. Blaine. He died q
private citizen. lie had wished private
funeral. but that could not be. The gov
ernment of the United States caused every
function, and ali the people of the ma
tIonal capital wao could attest, even az
q distance their admiration and their
grief, attended. The President and his
Cabinet. the Justices OF the Supreme
Court. members of both branches of Con.
Rress. and the diplo matic corps. were only
few of those who reverently surrounded
the inner group of the family mourners,
who encircled the bier of the departed
statesman. And yet. despite all this pub
lie demonstration. the ceremonies accom-
panying the burial of James q. Blaine
were in themselves as simple as those w hich
would characterize the lnterment of the
humblest citizen. A brief service of
prayers ut the house, which was crowded
TO the doors by those admitted; q simple
procession of hearse and carriages to the
church, o service there which breathed
thanksgiving for the life that had been
lived. and the confidence in it's plo-
rious future; a still more limited oortege
following the body to Oak Hill Cemetery;
O swift committal of the casket to its
grave. surrounded by thropg of thou
sands standing patiently and reverently
upon the trampled hillside; half hour
afterward deserted burial place. the
position of the dead marked only by q
mound of flowers. making q brilliant dash
of contrast against the discolored snow.
and ell was over.
MANY TRIBUTES OF SORROW.
From his native State of Pennsylvania.
from his adopted State of Maine. from the
great cities Of the East and of the West,
from organizations political and social.
there came to the capital delegations bear
ing their tribute of sorrow. The
private funeral. simple as it was. could
evidences of public sorrow. But aside
from these demonstrations the simple serv-
ice of the Presby terian Church suthced
for the funeral of one whose departure was
loss TO an entire nation. The day itself
was in tone with the general grief. The
sky was overcast with the constant threat
OF rain; the air was chilled and the weather
was q painful contrast TO the bright. sunny
days of the past week. To the crowd that
gathered about Lafayette square. opposite
the red house and around the church, and
to the throng that Hooked into the ceme-
terry the day was one OF absolute discom.
fort.
The parlor on the second floor Of the
mansion where the body lay in its cedar
casket closely sealed. was fairly en-
powered with floral tributes The casket
itself rested on huge bed of roses. violets.
palm leaves and ferns sent by Mrs. Emmons
Blaine. about nine feet long by four feet
wide the flowers artisticaily giving the
combination of coiors and designs OF an
oriental rug. A large ship of state, sent by
the knights of Reciprocity, was near by,
and around the pedestals on which the
coffin rested, and upon the coffin itself.
were wreath of orchids and roses from
President Harrison; wreath OF white
roses and violets from Mrs. Zach Chandler;
q simple wreath of violets, tied with
ribbons from James G. Blaine, jr.; q
garland of violets from Mrs. Eugene
Hale. which was placed on the casket; o
wreath OF roses and violets from Mr. Louis
Dent, consul at Kingston, Jamaica, for
merly Dir. Blaine's private secretary; q
large wreath of violets and white orchids
from Mrs X. X. HIT; an immense wreath OF
white flowers. with long streamers Of RIB
bon. from the diplomatic corps; q wreath
of IVY leaves and violets from Mrs. Henry
Cabot Lodge: u wreath OF lilies of the val
lev and palm leaves from Mrs Whitelaw
Roid: q wreath OF roses from Mrs. Emmons
Blaine: q large cross and spray of lilies from
Mrs Dr. LOring; bunch of white roses
from GeHeral Alger; sago palms and violets
from Secretary Tracy; an IVY cross. SPRAYED
with white roses, from Mrs. Audenreid; .
q wreath of ivy. sprayed with red rosea
from MIR. and Mrs John X. Mclean, and
many moro.
THE DISTINGUISHED MoURNERs.
The parlor. not at any time very CON-
modious one. was far too email for the dis
tinguished mourners. Who. By inyitatioD