The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-31

effort was made to comply with his own
understood wishes. and with the ex-
pressed desires of his family in this re-
gard, but the surging wave Of public
interest swept over the barriers i'm.
posed and made his private funeral one
of tho most impressive public demon
strations in the honor OF the dead.
The most eminent men in the nation
stood around his bier. The presence OF
the President and his Cabinet, the JUS
tees Of the Supreme Court, Senators
and Representatives and the diplomatic
corps was not more significant than the
homage OF tho waiting crowds which
in respectful silence lined tho streets
through which the funeral corteRe
passed.
The parlor on the second floor, where
the body lay in its cedar casket, closely
sealed, was fairly embroidered with
floral tributes. The casket rested on a
huge bed Of roses, violets, palm leaves
and ferns sent by Mrs. Emmons Blaine,
about nine feet long and four feet wide,
the flowers artistically giving the COM
bination OF colors and design of an ORR
entail rug.
The parlor was too small for the dis.
tinguished mourners who, by invitation,
sought access to it.
The President entered, accompanied
by Mrs. Mckee, Private Secretary Hal
ford and Lieutenant Parker The Vice.
President, accompanied by Mrs. and
Miss Morton, the members of the Cabi.
net and their families, and many other
distinguished people followed. The
ceremonies at the house were grand in
their simplicity. Before the hour Of
10 the invited guests began to arrive
and take their seats in the fragrant and
and floral bedecked front parlor of the
mansion.
There were no chairs reserved except
for the President and for the immediate
family of the deceased. A few minutes
after IL o'clock tho mourners entered
and the President and all the distin.
guished concourse rose to pay fitting
honor and sympathy to the sorrow OF
the deceased statesman's relatives.
The family was followed by Rev. DR..
Hamlin, of the Church of the Covenant,
who. standing beside the casket, in low
tones delivered the Presby terian pra yer
for departed souls.
AS he did so Walter Damrosch touched
the keys OF the piano to low dirge.
The scene was an impressive one.
Immediately the mourners grouped
around the casket. They wero MIR.
Blainas widow, her married daughter,
Mrs. Damrosch, Hattie Blaine, James
G. Blaine, Jr.. Mrs. Enmons Blaine,
Miss Abigail Dodge Gail Hamilton)
Mr.. Blaine's cousin; r. G.. Blaine,
brother Of the dead statesman and his
wife and daughter; Hampton Denman,
Of Missouri, cousin of Mr.. Blaine;
Frank, Henry, Horace and Augustus
Stanwood, Walter Stenson and w. Ii.
Hatch, all nephews of the deceased ex.
Secretary.
DR.. Hamlin returned thanks to God
that by His power this life was ended
only that life of immortality might be
begun. He beseeched tho Almighty
that com fort might come to every NOM
Der OF the stricken household because
the one that had gone out of this life
had gone to immortality. LET the con.
ISOLATION that comes from above fall ten
derby and sweetly upon them. Speak to
them words of comfort as Thou alone
can teach. This we ask in the name of
our Savior. amen"
This com pieted tho brief and impress
sive services and the casket was closed
and tenderly borne to the hearse. In
solemnity and in silence tho family and
mourning guests left the house which
had been so frequently invaded By the
angel of death and the sad proc sssion
wended its way slowly to the church.
Outside the house the street was
thronged with spectators, who rover.
emily dotted their hats as the pall-bear.
ers deposited their sacred burden in the
hearse, and while the attendants tenn
porarlly buried it under as many flowers
as could be placed therein. The cortege
then started for the church.
Exactly at IL o'clock tho slow and
solemn organ music announced the ar
rival of the funeral party at tho door of
the church. AS tho procession moved
up the aisle, Walter Damrosch, Mr..
Blaine's son in law, who was at the
organ, played an Improvisation made up
of several themes Of hymns, of which
Mr.. Blaine loved more than all other
musical motifs. All present rose and
remained standing as the funeral party
moved down the aisle.
DR.. Hamlin, the pastor, walked at the
head OF the mourneTS, holding in his
hand an open book containing the
ritual of Presbyterian worship. and he
read as he advanced selections from the
scriptures. Behind him came the
honorary pail bearers two aoreast, Sena-
tors Hale and Eyre, representatives Of
the dead mans beloved State, leading
the way. The body bearers moved with
measured pace towards the chancel rail,
where they deposited the casket amid a
proiusion of flowers.
The family followed the body and
took front seat on the left near the
remains. They knelt with their heads
bowed in prayer, and remained in this
attitude for some time. The more dis
tant kinfolk, relatives, intimate friends
and other members of the funeral party