Connecticut western news., 1893-02-02

JAMES G. BLAINE. state, war and navy building, where the dead man achieved his latest triumphs iL statecraft and diplomacy. A number oI Mir. Blaine's friends called at the house and took a last look upon the face of the departed The expression of the face was peaceful, and the lineaments of that well known countenance showed but few traces of the ravages of the disease that carried him off. The casket was almost buried under the mass of floral tributes which thave been received, many of them from a distance The first prayers of the funeral services were said by Rev. Dr. Tenuis 8. Hamlin, D. D., of the Church of the Cove nantAt II o'clock.
 Notwithstanding the fact that the flu neral was private one, the attendants upon the service were as truly national in their representative character as if presi dent were being buried. The state of Maine sent delegation of IA, headed by Governor Cleaves; Massachusetts delegation of members. The Union League club of New York sent 25 of its members to represent the organization, and the Union League club of Philadelphia 20 From various other points in Pennsylvania came several delegates of various societies and organiza tions. Altogether 100 or more of these rep resentativesS were present Personal friends to the number of 65 were present from va rious parts of the country. Mrs. Garfield was there and others from cities as widely separated as Portland and Omaha. The Maine delegation was invited to attend the services at the house. Not more than 40 or 30 persons were present.
 Services at the Church.
 The services at the church as we'll as those at the house were strictly private and no one was admitted who had not re- ceived an invitation. The family regret ted that this was necessarily so, as they appreciated the desire and the motives of the people who would pay tribute of re- spect by their presence to one whose life has been so closely identified with the his tory of the country.
 But the limited seating capacity of the church and the large number of the dele gations and officials to be provided for left no room for the general public.
 The first eight rows of seats in the main body were occupied by the family, the rela- tives and the pallbearers. Behind them in order were seated the president, vice president, cabinet officers, Speaker Crisp and members of the supreme court, with their families. In the rear of these were senators and representatives.
 On the south side of the church were seated the members of the various delega- tions and on the north side the personal friends.
 The pallbearers were Senators w. P. Frye and Eugene Hale of Maine and John T. Morgan of Alabama, Representatives Thomas B. Reed and c. A. Boutelle of Maine, Robert R. Hit of Illinois and Henry T of Thomas Ewing of Ohio, John Hay of Wash ington, Joseph H. Manley of Maine, Albert F. Jenks of Brooklyn, P. V. P. Ely of Bos- ton.
 MT. Blaine left will bestowing all his property upon Mrs. Blaine and making her sole executrix without bonds. The total value of the estate is estimated at S80O,0OO
 The Life of MT. Blaine. James Gillespie Blaine was born on Jan B, 1880, at West Brownsville, Pa, in a house built by his great grandfather before the war of the revolution, which still stands.
 When II years old he went to live with his uncle, Thomas Ewing, in Ohio, where his mothers father, Neal Gillespie, an ac- complished scholar, directed his studies. Later he attended Washington college at Washington, Pa., graduating at the age of IT,
 After leaving college he taught school at Blue Lick Springs, Ky. It was as pro- ! lessor of the military school there that he made the acquaintance of the lady who | afterward became his wife. Later he went | to Philadelphia, where he taught school | and studied law. | After two years he abandoned his law studies, went to Maine and became pro | T nal. He was at the birth of the Republican party and was delegate to the Philadel- | phia convention of 1856 which nominated | Fremont. After serving as speaker of the Maine | legislature he was sent to congress and be- gan his national career in 1862 with the outbreak of the war. During the Forty 6rst, Forty-second and Forty-third con- gresses he was speaker of the house. | Rare Ability as Speaker. | Mir. Blaine's administration of the speak ership is commonly regarded as one of the most brilliant and successful in the annals of the house. He had rare aptitude and equipment for the duties of presiding off, ger, and his complete mastery of parlia- mentary law, his dexterity and physical endurance, his rapid dispatch of business and his firm and impartial spirit were rec ognized on all sides.
 It was during his occupancy of the speakers chair in 1874 that he took the floor and succeeded in defeating the original | force bill A resolution was adopted in the Democratic house of 1875 to investigate an alleged purchase by the Union Pacific Rail road company at an excessive price of cer- tain bonds of the Little Rock and Fort l Smith railroad. It soon became evident
 that the investigation was aimed at MT. | Blaine.
 The Mul1igan Letters.
 An extended business correspondence
 had fallen into the hands of a clerk named
 Mulligan, who it was alleged that the pro.
 duction of this correspondence would con.
 firm the imputation against Mir. Blaine.
 Mir. Blaine possessed himself of the let
 ters. On June 5 he rose to personal ex
 planatiop and denied the power of the house ito compel the production of his private pa. 4pers.
 ! fielding up the lstssrs hs exslaamsx