The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-03-25
LIES BOOK Is CLOSED.
TRIBUTES TO A DEPARTED
STATESMAN.
Many Distinguished People After. d
the Funeral Of Hon. James q.
Blaine and Follow n
Remains to the
Grave.
Laid to Rest.

Remains to the
Grave.
Laid to Rest.
Washington, Jan. 81. Mr.. Blaine
could not have a private funeral. Every
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 in
terest swept over the barriers imposed
and made his private funeral one of the
most impressive of public demonstra-
tiens in honor of the dead. The most
eminent men in the nation stood aroun
his bier. All business in the nations
capital was suspended during the period
when the funeral 81 rvices We're in prog
ress. The presence of the president, the
cabinet, the supreme judges, of the high
officials of congress and of the diplomatic
corps were not more significant than the
homage of the waiting crowd, who i'll re-
spectful silence lined the streets through
which the funeral cortege passed.
The ceremonies inside the house were
impressively simple. Before the hour
of ten, the invited guests began to ar
rive and take their seats in the front
parlor Of the mansion. There were no
chairs reserved except for the president
and the immediate family of the deceased.
Eleven o'clock was the hour named for
the simple service of prayer which was
to precede the removal of the body to
the church for the more public rites. 1t
was only a few minutes after that hour
when the mourners entered and the
president and all the distinguished con-
course rose to pay fitting honor and sym
pathy to the sorrow Of the deceased
statesman's relatives. The family was
followed by Rev. Hamlin, of the Church
of the Covenant, who, standing beside
the casket, in a low tone delivered the
Presbyterian service for the departed
soul. AS he did so, Walter Damrosch
touched the keys of the piano to a slow
dirge, and the scene was an impressive
one. DR.. Hamlin returned thanks to
God hat by his power this life was
ended only that the life of Immortality
might be begun. He beseeched the AL
mighty that comfort might come to
every member of the stricken household
because the one that had gone out of
this life had gone to immortality. Let
the consolation that came from above
fall tenderly and sweetly upon them.
Speak to them words of comfort, such
as thou alone can teach. This we ask
in the name Of our Savior. Amen"
This completed the brief and impressive
services, and the caskct was closed and
tenderly borne to the hearse. Solemnly
and in silence the family and the mourn
ing guests left the house, which has been
so frequently invaded by the angel of
death, and the procession wended it's
way slowly to the church.
Thu Presbyterian Church of the Gov
Grant. where Mr.. Blaine was a pew
holder. had been surrounded with a rope
fn cycl1,ln all mot cnoo;ol1-~ snrifcl Tho
relatives and pail bearers occupied the
first eight rows of seats in the main
aisle.
When all were seated the deep peals
of the organ ceased and DIR. Hamlin,
from his place in the pulpit, began the
church services with the reading of Sc
~lections from the Scriptures. The read
DR.. Hamlin. DR.. Hamlin's prayer was
the only approach to a funeral discourse
that marked the ceremonies of the day.
AT its conclusion the Lords Prayer
was repeated by the pastor and a part
of the congregation, the benediction was
invoked upon all present, and at 1916
o'clock the church services closed; the
in the hearse. all the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
course standing as it was borne from
tho church.
1t was then noted that Mrs. Blaine
WAS not among the morrners. as had
been supposed. Among so many deeply
yelled figures her form had not hereto
fore been missed, but it was soon whis-
pered that, overcome by grief. she had
remained at the house. Prior to the
starting of the funeral procession from
Lafayette square. Mrs. Blaine had re-
quested to be left alone for a few min
utes with her honored dead. The parlor
had been cleared for this purpose, and
when Mrs. Blaine emerged she made her
way, supported on the arms of her son
husband had died. and there gave way
to her grief in utter prostration. Mrs.
Hale and other sympathizing friends
followed her to the death chamber, their
friendly ministrations were of no avail
and Mrs. Blaine was compelled to re-
air tehinl, Tho interment
was over fifteen minutes after the cortege
entered the cemetery ut 100 o'clock.
Slowly the crowd dispersed. President,
cabinet, senator's, family-all entered
their carriages and were driven away
all but One-James G. Blaine, who is
Junior no longer-who stood beside the
grave of his father, until the masons
had bricked in the casket and the grave
diggers had filed in the remaining space.
When all this vas accomplished he re-
turned to his carriage and the last group
of spectators dispersed.
The will Of Mr.. Blaine will be pro-
batel in Augusta, Me-. which was his
legal residence. The disposition he makes
of his property is characteristic of the
confidence he always reposed in his wife,
and which was such a noticeable feature
of the family relation. Every thing is
left unreservcdly to Mrs. Blaine; she is
to be sole executrix aud is not to be re-
quired to give any bond. Mr.. Blaine's
estate will amount to about $500, 900.
The will was executed several weeks
since, at about the time Mr.. Blaine was
seized with the first serious attack of
heart failure.