Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-24
Funeral of the Wisconsin Soldier
and Statesman.
ALL BUSINESS GIVEN UP At VIROQUA.
Ex-President Harison's Tribute to
His Former Associate.
MANY LEADING MEN PRESENT.

peOple, one WHOSE lie was a constant eX-
empliication of that grit and energy. that
sterling honesty, that undaunted patriotism,
that are part and parcel of the character
ictics of the typical American was borne to
his last earthly home today To the rugged
yeomanry of Vernon county, to the tens of
thousand of his Grand Army comrades of
this and other commonwealth who knew
and loved him he was simply Uncle Jerry"
AS to future generations that will know of
the present through the pages of history, he
is and will be known as jeremiah NJ. Rusk.
stage driver, soldier, governor, statesman.
From the drivers seat of a stage coach,
covering his sixty miles a day for a bare
sustenance on turnpike successive honors
to seat in the cabinet of a President of
the republic-such life is the first record
OF the man who was laid to rest today
over the same road that he traversed
with his stage nearly a half century ago
the funeral car was followed today by men
of eminence in the history of the nation, by
veterans who wore the blue and followed
him through the stirring days of the six
ties, by gray-haired men and women who
had grown up with him from childhood, by
little ones who well remember the CHEEKY
word and smile Of Uncle jerry and the
good-natured pat of his hand on their head
for many day to come
Not only to Viroqua, but to the whole Of
Vernon county. Of which it is the county
seat, 1t was a day Of mourning. In this
city the proclamation of Mayor Smith re-
quiring suspension of business for the day
was scarcely necessary. By general consent
the stores and schools were closed, the
transaction of business in the municipal
departments was suspended, all work save
that OF sheer necessity was laid aside, and
for the unusual number of people on Main
street and the intersecting thoroughfares 1t
might have been a ViroQua Sabbath.
Coming to the Funeral.
Soon after daybreak. despite the fact that
the thermometer was at zero and that the
turnpikes were heaped high with drifting
snow, the farming and business folks Of
the adjacent townships began to arrive in
carryalls buggies, omnibuses, hacks and
farm wagons. In the cars Of the early
morning train on the branch from Sparta
and which picked up delegations at Cash
ton, Melvina, Westby and other towns.
there was scarcely a foot of standing room
The train from Milwaukee, bringing ex-
President Harrison, eX-Attorney General
Miller Senator Villas and the ex-governors
and ex-Senators of the state, reached the
depot at :45. A large crowd had assem-
bled, but beyond a general raising of hats
as General Harrison stepped from the car
and crossed the platform, there was no
demonstration of welcome or recognition.
Carriages were in waiting and while
Generals Harrison and Miller and Senator
Villas were driven to the family residence
to express their sorrow and sympathy to
the widow and bereaved family the remain
der OF the party were taken directly to the
church.
At the Church.
All night long the nine faithful war COM
rades of the dead had stood guard around
the bier. and through the morning the re-
mains rested in state while steady stream
of people from far and near passed around
the bier.
At 80 the doors Of the little church were
closed, in order that the interior might be
arranged for those whom it was specially
desired should participate in the final ex-
ercises, the presence of the general public
being impossible, owing to the limited IA
cilities. ...
Generals Harrison and Miller reached the
church a few moments before O'clock
Both were visibly affected as they looked
upon the face of their former friend and
associate.
A few moments later Senator Villas. AS
sistant Secretary of Agriculture Edwin
Willis, ex-Senators Angus Cameron, Saw
yer and John c. Spooner. ex-Governors
Hoard and Fairchild. Supreme Court JUS
tice John b. Cassidy. Gen. Fred Winckler
Wallace G. Collins, entered the church two
and two. These, with the ex-Attorney Gen.
eral, composed the honorary pall-bearers.
After passing around the bier, they were
seated to the right IF the center aisle.
The members of the family and near rel
atives of the deceased were the next to
reach the edifice. The widow leaned upon
tht arm of Col. l.. j. Rusk. Following them
came Blaine and Mary Rusk. Charity Rusk
Craig, daughter of the general and her
husband; his brother, Hon. l.. Rusk. and
a nephew, James NJ. Rusk of Malta, Ohio:
Mrs. NJ. c. Nichols and another nephew,
Albert J. Rusk and the members of Col
Rusk's and the Craig families.
Next in the entering procession were the
active pall-bearers, one and all of whom
had served in the dead generals regiment,
the twenty-fifth Wisconsin.
Gov. Peck, with the present and ex-state
officials, was seated on the rCstrum aisle,
Immediately to the left of the family. Little
space now remained and the few vacant
benches and chairs were speedily occu-
pied by the immediate neighbors of the
Rusk homestead and representative men,
berS of the Knight TemDlars, Blue Lodge,
Grand Army, and other delegations.
Opening the Services.
When all had been seated and the doors
were closed, the service was opened with
the singing of the familiar hymn, Just as
1 am. without one plea. but that Thy blood
WAS shed for me. o God, come"
1t was rendered by a home quartet of
friends and neighbors. The church does not
boast of a grand organ-in fact the interior
is little larger than the modern instru-
ment of fashionable edifces, and so the
hymn was sung to the accompaniment of
a small cottage organ.
AS the final notes died away the venerable
DIR. Nuzum, who has seen nearly four score
years OF service in the cause of his Mas
ter as preacher of the Methodist per-
suaslon, assembled the rostrum, and with
uplifted hands besought the divine mercy
and support for the bereaved He dwelt
upon the life and services to the nation of
the dead man, and prayed that many more
might be moved to pattern after his ex-
ample.
Lead. Kindly Light" was rendered by
the quartet, and then DR.. j. d. Butler Of
MADISON, a preacher of the Congregation
ailst 1alth, arose to deliver the funeral SER
mon.
The Funeral Sermon.
1t was one of the last wishes of the de-
ceased that his old friend should perform
this service, and, despite his eighty and
more years of life and his enfeebled condi-
ton, he had journeyed by easy stages from
the state capital to the end that the re-
quest might be fulfilled. Stepping close
upon the edge of the rostrum with shaking
limbs and hesitation of speech, the yener-
able man of God looked down upon the con-
gregation and read as his text the seven
teenth verse of the forty-eighth chapter of
the book of jeremiah: All they that are