The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-31
RESTS WITH HIS FATHERS
James Gillespie Blaine Buried in
Oak Hill Cemetery at the
Capital.
Though the Services We're Private
MultitudeH Thronged tho Way
to the Grave
Floral Offerings as Elaborate as Ever Soon
In the City--The Services simpio
and Brief

and Brief
WAsRiNdroH, Jan. 30 -f3lano could not
nave II private funeral. Tho surging waves
OF public interest swopt over tho barfiers
and made hig private funeral one Of the
most impressive public demonstrations
1he most eminent men in the nation stood
around the hief. All buancss in the ma
tional capital was suspended during the
Services. The presence of the president.
the cabinet and supreme Judges tho high
oiiicihle of congress- and the diplomatic
corps could not be more significant than
the homage Of the waiting crowds who. in
rcspec.ful silence. lined the streets through
which the funeral cortege passed.
The parlor on the eecond floor where the
body lay, was fairly emhowered in floral
tributes from prominent people from ali
patta Of the country from President Harri-
son down, the presidents tribute being
wreath of orchids and a CROSS, which were
placed on the coffin.
As the hour for tho services arrived, the
mourners, including the members OF the
family, grouped around the casket, and
Rev. DIR. Hamlin. standing besides tho
casket. delivered the Presby terian service
for the dead, Walter Damrosch in the
meantime touching tho keys Of the piano
to the notes of slow dirge. This ended
the brief but impressive service.
I he casket was closed and tenderly borne
to the hearse. and the procession wended
its way slowly to the Church Of the Cove
nant. The street outside was thronQed
with spectators, who reverently dotted their
hats as the cortege passed. Folio wing the
hearse were the pallbearers then came the
members of the family, the attending
physicians and then distinguished guests in
due order.
The funeral procession arrived at church at
noon, and to an improvisation on the organ,
made up of several themes of hymns which
Blaine loved the distinguished concourss
moved slowly up the aisle. The body was
deposited at the chancel rail. The services
at the church were az simple as at the
home. consisting of the service for the dead,
selections from the Scriptures and prayer
Then the funeral procession reformed, and
terry and laid to rest.
The decorations at the church were very
rich and effective. A terrace formed by
the pulpit and rail separating the organ
gallery from the platform, afforded back
ground for q striking mass of plants and
flowers were ranged in ribbon ten or
twelve inches in width. Below this ribbon
and suspending from across the front and
curved sides Of the pulpit there were short
festoons of smilax. The baptismal font
at the right of the pul pit was twined with
smilax robe and bore in its bowl bunch
of harrissi lilies. Over the cut flowers
were foliage plants. AT the other end of
the rail, against the WALL stood an immense
rubber tree, and towering over all imme-
dlately behind the reading desk were two
kantips palms. The front of the
lax ropes draped from the apex
of the instruments tc the. caudelabra
on the side walls of tho organ loft. This
decoration was made under the direction
of the public gardener, and never has been
surpassed here in either profusion or eff
the pulpit. in which the coffin lay. was en-
tirely covered with floral emblems which
accompanied the remains from the house.
These were dispersed in such way as to
heiRhten the effect of the stationary decora,
tions.
Mrs. Blaine was not among the mourn
ers at the chu,ch. Just before
starting the funeral procession from
Lafayette square Nus Blaine re-
quested to be left alone for few minutes
with her dead. The parlor Was cleared for
this purpose and when Mrs. Blaine emerged
SuS maui AeT way, Oh Lne arms
of her son and daughter, to the room whe
her husband had died. ana then gavo way to
her grief in utter prostration. Mira.
Hale and other sympathlzlnQ friends
followed her to ths death chamber. but the
friendly ministratlons were of no avail,
and Mrs. Blaine was compelled to remain
behind. At the cemetery. on the successive
terraces that border the winding pathway
leading to the grave, scores of spectators
were standing. Many pressed forward to
pluck flower from the wreath on the
column that adorned the dead mana bier
lhe floral tributes were 80 numerous that
five wagons were necessary TO convey them
TO the cemetery, where they were arranged
artistically back of the grave ON huge
strip of canvass.
DIR. Hamlin read the simple burial SER
vice OF the Presbyterian church. This was
followed by an eAtemporaneous prayer,
then came the henediction. and all that was
mortal OF james Gillespie Blaine WAS con-
signed to the earth. The interment was
over fifteen minutes after the cortege en-
tered the cemetery AT 1870 O'clock. The
crowd slowly dispersed. Tho president.
sabinent, senators and family all entered
aud were driven away, all bus
one, james G Blaine. who IN junior no
longer, who stood beside the grave of his
father until the masons had brieAed in the
casket and tho grave dieEers had filed III
The remaining space. When sli this was
iCopmpllshSu no returned To his carriage
and tho last Of the etoup Of spectators dis.
persed.
ha death certificate gave the primary
,auss of death M srterio-re hbrosia
chronic ,nterstisiai uephrltisl. chronic
catarrhal pneumonia. he Immediate
'suse waa cardiac degeneration and diiata-
Aou. with oedema of tns lungs.
The aesre OF friends who attended the
erylCes at the church to carry away some
nemento or tho occasion resulted iu the
unplete Stripping of flowers from pulpit
md organ rall. almost before the cortera
lad fairly begun the march for the Gem.
tery.
The will Of Mr. Blaine will be probsted
II Augusta, Me. The disposition he makea
# his property ia nhHraoteristio OF the con
denee he rcposed IN his wife, and which
YRS suoh nottoeSble feature of the family
elatlou. Everything is left unreseryodly
u Mts. Blaine. she To be the executria aud
ot to he required 10 give any bond. The
state will amount to about $500, 600
Blaine MomoriaI Meetiny
Sr. PAUL. Jan. 30.--Both houses of tho
Minnesota legislature met in Joint session
his afternoon. and held Blame memorial
aeeting. a lo,nt committee reported res