Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-02-01
BLAINE IN THE GRAVE.
Funeral of the Ex-Secretary of State at
Washing ton.


Washington.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 30.-Mr.
Blaine could not have private funeral.
Every effort was made to comply with
his own understood wishes, and with
the expressed desires of his family in
this regard, but the surging wave OF
public interest swept over the bar
4iers imposed and made his pr.
vate funeral one of most impress
sive demonstrations in honor Of the
dead. The most eminent men in the
nation stood around his bier. All busl.
ness in the nations capital was suspend
ed during the period when the funeral
services were IN progress. The pres
ence of the President and cabinet and
supreme judges and high officials OF
Congress and of the diplomatic corps,
was not more significant than the hOm
age of the waiting crowds, who in re
spectful silence lined the streets through
W hich the funeral cortege passed.
The parlor on the second floor, where
the body lay in the cedar casket, close
~ sealed, was fairly EMPOWERED with
floral tributes. The casket itself rested
on a huge bed of roses, violets, palm
leaves and ferns sent by Mrs. Emmons
Blaine, about 9 feet long by feet wide,
the flowers artistically giving the COM
bination of colors a design of ORR
entail rug.
The immediate mOurners, grouped
around the casket, were the widow, her
married daughter, Mrs. Damrosch;
Miss Hattie Blaine, James G. Blaine,
Jr., Mrs. Emmons Blaine, Miss Abigail
Dodge, Gail Hamilton, brother of the
dead statesman, and his wife and
daughter; Hamton Denman, of Mis-
souri,, cousin of Mr.. Blaine; Frank,
Henry, Horace and Augustus Stanwood
and Walter Stinson and W. ii. Hatch,
all nephows of the deceased ex-secre-
tarV.
The ceremonies inside the house were
impressiyelv simple Before the hour
of 10 the invited guests began to arrive
and took 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 Jew minutes after that hour
when the mourners entered, and the
President and all the distinguished con-
course rose to pay fitting honor and
sympathy to the sorrow of the deceased
statesman's relatives. The family was
followed by the Rev. DR.. Hamlin, of the
Church of the Covenant, who, standing
beside the casket, in low tone de-
I!Nered the Presbyterian service for the
departed soul. AS he did SO, Walter
Damrosch touched the keys of the
piano to slow dirge. The scene was
an impressive one. DR.. HamIin re-
turned thanks to God that by His power
this life was ended only that the life
of Immortality might be begun. He be-
saught the Almighty 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
sweetiy upon them. Speak to them
words of comfort such as Thou alone
can teach. This we ask in the name of
the brief and impressive services, and
the casket was closed and tenderly
borne to the hearse. Solemnly and in
silence the family and the mourning
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.
solemn organ music announced the ar
rival of the funeral party at the door of
the church. AS the sad 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 hymns which
Mr.. Blaine loved. All present
rose, and remained standing as the
funeral party moved down the aisle.
DR.. Hamlin, the pastor, walked at the
head of the mourners. reading from the
ritual Of Presbyterian worship. Be-
hind him came the honorary pail
bearers, two abreast, Senators Hale
ond FRYE. the Representatives of
the dead mans state, leading
the way. The body-bearers moved
at measured pace toward the chancel
rail, where they deposited the casket
amid the protusion of flowers. The
family followed the body and took the
front seat on the left near the remains.
More distant kinsfolk, relatives, init
mate friends, the President and his
cabinet and the other members of the
funeral party who were at the house,
came in and were seated in the peWs
reserved for them. When ali were
seated the deep peals OF the organ
ceased. and DR.. Hamilton, from his
place in the pulpit, began the church
services with the reading Of selections
from the Scriptures.
The reading finished, prayer was Of
fered up by DR.. Ramlin. at the close of
the prayer, the funeral procession once
more formed. The body was conveyed