The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05
TYPICAL OF BLAINE.
4 blasted Hickory the Only Mark TO
His Burial Place.

iVli Washington Letter in the Pitts
burg Dispatch.
an the many places OF mounrful IN
terest IN and about Washington. the spof
10 which the most visitors resort from
an parts Of the country is the grave OF
James q. Blaine Of Maine. in Oak Hin
cemetery, on Georgetown flights. II Is
IoI adorned with any sculptured monu-
Aneht or ambitious marble shaft.
IN Iact' It is marked by no head stone
at all, however modest. but merely by an
insignificant tablet at the foot, and a
pasted hickory tree. riven by lightning.
fsIitXe ne I'm l7lln token of the strange Ia
Al me time the lot was purchased.
ir - ~ dIher Blaine died, Mr.. Blaine was
bilYI esseu Dy the sight of the blasted
lllckofy tree, and personally reques.ed
superintendent j. T. Motter. in charge cr
me cemetery to let it remain, saving that
b bppe ms hsr own death he desired TO be
MT Blaine pointed out the wrecked
tlte' SAID Ar. MCtter Yesterday rela--
tnS. IN. ne incident, and asked me to see
~. ~ y lLlat II was not destroyed or removed
- ne wanted II to stand for his only NOM
s.t.Il.ts. rms expressed wish was con-
S,Til lousy respected by the family and
SaIieu out by the cemetery managers
5 5i now the tree, whether il lives or
- y uesllned to remain. to denote
me .asf resting place of James G. Blaine
or; bialne 5 idea was that nothing
Cpoiuld SO ntly mark his own grave as
lnis Tree The fancy was altogether his
s anu 70 MS mind the blasted shaft. with
life. ~ ieO'iS MS OWN
In this the philosopher and student of
poIucaI history may find pathetic and
.l ealancholy material for speculation and
reHection. Was it his personal ambition
oIhy that was blasted and blighted like
we tree! Or in addition, did the states
man see in il a symbol of his physical eX-
penence as well, and also an emblem of
MS hearts affections? Possibly ali three
II Is well known that he actually did
ieceiNe a sunstroke or paralytic shock
IN washington on the threshold of the
congregational church, Just on the eve
OF o. the republican national convention of
1876, which felled him prone as suddenlv
and completely, for the time being. as q
bolt of lightning would have done. And
from that fatal day, too, his brilliant
t1I INES 9'i; Degan to decline, and with them
MS earning hope of becoming President
Three times was he doomed to defeat
Tor the presidential nomination-the first
time, few days thereafter in 1916 and
again in 1880 and 1S92-and once in ISL
10 defeat in the election, under exasper-
atng circumstances, after winning the
nomination, Then came his falling
health, and close upon that hurried a
most OF family sorrows and losses that
broke his heart
The death OF his favorite son Walker
was a stunning blow, likewise the death
OF lis daughter, Mrs. Coppinger. His sud
den resignation from the Harrison cabi-
net ana the presentation Of his name to
the Minneapolis convention have since
come to be regarded generally as the nm
considered lapses Of a very sick man
loose from his mornings. Then the quick
illness and death of his son EminOns
Blaine, from the effects of oVer-exertion
in his interest at that convention, capped
the climax of his hearts woes
After that, except for his public an
pearance in support of the Harrison tick
ct In a speech at Ophir Farm in Octo-
Der following his retirement as a broken
invalid was complete. A cruel thwarting
fate seemed to pursue him with remorse-
less enmity.
He was indeed one of those whom I'M
merciful disaster followed fast and fol-
lowed faster, " until in his hopeless misery
all unspCken. his existence appeared TO
himself exactly like that of the tree i'm
Oak Hill-blasted and blighted by a bolt
from the sky.