The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-22
LAID TO REST
A KINDLY FRIEND.
Masonic and Military Trib-
utes Paid General
McCOmb.
an HONORABLE CAREER
Pioneer and Former President of
Bohemian and Olympic
Clubs.
EULOGY BY GENERAL BARNES
Impressive and Pathetic Services and
Notable List of Pal.
bearers.
EUL0GY BY GENERAL BARNES

A most impressive funeral service n
one combining Masonic rites and military
tributes, was held yesterday afternoon
over the remains of General John Nc
Comb, secretary of the California Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children;
ex-president of the Olympic Club; ex-
president of the Bohemian Club; ex-
warden of the State Prison at Folsom and
of the Penitentiary at San Quentin; for
many years brigadier-general of the Ma
tional Guard of California: '49er: an
old time newspaper man of this City and
member OF the Masonic order.
The remains were brought over from
Oakland under the military escort of the
mounted signal corps of the National
Guard and taken to the Masonic Temple,
where California Lodge No. 1, Free and
Accepted Masons, took charge of the SER
vices conducted in King Soloman's Hall.
The great room was crowded beyond its
seating capacity, when at2 o'clock Henry
Ascroft, master of the lodge, fanked by
Masons full CARRIED in mourning and by
pIumed Knights Templar, began the re ad
ing of the Masonic funeral service. AS the
chants and responses sounded at intervals
above the impressive monotone the SOL
emn sadness of the scene became more
choir chanted in weird, slow time, every
woman present was shedding ilent tears,
and many manly eye glistened in re-
Spouse to that feeling that makes all the
world akin.
And then General W. H. L. Barnes, the
old man eloquent, stepped down from the
platform and advancing near to the great,
beautiful floral piece in white lilies at the
head of the casket, spoke of the unknown
beyond, of the goodness and kindness of
his friend.
Beginning with review of the accom-
plishments of man in this realm of science,
his researches into the mysteries of the
starry universe and the knowledge he had
acquired of all things, General Barnes,
after long series of balanced clauses,
said:
"And vet we know no more about the
source of human life or what is after death
than did the Egyptian when he made his
sacrifice to the cat; nothing except what
we know by faith"
Continuing, he said in part:
'What do we wait for? Where did we
come from?
"The mystery of death, the hope of what
shall be has long ago taken away from me
the feeling of horror. 1t is to me well
| come friend.
II do not mourn, neither should you
mourn, Tor our friend that is gone. He
knows it all; the record of centuries is
now his to contemplate as he looks down
upon us with that kindly face we knew so
| we'll. | do not mourn for John McComb.
/ am glad that so good so true, so faithful
a man has lived during my life, and that l
! knew him as friend.
This man was the same in the greatest
disappointments of his life as he was in
| the moments that seemed to him the
! greatest triumphs."
From the Masonic Temple the long
| funeral cortege moved up Market street
| and out Golden Gate avenue to Van Ness
where the military opened ranks, allowed
| the procession to pass through and finally
fell in at the rear. A little further on the
way to the Masonic Cemetery the Knights
| Templar opened out into two parallel col
umns through which the mourners passed,
and lastly the Masons themselves sepa-
rated and repeated the formation of double
columns before taking their position in
| line again.
| At the cemetery the Masons assem- bled
in circle about the grave where the final
part of the funeral service was performed.
The pallbearers were Isaac Brodrick
and John Preston, representing California
Lodge No. l, Free and Accepted Masons;
II. j. Owen and William A. Davies of
California CHAPTER No. 5, Royal Arch
California Commandery No. l, Knights
TEN lar, and the following intimate
friends of the deceased: General J. II.
Dickinson and Major-General Walter B.
Turn bull as representatives Of the retired
officers of the National Guard of Califor-
MA Colonel Charles Sonntag. president
of the California Society for the Proven
ton OF Cruelty to Children; Joseph
Simonson and General R. H. Friedrich,
representatives of the Union League Club:
George K. Fitch, the veteran journalist.
and Ferdinand Tassault, who were fellow
passengers with General McComb on the
steamship Oregon that brought them to
San Francisco in 1S49; George B. Dens-
more, the veteran editor and representa-
tive of the old-time journalists, with
whom deceased was once a co.. orker;
General W. III. l.. Barnes and R. H.
Lloyd, standing for the local legal profess
sion, General S. w. Bachus and ]. M.
Litchteld.