The San Francisco call., 1897-06-19
A GOOD Man
LAID TO REST
Impressive Funeral of
George E. Barnes, Vet
eran Journalist.
Tributes to H.3 Worth and
Memory From all Gases
OF People.
Newspapers and Theaters Say GOoc
Words of a Time.Honored
Friend and S3rvant.

The veteran journalist, George E. Barnes,
was buried yesterday under the auspices
of the Press Club. The ceremonies were
simple but impressive and host of the
dead mans friends gathered by the side
OF the casket.
Possibly never before have the quarters
of the Press Club been obliged to acc ON
modate so large throng as that of yester-
day. Newspaper men and actors were
most prominently represented, for the
dead man was beloved by them. The cas-
ket lay in the reception room of the club
covered with floral offerings of friends and
associates of the dead man.
The Bulletin sent decorations from both
the editorial and typographical depart
ments. A beautiful design of a prosce-
mum arch of cut roses, lilies and immor-
telies and fallen curtain of white satin
with the words in old letters, THE Cur
tain Has Fallen" was the gift of THE
CALL s reportorial staff.
The Alcazar Theater sent a wreath of
swes peas inscribed as Sunrise"
Morosco's Theater was represented by a
dove made of white roses and a sheaf of
ripe wheat.
The Examiner put its Offering into cut
roses, while Harry Carson Clarke, on be-
half of the Columbia Theater, sent bou-
quet of La France roses.
The remonies beam at 2 o clock with
the singing of the "Miserere" by the Press
Club Quartet. Peter Robertson, dramatic
critic of the Chronicle, made the address
of the occasion. He spoke as follows:
am honored by my fellow journalists in
being trusted to say for them the words of
farewell, which death has left unsaid over the
man who has for half lifetime been one of
the foremost figures in the respect of our pro-
fession. his ears cannot hear the words we
utter about him; his eyes cannot look 1non
the tri butte OF flowers under which all tn At is
ortal of him Will rest in the grave tonight
1t is for ourselves, aud not for him, thA we
are here to-day; Tor IL is well that we should
concentrate our thoughts sometimes on the re-
spect which ali human nature feels for worth
and dignity of character, the only things we
leave behind MS that make our memory dear
There are many here who have held closer
personal relations with George Barnes than
nave; but we have beeu comrades for twenty
years. and in that com rRdeshfp have seen his
nature to know 1t well. No personal friend
ship no public admiration could speak as
potenuy for this man as the epitaph which
his brethren might well carve on his head
stone: ''He lived threescore wears and ten and
died journalist without an enemy" 1t
easy to win the love of those we praise; but
few better tributes could be given TO man
Than to win the respect of those whom duty
called upon him to blame. II sometimes his
pen had to wound the vanity Of men and
women, to prick the bubble OF inflated ego
tism or cut down young ambition the wound
has been forgiven for the justice OF the stroke
George Barnes was the head and front of the
profession 10 which he specially devoted him
self when San Francisco first won that critical
renown which it holds to-day and l am sure
that through the length and breadth of the
country there was not theater in which his
name was not kindly spoken when it was
known that he had eft US. 1t may be that un-
swerving honesty, that acute Judgment, that
justice OF praise or censure, that earnest devo-
tion which he gave to the theater in some
more universally important function might
have made him more worldly prosperous more
famous even. But it is all of life TO do well
what We undertake to do; to win the highest
place in tae ranks We fight in. And ne won
the highest long ago.
His modesty declined the credit of the fame
he made for others; the help he gave, and he
gave much, he called his duty; he hated 10 be
cruel, even II ii were only 10 be kind. He has
gone to his grave, honored and re, pected of
all who knew him; his praise dearly cher
ished, his blame remembered only as a benefit.
If those who love, honor and esteem us are as
we foudly hope, waiting to greet us when
Charon's boat lands us on the other shore of
the unseen river, then is George Barnes well
coined by the men and women Wnom the