Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-22
WEBSTER.
FUNERAL OF F. t. CHASE.
A Popular Citizen Buried Amidst Tears
and Flowers-Services Largely
Attended.

friday afternoon.
From 10 to Ii o'clock the house was
thrown open to the public, and more
than 1000 people viewed the remains. A
large number Of operatives of the WOOL
EN- mill attended in body and took a
farewell look at their esteemed en-
ployer The funeral was one Of the larg-
est ever held in town.
The services were held at moon, being
opened by scripture reading by Rev.
Nathan s. Hill, pastor of the Universal
list Church. Prayers were offered by Rev.
Lucius Holmes and Rev Mr.. Hill. Rev.
Mr.. Hill delivered the eulogy. In part he
said:
AS we stand in the presence of this
bereaved household and mourning
friends there is whispered to us:
Come away; for life and thought
Here no longer dwell;
But in a city glorious
A great and distant city-have sought
A mansion incorruptible.
Would they could have stay'd with u.s."
Yes, dear friends, we would have de-
tanned the departed spirit of our brother
beloved. We can lily afford to spare him
from our midst. But we bow beneath
will that is higher than ours as the
heavens are higher than the earth, and
whose
him, whose lips are silent, saying unto
us in the hush of this service, Beloved,
my witness is in heaven, and my record
is on high" God has a Bible and the
nyes Of men are texts in it. You are
familiar with the record that has been
making in this Bible for four ana htty
years. We are not gathered here Tor
eulogy, nor biography. The events OF ms
life are known to you all He has gone
~, MI
concourse Of people are silent Witness
es of the sterling worth of his character
He was one of Natures truest noble
men. AS friend, neighbor, citizen, per-
sonaIIy identified with the best inter-
ests of our town, you know FAR better
than any words Of mine can lnoacate
Before me are representatives OF al
classes and conditions of society in our
town Around this bier are assembled
men of every creed, whose hearts are
touched with sense of personal loss,
and the profoundest sympathy that
nortals can feel You have honored MN
with Offices of public trust from time 10
time. and those years OF service were
marked with fidelity and dignity ne
was a well wisher and generous sup,
norter of the church, the school ana al
11rooress AS a manufacturer he was not
only respected, but beloved by ms EN-
p4FS Rnt in domestic life he found his
1ie1beet iov To him the home that he
had founded became a verltaole shIliie'
4 loving husband, a kind father, ne
made home an outer court OF heaven.
Hand in hand and heart with heaTt
with his chosen companion In the NE
Journey, this home. ana TINS nresloe
have been almost IDEAL
The sorrow and loneliness OF the
leave untouched. LIE
heart knoweth its own bitterness, ana
I will not intrude upon its privacy !;
Born Of Quaker lineage, he gravitated
by spiritual affinity to the church when
7 have the honor to represent Kindness
and benevolence were lifelong tralts'
The beauty of his character was known
by the good deeds he wrought without
noise or bluster. To do good was ms
aim in life and when besuowing it he
asked not whether a person was a
Catholic or Protestant. His only motive
was to be a good Samaritan In our
modern society. He could say with the
sweet souled Catholic,
'aThere's a Wilderness in Gods mercy
Like the wideness of the sea-"
And vet he was no narrow sectarian,
for his was the human faith.
BROAD as the love of God,
Ample as the needs of men,"
A lover of the best books, he sought
out the choicest literature. For him
astronomy had a strong fascination,
and in studying the eternal purpose Of
the Creator as mapped out in the orbit
Of the heavens, there came to him the
revelation of the deeper spiritual philos-
ophy which was his solace in life and
his hope in death. 1t helps us to bear
this sorrow, to remember that he con-
sidered it as natural to die as to be
born; that when we close cur eyes on
this world we pass to the house, not
made with hands, eternal in the heav-
ems. For solace let us cast our conf
dence on the eternal goodness, assured
that beauty shall spring no out of
ashes and life out Of the dust
And so, beside the silent sea
I wait the muffied oar
No harm from him can come to me
On ocean or on shore.
1 know no where his islands lift
Their founded palms in air;
I only know I cannot drift
Beyond his love and care.
"Peace to his ashes, rest to his eman-
cipated spirit"
When the impressive services at the
house were ended, the local Masonic
Lodge took charge of the services and
escorted the remains to the cemetery,
Samuel B. Childs acting as marshal At
the grave the Masonic burial service
was conducted by w. NJ, Edward
Forbes and H. W. Williams, chaplain.
The bearers were Elias P. Morton. John
w. Dobbie and Philip Pearl, who repre-
sented the Worcester County Command
cry, Knights Templars, of Worcester,
and Oscar Shumway, E. N. Bigelow and
Edward F. Smith, representing the
Webster Lodge, A. F. and A. NJ.
Mr. Chase was member of the Wor-
cester County Commandery, and during
the years Of 1S6S-'69-'70, he was master
Mason of the Webster Lodge.
Mr.. Chase's death was mourned by
every one in town, and in respect to
him, all the business houses closed from
the noon hour to 8 o'clock in the after
noon. The Chase Woolen Companys
mills were closed for the day, and the
shoe factory of B, A. Corbin e Son
suspended labor at 10 o'clock for the
remainder of the day.
There was a large profusion of ele-
giant and costly flowers, including a
large column Of white pinks surmounted
by white dove, with a double base Of
white pinl1s, ferns, Easter and Gala Ill
les, inscribed "1S44-1S9S Our Employer"
huge pillow of white pinks, edged
with roses, lilies OF the valley and Easter
and calla lilies, inscribed "Our En-
ployer," from the employees Of the de-
ceased; a broken column from the Ma
sons; a wreath of white pinks from the
Universalist Society; a passion cross
from the Worcester County Command
cry; a keystone from Doric Chapter, r.
A. NJ, of Southbridge; and many trib-
utes from personal friends.
Among those at the services were Mr..
and Mrs. George Tracy, Mr.. and Mrs
Prentiss Howard and Miss Howard, Mr..
n L.