The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-10-22

husbands body to Washington came in
the morning papers from St. Paul. No
body here understands why this step has
been taken, it having been the general
understanding that Minnesota was to
erect a monument in memory of her
greatest son and place his remains be-
meath it, AS soon as she had a chance
to speak to Colonel Ramsdell and Mr..
Droop at the depot, Mrs. Davis, who is
looking very we'll, notwithstanding the
full mourning worn for the occasion, said
that she desired the funeral party to
start for Arlington at once. So little at
tention had been paid to details that no
pallbearers were selected, and volunteer
bearers were pressed into service at the
grave.
From the train to the hearse the casket
was carried on the shoulders of negro
porters. The funeral, at Mrs Davis re-
quest, was strictly private, and several
photographers who were at the cemetery
were refused admission when they stated
that they wished to get picture of the
interment. Last week Mrs Davis COM
municated with the department quarter
master, who has charge Of Arlington, and
the usual formal order for interment was
issued Oct. IS. The grave was dug yes
terday All these matters were attended
to quietly, however, and the public was
startled when word came this morning
that the body was enroute and would ar
rive at noon.
The Senator's own Wish.
"A friend of the family explained Mrs.
Davis choice of Arlington to-day by say
ing that several years ago the senator
and his wife were driving through ArIing-
ton, then in the full tide of its famous
summer beauty The carriage was stopped
at the brow of a hill overlooking the
river and city, and Mr. Davis, pointing
In the direction Of the quarters reserved
for army officers, said that when he died
he should like very much to be buried
there.
The remark may not have been made in
full seriousness as expressing a settled
wish, but Mrs. Davis evidently thought
e.,
Davis nome is to be in Washington and
naturally she wants to have the grave
Where she may see it when she desires
Shuts st. Paul Out of Her Life.
Notwithstanding this explanation. how
ever, there is a general feeling here that
Mrs. Davis is anxious to shut out of her
life all that part of it which relates to
st. Paul, the city which caused her SO
much bitter sorrow. She at first looked
favorably in the proposition to erect a
monument there, but when the legislature
failed to act last winter, she was some
what inclined to hold that city responsible
Had It's citizens been sufficiently jealous,
she believed, something would have been
done. Added to this thought is the fur
ther knowledge that since the legislature
adjourned scarcely anything has been done
in st. Paul towards arranging for a monu-
ment or any proper burial.
Meanwhile the body has rested in the
vault waiting action Senator Davis has
now been dead almost a var and Mrs
Davis felt that she could not afford to wait
longer, especially as her personal wishes
were in the direction of Arlington.
The public may accept either explanation
or neither The one thing that is sure
is that Mrs. Davis has consulted her per-
sonal inclinations. 1t is believed here
that the entire state Of Minnesota will re-
gret this action. In an important sense
Senator Davis belonged to the state and
many will feel that the states wishes,
while not paramount to those of the
widow, should have been consulted. But
the personal question in this problem is
SO prominent and complicated from Mrs.
Davis standpoint, that it is doubtful
whether the public as whole will per-
manently condemn her action
w. w Jermana